Declaration and address
Declaration and Address
Published December 1809
The Declaration and Address was written
by Thomas Campbell in 1809. It was the
founding document for the Christian Associ-
ation of Washington, a short lived religious
movement of the 19th century. The Christian
Association ultimately led to what is now
known as the Restoration Movement. In
many ways, Thomas Campbell was before his
time. He had an ecumenical spirit long before
the ecumenical movement began. The Declar-
ation and Address is a testimony to his ap-
peal for Christian unity.
Historical Background
Thomas Campbell
Thomas Campbell (1763-1854) began his ca-
reer as a Presbyterian minister. After serving
in Ireland for a while, he migrated to the
American frontier in 1807. A number of his
Thomas Campbell
associates from Ireland lived in Pennsylvania,
and the Presbyterian church accepted his re-
quest to be stationed in Pennsylvania. He had
high expectations for the American frontier.
It represented a new life, a new era for the
church. As such, he was often seen as an un-
orthodox minister. His position as a minister
under
the
Presbyterian
Synod
of
Pennsylvania only lasted 2 years. He was rep-
rimanded for certain "irregularities," includ-
ing offering communion to Presbyterians out-
side of his Synod’s jurisdiction.[1]
Campbell continued his ministerial prac-
tices despite the Synod’s disciplinary actions.
Both his conflict with the Presbyterians and
his desire for a united church led him to or-
ganize the Christian Association of Washing-
ton. This organization’s main purpose was
promoting "simple evangelical Christianity,
free from all mixture of human opinions and
inventions of men."[2]
It was Campbell’s
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Declaration and address
1
understanding that the Christian Association
of Washington would instigate a religious re-
formation. In this, Campbell was only par-
tially correct.
Christian Association of Wash-
ington & Beyond
First Meeting house of the Disciples in Brush
Run, Pa. It was built in