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Cooperation, then Conferences, and then
Missionary Societies; this was the route of early digressions in
the organizational structure of the church. Alonzo Willard
Fortune, Christian Church author of The Disciples in Kentucky,
publ. 1932; is quoted in the following excerpts.
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CHARACTER OF DIST. CONFERENCES: "This
letter by Thomas M. Allen throws much light on the inner
development of the churches, and especially, on the nature of
the conferences. The meeting which began on the 19th. (Sept.
1829, rft) continued until Monday, the 22nd.
On the Lord's Day the Lord's Supper was
attended to, and between six and eight hundred united in
commemorating the dying suffering of their exalted Savior."
Mr. Allen, in summarizing the letters from the churches, said,
"They contend for the independency of the church, maintain
that it is the highest religious tribunal on earth -- but while
they this believe, they are, however, willing to co-operate with
their brethren in periodical meetings, the object of which is to
obtain religious information, learn of each other their
prosperity and situation, and worship together." (Pp. 59,
Disciples in Kentucky.)
"The Long Run Association, which met in
Bullit County in September, 1825, was called to act on a
circular letter, written by "P.S. Fall, bishop of the
church in Louisville, advocating the Scriptures as the only
sufficient, perfect, and infallible rule of
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Christian faith and
manners." The church in Louisville of which P. S. Fall was
pastor had sent the following queries to the churches of that
association with the request that they express their sentiment
upon them in their next letters. (1) Is there any authority in
the New Testament for religious bodies to make human creeds and
confessions of faith the constitutions or directories of such
bodies in matters of faith or practice? (2) Is there any
authority in the New Testament for Associations? If so, what is
it? If not, why are they held? The proposition to accept the
Bible as the rule of faith was rejected by the "casting
vote of Elder George Waller, moderator of said meeting."
(Pp. 72, ibid.
CO-OP MEETINGS CHANGE CHARACTER: "These
co-operative meetings became very common after 1830. At first
they were for inspiration and for the general discussion of the
common problems they were facing. It was not long, however,
until there was the additional purpose of planning co-operative
work." (Pp. 111, ibid.)
"There is no phase of the history of the
Disciples in Kentucky that is more interesting than the
development of the spirit of co-operation among the churches.
This co-operation, which began among those advocating reform
before the Disciples became a distinct communion, developed as
there was a necessity. This inevitably led to a general
organization, the Kentucky Christian Missionary Society, which
was the agency of the churches for the work of evangelism in the
State." (Pp. 197, ibid.)
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