The movement in which our church was founded is called the Restoration Movement (RM). This was primarily founded by men such as Barton Stone, Thomas & his son Alexander Campbell, these men spent years of intentional time working through their differences in opinion. Though these men had their differences they believed that the New Testament Church was the model we as Christians were called to follow! The effort behind the RM was simply to draw the church to function and look as close to the NT Church as possible. The most common theme agreed on by the RM was "seeking Biblical Unity while allowing the authority of the Scripture speak for itself.  

  Campbell and Stone both spent great amounts of time trying to hold together or build unity in the church, while also being concerned about truly living what the Bible taught. These men were concerned about the proper interpretation of the Word, but were equally concerned about UNITY of the body! How could the later generations miss the point? In a generation enamored to find truth and fact in life, they totally missed the point. Campbell should get some credit because he offered a sense of structure and a road of thought for the church to follow. The Declaration and Address written by Thomas was lived out in his life and proved to be truth among the independent church (Christians Only). It is this concept that is greatly needed to be restored in our culture today.    

  Each Christian must become comfortable being uncomfortable in order to see unity in this church! We must be willing to give much for the sake of Biblical Unity, and make sure that we are promoting a spirit of inclusion. One must seek the Holy Spirit, let every Christian represent their differences, and celebrate them at the same time, as He guides us through the rough collisions. Instead of letting the hurt pile up, it needs to be dealt with by discussing it. The Mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 3-4) through the Spirit’s leading is the only way this is possible. So strap on your hard hat and enjoy the ride, because the outcome will be heavenly!