| Philip Schaff, ed. A Religious Encyclopædia | Christian Connexion (1894) |
A
RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPÆDIA:
OR
DICTIONARY
OF
BIBLICAL, HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL, AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY.
BASED ON THE REAL-ENCYKLOPÄDIE OF HERZOG, PLITT AND HAUCK.
EDITED BY
PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D., LL.D.,
Professor in the Union Theological Seminary, New York.
ASSOCIATE EDITORS:
REV. SAMUEL M. JACKSON AND REV. D. S. SCHAFF,
TOGETHER WITH AN
ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF LIVING DIVINES
AND
CHRISTIAN WORKERS
OF ALL DENOMINATIONS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
EDITED BY
REV. PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D., LL.D.,
AND
REV. SAMUEL MACAULEY JACKSON, M.A.
THIRD EDITION REVISED AND ENLARGED.
VOL. I.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY,
1894.
| TORONTO | LONDON. |
| NEW YORK. | |
CHRISTIAN CONNECTION, or CHRISTIANS (often pronounced Christ-yans). The denomination is the resultant of three independent secession movements. The first was in 1793, in North Carolina, when certain seceders from the Methodist-Episcopal Church called themselves "Republican Methodists," but, influenced chiefly by Rev. J. O'Kelley, adopted the name of "Christians." The second movement was in Vermont, in 1800, among the Baptists; and a church was organized at Lyndon. The third movement was in Kentucky and Tennessee, among the Presbyterians, in 1801; and the Springfield presbytery, which proclaimed the principles of the denomination, was formed in 1804. But a union was quickly effected between these different organizations, inasmuch as the expulsive force was found to be in each case the same,--the desire to be free from the "bondage of creed." But although the Bible is their only authoritative rule of faith and practice, yet the general characteristics of their belief may be determined. They are antitrinitarians, yet call Christ a divine Saviour, and acknowledge the Holy Spirit to be the power and energy of God; immersionists, yet open communionists, of the widest kind, extending their fellowship to Christians of every name. In ecclesiastical polity they are congregational, but have annual State conferences and quadrennial general conventions. At first their ministry was not well educated; but now the sect has several [449] institutions of learning, including the Christian Union College at Merom, Ind. They are distributed throughout the United States and Canada. Their membership in the United States is about two hundred thousand. See the general histories of the different denominations in the United States by WINEBRENNER (1844), and by BELCHER (1855); also BAIRD: Religion in America (1856).
[RE 449-450]
ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION
The electronic edition of "Christian Connexion" has been produced from the article published in A Religious Encyclopædia, ed. Philip Schaff. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894), pp. 449-450.
Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.
Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.
Ernie Stefanik
373 Wilson Street
Derry, PA 15627-9770
724.694.8602
stefanik@westol.com
Created 28 November 1998.
| Philip Schaff, ed. Religious Encyclopædia | Christian Connexion (1894) |
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