Churches of Christ Leaders Discuss Biblical Basis for Denominational Name

Mark Posey, minister for the Winfield Church of Christ in Alabama, described the label “Churches of Christ” as a divine name that reflects the sacred relationship between Christ and his church. “The church, it belongs to Christ,” Posey said in a recent lecture at Faulkner University in Montgomery. “Therefore it should wear only names that glorify Christ, reflect Scripture and certainly preserve our unity.”

Charles Teddington, who preaches for the Vintage Park Church of Christ in Elk Grove, Calif., echoed this sentiment. “It’s not a title, like a corporate title. It’s not a denominational name. It’s a relational statement, and it’s a declaration of ownership.”

The description “churches of Christ” has its origins in Scripture. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 16, the closing salutations of his letter to the church in Rome, “All the churches of Christ send greetings.” This phrase underscores the belief that the church belongs to Christ and is identified by its relationship to him.

The use of the term gained prominence in the 19th century American Restoration Movement, which sought to return to biblical practices and reject denominational labels. Members of the movement, who emphasized being “Christians only” with “no creed but Christ,” adopted the identifier as a rejection of traditional denominational names in favor of biblical descriptors.

Posey emphasized that the label reflects the church’s identity as belonging to Christ. “When Scripture calls it either the churches of Christ plural or we see the emphasis in regard to the church our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ built, it reflects and declares those that are called out that belong to Christ,” he said. He specifically excluded figures such as Martin Luther, John Wesley, Alexander Campbell, and Barton Stone, who were associated with other Protestant movements.

John Young, a Restoration Movement scholar at Amridge University in Montgomery, noted that “Church of Christ” eventually became the more common name for more doctrinally conservative congregations. “I would say that it’s ve”

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