Barton Stone, Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell founded the Disciples in 1830.
(click on the names above for more information on each person)
Click here for additional information on the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
West Side Christian Church is one of 4000 congregations of a small American denomination known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Often simply called “Disciples,” we are a Mainline Protestant Church with a moderate-to-liberal theological position. We are very much like Moderate Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, or members of the United Church of Christ. We believe that being part of a denomination helps to keep us responsible and honest as a congregation.
Our congregations are not, on the one hand, like Pentecostal or Fundamentalist churches, but on the other hand they are also not extremely liberal. I would characterize us as “middle of the road.” We anticipate that there will be a variety of theological understandings within a given congregation; we take pride in our openness and ability to include people from many different backgrounds in one body. In spite of holding different understandings on some issues, we strive to live together in love and acceptance.
When we worship God, we always honor the Creator by remembering his love in sending Jesus to die on the cross; we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day morning. We understand Holy Communion as central to Christian faith and Christian worship. If we don’t fellowship around Christ’s Table, we feel that we haven’t really worshipped.
Our practice is to baptize believers by immersion, although we gladly receive into our membership people who have been baptized in other ways. We honor all baptismal traditions.
We are ecumenical and proud of it. We believe that wherever possible, Christians need to work together across the traditions and boundaries that have so often separated us. No church is a kingdom unto itself, but part of Christ’s great, universal church.
Most of all, we are devoted to Jesus, the Christ, and to the study and understanding of the Bible as a great way of life and a way to come to know Jesus. We believe that life is enriched and Christ is honored as we are faithful in Christian worship and service.