The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was founded as a movement for unity amongst Christians in the early 1800s. Our underlying premise was and is that God did not call forth specific creeds, viewpoints, or denominations. God called on us to think, study, and pray about our faith together. As such, much of our “about me” info is dependent on who you ask! We encourage a broad set of viewpoints and acknowledge that God is bigger than any one perspective.
That said, there are some things that are more typical of Disciples than not. First, we emphasize a “journey of faith” rather than “being born again.” We don’t disagree that God can move dramatically through folks! But, most often, we try to be attentive to the ways God continually speaks to us in a still, small voice everyday. Second, we try to follow the way of Jesus. That is, we worship and honor Him as the Begotten Son of God, but we also see Him as the example for how we ought to live. His death on the cross isn’t merely a ticket to heaven! It is the model of selfless love for us to emulate with our whole lives. Third, more than anything, as qualities, we strive to be graceful, loving, welcoming, helpful, and kind. And fourth, we think that God gave us brains for a reason! We try to have good natured discussions more than one-size-fits-all answers. We try to let faith and science speak together. We look for ways to read scripture that bring life and love to others, even when it takes some critical thinking. All in all, we try to be good disciples of Jesus Christ!
Our denomination’s tagline is “a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” We think that it has two big meanings: first, the Disciples of Christ are that movement! We seek to partner together as Christians and long for the day when all Christians can see each other as brother and sister, not divided by denomination or creed. But, second, we hope that in each of us, God will work us towards wholeness. Not “perfection” per se. We aren’t perfect people and don’t try to pretend to be! But, we do hope for a sense of wholeness, integrity, togetherness, etc.
If any of this interests you, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Our faith is at its best when it is shared with others in ways that build us all up.
The History of First Christian Church in El Paso
Organized first in a small adobe building on First and Stanton, then meeting in a district courtroom on Campbell Street alongside the then post office, and moving onto an old paint shop on Stanton; our church has grown alongside El Paso since 1885. Soon after that, a permanent church building was made on the intersection of North Oregon and Franklin. From there, growth in membership, prayer, and Bible knowledge were prominent focuses that lasted until the years of the Great Depression that effected First Christian Church alongside all of El Paso. This trend generally continued in both until the time of the world wars when Fort Bliss ramped up the local economy and the then minister Rev. McElroy led the charge for strong evangelism once again. These trends and evangelistic efforts made way for a new building at 901 Arizona Avenue to break ground on November 26th, 1950. The first service in this new location was on January 6th, 1952 in the fellowship hall as the new sanctuary had not been finished until February 24th of the same year. A dedication service was then held on May 2nd. Around this time, music, fellowship, and youth programs also became prominent focuses in the life of First Christian Church.
As World War 2 came to a close, Fort Bliss and all of El Paso boomed as a result. Population in El Paso more than doubled in between 1950 and 1960, a trend of growth that continued throughout the city and that influenced membership here at First Christian. It was during this period that two additional Disciples of Christ churches were founded in El Paso; Bethany Christian Church and Central Christian Church. However, from about 1967 to 1980, First Christian saw membership growth taper off and instead saw deepened interest in the weightier things of our faith. Strong lay leadership, renewed interest in Sunday School and Bible Study, and the working out of how best to be the Church in the face of a string of senior ministers who faced serious health concerns that limited their abilities. Yet still, it was during this same period that many of the more modern comforts that were springing up in further out suburban churches were adopted at First Christian Church including a nursery and a bus ministry.
In the 1980s, First Christian Church then saw a time of revitalization. Rev. Byron Rose, the then minister, came here and was notable for his down to earth personality and deep interest in outreach. He paved the way for the creation of a food pantry and oversaw a number of revitalization projects, laboring forward into our centennial year as a church in 1985. Hard work, dedicated lay folks, and a deep passion for outreach that meets the material needs of our neighbors continued well beyond these years as strong focuses for us, and we continued with these focuses for years to come.
In 2005, we were then honored to begin hosting a nesting congregation, Primera Iglesia Cristiana Hispana (Discipulos De Cristo). Then, in 2023, the decision was made to once again relocate from our church building at 901 Arizona. In an effort to refocus the church towards God’s call on us and to loosen the pressures presented by maintaining a building, we moved in with First Presbyterian Church in El Paso where we continue to operate from at this time.
Our rich and storied history has seen us all across El Paso, adapting and changing with the times. But, throughout it all, prominent focuses of reason-centered faithfulness, strong outreach, and a genuine love of God and neighbor continue to pave the way. We look forward to what God is up to next here at First Chrstian Church!
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
You likely know of the Protestant reformation in the 1500’s, with theologians like Martin Luther and John Calvin. They sought to reform the church with the Bible alone as their authority. However, years after the reformation, various denominations emerged. Each denomination had their own interpretations of the Bible and would all too often assert their interpretation was the only correct way. As the Protestants made their way to North America, and especially onto the frontier, this trend of division continued. By the early 1800’s, it was not uncommon to believe the only people in heaven were the people in your specific denomination! It was around this time that the founders of the Stone-Campbell (or restoration) movement independently broke ties with their former denomination in pursuit of a unified church.
In 1804, Presbyterian minister Barton W. Stone and several followers broke their denominational ties to enter into unity with “the body of Christ at large.” They called themselves, simply, “Christians.” Likewise, in 1811, a group led by Presbyterian minister Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander, began meeting independently of Stone, saying the church of Jesus Christ was one, open to all. Thomas Campbell’s passion for Christian unity is summed up in his proclamation that “The church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one.” They referred to themselves simply as “Disciples of Christ.” In 1832, the “Christians” and the “Disciples of Christ” joined together with a formal handshake in Lexington, Kentucky, as one movement for unity. These churches proliferated across the American frontier as simple Bible people.
Some Disciples Things
- Cane Ridge Revival and Second Great Awakening: A large camp style revival hosted by Barton Stone on August 6-12th, 1801 in Cane Ridge Kentucky. The Holy Spirit moved dramatically, largely ignoring denominational lines and calling Stone to have folks share in communion.
- The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery: In 1804, Stone and others dissolved their presbytery and chose to enjoin themselves with the Body of Christ at large.
- The Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is our primary guiding document today.
- The Millennial Harbinger: A magazine published by Alexander Campbell between the 1830s and 1870. Campbell wrote extensively on his vision of a unified church.
- The Chalice: A red chalice with the cross of St Andrew, displaying our focus on communion and evangelism.
- Colleges: The DOC founded a number of colleges (and offers scholarships to DOC members). Go horn frogs.
- Postmillennialism: In contrast to premillennialism, the interpretation of the book of Revelation that holds that there will be negative progression throughout history culminating in a rapture and final battle, Alexander Campbell was of the belief that Revelation disclosed a positive view of history wherein the Gospel is lived out and proclaimed from our doorsteps to the ends of the Earth; effectively making a throne for Christ to return to. This view, postmillennialism, is not an essential of the Disciples of Christ but does capture the hope for a church that deeply serves others.
- The Church of Christ Split: Between 1926 and 1967, the Stone Campbell movement formally separated into the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Church of Christ. While there is no universal consensus on the reason for the separation, it is generally acknowledged that the Church of Christ held to a stricter, more literal view of scripture whereas the Disciples has a call towards a more open, theistic reading of scripture. Dr. Newell Williams centers this divide as the primary cause as restoration churches in Scotland had a similar split during the same time. However, consensus is far from reached.
- The 1960s restructure: In the 1960s, the denomination saw a need to formalize a lot of the practices already in place (ordaining systems, regions, cooperative ministries, etc) while allowing each church to continue to function independently. We now operate as congregations in areas in regions in the general church.
- “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible:” Disciples of Christ reject creeds as tests of faith (though it should be emphasized that we are non-creedal, not anti-creedal, and that both Barton and Stone expected biblical literacy and adherence as a basic tenet).
- The Lord’s Table: We gather around a table, not a creed. We look to the bread that represents the body of Christ broken for our justification. We look also to the cup which represents the new covenant of grace. We look to our Spirit drawn relationship with one another around the table.
- “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, diversity. In all things, love.” Our essentials are:
- Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Son of the Living God.
- The Bible, taken in context, is the sufficient witness to God.
- The Church is Christ’s Body on Earth, not divided by denomination or creed.
- Baptism is for believers, though we acknowledge other forms of baptism.
- Communion is celebrated weekly in remembrance of Christ.
- All Christians are called to share and do the good news of the Gospel.
Our Special Offerings Throughout the Year
Our Special Day Offerings provide an opportunity to highlight specific ministries that we support on special worship days throughout the year. The collected funds on these days pass from our hands onto our ministry partners and are as follows:
The Easter Offering supports General Ministries of the Church. General ministries serve across the United States and Canada, and around the world. General Ministries also partner in ministry with a variety of far-reaching and unique organizations.
The Pentecost Offering supports Disciples new church development. Planning, nurturing and sustaining new congregations is part of the Disciples’ vision. This offering supports the specialized ministry of new church development through both regional and general programs. Gifts for this offering are divided equally between the region in which they’re given and the New Church Ministry.
The Thanksgiving Offering supports Disciples colleges, universities and theological institutions. Disciples have a long history of post-secondary and theological education. This offering provides a direct connection to 15 colleges and universities, 7 seminaries and theological programs. Gifts from this offering continue the Disciples tradition of developing leaders for our communities and the Church.
The Christmas Offering supports regional ministries (for us, that’s the Southwest Region). In 31 regions across the United States and Canada, ministers are nurtured and congregations are provided opportunities for work and worship. Often recognized for the ministries of camps and conferences, regions also play a critical role in the preparation and authorization of ministerial ordination. Both are key to church leadership and development. Regions partner with congregations to support the work required to call a new minister.
Week of Compassion – Leads the relief, refugee, and development work of the Church. Received in many congregations on the last two Sundays of February
Reconciliation Ministry – Leads the pro-reconciliation/anti-racism work of the Church. Received in many congregations on the last Sunday of September and the first Sunday of October