Full disclosure: I’ve been a part of a “Restoration Movement” church since preschool. If I sound like a “Campbellite,” it could be due to being dyed in the wool as I was dunked under water. All my childhood faith-forming memories are Restoration Movement-based.
I can still recall my first discussion about denominations in elementary school. We didn’t know the term “denomination” at that age, but when talking to a friend about my church, they asked, “What is your faith?” I answered, “Christian.” “No, I mean what KIND of Christian are you?” The question confused me. What other kind was there? I knew my church didn’t house the only Christians, but weren’t we all Christians only?
When I asked for clarification, my friend asked in frustration, “What does it say on your sign?!” “Christian Church!” was my response. “Oh! I’ve never heard of that. That’s why I was confused.” In my young mind, how could something so simple be “confusing”? How could one know what a church is and know what a Christian is, but not know a Christian Church? Oh well. All I had ever known was an unknown to someone else.
“I’ve been a part of a ‘Restoration Movement’ church since preschool.”
Before I give a false impression that our children’s ministry recited passages from the Millennial Harbinger every week (like some kind of “Cane Ridge Rangers” group), let me state I had a normal, happy childhood church experience. We learned Bible verses. I was “in the Lord’s army” (Yes sir!). We went to church camp. We had VBS. We studied the Bible. I was immersed into Christ in 1994 in accordance with Acts 2:38, after which I took communion alongside my parents as I was growing up. I had youth ministers who took our youth group on retreats and to conferences where I got to listen to passionate preachers like Jeff Walling and Mark Moore.
Slogans about unity, liberty, and charity may not have been written on the church walls, but they were demonstrated within them and carried beyond them. I learned by example that when we demonstrate His love, we don’t denominate His Church.
I became comfortable with the necessary tension that existed between the bipolar goals of truth and unity. Often, when one pursues truth above all, they hold an “agree with us to be with us” stance. On the other end of the spectrum, to pursue unity, some grow silent on the hard truth essential to changing lives. Pursuing unity over truth often devolves into something like, “We may be on the wrong road, but at least we’re together!” Discipleship exists within the tension of these two lofty goals within our movement.
“I became comfortable with the necessary tension that existed between the bipolar goals of truth and unity.”
Restoration Movement discipleship helped ignite a passion in me to enter vocational ministry. I ended up going to a Restoration Movement college, and I have ministered in the same Restoration Movement congregation for almost 20 years. With 40 years within this movement behind me, I am excited for the next 40 years of this movement (should the Lord tarry, of course).
Let me tell you why I’m excited.
There is hope of a great revival in our nation. Decades of faithful prayers for a new generation to rise up in faith are showing some signs of being answered in the affirmative. There seems to be a hunger for rootedness in Scripture and a growing disillusionment with denominationalism at the same time. The previous decade has seen a wave of sentiment away from denominationalism, as between 2010 and 2020, “…the number of adherents in independent, nondenominational Christian churches increased by nearly nine million.”[1]
If you’ve got roots in the Restoration Movement, I believe it’s time to remind yourself and share with others the principles that powerfully guided us in the past—and which I believe are ideal for the world of the future.
From my own ministry experience, visitors coming to our church have the same confused look as my elementary friend. Instead of asking, “What does your sign say?” they are asking, “What does your sign mean? What is a Christian Church?” And when we explain what we are, it’s usually met with interest, as if it just makes sense. To glorify God and make disciples, I think it is time for the real Restoration Movement to please stand up. At our best, we are a movement that is positioned for the future with these principles lived out.
1) We Have Autonomy.
Denominational congregations sometimes sit in a season of stagnation until they receive their marching orders. This prolonged uncertainty can endlessly shackle necessary initiatives within a local body while the “powers that be” move at the speed of committees, conferences, or litigation. Why would a local church start a new ministry or increase budgets if they had the looming threat of fallout from a denominational decision dropped from on high?
The Restoration Movement is different from simply being “less denominational” or even “nondenominational.” Nondenominational can sometimes merely describe those who wish to no longer be attached to an embattled denomination, and the temptation is to be more reactive than substantive. People who want to create distance from the denomination likely recognize the potential baggage of traditional brands.
In this fast-paced world of social media and going viral for all the wrong reasons, a denominational designation can just as easily cause people to avoid you as it does help people find you. One can remove a denominational marker, but they might still attend or keep up with their denomination’s conventions and pay their dues. The national directory is still high even if the local oversight is low. And even when a church goes completely nondenominational, it might still lack the principles that fuel biblical conviction and courageous initiative.
In the Restoration Movement, we have the kind of principled autonomy that fuels courageous, convictional churches. Are there risks to being “out from under” a denomination? Yes, because each of us is capable of drifting away from community and accountability. But our churches aren’t islands. And we’re able to be all the more entrepreneurial and courageous as churches when we take advantage of networking opportunities, such as we find through RENEW.org.
“Denominational congregations sometimes sit in a season of stagnation until they receive their marching orders.”
2) We Have a Strong Heritage of Honoring Scripture.
I am amazed at the pastors and reverends with whom I have spoken who recycle the same inadequate interpretations handed down by their superiors—instead of searching Scripture. In my Restoration Movement church and college, I was always taught to preach the Word; that’s our final authority.
It’s easy to lose that focus. That’s why above my white board where I do my sermon prep, I have a hand-written post-it note that says, “Trendy undercuts eternal.” If there is truly nothing new under the sun, as Scripture states, then we don’t need to interpret the latest headlines and tell people what they mean. We tell people what the scriptures mean and equip them to interpret the latest headlines. We don’t let the culture around us change our convictions; we let scriptural convictions change us so we can influence the culture around us.
Always being one step behind the ways of the world will mean our messages will always be in our audience’s rear view. The only way to reach the world is to preach the Word. We resist the urge to become pundits with pulpits to temporarily pack the pews. Preaching sensationalism may make a pew warm, but preaching Scripture will make a pew worn.
“Always being one step behind the ways of the world will mean our messages will always be in our audience’s rear view.”
3) We Have a Strong Heritage of Empowering the Priesthood of All Believers.
The Christian Church does not have some of the markers of hierarchy associated with many denominations. One example is we do not have garments or vestments that denote difference and distance between the ministers and those who gather to worship. I was not preached the gospel by a “man of the cloth” but a “man of the text.” He was a leader who equally attended the church as he tended the flock.
We lead like Peter in Acts 10:26 (CSB) telling Cornelius (who misdirected worship to the apostle) to, “Stand up, I myself am also a man.” We do not downplay that we are just human beings on the platform. That is not our liability; that is our strength. We do not attempt to negate this; we celebrate this! Then others can see, “They’re human like me. If they can be used by God, maybe God can use me!” We want to make disciples who then turn and have the same passion to make disciples. This cannot be done if there is a sense that only the man on the stage can make the disciple.
We try to take Jesus seriously in Matthew 23 when he calls his disciples down from seeking lofty titles such as “Rabbi” and “Father,” for “those who exalt themselves will be humbled” (Matthew 23:12a, NIV). We do not pursue titles that vault us. We seek leadership that connects us. In Acts 10:26 (NIV), after Peter dissuaded Cornelius from bowing to him, Peter lifted Cornelius up: “Stand up. I am only a man myself.” Real Christian Church leadership lifts others up to the joy of serving and doesn’t seek for their audience to be the ones lifting up the leader.
“Real Christian Church leadership lifts others up.”
When we have people from denominational heritages fellowship with us, they have occasionally asked, “I’m new to this movement, thing. What do we call you here?” They were seeking to know my title so they would not offend or speak out of turn. I always answer the same way. “I’ve always answered to Eric. Let’s stick with that.” It doesn’t devalue my calling, it clarifies we’re “all in.”
Growing up, I attended a church of a few hundred people with two services. In this context, I was asked and encouraged by my ministers to preach—while still in high school! At an age where some parents wouldn’t trust their child with the keys to the family vehicle, I was invited to take the service for a test drive. Sensing my hesitation, my leaders assured me they would be with me all the way to guide me from office prep to the stage step. I was such a novice in the speaking world I forgot to take my gum out of my mouth before preaching and put it in my pocket while on stage (much to the congregation’s amusement and my mother’s chagrin). I was not mocked, nor was I made to feel small. Instead, I was encouraged and asked to continue to share the stage. Our heritage is marked by shared love of Kingdom work.
4) We Preach Obedience in Action
With the Bible as our guide, we know the danger of cherry-picking verses out of context—a practice which can lead to a false sense of eternal security that lacks demonstrated faith. The Bible is clear that our works do not save us, only the finished work of Jesus saves. But in the Restoration Movement, we balance that truth with the book of James which asks and answers the question if faith alone (without action) is of any use. We urge our people toward seeing biblical faith as a faithful faith.
And if we are serious about faithfulness for the long haul, we will recognize we can’t do this on our own power. In the Restoration Movement, we need a reemphasis on the Spirit’s power. Being set up on a solid foundation is a great first step for the future of this movement, but keeping in step with the Spirit who empowers our efforts is crucial.
A movement requires, well, movement. When a movement stops, it becomes a monument. Movements invite excited participation in the future, not mere observation of the past. It’s true that a healthy look at our past can inspire, guide, and fuel our future.[2] The Restoration Movement did not emerge from the ether. Those past voices spur us on to continue moving into the future, fueled by biblical convictions and led by the Spirit.
“When a movement stops, it becomes a monument.”
5) We Emphasize Innovation
One more reason I’m excited about the future of the Restoration Movement: There is leeway in our brotherhood to try something new. With fewer hoops to jump through between imagination and implementation, we are adaptable for a rapidly changing culture. The methods may change, but the message does not. If an idea isn’t against Scripture and is deemed wise by a local eldership, there is freedom to break new ground.
And what works for one church does not have to work for every church. Not all content works in all contexts. Some God-honoring ideas stretch only as far as your local community. That’s not a bad thing. That’s a blessing afforded us in this movement. Someone else’s plan for their church doesn’t have to be your plan for your church. Get excited about trying new ways of outreach on a more personal level.
I do not know what the future holds for our movement, but I do know Who holds our movement’s future. Go be the answer to the question, “What kind of Christian are you?”
[1] “Press Release 2020,” US Religion Census, https://www.usreligioncensus.org/node/1641.
[2] I invite you to get your hands on a copy of The Fool of God to help you in this area!
