Barton Stone

Our history began on the American frontier within the various "Christian" church and American and Canadian Restoration movement which were founded by Barton W.Stone, (pictured here) and is rooted in the formal organization of the Christian Church, June 28, 1804, in Bourbon County, Kentucky.

Initially, churches in and adherents of the Restoration Movement identified themselves as: The Christian Association * Free Christian Church * Campbellites * Baptists * Christian Baptists * Unitarian Baptists * Restorationers * Baptist Reformers * Reforming Baptists * Republican Methodists * Primitive Christians * Church of God * Disciples * Disciples of Christ * Christian Church * Church of Christ * Brethren * Campbellite Baptists * The Christian Society * New Lights * The Christian Connexion * The Christian Congregation * Reformers * Church of Disciples * Restitution Church of God * Christadelphians * Christian Disciples

In Laura, Ohio, in 1854, an anti-slavery remnant of the Christian Disciples organized as The Evangelical Christian Church taking the message of Christ to the black community. A number of The Evangelical Christian Churches invited black ministers to preach in their pulpits. Many white ministers preached to mixed congregations. Ministers and members were strong supporters of and workers in the Abolition Movement and participated in the Underground Railroad. These views reflected those of Barton Stone.

The early Christian Church was non-creedal and stressed the basic beliefs that represent our Statement of Faith that is simple, Biblical Christianity. In addition to Stone, the early Christian Church also had its origins in the work of two other former Presbyterian ministers, Thomas and Alexander Campbell.

From these men sprang the present day Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ), The Churches of Christ (non-instrumental), and the International Churches of Christ. Unfortunately most of the churches of the American Restoration Movement abandoned many of the teachings of Stone and became more and more Campbellite. The Evangelical Christian Church remains true to the basic teachings of Stone.

Several church bodies identifying with the Stone-Campbell movement today are very creedal and range from ultra-conservative to ultra-liberal as can be seen in the United Church of Christ which is an attempt to unite all Christian denominations into one national body as well as the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches which merged English Christians with American Christians in 1931. Another group, The Christian Congregation, claims direct lineage to the early Stone movement.

In 1905, nearly all congregations of The Evangelical Christian Church, after great revival activity in Indiana and Ohio, assimilated in the Evangelical Christian Churches of America, Cleveland, Ohio; the Congregational Church, Boston, Massachusetts; and, The Christian Congregation, Kokomo, Indiana. The remainder were absorbed into the Disciples of Christ and various independent Christian churches of the American Restoration Movement.

During the First World War, many Evangelical Christian Churches became independent and a formal organization ceased to exist until 1966. Churches calling themselves Evangelical Christian Churches, Christian Churches of America, Christian Missionary Churches, Bible Evangelical Churches, Community Churches and Evangelical Congregational Churches were chartered and incorporated as members of the Evangelical Christian Churches, Farmland Indiana.

Throughout the `80`s and `90`s the Evangelical Christian Churches were beset by a number of separations. One group formed the California Conference of the Evangelical Christian Churches, Long Beach, California, now defunct. A number of Pennsylvania congregations eventually ceased to exist as they united with the Evangelical Christian Church, which became Wesleyan, and a small holiness denomination, formed in 1892, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Mid-West Congregational Fellowship, Modoc, Indiana, absorbed a few churches and another group became Trinity Fellowship, Williamsburg, Indiana. The majority continues as The Evangelical Christian Churches, Albany, Indiana.The theological history of the Evangelical Christian Churches traces its origin to the teaching and preaching of New England Congregationalist, Horace Bushnell, generally recognized as a theological liberal. A few former ministers of The Evangelical Christian Church, disagreeing strongly with the theology of Bushnell, and wanting to return to their Restorational roots, desired to reorganize The Evangelical Christian Church.

The Canadian ECC History

Following up to July 31, 1944, .... the Great Western Revival caused a tidal wave of religious interest and excitement to sweep across North America, revolutionizing a spiritual hunger for God, and unifying Christians on the basis of New Testament basic principles, while liberating the spiritual landscape in Canada. The founders of The Evangelical Christian Church's message to the General Assembly was to raise objections against African-American discrimination, and support the Abolition Movement - freeing all blacks from slavery around the world. In the early 1960`s, and 1970's, many new ECC ministers relocated from the Southern Ontario (Region) District to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Region) District and to various parts of the regions of Newfoundland Districts, rebirthing new ministries and planting new bible believing churches.

In the early 1990`s, central and District Offices were moved to a remote area of the regions of Southern Ontario, where many ECC churches continue to operate and spread to every province throughout Canada. Throughout the last century, many district offices were established to oversee the many independent ECC churches and ministries which continue to branch out in Western Canada, restoring new biblical foundations while preserving our rich heritage in Canada.