sasbrb@unx.sas.com (Brendan Bailey) (06/26/91)
Does anyone have any information on the Church of Christ? Everyone I've talked with that are members are simply estatic about it, but I've talked with several people who had really bad experiences with them, to the point of calling them cults. It evidently started in Florida as the Crossroads Church, moved to Atlanta and Boston. I read they're strong in Birmingham and they now have a following in Chapel Hill, NC. I'd appreciate any information about this organization, good or bad. Thanks! ------------------------ Brendan Bailey sasbrb@unx.sas.com ------------------------
rjb@akgua.att.com (Robert J Brown) (06/27/91)
In article <Jun.26.00.20.54.1991.21760@athos.rutgers.edu>, sasbrb@unx.sas.com (Brendan Bailey) writes: > > Does anyone have any information on the Church of Christ? > Everyone I've talked with that are members are simply estatic > about it, but I've talked with several people who had really > bad experiences with them, to the point of calling them cults. > It evidently started in Florida as the Crossroads Church, moved > to Atlanta and Boston. I read they're strong in Birmingham and > they now have a following in Chapel Hill, NC. > I'd appreciate any information about this organization, good > or bad. Thanks! > > ------------------------ > Brendan Bailey > sasbrb@unx.sas.com Note that this group, whose official name I've forgotten, IS NOT the denominational group Church of Christ. THe denomination is long standing and related doctrinally to the Disciples of Christ and the Christian Church denominations. The bad press that the Fla-Atlanta-Boston group has gained revolves around their reported extreme practice of shepherding or discipleship. You have to get "permission" for most every activity of significance from the person you're submitted to. Should I buy a car, get married, shall we have a child, etc..?? All these life questions must be approved by your shepherd. Most American Christians, with our uneasy relationship with authority (at least Boomers :-)), find this over- indulgence in authority-submission a little overboard and cult-like. I'm not familiar enough with their other doctrines to render any opinion and readily admit that what I've presented may contain media distortion since I personally know no one in the group. Bobby - akgua!rjb
vkessler@ncratl.atlantaga.ncr.com (Vance Kessler) (07/01/91)
I would like to point out that the 'Church of Christ' you are talking about is a break-away group from the original Church of Christ. I have been a member of the church for over 10 years and the church itself has been in exsistence, in the U.S., for about 200 years. The first church in the U.S. was started around Savannah Ga. The 'Church of Christ' you are talking about practices some things that I, and everyone else I know in the chruch, would not do. All in all our chruch is a fundemental one and in no way resembles a cult.
catfood@ncoast.org (Mark W. Schumann) (07/01/91)
rjb@akgua.att.com (Robert J Brown) writes: >In article <Jun.26.00.20.54.1991.21760@athos.rutgers.edu>, sasbrb@unx.sas.com (Brendan Bailey) writes: >> >> Does anyone have any information on the Church of Christ? >Note that this group, whose official name I've forgotten, IS NOT the >denominational group Church of Christ. THe denomination is long >standing and related doctrinally to the Disciples of Christ and the >Christian Church denominations. The one you are talking about, Robert, is actually the UNITED Church of Christ. We used to be the Congregational (one one hand) and the Evangelical & Reformed (on the other hand) before the merger in 1957. The UCC is generally considered a more liberal denomination. But your point is correct; there is no relation here. -- ============================================================ Mark W. Schumann 3111 Mapledale Avenue, Cleveland 44109 USA Domain: catfood@ncoast.org UUCP: ...!mailrus!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ncoast!catfood ============================================================ [There's also a Church of Christ, different from the U.C.C. Indeed there are probably several different ones. The one I know of came from one of the many movements that were dissatisfied with all the separate denominations, and tried to recreate the Church as it was in the NT. The intent of the name is that this isn't just a denomination, this is the real Church as Christ meant it to be. Unfortunately, unless you can convince everybody else, you end up just another denomination -- but one with a very confusing name. --clh]