(405) 425-5070

‘Which distinctives do we cling to?’

Harding Bible dean responds to the question: 'Is there an identity crisis in Churches of Christ?'

“Given the apparent decline in the number of congregations and in total membership, I can certainly understand why some would characterize what’s happening as an identity crisis,” said Monte Cox, dean of the College of Bible and Ministry at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.

Monte Cox

“I prefer to see it more positively as a ‘reorientation’ in which we are learning to focus on Jesus as the center of our faith rather than on the boundaries that separated us from other Christ-followers,” Cox said. “That reorientation can be disorienting. If ‘we’ were defined by the boundaries in the past but want to be defined by our allegiance to Christ above all else, how do we see the boundaries now? Which distinctives do we cling to as biblical imperatives and which ones do we attribute to tradition? In some quarters, even raising the question smacks of unfaithfulness.

“But my sense is that addressing that question is in our spiritual DNA; it is part of our heritage as a renewal movement. We should not be afraid to ask it.”

Filed under: Big Questions Big Questions Harding University Monte Cox People What is a Church of Christ

View Comments

Don’t miss out on more stories like this.

Subscribe today to receive more inspiring articles like this one delivered straight to your inbox twice a month.

Did you enjoy this article?

Your donation helps us not only keep our quality of journalism high, but helps us continue to reach more people in the Churches of Christ community.

$
Personal Info

Dedicate this Donation

In Honor/Memory of Details

Card Notification Details

Credit Card Info
This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.
Billing Details

Donation Total: $3 One Time