Disciples of Christ History

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was founded in the early 1800’s in the United States. Seeking to move beyond denominational disagreements, the founders envisioned a united church of Jesus Christ modeled on the New Testament.

Today our nearly 3,800 congregations still share these characteristics:

• Each congregation is self-governing and calls its own pastor.
• Worship services may be formal or informal, and include lay women and men in leadership.
• Open discussion of issues is encouraged. Diversity of opinion is common.
• We are growing in racial and ethnic diversity.

For a more complete history of the Disciples movement, go to www.disciples.org/discover/history.htm.

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Bloomington

In the spring of 1818, Joseph Bryant, brother-in-law of Alexander Campbell (son of Thomas Campbell, the father of the Disciples of Christ), happened to stop overnight at the house of Thomas Jameson, who lived on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. Both were Scotsmen, and both had departed from the established churches and the “Seceder church” which had been the outgrowth of the original rebellion against organized religion. When Mr. Bryant later sent Mr. Jameson a copy of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address, the seed of the Indiana Christian Church was planted. The scattered groups, who had been calling themselves “New Lights,” by and large became “Campbellites.”

It did not take long for the “word” to reach the thirty cabins that made up the county seat of Bloomington, home of 140 pioneers. By 1820, the Bloomington “Campbellites” were meeting regularly in their homes. On April 22, 1826, an election was held by a said Christian Church of Bloomington at the courthouse square to duly elect Trustees to receive deed for lots or lands for the benefit of the Christian Church.

About our church building

On May 22, 1826, twenty men of the congregation erected a crude log building on this property that served as our first church. After attempts to remodel the log building, a more permanent new structure was built on the site of the old one in 1841. In 1884, the trustees purchased a corner lot on Kirkwood Avenue; a red brick church was dedicated on that land on February 1, 1885. The church was named Kirkwood Avenue Christian Church. On New Year’s Eve, 1916, the Kirkwood Avenue Christian Church burned to the ground. A new limestone, Gothic revival style church was immediately built and on September 28, 1919, a dedicatory service was held for the newly named First Christian Church of Bloomington.