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Our History
North Royalton Christian Church was founded in the fall of 1829
following a series of nightly preaching services conducted by William
Hayden, a well-known frontier evangelist of the day.
This congregation is the oldest Disciples of Christ church in
Cuyahoga
County
and is one of the oldest in the state of Ohio.
With no permanent meeting house and no preacher except for the
early Disciples itinerant evangelists who traveled throughout the
Western Reserve
, the church depended on its elders to assume responsibility for keeping
the congregation together.
William Hayden and his brother, Amasa Stone Hayden, president of
Hiram
College
in the mid-1880s, visited the new church often.
Alexander Campbell, theologian, statesman, founder of
Bethany
College
, and foremost leader of the Disciples of Christ denomination preached
here in 1838 and on several other occasions.
James A Garfield, 20th president of
the
United States
and former student and president of
Hiram
College
, preached here while a student at the college (around 1852).
The first permanent building was erected on the hilltop at the
Royalton
Cemetery
in the late 1850s.
A larger building was erected on the same site in1895, and it was
this building that became known as “the church on the hill.” The
present 7-acre site was purchased in 1960.
Ground-breaking ceremonies were held on April 29, 1962, and the new
building was dedicated on May 12 1963.
On November 13, 1977, a fund-raising drive to raise money for a
permanent sanctuary and additional classrooms was launched.
Four nights later, the existing educational wing was destroyed by
fire and the rest of the building suffered severe smoke damage.
The fund-raising campaign was quickly revised to include
reconstruction of the destroyed educational wing, and on October 14, 1979,
the new and current building was dedicated.
The
Early History of the Disciples of Christ Denomination
The
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) grew out of two movements seeking
Christian unity that sprang up almost simultaneously in western
Pennsylvania
and
Kentucky
- movements that were backlashes against the rigid denominationalism of
the early 1800s.Rolex Replica Watches
Thomas
and Alexander Campbell, a Scottish Presbyterian father and son in
Pennsylvania
, rebelled against the dogmatic sectarianism that kept members of
different denominations - and even factions within the same denomination -
from partaking of the Lord's Supper
together. Barton W. Stone in Kentucky , also a Presbyterian, objected to
the use of creeds as tests of "fellowship" within the church, which were
a cause of disunity, especially at the Lord’s table. "Christians," the
name adopted by Stone's movement, represented what he felt to be a
shedding of denominational labels in favor of a scriptural and inclusive
term. Campbell had similar reasons for settling on "Disciples of Christ"
but he felt the term "Disciples" less presumptuous than "Christians."
The aims and practices of the two groups were similar, and the Campbell
and Stone movements united in 1832 after about a quarter of a century of
separate development. The founders of the Christian Church hoped to
restore Christian unity by returning to New Testament faith and
practices. But the church found that even this led to division. One
group that opposed practices not specifically authorized by the New
Testament, such as instrumental music in the church and organized
missionary activity, gradually pulled away. That group finally was
listed separately in the 1906 federal religious census as the "Churches
of Christ." Another group remained with the Disciples but began a
separation in 1926 over what it felt were too liberal policies on the
mission field in the practice of baptism. More than 40 years later
(1967-69) some 3,000 of those congregations formally withdrew at the
time of Disciples restructure. They refer to themselves as the Christian
Churches/Churches of Christ.
The
Four Priorities of the Church
At the 2001 General Assembly,the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) adopted the 2020 Vision, which contained four priorities that
will guide the Church through the first two decades of the 21st century.
The Four Priorities are:
Becoming a Pro-reconciling/Anti-racist church
Formation of 1,000 new congregations by 2020
Transformation of 1,000 current congregations by 2020
Leadership development necessary to realize these new and renewed congregations
What
does the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) believe?
• The Bible is a guide for Christian living and faith and truly reveals
God’s purpose in the world. The witness of early Disciples was “where
the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are
silent.” It was out of the commitment to the concept of restoring the
unity of the church, based on the New Testament, that many traditional
beliefs and practices took shape and continue to be a part of our
identity as a church today, including weekly celebration of the Lord’s
Supper, baptism of believers by immersion; and the right of
self-government by congregations.
• Doctrines and human differences should not be allowed to divide
believers from each other. God is revealed in many ways, mainly through
Jesus. There are no set beliefs about God—all experience the deity
differently. There is a unity of all Christians in the love of Christ.
• There is an Inclusive Ministry in the life and work of the church. All
members are “ministers“ and are entitled to interpret the Scriptures and
perform church functions.
• Baptism is for individuals mature enough to make their own decisions.
Just as the baptism represents the death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, it symbolizes the death and burial of the old self, and
the joyous birth of a brand new being in Christ. Those who founded the
Disciples movement taught baptism by immersion as the accepted form.
Baptism, as a gift of grace, received by faith, expresses its meaning in
a variety of images: new birth; a washing with water; a cleansing from
sin; a sign of God’s forgiving grace; the power of new life now and the
pledge of life in the age to come. The meaning of baptism is grounded in
God’s redemptive action in Christ, it incorporates the believer in the
community in the body of Christ, and it anticipates life in the coming
age when the powers of the old world will be overcome, and the purposes
of God will triumph.
• The Lord’s Supper is the heart of our worship. It is celebrated in
remembrance of Christ and His life on earth; it draws the congregation
closer together; it is an act of thanksgiving for the forgiveness of our
sins and the renewal of our life; and it is a rededication to Christ’s
way. The Lord's Supper or Communion is celebrated in weekly worship. It
is open to all who are followers of Jesus Christ. The practice of Holy
Communion has become the central element of worship within the Disciples
tradition. Disciples' observance of the Lord's Supper emanates from the
upper room, where Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples on the
eve of his crucifixion. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the living
Christ is met and received in the sharing of the bread and the cup,
representative of the body and blood of Jesus. The presence of the
living Lord is affirmed and he is proclaimed to be the dominant power in
our lives.
Membership
in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) means freedom and diversity
• In Worship–Prayer and devotion are a Christian’s greatest source of
strength. We have no set doctrines or uniform rules. Each person can
find the methods that suit him/her the best. • In Service –God has given
each of us unique gifts and talents. The church offers many and varied
opportunities to put them to use. • In Fellowship–Church members join
together in many ways, sharing each other’s joys and sorrows and helping
each other follow Christ’s way in our daily lives.
The Mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ):
To be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and
serving from our doorsteps “to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The Vision of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): To be a
faithful growing church, that demonstrates true community, deep
Christian spirituality and a passion for justice. (Micah 6:8)
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