Movement Slogans
The following slogans are associated with the Restoration Movement or Stone Campbell Movement:
"We are Christians only, but not the only Christians" - This slogan has its root in something called the O'Kelly movement. James O'Kelly was a Virginia Methodist minister who led a group of people who wanted to be known as "Christians only" in the very late 1700s. While Stone and the Campbells are identified as the founders of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, O'Kelly is considered one of the streams that led into it. O'Kelly promoted "congregational" churches (more independent) over those led by tightly knit ecclesiastical structures. He also was an abolitionist. Abner Jones and Elias Smith are two Baptist ministers from the early 1800s who also pursued the "Christians only" philosophy, seeking to be New Testament believers and not tied to a denomination.
"We have no creed but Christ and no book but the Bible" - A creed is a statement produced by a church to summarize its basic beliefs. Creeds were important in the early years of the church because copies of the Bible were in short supply. A creed could be memorized, understood and shared. However, in time, church bodies developed distinct differences in creeds and animosity grew between them because of their distinctives. For unity to blossom in the Stone-Campbell Movement, it was necessary to focus on the Lordship of Christ and the truth of God's Word. These should stand above all man-made creeds. In fact, creeds should be discarded in favor God the Lord and the scriptures.
"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty and in all things love" - This slogan can actually be found in the writings of Augustine. It suggest we can have greater unity among believers if we distinguish between those things that are essential to salvation and those things that are not. The purpose of this slogan is not to spend great amounts of time arguing over what is essential and non-essential (although these things must be determined), but rather to recognize that there are things we must agree upon that are non-negotiable, and that there are other things that are not clearly spelled out in scripture, or do not affect our eternal destiny that can be matters of opinion. And in all of our discussions, we should practice love.
"Where the Bible speaks we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent." - We should not separate from other brothers and sisters in Christ over issues that cannot be found in the Bible. However, we should be accountable to one another for those things that are. We will come back to this slogan because two variant interpretations of its fundamental principle led to a division later in the movement.
"Let Christian unity be our polar star" - A slogan inscribed on Barton W. Stones' likeness in Nashville, Tennessee.
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