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A Brief History of the Restoration Movement

And Life Bridge Christian Church

“All sects and parties of the Christian world have departed, in greater or less degrees, from the

simplicity of faith and manners of the first Christians.” ~ Alexander Campbell.

In the United States, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ constitute a fellowship that can trace

its origins to a diverse complex of roots that stretch back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It

has been said that this movement would represent the largest Christian body of distinctly Ameri-

can origin if it were not for several tragic events that have split this movement into three distinct

bodies. Also, it needs to be noted that while we are a movement generated on American soil, we

are also a part of a worldwide fellowship of churches which has a significant British component

with its own distinctive roots quite different from ours in America.

In the United States, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ may find influences coming from Free

Will Baptist sources in New England and from Republican Methodist sources in Virginia and North

Carolina. The significant origins are from the Restoration Movement found in Kentucky and Penn-

sylvania. What is generally termed “The Second Great Awakening,” or perhaps more accurately

the "Frontier Awakening", reached its climax in a remote settlement in Bourbon County, Kentucky

in August of 1801 in the great Cane Ridge Revival. Here, for a period of 10 days, as many as 20,000

persons gathered for a great camp meeting. Various religious viewpoints were represented, but

most of those present were from Meth-

odist, Presbyterian, or Baptist back-

grounds. However, these denomina-

tional distinctions were lost in the enthu-

siasm generated by the Gospel preaching,

the singing and the fellowship in this

huge gathering! Many strange things

happened during this meeting but people

could not deny the power of the meeting

because of the proof of lives being

changed. This camp meeting would have

continued longer except for the fact that

exhaustion of the food supply in the vicinity forced the termination of this colorful event.

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Shortly after the event, reaction set in among the Presbyterians. Three

things occurred during the camp meeting that were especially offensive to

the Presbyterians, especially to one of the pastors named Barton W. Stone.

First, there were the strange exercises (jerking, fainting, etc.) that were for-

eign to them as concepts of worship. Second, unordained and uneducated

men were allowed to preach. Lastly, much of the preaching was contrary to

their denominational confession of faith. The following year at a meeting of

the Springfield Presbytery in Cane Ridge, a visitor by the name of Rice Hag-

gard persuaded these Presbyterians that they should be known by the

name that glorifies the Savior and unites all of His followers-- “simply Chris-

tian”. Persuaded by his logic and wisdom, they drew up a statement entitled The Last Will and Tes-

tament of the Springfield Presbytery. The following are three statements taken from the docu-

ment:

1. We will, that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the Body of Christ at

large; for there is but one Body, and one Spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our

calling.

2. We will that our name of distinction, with its Reverend title, be forgotten, that there be but

one Lord over God’s heritage and his name One.

3. We will, that our power of making laws for the government of the church, and executing

them by delegated authority, forever cease; that the people may have free course to the

Bible, and adopt the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Thus, the “Christian movement” was born in Kentucky! Its simple plea for the union of all follow-

ers of Christ in a creedless, Bible-based fellowship had great appeal to the hardy independent fron-

tiersmen of that day. The movement spread rapidly into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and Mis-

souri. Gradually, the Biblical emphasis of these people caused them to adopt believer’s baptism by

immersion. They were loosely organized in annual gatherings during this time. In 1826, Stone

started the publication of The Christian Messenger. The slogan of this publication was “Let Chris-

tian Unity be Our Polar Star”.

A second and equally significant root of our fellowship comes from western Pennsylvania where, in

1807, a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian minister migrated to America. Thomas Campbell spearheaded an

effort to re-unite branches of the Seceeder Presbyterian Church that had separated years before

over an issue in Scotland. With the heart of a pastor, he sought to restore these bodies of believ-

ers. He even went so far as to invite some people from other branches, who had no opportunity to

have communion for several years, to share the Lord’s Supper with his congregation. This act

shocked the more orthodox and sectarian ministers of the Presbytery, and they proceeded to

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make trouble for Mr. Campbell. Heresy charges were lodged against him and eventually he with-

drew from the Presbyterian Church. A host of friends in the area of Washington, Pa., joined to

form The Christian Association of Washington, Pa. Thomas Campbell was appointed to compose a

statement detailing the aim of the Association, which he published as The Declaration and Address

in 1809. Its truth has been an important influence on our people ever since. It makes a strong

plea for Christian unity on the basis of the Bible alone. In this declaration is a statement which has

become a watchword among us: “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we

are silent.”

The Christian Association disavowed any intention of becoming a separate

church, however, those who believed and lived out the aims of the associa-

tion found themselves coming together for worship more often. In 1811

they took steps to solidify the body of this New Testament Christianity and

formed the Brush Run Church. Thomas Campbell’s family soon joined them

on the frontier. The eldest son, Alexander, who was 21 years old, had deter-

mined to follow his father’s footsteps into the ministry and placed himself

under the authority of his father. Two years later he married and in another

year became the father of a daughter. Somebody in the community sug-

gested to the youthful father that if he were really serious about taking the

Bible as the model for the Christian life, he would not baptize the baby; rather, he would seek bap-

tism himself. Young Alexander Campbell doubted that this would be the case, but he was chal-

lenged to make a serious study of baptism as it is found in the

Scriptures. A competent scholar of the Greek text, Campbell

researched the etymology of the word and concluded that it

was he, not the baby, who had need of being baptized. Accord-

ingly, he made arrangements for a Baptist minister to immerse

him. He was joined by his wife, father, mother and two sisters.

In due time, most of the members of the Brush Run Church fol-

lowed his example.

The Baptists in the area were delighted to learn that a Presbyterian minister had “seen the light”

and lost little time in inviting the Brush Run Church to join their Redstone Baptist Association.

With a great concern for unity, they were inclined to do so, but did not adhere to the Philadelphia

Confession of Faith. This was a matter which concerned some of the more orthodox churches who

could not believe that the Bible alone was a sufficient bond of union. The Baptist connection was

to hold until 1830, when it became apparent to these Baptists that the “Reformers” in their midst

posed a threat to some cherished tenets. Those Baptists took steps to eliminate and thus purify

their body.

Brush Run Church Building

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It was while Alexander Campbell was in the Baptist fold that two important

developments occurred that would shape his later years. One came in 1820

when he was persuaded, against the wishes of his father, to defend the

practice of baptism of believers by immersion in a debate against John

Walker, a Presbyterian minister. This would be the first of five debates in

which Campbell would distinguish himself as a scholar and defender of the

Christian faith. Out of this came a second development. The debate was

published and enjoyed a wide circulation in the area. This awakened Camp-

bell to the power of the printed word and in 1823, led to the publication of

the first issue of The Christian Baptist and the launching of a lifetime career

as a very effective editor. Alexander Campbell’s cause was to champion Christians to unite. The

cause was based on the tenets and practices found in Scripture in obedience to our Lord’s will and

as a necessary component to the credibility of the Gospel in an unbelieving world. This concept

gained wide acceptance in the new nation. The thousands who were

moved to embrace this ideal by Campbell and colleagues, such as Walter

Scott, came to learn of the Stone movement and the two peoples began to

unite in 1832. They launched an expansion into the Midwest and far West

that grew to become a major component of American Christianity. Alex-

ander Campbell emerged as one of the most effective spokesmen of this

cause. Hence, it is important that we pause to note the orientation of

Campbell’s thinking. Educated largely under the guidance of his father,

who was a graduate of the University of Edinburg, his only formal univer-

sity education was limited to one year at the University of Glasgow. Here,

as well as from his father’s teachings, Campbell came under the influence

of Scottish Common Sense philosophy, which is a refinement of Enlightenment thinking and a de-

parture from traditional Presbyterian Calvinism. As a serious student of the Scripture, he was in-

clined to seek for its meaning within the historic context of its time. This approach to divine reve-

lation sought meaning through rational understanding and placed little emphasis on emotional

experience, such as was often seen in frontier revivals. Faith is understood to be personal accep-

tance of reliable witness to historic fact as provided in the Scriptures. Repentance, as the word

basically says, is a godly change of mind, a mental revolution started by the acceptance of God’s

truth. Baptism is a cleansing from sin by identification with Christ in death, burial and resurrec-

tion; which is followed by the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. The Church, or the body of believ-

ers, seen in the New Testament, provides a model for later generations. This model is adequate to

form the basis for restoration of the church in our times. Campbell could not find clerical control

in the New Testament Scriptures, as had developed in later centuries; rather, he sought to create

the type of leadership of the churches that he found in the examples provided in the churches of

the New Testament. He also renewed the church’s commitment to Christ in weekly celebration of

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the Supper of the Lord. Baptism by immersion of believers and weekly celebration of the Lord’s

Supper in the worship service came to be accepted universally by congregations of the developing

movement. While the congregations were independent of each other, they were not isolated or

indifferent to the larger cause. Campbell’s extensive travels and the wide circulation of the Millen-

nial Harbinger were solid factors that created mutual awareness among the congregations on the

frontier.

The Reformers among the Baptists were excluded from the Baptist Association beginning in 1830.

Preferring Bible names, they generally referred to one another as “disciples” and they liked to call

the church “Church of Christ”, a name they gladly adopted when ties with the Baptists were dis-

solved. This is how the name of this specific body of Christ came about.

Two unity movements were birthed out of this grass roots movement. Even though it seems ab-

surd to have two different unity movements maintaining separate status, each held its course.

Both Barton W. Stone, for the Christians, and John T. Johnson, for the Disciples, held a series of

meetings between leaders from both groups. It was New Years day when, in a meeting in Lexing-

ton, Ky., the union of the two groups was sealed simply by a handshake. Two men from each

group were appointed to ride among the churches and encourage them to unite with the other

body. This explains why both names, each of them Biblical, survive until the present time to the

confusion of many on the outside. Nonetheless, the fusion was almost totally effective and the

increased excitement strengthened the whole. The movement grew. Together they sent out

evangelists into other frontier communities such as Indiana, followed by Kentucky, Pennsylvania

and surrounding states. The movement moved west with the expanding frontier and shared fully

in the growth and expansion of the period. The plea to establish one church, based only on the

Bible, made a lot of sense to the frontiersman who could see no purpose in duplicating denomina-

tions endlessly. From 1832 forward, Alexander Campbell provided primary leadership to the grow-

ing movement.

In 1840, Campbell obtained a charter for Bethany

College, which he established on land that he pro-

vided in Brooke County, Va. The growing interest

in foreign missions led to the creation of the

American Christian Missionary Society in 1849 and

the launching of a missionary effort in Jerusalem.

This development came at the very time when

some of the other religious bodies in the new nation were being split over the issue

of slavery. No such division occurred among the Disciples. One of our respected histo-

rians of a previous generation accounted for the fact that we did not divide over the issue of slav-

ery because of our strong emphasis on unity in faith and liberty in matters of opinion. Without a

Bethany College

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strong “thus saith the Lord” on the matter of slavery, it was not possible to hold that any position

was more than a matter of opinion about which there should not be division. It was once com-

monplace to hear that we were the only religious body of any size that did not divide at the time

of the Civil War.

It might appear crazy that a people who advocate unity and who came through the Civil War as

one body would later divide over a matter as trivial as the introduction of a musical instrument in

the service of worship. The fact is, however, that there is much more involved in the division than

just that. Socio-cultural and economic factors created by the War produced animosities that frac-

tured our movement. The introduction of the organ by the more prosperous churches of the

North was more of an excuse for a break by the churches of the South than a cause. By the end

of the 19th century it was almost complete and was formally recognized in the Federal census of

1906. Ever since, non-instrumental Churches of Christ have maintained a separate existence.

Through the decades of this century several efforts have been made to restore a measure of fel-

lowship, but results have, to date, been disappointing. However, growing awareness of the real

nature of the division among Churches of Christ is generating new hope that in the future will see

this problem to be overcome.

Despite the tragic division, we moved into the mid-west and far west

with strength; planting congregations, building colleges and mounting a

new missionary thrust through two new missionary agencies organized

in 1874 and 1875. As the nineteenth century drew to a close, we num-

bered about one million and we made preparations for a great celebra-

tion in 1909 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publication of

The Declaration and Address. By this time, Christian Churches and

Churches of Christ were no longer a frontier people on the growing edge

of a new nation. We no longer lived in the relative isolation of frontier

communities; rather, we were part of the developing nation, profoundly

affected by the forces at work within the culture.

Formation of the Federal Council of Churches in 1908 offered a kind of Christian union that ap-

peared to be at least a first step toward that unity that was originally an aim of the movement.

Some people embraced the council of churches and some thought it would lead to the denomina-

tional principles and a denial of the purpose of the movement. When Modernist teaching was

introduced into some of our colleges and seminaries, uproar of major proportions followed. This

was the time of the roaring twenties. Many of our conservative people, who were worried of lib-

eral changes during that time, left our organized agencies and established a new assembly, which

they named The North American Christian Convention. Its first meeting was in 1927. For more

than two decades this Convention did not meet regularly, but in 1950 it became an annual assem-

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bly. The North American Christian Convention became anti-organizational and was committed to

the concept of the true independence and complete self-government of each local congregation.

The Convention is a mass-meeting. No denominational business of any kind is ever completed in

any of its sessions. To the orderly denominational thought this would appear to be the makings of

total chaos, but where structure was absent, typical American practical creativity stepped in and

filled the void!

The North American Christian Convention is primarily a preaching convention, although today it is

also a highly complex gathering where many activities for every member of the family take place.

Many agencies and missions are represented in the exhibition area and the Convention functions

as the focus of fellowship for the whole brotherhood.

As We Conclude the History of Our Grass Roots, Let’s Attempt to

Portray Who We Are by Using a Broad Brush and a Wide Sweep.

Theologically, we are conservative. All of our churches practice baptism of believers only by im-

mersion. All of our congregations assemble at the Lord’s Table weekly. All of our congregations

operate from Nicene/Chalcedonian presuppositions but none would make any formal subscrip-

tions to these creeds; in fact, few would know that they even exist, and fewer still would have any

idea of what they contained.

In terms of traditional Protestant

thought we are neither Calvinist nor

Armenian, although this movement

was influenced by both of these

theological viewpoints. However, we have not specifically identified with either one because of the

early principle of this movement that states, “Where the Bible speaks, we speak and where the

Bible is silent, we are silent”. We also believe that the Bible is clear in 1 Corinthians 1:10-14, that

we should not claim to follow any person other than Jesus Christ. Because of this, we do not label

ourselves either Calvinist or Armenian, but simply Christian. This being said, we do hold that each

human being is capable of confronting the evidence supporting the Gospel claims and is also capa-

ble of making a responsible decision as to whether he or she will accept or reject the Gospel. But

because we are convinced that this choice must be based on facts seen in the Good News, we are

also uncomfortable with the high level of emotional pressure that we often see in the Armenian

tradition. An emotionally-centered understanding of Christianity is open to abusive manipulation

of the audience by the speaker and can lead to many unfortunate consequences. As a result, our

understanding of the Gospel would be seen as much more of a rational choice than an emotion.

“Where the Bible speaks, we speak and where

the Bible is silent, we are silent”.

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The shared beliefs of the congregations in the Restoration Movement are congregational in the

sense that there is no person or organization above the local leadership that has influence over

them. All of our congregations have elders who lead, shepherd and guide the programs of the lo-

cal congregation, as well as deacons that serve that body, which is what is found in the Church of

the New Testament. Each congregation is free to choose how their congregation is to be governed

and has separate by-laws. The vast majority of our congregations have a paid preaching minister

on staff. We have no minimum requirements for ministerial education or ordination and our min-

isters and elders are ordained by the local leadership. Our congregations are free to appoint and

dismiss their own ministers. There is no organization above the congregation to assess the pro-

gramming of a church or to intervene in quarrels. We are served by a major publisher of religious

materials, but we do not own it or have ultimate control over it. We have a large number of insti-

tutions that are totally separate, directed by self-perpetuating boards of trustees or directors. We

sustain over a thousand foreign missionaries, mostly by direct contributions of churches and/or

individuals to “forwarding agents” who relay the funds to the missionaries on the field. We have

about thirty-six Bi-

ble Colleges and

three graduate

seminaries. We

support over eighty

-two mission organizations. We have over one-hundred youth camps, which constitute an impor-

tant factor in our church life. We also operate many homes for the elderly and needy children.

The fact that all this can happen without the faintest hint of any central planning is a mystery to

today’s highly-organized corporate mentality.

Throughout our history, we have been largely a rural and small town people, solidly middle-class.

However, during the latter part of the 20th century many congregations have been established in

urban and suburban areas. In fact, there are many congregations in this movement now that have

memberships in the thousands and some in the tens of thousands. Politically, we are probably

heavily Republican, but mainly just conservative. Finally, we would describe ourselves as an evan-

gelical brotherhood. We are concerned to proclaim the Gospel and win a lost world to faith in Je-

sus Christ. Our concern for world missions is visible and in most congregations is growing. Cur-

rently we list approximately 6,000 churches. Our heaviest concentration is found in the states of

Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

As we begin our journey into the 21st century, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ constitute a

vital and committed body of serious disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ who seek to follow His will

and to serve Him and His Kingdom in our time.

Finally, we would describe ourselves as an evangelical broth-

erhood. We are concerned to proclaim the Gospel and win a

lost world to faith in Jesus Christ.

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Part 2

Our Local Church of Christ History

The earliest information that we have about our church history dates back to 1896. George F.

Smith, minister of the Douglas Park Christian Church in Chicago, Illinois, held a meeting at the

East Side Baptist Chapel on Moravian Street. About 100 people attended this meeting on Au-

gust 23, 1896. Little is known about the church between 1896 and 1910, but city directories list

a Church of Christ (as it was called then) meeting in different locations throughout that period.

It may have been the same group of believers which met in 1896.

On February 7, 1910, a news item tells about Frank L. Van Voorhis com-

ing to Wisconsin from Shawnee, Oklahoma to become State Evangelist.

He made his headquarters here in Green Bay. He was quoted, “We will

enter into this great and dignified service feeling sure that victory will

come”, Van Voorhis wrote, “My heart was made warm indeed by the

reception given me by our state board. I have every assurance of their

loyal support, and am assured by them that the brethren over the state

will give their most hearty welcome.”

The next news is dated November 2, 1910 and tells of the erection of a

chapel at Tenth (now Clay) and Mason Streets. The logs for the church

were cut and sawed with the help of the men at Bagley and Maple

Valley and came from the farm of Mr. Joe

McMahon. The temporary chapel, as it was re-

ferred to back then, was often called the

“Hemlock Temple” or the “Cracker Box”. The

men of Hickory and Peshtigo Brook Churches

helped with their labor, lumber and money. The

chapel had stove heat and round back wooden

chairs. This was three quarters of a mile from

the nearest Protestant Church and dedicated to

the “Restoration of New Testament Christianity

and the union of all Christians on that basis”.

The first service was held on November 8, 1910,

and a Bible School was organized. Formal dedication took place on De-

cember 4 with large attendance at all three services, as Pastor Van

Voorhis preached on “Unveiling a Monument”. That is what it must have

Frank L. Van Voorhis

Very first Church of Christ building

known as “Hemlock Temple”

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seemed like for the Christians who filled the church, heated by one wood stove located in the

back of the building.

“….the disciples chose a location apart from other Protestant churches and in a locality from

which they consider they will enlist a number of members”, according to a newspaper article.

In those times, getting to church often meant walking. Competitive churches were normally

not built close to each other because it would not benefit either church. The city was small at

the time, having only about 28,000 people. The church was built near the outskirts of the city

where farmland was only a

few blocks away. The build-

ing, measuring 50 by 26 feet

with one main room and a 10

by 26 foot meeting room in the back, was located on two city lots. The church had no base-

ment and no pews. It did have a baptistery to the rear platform area.

Mr. Van Voorhis didn’t stay long after the church was completed. Evangelist C.L. Waite appar-

ently replaced him early in 1912 before J. Harry Bullock was called from Richland Center that

year. Bullock had given the afternoon sermon during the church’s dedication. At the conclu-

sion of a revival held in September of 1911, the membership had doubled. The Articles of

Agreement were unanimously adopted in November 1911. J. Harry Bullock was the minister at

this time.

The congregation appeared to be strong during those early years. It grew and it flourished. On

February 14, 1912, the treasurer was authorized to negotiate a loan for $500 to take advantage

of the State Board’s offer to turn over the deed to the two lots. In order to do this, the church

had to incorporate, and this was completed on April 24, 1912, when a constitution and by-laws

were adopted and the Church of Christ (disciples) was official. The loan was made on July 31,

1912, for the $500 for two lots and $250 for improvements. In 1914, the loan was refinanced

in order to help pay for street paving in front of the church.

In 1917 the congregation began investigating the possibility of building

a new church, but it decided to add a basement and furnace instead.

This was completed in 1921. A parsonage was built behind the church

in 1924 for the approximate amount of $6,400. The money for these

projects was also borrowed. A Sunday School class known as the

“Crème de la Crème” class, comprised of many of the church’s young

adults, banded together to provide the total financing for new pews

during this early part of the church’s history.

Mr. Bullock resigned in 1917 and was replaced by J.H. Ghormley, the

first of what was to become a succession of preachers during the next

In those times, getting to church often meant walking.

The church building with the

addition of the basement

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two decades: with Robert Whittenburg coming in 1918, Howard McClure in 1919, John Christo-

pherson in 1922 and Adolph Boldon in 1928.

Church records mark this as the beginning of some difficult times for the Church of Christ

(disciples). At least twice, church leaders seriously considered selling the church to get out

from under the huge debt it had accumulated. They began contemplating the acquisition of the

vacant Congregational Church property in 1927, but remained in its original location. The Feb-

ruary 3, 1929 church board minutes indicate that a vote was taken on selling the church prop-

erty. The motion was defeated. A scratched out portion of the minutes reads, “If it is voted

down, it would not be reported at a public meeting that the church would be closed”. Appar-

ently, church leaders wanted to keep the difficult financial situation from becoming wide-

spread knowledge. To help the church, the parsonage was put up for sale in 1928. It finally

sold in 1935. The “depression” only made the situation worse.

The year of 1934 seemed especially bleak. A church representative was sent to Indianapolis to

see if the congregation could get a loan from the Church Erection Department. H. Gordon Ben-

nett, State Evangelist of the “Disciples of Christ” Board of Church Extension, came to preach,

but only briefly. Motivated by his preaching, the congregation decided to conduct an experi-

ment in the summer, moving its services to the old Congregational Church on the corner of Ad-

ams and Crooks Streets. They thought that being nearer to the center of the city might help

attract more people. A vote in the fall to move back to the old church failed 17 to 16 votes. But

in October the congregation moved back to its own building.

Even though the parsonage was sold in 1935, financially it didn’t seem to help much. As it was,

the church building was partially located on the lot with the parsonage that was sold. They

were given ten years to clear off of this part of the property. Plans were made to do so in July

1939. In August of 1940, the trustees were authorized to borrow money to take care of this

issue. When the loan was denied and with no money to remodel, the north end of the building

was cut off just enough to clear the lot where the parsonage was located. This project was fin-

ished sometime in 1941. Plans had even been considered to relocate the removed section to

the side of the existing building and thus provide some needed expansion; these plans were

never realized.

Mr. Stacy returned as pastor in 1935, receiving $5 per week for

his expenses. Miles Overton became pastor in 1938, but after

one year he left and the church had to borrow money to pay

his back salary. Stacy returned again, staying until 1942 when

Fred Emerson came.

Pastor Stacy & his wife and one of his daugh-

ters

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In 1945 Les Milan became pastor and the church was able to retire its building debt and burn

the mortgage in 1946. Edwin Simpson, a retired Baptist minister, often preached during the in-

tervening period follow-

ing Mr. Milan’s resigna-

tion in 1947 and the

coming of Robert Simp-

son in 1948. Dan Burris was to become minister in 1950; Donald Phipps in 1953.

During the period from 1920 to 1950, the young people came to be the life of the church.

“Christian Endeavor” was one of the most active groups in the city. A male quartet of Jack Wall,

Clayton Sears, Buz Wauters and Chuck DeSeve often encouraged the congregation with beauti-

ful musical renditions. Many enjoyable Sunday evenings were spent in members' homes after

services, where people gathered around the player piano and ate popcorn as well. This was a

church that had fun!

The 1950’s brought better times. On January 31, 1952 the members of The Church of Christ

(disciples) voted to change the name of the church to simply The Church of Christ of Green Bay.

Regular services were held during World War II and after. In the minutes of the Annual Meet-

ing in 1952, the idea of a new building was mentioned. This seems to be the beginning of a new

period of growth, which continued for many years. In July of 1953, a building site

was suggested, but it was rejected by the congregation. In Au-

gust of 1953 a new set of by-laws were adopted.

The beginning of Bruce Burdick’s ministry in 1956 started a

new era of vision for the church. He came at a time in which

one parishioner described as a do-or-die situation for the

church. Late in 1956 the purchase of a parsonage was consid-

ered, and in February 1957 the property at 726 Kellogg Street

was purchased. This ended the period in which ministers had to rent their

own homes.

With new members being added to the growing church, two ser-

vices were being held on Sunday morning to accommodate every-

one. The church simply needed more room and started looking in

earnest for ways to finance and accommodate her people. In

May of 1959 serious talk began about purchasing lots. While

many parcels of land were investigated, the committee found one

to be the most desirable. The land was on Dousman Street, in the

middle of farmers’ fields, across the street from a small pond

Parsonage on Kellogg

Ground Breaking on Dousman Street.

From left to right Walter Heubner, Bruce

Burdick, Clyde Carpenter,

Sid Hochmuth & Arno Petri

The beginning of Bruce Burdick’s ministry in 1956

started a new era of vision for the church.

Bruce Burdick

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which held enough frogs to attract small boys! The 2.6 acres purchased in May of 1960 didn’t

remain vacant for long. In 1962 a new committee system was introduced and put into action

with the following committees: Stewardship and Finance, Missions, Property, Education and

Youth, Evangelism and Membership.

Construction began in September of 1962, after the contract was signed for the erecting of

the new church building. The cornerstone was laid on May 12, 1963. The building was dedi-

cated on May 19, 1963.

The congregation did much of the work in the new building, including

painting, varnishing, assembling the pews, carpeting and tile work. In fact,

it wasn’t until the night before the dedication that much of the finishing

work was completed, but not all. Bare light bulbs hung with the dust that

had settled overnight.

The church began a new era! Forget the past. Forget the debts and the

revolving door of preachers. Forget the scandals and all the rest. The Lord

had answered the faithful prayers of the people and had given them a mis-

sion.

When Bruce Burdick, the man who

helped get the congregation back on its

feet, announced his resignation to be-

come Wisconsin State Evangelist in No-

vember of 1963, Robert Steele replaced him. In April of 1964,

during Pastor Steele’s ministry, the church changed its name

from The Church of Christ to The First Christian Church.

In 1965 the church hit one of its lowest points ever. The church members were pitted one

against another over the issue of who controls the church. A power struggle between Steele

and the elders resulted in Steele leaving the church with about thirty members to begin a new

church. With additional expenses for street assessments and other improvements, those re-

maining had to dig deeply into their pockets to help pay for the debt of a new church. However,

prayer and faith helped the church get back to its mission. The split in the church body helped

Dousman Street Church Building

Preparing for the dedication

of the new building from left

to right, Bruce Burdick, Neil

Norheim, Earl Hargrove &

Clyde Carpenter

14

some of the people to grow spiritually. It forced them to look at issues in a deeper way and

forced them to seek God for answers more than they had in the past. Due to this division, they

had become stronger and more personally involved in the faith family.

Following the spilt in 1965, George Bloomquist became minister for a short time and resigned

in 1967. Donald Black became pastor in 1967. In this same year, the Kellogg Street parsonage

was sold and a new parsonage was constructed on the church property, which was completed

in 1968. The cost of the parsonage at 316 Steven Street was $20,000. The construction was

supervised by Frank Kufner and other members of the congregation added their support in the

construction and finishing touches. Don Black continued his ministry until 1972.

In 1972, after the departure of Don Black, Stanley Johnson became the

minister. Mr. Johnson’s ministry was marked by his intense pastoral

work. During his tenure, an experiment in “bus ministry” was under-

taken by the members of the congregation, but was later discontinued.

In 1976, under Stan Johnson’s direction, the church was able to con-

struct an addition to the building and the canopy was remodeled with

a new pitched roof. Stan Johnson remained the minister of First Chris-

tian until 1979.

It was in November of 1979 that the church called Tom Jones as its new minister.

The 1980’s

The eighties were a decade of growth and change for the church.

During most of those years, Tom and Mary Gail Jones continued to

minister with First Christian. The growth in numbers was not nearly

as significant as was the change in focus and direction. That focus

was primarily one which was balanced inward and outward.

Tom & Mary Gail Jones

Stan & Judy Johnson

New Parsonage, 316 Steven Street

15

Inwardly, the focus was one of Christian development

through discipleship and small groups. One of the first Disci-

pleship Training courses included our present pastor, Mike

Tappa, who was then a new believer seeking to grow. Men

and women enjoyed the venture in spiritual training, scrip-

ture memory and accountability. The small study groups,

largely in the homes of members, taught God’s Word in depth

and provided a much-needed forum for the application of

spiritual truth.

During this decade there was a growth in membership, which required physical improvements

to the facility such as a paved parking expansion for around seventy cars and refurbishing of the

fellowship hall, pastor’s office and classrooms. Also during this time there was a significant re-

duction in the church’s indebtedness.

The musical abilities of Tom and Mary Gail Jones excited a new passion in the members of First

Christian Church for worship. Tom began to introduce more modern worship songs to the con-

gregation.

The congregation chose to move in a new direction during the eighties. The concentration was

on ministry. The church board format was laid aside for a new era of ministry--focused leader-

ship. Men and women, utilizing their spiritual giftedness, cared for the variety of ministries that

our church was adopting. These were times of searching God’s Word for the manner of leader-

ship which God desired in His church.

One major ministry change was a bold new approach in missions. The impact of Bruce Colson

was felt for the first time, as his ministry in Brazil became the template for the area-wide sup-

port of the Ganong translation work in Guinea. This emphasis continues today. A passion for

new church evangelism within the state and the world had developed. Little did Bruce know

that within 10 years he would become the pastor of First Christian.

As a spirit-led, elder-

directed, ministry-

focused church, First

Christian Church positioned itself to move ahead to become a “Life-Bridge” to the Green Bay

community and, more significantly, to the world. The 80’s were pivotal in setting the stage for

God’s people to connect in some new and exciting ways.

Tom and Mary Gail Jones served First Christian until March of 1988, when Tom left for an op-

portunity to become minister at Orchid Street Christian Church in West Allis, WI.

The 80’s were pivotal in setting the stage for God’s

people to connect in some new and exciting ways.

Sunday Morning Worship

16

In July of 1988 Chuck Davis was called by the elders to serve as minister and continued to serve

at First Christian until June of 1991. Pastor Davis had a ministry that was very focused on in-

depth Bible teaching and helped many members to adopt a more disciplined study of the Bible.

It was also during Chuck’s time here that full-time child care became a vast need in the Green

Bay community. It was in June of 1989 that First Christian opened His Kids Daycare Center, with

the purpose of ministering to the community by filling that need. Chuck and Mary Ann Davis

and their family left Green bay in June of 1991.

The Last Twenty Years 1990 – 2010

After a short period of being without a pastor, the call was made

to Bruce Colson to become the Pastor of FCC in October of 1991.

At the time, Bruce was serving as a missionary in Brazil, but had

grown up in the Hickory Church of Christ and was familiar with

the church in Green Bay. Bruce left his missionary ministry in Bra-

zil and responded to the elder’s invitation and God’s calling. He

and his new wife, Neide, made the move to Green Bay in the fall

of 1991.

Immediately, Bruce began to share his vision for small groups and individual discipleship--at the

time, there were only “Bible Study Groups” led by a few of the elders.

In 1992 the church hired its first Youth Minister, Ralph Bieganek. Ralph and his wife, Carol,

worked with the church until December of 1994, when he left to pursue his calling as an army

chaplain.

Bruce, Neide, Jonathan & Victoria Colson

His Kids Daycare Center First Daycare Director,

Jody Asher and husband,

Riley

From left to right, Kim Wilke,

Director, Tammy Nascimento,

teacher and Gail Colberg, Di-

rector

17

By 1993 the church had begun to grow and the existing facility became

too small. In response to the growing congregation, the elders decided

to obtain a loan and build an addition to the church building to add

more classroom space downstairs and office space, nursery, rest rooms,

and lobby space upstairs. The construction was a success and the

church was enthused about the new possibilities for ministry. At that

time, the parking lot was also expanded to handle the growing number of vehicles.

During those first years under Bruce’s ministry, the church started

learning about Spiritual Warfare and

also about the value and importance

of husbands and wives working

together in ministry. It was also a

time where some families decided to

leave the church because they didn’t

agree with the new vision that the leaders were sharing.

Another important issue that Bruce brought to the church’s attention was the role of the elder-

ship. As the elders studied the Bible and prayed, the eldership became stronger and more

united. The church started a transition process in which the elders were the ones to give direc-

tion to the church. Little by little, changes were being made so that the whole congregation did-

n’t have to “vote” on each and every decision, but they had to learn to trust the men whom

God had chosen to give spiritual oversight. With that, the leaders also strengthened the role of

the Deacons, “ministry team leaders”, who worked hard on the “administration” part of the

body.

During this time, the church started having Men’s and Women’s Retreats, which were great

times of fellowship and spiritual growth!

Yet another important aspect of the church body

which was rapidly changing was the worship time on

Sunday mornings. Greater emphasis was placed on

growing in the area of worshiping the Lord in Spirit

and in Truth. Bruce’s wife, Neide, was very involved in

the process of “forming” worshiping musicians who

were responding to God’s calling of leading His people

into His presence.

Ralph Bieganek

Sunday Morning Worship

Addition to church building on Dousman Street

18

In May of 1995 Scott Jasmin was hired as the second Youth Minister at

FCC. Scott and his wife, Cindy, moved from Minnesota to help

strengthen the youth ministry. They were a great blessing, both in

youth ministry and in the worship ministry until May 1998, when they

moved back to Minnesota.

In 1996 several couples of the church participated in the course

“Growing Kids God’s Way”, which was a great blessing to all the fami-

lies, and it helped shape the church into a better body of believers. This

course helped parents become stronger in training their children to be

obedient and a blessing to all. This course was the beginning of an ongoing vision for ministry to

parents and helping them develop their children into mature followers of Christ.

The church continued to grow with the small groups (called Care Groups at the time) and one-

on-one discipleship relationships. Bruce prepared a series of six basic Bible studies for the

church to take people through as they showed an interest in following Christ. The first booklet

was called “This is Eternal Life”. The church experienced a time of growth where people were

giving their lives to Christ and were being baptized. In 1996 the church participated in the first

week of prayer and fasting, which brought great encouragement in meeting people’s spiritual

hunger as they participated.

Also during 1996, Bruce and Neide were able to purchase their own home and Scott and Cindy

Jasmin moved into the parsonage at 316 Steven Street. Scott and Cindy lived in the parsonage

until they returned to Minnesota in 1998.

By 1997, under Bruce’s leadership, the church had grown to over 200

people in attendance each week. In response to this growth, in spring

of 1997, it was determined that the church required someone to lead

the Children’s Ministry. So, in May of 1997, Jill Hawkinson was added

to the staff as a part-time Youth and Children’s Ministry Director.

In June of 1998, one of the elders, Mike

Tappa, was asked by the other elders to consider leaving his career

and coming on staff as associate pastor to assist Bruce with his du-

ties. After much prayer and consideration, Mike and his wife Kathy

accepted the call, sold their home in Howard and moved into the

parsonage in September of 1998. Mike served on staff part-time

until early 1999, when he came on staff full-time. In December of

1999, Mike was ordained as a pastor by the elders of First Christian

Church.

Jill Hawkinson

Scott & Cindy Jasmin

Mike & Kathy Tappa

19

Also in 1999 the church had the opportunity to assist a Brazilian pastor and his family with the

necessary paperwork that allowed them to immigrate to the US and work with a Brazilian con-

gregation in Framingham, Mass. Roberto and Eneida spent three months in Green Bay and

shared about “the Gospel of the Kingdom” verses “the Gospel of Salvation” during their stay.

They also helped strengthen the church in the area of “discipleship”. Roberto’s teachings

helped the people of FCC a great deal in understanding the church’s mission on earth and hav-

ing a desire to fulfill that mission of making disciples.

In 2000, Pastor Colson invited a group of Brazilian pastors and lay people to come and help min-

ister to the people of FCC by the means of an “Encounter Retreat”. About 50 men and 60

women participated in these initial Encounters. This was a unique and special time in which

God brought much healing to many of the members and in which God gave more of His Holy

Spirit to empower them for ministry. During the year of 2000, FCC became more open to the

out-pouring of the Holy Spirit and how He is active in the life of the church and individual be-

lievers. This time of exploring the role of the Holy Spirit was an exciting time in the church, but

it was also a time of turmoil at FCC, as some of the congregation did not feel comfortable with

what was being taught. Because of this, approximately 50 people became upset over the direc-

tion of the church and left.

In spite of the loss in membership, the church was able to move ahead. At the end of 2000,

through a large gift, the Lord provided the means for the church to diminish the debt that it had

acquired for the addition to the building in 1993. Although there had been many years of tight

finances, the Lord always provided and by September of 2001, the church became debt free.

In 2002, Bruce put together several lessons and named them “Marriage God Blesses”. With

those lessons the leadership began ministering to all the couples in the congregation. This was

the beginning of a ministry to fight the battle against divorce in the church and in America. Pro-

ducing strong marriages and families became one of the main visions of First Christian.

First Women’s Encounter

First Men’s Encounter

20

From 2002 through 2004 the church continued to focus on developing small group leaders, one

-on-one discipleship, and making our times of worship more meaningful. Bruce & Neide took a

sabbatical during the months of November and December of 2003. It was during this time of

rest and seeking the Lord that Bruce and Neide felt God leading them back to the mission field.

Upon returning from their sabbatical Bruce and Neide shared with the elders that they felt

called to minister and encourage foreign missionaries and that they desired to retire from the

full-time pastor position within the next few years in order to focus their time on this ministry

to foreign missionaries. Bruce and Mike continued to minister together and lead people into

deeper relationships with Christ. By the end of 2004, it became evident that the church needed

another full-time junior and senior high youth pastor so that Jill Hawkinson could focus on the

Children’s Ministry.

In January of 2005, the third Youth Minister was hired--Ricky Var-

gas. Ricky and his wife, Tracy, came to Green Bay from the

YWAM base, in Monterey, Mexico. During their time at First

Christian, they did an awesome job of ministering to the youth

and bringing much spiritual growth and passion for the Lord.

A time of transitioning leadership from Bruce Colson to Mike

Tappa began in 2006. Mike started preaching more often and

Bruce less. Mike took on the area of “small groups” and, little by

little, Bruce was doing less church work and more mission work. As the leadership continued to

transition, Mike began to share his vision for reaching out to youth with the gospel. In June of

2006, Bruce Colson retired and took on the role of Pastor Emeritus and officially turned over

the leadership of FCC to Mike Tappa.

In September of 2006, an annual leadership retreat was held in Door County. Elders, Deacons

and Trustees were present and the vision for First Christian Church was discussed. A new vision

statement based on Eph. 4:11-12 was developed. The purpose of FCC was to equip believers to

maturity in Christ, so they could minister in the community. The new slogan for the church was

“To Know God through Jesus Christ and Make Him Known”. Plans were also discussed as to

how FCC could reach out more to youth with the Gospel.

In November of 2006, First Christian Church leadership presented a vision for a ministry center

in Howard/Suamico to minister to Jr. High and High School youth. Between November 2006 and

April 2007, approximately $20,000 was raised for the ministry center. In April 2007, FCC rented

2,400 sq. ft. at Glendale Plaza in Howard for what would become Ignite Youth Center. It was

during this time of change in vision that His Kid’s Daycare ceased its ministry. His Kid’s was a

wonderful ministry to the community for eighteen years. Many young lives were molded and

Ricky & Tracy Vargas

21

many families were brought into the church through this min-

istry of first being a daycare and then a pre-school. Over these

eighteen years, Jody Asher, Gail Colberg and Kim Wilke served

as directors. His Kid’s Pre-school closed in June of 2007.

In July of 2007, with the financial and prayer support of FCC,

Bruce and Neide Colson were able to fulfill their vision of re-

turning to Brazil and establishing a training center for mission-

aries and pastors.

During the 16 years that Bruce and Neide were at FCC, the

church not only grew in numbers, but also grew in the un-

derstanding of its mission in regards to the whole world.

Many mission trips and mission fairs were presented.

Through Faith Promise Pledges, 15-20% of the church’s

income was able to be given to missions. During this time,

Bruce led and in-

spired many mission

trips abroad which

enabled the people of FCC to catch his vision and heart for

foreign missions. Their new life in Brazil would focus on Vi-

sion 360 Ministries, Inc.

Bruce also left behind his vision for unity in the church of

Green Bay. Bruce and two other pastors began a prayer group in the early 90’s that met monthly

and has now grown to over twenty pastors that meet weekly in Green Bay for prayer. Bruce’s

leadership was felt not only at FCC, but throughout the city of Green Bay as well.

This period from 1991-2007 was a time of several paradigm shifts at First Christian. It was also a

time of many victories, coupled with struggles and disappointments. This is always true in ministry

at any church.

The annual leadership retreat was held at Ignite Youth Center on September 22, 2007. Present

were the Elders, Deacons and Trustees of First Christian. After much prayer, a unanimous deci-

sion was made to change the name of The First Christian Church and move the congregation to

Howard/Suamico. The consensus was that if the church was to reach the youth of that commu-

nity, they should have a physical presence there and the commitment was made to move in the

spring of 2008. Because the leadership discerned this was what God wanted, the move would be

made regardless of whether or not the existing building on Dousman Street could be sold.

IGNITE Youth Center Concert

Mission Fair in 2006

Jonathan, Victoria, Neide and Bruce Colson

22

The following Monday, God interceded and FCC was contacted by a Baptist congregation that

was looking for a place to have their worship services. On Nov 13, 2007, FCC signed a two year

lease with Graceway Fellowship for rental of the Dousman Street building beginning Decem-

ber 1, 2007. This would free up the church to move and receive income from the rental of the

building.

On November 25, 2007, at the annual meeting, Pastor Tappa

explained the decision to move the congregation and the

lease that had been signed with Graceway. A vote was held

to adopt a simplified version of our by-laws, which elimi-

nated the role of Trustee and established the Elders as the

Trustees. There was also a vote to adopt a name change.

Both votes were passed and the by-laws were ratified by a vote of 62 to 4. The First Christian

Church of Green Bay officially became Life Bridge Christian

Church and a notice was filed with the Brown County Clerk on De-

cember 12, 2007.

On December 2, 2007, Life Bridge

Christian Church held its first wor-

ship service at Bay Port High

School in Howard. The church con-

tinued to meet for Sunday morning worship at Bay Port until

August of 2009, at which time the Sunday worship began

meeting at The Suamico Banquet Center. This was due to a

school district policy that would only allow a maximum occupa-

tion of two years.

In May of 2008, it was decided to sell the parsonage at 316 Ste-

ven Street and purchase a home for the pastor in Howard. The

home was sold to Graceway Fellowship as a parsonage for

their new pastor for a price of $150,000. A new parsonage for

Pastor Tappa and his family was purchased at 2947 Bristol

Mountain Trail for $180,000.

In August 2009, Ricky and Tracy

Vargas left Life Bridge and re-

turned to Mexico to fulfill their life

passion of serving the Mexican

people. Jake Spielbauer took over

the Youth Ministry at that time.

Commissioning Service for Jake Spielbauer

Parsonage, 2947 Bristol Mountain Trail

Worship at Bay Port High School

From left to right; Kim Wilke, Mallory Gau-

erke, Olesia Frazier, Tim Hawkinson

Bay Port High School

Jake & Shawna Spielbauer

23

Jake had grown up in Green bay and graduated from Marquette University in May of 2009.

Shawna, Jake’s wife, was raised at First Christian and is the daughter of one of the Elders. Life

Bridge is continuing a philosophy of raising up leaders and staff from within the church.

Throughout 2008 and 2009, the elders of Life Bridge continued to look for a suitable perma-

nent building for the church. The search continued until August of 2009 when a property was

found at 2496 Glendale Avenue in Howard. The sale price was $575,000 and included a 12,000

sq. ft. main building, an additional 2400 sq. ft. building and four acres of land. The building was

a former roller rink and was currently being used as a sports complex. In the process of obtain-

ing financing, Graceway Fellowship agreed to purchase the Dousman Street facility from Life

Bridge for $650,000 by January of 2012. They advanced Life Bridge $125,000 that the church

would use as a down payment on their new property. The purchase was completed in late No-

vember and renovations began in December. The renovations were done mostly with volun-

teers from the congregation, but with the assistance of a few professionals. The building was

completed in the spring of 2010, and the first worship service was held on Palm Sunday 2010.

The building was specifically designed to be a place that the church can use to minister to the

community, as well as a place for worshiping God.

Before

24

As of this writing in October of 2010, Pastor Tappa continues to challenge Life Bridge with the

vision of making and growing disciples of Jesus Christ, equipping them to be productive ser-

vants in the Kingdom. This is being accomplished through various ministries, such as the

“Band of Brothers” men's discipleship group, which meets every other week, and the “Circle

of Sisters” women’s group, which meets monthly. The church has also developed a marriage

and family ministry that offers regular parenting and marriage classes, which teach and en-

courage the importance of strong, God-centered marriages. Financial management classes

are also being offered on a regular basis to teach the importance of good stewardship and

generosity. As new people come into the church and before they become members, they are

taken through a class entitled “Foundations 101”, which teaches them the basic doctrines of

LBCC and what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. As members grow and show

signs of leadership, they can be trained to become a small group leader through “Leadership

301” class.

Raising up new leaders to facilitate small groups has become very important at Life Bridge

because the small group ministry is the back bone of the church. It is in these “Life Groups”

that people are discipled and ministered to.

After

25

Children and youth have become a major focus for the church, and finding ways to reach the

next generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is always challenging and evolving. The message

of the Good News of Jesus Christ is the same as what was being preached when the church first

met in that little chapel on Mason Street in 1910; however, how it is being conveyed has con-

tinually changed over the last 100 years. The high school youth ministry has concerts each

month that allow local, as well as national bands to play. This venue provides an opportunity to

witness to the band members, as well as to the young people who attend. The 5th through 8th

grade ministry also has monthly outreach events, which provide opportunities to meet and

reach kids with the Gospel. The Sunday morning children’s program plays a very vital part in as-

sisting parents in raising their children in the Lord, as well as providing many adults and teens a

place to serve. As Life Bridge Christian Church looks to the future, they are expectant that God’s

great message of grace and love will be preached throughout this community.

Resources for Part One: The History of Our Movement - Most of the above information was taken from a typed document of

unknown authorship called, History of the Christian Church/Churches of Christ.

References:

1. For Stone’s account see: Stone, Barton W., The Biography of B.W. Stone. See also

West, William G., Barton Warren Stone, Early American Advocate of Christian Unity.

2. Campbell, Thomas, The Declaration and Address. For a commentary see Kershner, F.J., Christian Union Overture.

3. Campbell, Alexander, and Walker, John, Infant Sprinkling Proved To Be A Human Tradition.

4. For an explanation of Scottish Common Sense Philosophy see: Robinson, Daniel S., The Story of Scottish Common

Sense Philosophy.

5. www.gotoncaa.org for The North American Christian Convention.

A special “Thank You” to Jake Spielbauer for his cover design and Kim Wilke for gathering the information

and photos for this publication.