The Third “C” in CCCC
Alwyn York, Conference Historian
Most people probably assume that the word “Christian” in our Conference name has a general meaning, referring to our identity as a denomination professing faith in Jesus Christ. In reality it has specific reference to a denomination that merged with the Congregationalists in 1931. In that year the group known as the General Convention of Christian Churches joined with the National Council of Congregational Churches. The combined denomination was called the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches. So when the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference was officially formed in 1948, it came from the combined Congregational and Christian heritage.
Unlike the Congregational Churches, whose origins were in England. The Christian church movement began in the United States. It also began later in history. In America during the early nineteenth century there was a widespread desire to return to the simplicity of early Christianity without the complicated theologies and denominational hierarchies that had grown over the years. The Convention of Christian Churches was the result of the coming together of three groups of churches who shared this desire. Each had begun independently. They all wanted to be known simply as Christians without any denominational label. One group in the Southern states originated from a secession from the Methodist church. A second group formed in New England, largely composed of former Baptists. A third group formed in the frontier lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. Although the origin of each of these three groups was independent of the others, they soon became aware of each other. By 1820 they were collectively known as the “Christian Connection.” A formal merger to create one denomination did not occur until 1922, shortly before their merger with the Congregationalists, but the three groups developed close fraternal relations with each other.
From its inception, the Christian movement was non-creedal, non-sectarian, and anti-hierarchical in its convictions. The Christian churches defined themselves by five Cardinal Principles:
- Christ is the only Head of the Church.
- The name Christian to the exclusion of all party or sectarian names.
- The Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, our only creed or confession of faith.
- Christian character or vital piety the true test of fellowship or church membership.
- The right of private judgment and the liberty of conscience the privilege and duty of all.
The Christian churches promoted Christian unity and interdenominational union throughout their history. Church union was a recurring theme in their literature and annual convention minutes. These emphases coincided with those of the Congregational churches in the early 20th century, and negotiations for merger began in 1922, and the merger was completed in June of 1931.
When the Conservative Congregational Conference was organized, several of the charter churches were of the Christian Church heritage. Over the years more churches from this background in Virginia and North Carolina have joined the Conference.
(This article is based on information from chapter 13 “Our Christian Church Heritage,” by Milton Riemer in Modern Day Pilgrims: A Proud Heritage.)