The Churches of Christ in America began about two hundred years ago as a reform movement among divided and warring Presbyterian factions.  In response to the sectarian divisiveness that the leaders saw among Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist churches, they proposed that all believers be united in Christ through a return to the basic teachings of the scriptures.

   They recognized that the church of Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally and constitutionally one that the world never be brought to believe in Jesus as long as believers fought among themselves and divided over into diverse groups, each with their own creedal statements.  So the leaders called for a return to the New Testament Scriptures for all beliefs and practices.  They soon recognized that the New Testament church practiced immersion baptism of believers, met weekly on the first day of the week to worship, including taking the Lord's supper, and organized themselves into local churches without hierarchies and man-made organizations.

   They rejected the Calvinistic teachings of total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints.  They preached the simple gospel story to everyone, and emphasized that whosoever will can believe, repent, and be baptized, and thus form the church of Christ on earth.

   The movement preached Christianity without denominationalism.  To honor Jesus, they called themselves simply Christians or Disciples of Christ.  They called their churches Churches of Christ, Christian Churches or Disciples of Christ.  They believed, The Bible only makes Christians.  Their motto became, We speak what the Bible speaks, and we are silent where the Bible is silent.  They emphasized, no book but the Bible, no creed but the Christ, and no name but the divine.

   The movement in America is not unique.  Throughout the two thousand years of Christianity there have been multiple reform movements, totally unrelated to us, that called for a restoration of biblical beliefs and practices.  Because the members are human like everyone else, the movement has also had its problems with sectarianism and divisions.  Because some favored instrumental music, missionary societies beyond the local church, German rationalism and liberalism, and supra-local church organization, the movement split into three segments: The Disciples of Christ or Christian Churches, the instrumental Christian Churches / Churches of Christ, and the acapella Churches of Christ.

   Today, the churches meet in every state, but they are heavily concentrated in six southern states.  The one million members in America meet in ten thousand congregations.  At least that many members meet outside the United States in congregations that exist among two-thirds of the world's countries.  Members of the Church of Christ operate many colleges, childcare and geriatric homes, inner-city ministries, publishing houses, newspapers and journals, and mission ministries throughout the world.

   The Southern Maine Church of Christ seeks to be true to the scriptures in every regard.  We seek to preach and teach the Bible and the Bible alone.  We are committed to the ideals of the restoration movement. We recognize that only one God knows where all his people are.  We do not claim to be the only Christians, but Christians only.  Anyone who has learned of Christ from the Scriptures and has obeyed Jesus Christ in believers immersion is a member of the universal church of Christ and will be received into fellowship here.  Anything that anyone has learned from anybody anywhere from the scriptures is true and right and does not ever need to be unlearned.  Unless God has plainly spoken, we dare not pronounce judgment on anyone's eternal salvation.  We only ask people to follow the teachings of the Bible.  This way all believers in Christ can be united into the church of Christ on earth that is essentially, intentionally and constitutionally one.  We invite you to join us in the noble quest.

What Is The Southern Maine Church of Christ ?

What Does Your Church Believe ?

What Is Distinctive About The Church of Christ ?

Why Does The Church of Christ Sing A Capella Only ?

A Brief History of Instruments in
Christian Worship

Why We Choose to Be A Capella ?

Why Do Churches of Christ Baptize
by Immersion Only ?

Why Do We Teach That Every Believer
Should Be Baptized ?

Why Do We Celebrate Communion
Every Sunday and Only on Sunday ?

How May I Become A Member at
Southern Maine Church of Christ ?

How May I Become a Christian ?