Crossroads Christian Church - Palmetto, FL

A Story Behind the Story

 In the November 10th 2002 addition of the Christian Standard an article was printed entitled, “An Outsiders View of the Restoration Movement.”  The article was actually excerpts from a workshop that was held at the 2002 North American Christian Convention.  In the article the author advised that we not be afraid to tell our story and even suggested that because of our rich heritage we tell our story to others more often.  This pamphlet attempts to do just that...tell our story.  However it is important for you the reader to understand how difficult it is to capture 200 years of fascinating history in such a venue.  To that end this will be an over simplified story of our movement yet will still capture the essence of who we are, what we believe, and where we are going.

Our Beginning

Crossroads Christian Church is a result of what is known today as the Restoration Movement.  This movement began in the early 1800’s on the Western frontier of American (known today as Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania).  It was a time characterized by pioneer people and preachers who would ride horseback from town to town preaching God’s Word.  But it was also a time known for its moral and spiritual void.  Yet, God in His sovereignty produced a reversal from that void.  Let me share with you four men who were influential in helping God bring about that reversal.

Barton Stone

It was a man by the name of Barton Warren Stone, who longed for spiritual revival and what he longed for came in August of 1801.  A revival was held at Cane Ridge Kentucky and even a great visionary man like Stone was astonished at the results. As one author states, “It was a spiritual face lift to the frontier churches who were struggling for existence amidst a rapidly growing population in which only a very small percentage professed church membership.”1 The revival was unique not only because of its sheer numbers (some 30,000 people attended) but also because of the amazing effects the Spirit had on the people.  Many broke out into laughter while others screamed and danced or fell to the ground.  Some were even reported to have gotten on their hands and knees and began yapping or barking.  But by far the most dynamic and significant aspect was its interdenominational feature... Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian ministers all preached God’s Word and God blessed each man’s preaching equally.  And it was this phenomenon that served as the catalyst in forming the Restoration Movement and its plea to unite all Christians.  However, even though the revival produced great results by literally adding hundreds of converts to local congregations some Presbyterians began to question the revivals authenticity.

All the ministers who preached proclaimed that Christ died for all and that whoever would come to Christ could be saved. The Presbyterians did not like this because, as they believed, it was anti-Calvinistic.  The Presbyterians believed that people were pre-elected or pre-chosen and that God had to act directly before people could respond.  In other words some were predestined to be lost and not all could come to Christ.  Barton W. Stone, an ordained Presbyterian minister, disagreed.  He began to search the Scriptures as well as his heart and finally came to a different conclusion.  He also realized he was not going to be able to preach the gospel the way it should be preached so he decided that he would begin a new movement.  He, along with several others, organized what was called the Springfield Presbytery.  However, this new movement only lasted 9 months because he finally concluded that no one had to be a member of a denomination in order to be a Christian.  He wanted people to be Christians only by following the Bible only.  In his quest to break free from manmade creeds not found in Scripture someone suggested that it would be good for him to explain his stand that they were taking and so he along with 5 other men wrote what is known today as: 

 The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery

It was this document that guided this new movement in the West and helped form the parameters of the Restoration Movement.  Let me highlight 5 propositions presented in this document.  1) The document stated that the Springfield Presbytery would dissolve and become one with the body of Christ at large.  Stone believed that the church was to be one as the body is one.  2) The document proposed to get rid of the word “Reverend.”  Stone and others wanted there to be no separation between clergy and laity for the simple reason that they could not find this feature in the New Testament.  3) The document proposed that the Bible was the only sure guide to heaven and they would follow the Bible only.  4) Churches would have congregational autonomy.  The church would be under the leadership of elders and would govern its affairs locally while still seeking to work with other churches.  5) The document proposed that they (the writers) would do their very best to emulate the church as it was found in the New Testament.

It was this message that Barton W. Stone preached and it was this message that people began to follow...becoming Christians and Christians only.  Of course Barton W. Stone was not the only one who shared these beliefs

Thomas Campbell was another instrumental leader in the Restoration Movement.  He like Stone was a member of the Presbyterian Church but believed that people could be Christians only if they would follow the Bible only.  He was appropriately called by his friends “Man of the Book.”  He wanted all people who believed in Christ to unite on the basis of God’s Word.  Yet, when he preached this message his Presbyterian denomination disagreed and would not give him a place to preach.  In response to his critics he said, “Where the Scripture speaks we speak; where the Scripture is silent we are silent.” Campbell’s statement is still well known today in our movement.  Like Stone, Thomas Campbell was urged to write a document summarizing his pleas and beliefs.  He did so and entitled it:

Thomas Campbell

In this Declaration and Address he offered 13 proposals that he believed would lead to the unity of all of God’s people when accepted.  One of the well known proposals said,

“That the Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the Scriptures…”

Thomas Campbell believed with all his heart that the church was never intended to be divided but was created to be one.  Thomas Campbell also proposed that the Bible was the only rule of faith and practice for Christians.  He agreed with Stone and called for unity on the basis of God’s Word Although Barton W. Stone and Thomas Campbell brought about sweeping changes to help form this new movement, there was another man who many believe had a greater impact and influence than any other in shaping the Restoration Movement.

Alexander Campbell

Alexander Campbell, the son of Thomas Campbell had a brilliant mind.  By the age of 12 he had memorized the Sermon on the Mount, the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and most of the book of Psalms.  Because of his knowledge of the original language he was also a brilliant linguistic.  By age 15 he became headmaster of his father’s academy.  Alexander, like his father and Barton W. Stone, believed that Christianity needed to be restored to its state as found in the New Testament.  He even wrote a document entitled:

 Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things

One of Alexander’s great contributions to the Restoration Movement was his plea on baptism.  He believed that Biblical baptism was by immersion and that baptism was the sign, seal and mark of a person becoming a Christian.  Because of his knowledge of the original language and deep intellect he concluded that infant baptism was not Biblical.  It was this issue of immersion that became a landmark of the movement and marked Alexander as a true leader.  Alexander said that people should do Bible things Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.  He had a great admiration for the Reformers, like Martin Luther, but felt they made a vital error.  In their quest to bring about change the Reformers went back to the era of Augustine and based their reforms on his thoughts and principals.  Alexander Campbell believed that that they didn’t go back far enough.  To restore Christianity to its pure state one needed to go back to the book of Acts where the church began.

Walter Scott

Another man who emerged as an instrumental leader in our movement was Walter Scott.  It was Walter Scott who became known for his evangelistic efforts.  He rode from town to town preaching the gospel that Jesus saves.  Every time he preached he offered an invitation for people to repent and be baptized.  He ended up baptizing some 30,000 people in his evangelistic efforts.  Walter Scott believed if we are going to be Christians only by following the Bible only then we must be able to explain the plan of salvation so simply that even a child can understand.  That is exactly what he did.  He developed and made popular what is known today as the 5 Finger Exercise.  Today many versions of this exercise exist but here is the way Walter Scott taught it as he would ride into towns and share it with children.  A person should: 1. Believe in Christ.  2. Repent of their Sin.  3. Confess their Faith.  4. Be Baptized.  5.  Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Walter Scott believed that if we were willing to take 3 simple steps of Believing; Repenting & Being Baptized; that God would give 3 Great Promises: Remission of Sins; Gift of the Holy Spirit; Promise of Eternal Life.

It was these men and others who helped shape what is known today as The Restoration Movement.  Carrying on the original desires of this movement Crossroads Christian Church began.  At Crossroads we still stand on the founding principles that started this great movement such as:

• In Essentials Unity, In Opinions Liberty, And In All Things Love.
• No Creed but Christ.
• Where The Scriptures Speak, We Speak; Where The Scriptures Are Silent, We Are Silent.
• We Are Not the Only Christians, But Christians Only.

We are also committed to showing the world a unified body of believers.  We are committed to winning the world to Christ and we applaud Thomas Campbell and his plea to be “A People of the Book” and to use the Bible as our only rule of faith.  We believe in these so much that we have developed a Vision, Mission, and Purpose Statements that carry on the original plan, plea and purpose of the Restoration Movement. 

Crossroads Exists To:

Reach Out To The Lost In Love.

Grow Up Disciples In The Context Of Life.

Serve Within Our Giftedness To Honor The Lord.

It is our Mission Statement that informs others what we do.  Yet, we also want others to know What We Believe.  Below is a list of 9 essential beliefs that Crossroads Christian Church holds.  These beliefs are Biblically based and capture the heart of our church and this great movement.

We Believe:

1. The Bible Is God’s Holy Word without Error.  We accept the miracles, healings, creation, etc., as literal accounts.  When we read the Bible what we are reading is God’s words to us to help us live holy and obedient lives.  Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
2. In The Absolute Deity of Christ.  Jesus was fully man and fully God.  Many claim that Jesus was just a man or a good teacher.  Some will say he was a prophet.  While he was a good teacher and a prophet he was also God’s Son.  Colossians 2:9 really says it all “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
3. In The Virgin Birth of Christ.  Jesus was not conceived in the same way that you and I were conceived.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, became pregnant through the Holy Spirit.  It was the prophet Isaiah who predicted thousands of years before Jesus came that a virgin would give birth to a baby (Isaiah 7:14).  We believe that was fulfilled in the birth of Christ.
4. In The Historical Creation of Man.  Man did not evolve from some lower forms of sea life.  We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).
5. In The Sinful Nature of Man.  Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us of this fact “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”  Some churches teach the total depravity of man (that man is separated from God by a sinful nature even at birth) we believe that while man does have a sinful nature he is not separated from God until he chooses to disobey God’s Word. 
6. In The Substitutionary Death of Christ.  Others have died difficult martyrs deaths but Jesus is the only one who died for the sins of the world (I Corinthians 15:3)  The Apostle Peter said in I Peter 3:18 “For  Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
7. In The Bodily Resurrection of Christ.  The liberal mind doesn’t accept the bodily resurrection of Jesus.  Many teach that Jesus arose but only in spirit.  The Bible teaches that Jesus arose bodily from the tomb.  That’s why in John 21:24-30 Jesus encouraged Thomas to touch his hands and his side.  He wanted Thomas to know his resurrection was real.
8. In The Literal Return of Christ to Earth.  The Bible mentions over 300 times that Jesus will come again.  The entire chapter of 2 Peter 3 tells us that Jesus will one day come back.  In His own words to His disciples Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard!  Be alert!  You do not know when that time will come” (Mark 13:32-33).
9. In The Resurrection and Assignment of All People to Heaven or Hell.  We are many times criticized for having too rigid of a stance.  Many call us “Narrow minded” to have such a view.

But it was Jesus himself who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  He also said in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter it.  But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”

Are you looking for a church home?  Are you looking for a place to belong?  If so, I encourage you to check us out further.  God never intended for us to do life alone.  He created us for fellowship and whether we want to admit it or not we need each other.  As the Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”

(Proverbs 27:17).  Attend a worship service...if you haven’t already.  If you have any questions or are still unsure about something come talk to me.  I would love to meet you and try to answer any questions you might have.  We are by no means a perfect church.  We are simply imperfect people following a perfect savior.

 References:

1...Leroy Garrett, The Stone-Campbell Movement: An Anecdotal History of Three Churches (Joplin: College Press, 1981), 105.