Aim and Plea of the Church
Congregation: We, the Disciples of Christ, wishing to be in complete accord and agreement with the doctrine of Christ, set forth the following principles, which have been the focus of the Church for more than a century.
Minister: General aim of the Church.
Congregation: Restoration of the New Testament teachings and practices.
Minister: Plea of the Church.
Congregation: No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible; no name but the Divine.
Minister: Where the Bible speaks, we speak.
Congregation: Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.
Minister: In essentials unity.Congregation: In nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
Congregation: Restoration of the New Testament teachings and practices.
Minister: Plea of the Church.
Congregation: No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible; no name but the Divine.
Minister: Where the Bible speaks, we speak.
Congregation: Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.
Minister: In essentials unity.Congregation: In nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
What is The Aim and Plea of the Church of Christ, Disciples of ChristThe Aim and Plea of the Church of Christ is not a document that seeks to define God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit, for the Bible has adequately done this. It is a statement that clarifies and reminds all Disciples who we are.Christ passed the keys of the kingdom of heaven to the apostles to lead the Church (Mat. 16:19). The body of believers was known as the Ecclesia (pronounced ehk klay SEE uh), or "Church." It means those called out, or chosen. Disciples of Christ must come together for worship (John 17:11, Heb. 10:25). Councils were held in Jerusalem with the apostles and elders to discuss the requirements for Gentile believers to be accepted into the Church (Acts 15:6, Gal. 2:1). These meetings preserved the integrity of the Church, uniting Jews and Gentiles. The Lord would not suffer division in His Church.Doctrinal problems arose in every era of the Church. Nineteenth-century Disciples in America were determined to restore New Testament teachings and practices by rejecting the creedal orders of denominational churches that were not scripturally based. In 1809, at Bush Run, Pennsylvania, Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian minister, devoted himself and the congregation to this cause. He organized Churches of Christ on one principle, "Where the Scripture speaks, we speak; where the Scripture is silent, we are silent." From that statement in his Declaration and Address of 1832 came our Aim and Plea. This petition of faith is scripturally sound and should be studied and learned by all Disciples of Christ.