Christian Union (denomination)
| Christian Union | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Restorationist, Evangelical |
| Polity | Congregationalist |
| Associations | National Association of Evangelicals |
| Founder | J.F. Given |
| Origin | Feb. 3, 1864 Columbus, Ohio |
| Separated from | Methodist Episcopal Church, others |
| Branched from | Methodist Episcopal Church (North), others |
| Separations | Churches of Christ in Christian Union, Illinois District of MEC-South) |
| Congregations | 114 (as of 1995) |
| Members | 6,000 (1995) |
The Christian Union is a Restorationist Christian denomination, with strength in the U.S. state of Ohio and the Midwest.
Strictly congregational, the Christian Union is an attempt to unite all Christians "to promote fellowship among God's people, to put forth every effort to proclaim God's saving grace to the lost ... and to declare the whole counsel of God for the edification of believers."
The Christian Union maintains seven principles: "the oneness of the Church of Christ, Christ as the only head of the church, the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice, good fruits as the one condition of fellowship, Christian union without controversy, complete autonomy for the local church, and avoidance of all partisan political preaching."
Men and women are ordained ministers. Ordinances include baptism by any method, at the choice of the individual, and the Lord's Supper. Inter-church councils meet at various levels for fellowship and to conduct business, plan missions work, etc. Most churches follow a familiar Evangelical, Restorationist pattern with Sunday School, Sunday morning worship services, and mid-week Bible studies.
The Christian Union was organized at the Deshler Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, on February 3, 1864 (though groupings of churches that later joined with the Christian Union point to earlier dates and movements as their origin). Weary of the legion of issues brought to the forefront during the American Civil War, founder Rev. James Fowler Given, a Methodist Episcopal Church (North) pastor, was put out of the itinerant pulpit ministry because he refused to take political stands supported by the denomination, particularly military force in support of Abolition.
Given, who quickly became a martyr for Democrats and those opposed to radical Abolitionism, began a newspaper called The Christian Witness "in the interest of pure religion — Christianity free from all superstition, cant and sectarianism; of good Morals; of sound Education and Knowledge; of Genuine Benevolence; of the Great Principles of American Liberty; and, in short, of whatever may subserve a Noble Manhood, or contribute to Public Happiness and Prosperity." Three main reasons underscored the creation of the Christian Union—all promoted within the pages of the Christian Witness. Aside from opposing the political preaching common during the height of the Civil War, founders also objected to the forbidding of laymen to interpret the Bible or freely practice/participate in the Lord's Supper, Baptism, and Foot washing. Thirdly, the Christian Union founders resented the heavy-handed control of their former denominations—a common objection found in the Restorationism of the time. Their call was to "build the Father's house anew."
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