Getting to Know… Church of Christ Doctrine

• Recognized in 1906
• It is the most conservative of the three Restorationist streams (the other two being the Disciples of Christ and the Christian Churches)
• Baptism by immersion is an integral part of salvation
• Many in the denomination believe Bible prohibits instrumental music in worship services (only a cappella singing)
• Emphasis on New Testament Christianity, congregational independence, weekly observance of the Lord's Supper and the necessity of baptism for salvation.

Pastor's Past Revealed

A Virginia Congregation is shocked to learn their pastor was convicted.. for murder. Read about it here.

The Faith of Colt McCoy

KXAN-TV in Austin reports on the church involvement of the Texas Longhorn's quarterback who'll be playing for the college football championship tonight.

100 Foot Cross

A church northeast of Birmingham plans to raise a 100-foot cross on its property. The Hunter's Chapel Holy Church of Christ will start construction in February on the $232,000 project, and expects to be finished by June. Motorists will be able to see the cross from the future Interstate 22 near Jasper. Pastor Dale Hyche got the idea from a similar monument in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. A prayer garden will be built at the foot of the cross.

Attendance Falling at Churches of Christ

There are fewer folks in Churches of Christ pews than any time since 1980. A new church report (called the 21st Century Christian) shows 12,629 congregations (526 fewer than in 2003) and 1,578,281 "adherents” as the report calls them (78,436 fewer than in 2003). One reason for the decline: 21 churches with Sunday morning instrumental worship services are not included. That cuts out congregations like the Richland Hills Church near Ft. Worth, Texas with more than 5000 members. But if you adjust for the instrumental churches, there is still a significant decline. Of greatest concern to the denomination is the aging congregations. The number of children has dropped 7%. Note: There's a long dispute in COC circles over whether musical instruments should be used in church services.