The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (1790–1840) of the early 19th century. The pioneers of this movement were seeking to reform the church from within and sought "the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the church of the New Testament."
The Churches of Christ, most commonly known as the Church of Christ or church of Christ, is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the sola scriptura doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament.
David Lipscomb was a minister, editor, and educator in the American Restoration Movement and one of the leaders of that movement, which, by 1906, had formalized a division into the Church of Christ and the Christian Church. James A. Harding and David Lipscomb founded the Nashville Bible School, now known as Lipscomb University in honor of the latter.
Daniel Sommer (1850–1940) was an American religious leader who was a key figure in the Restoration Movement and in the separation of the Churches of Christ from the Christian Church.
William Lipscomb was a figure of the American Restoration Movement and co-editor of the Gospel Advocate.
The Gospel Advocate is a religious magazine published monthly in Nashville, Tennessee for members of the Churches of Christ. The Advocate enjoyed uninterrupted publication since 1866 until the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Henry Boll was a German-born American preacher in the Churches of Christ. Boll is most known for advancing a premillennialist eschatology within the Churches of Christ, in articles written during his editorship of the front page of the Gospel Advocate from 1909 to 1915 and after 1915 in Word and Work, leading to a dispute which was a significant source of division within the Churches of Christ in the 1930s. Boll was one of the most influential advocates for the premillennial point of view, and was most singularly opposed by Foy E. Wallace Jr. By the end of the 20th century, however, the divisions caused by the debate over premillennialism were diminishing, and in the 2000 edition of the directory Churches of Christ in the United States, published by Mac Lynn, congregations holding premillennial views were no longer listed separately.
Benton Cordell "B. C." Goodpasture was a preacher and writer in the Churches of Christ. A contributing writer to the Gospel Advocate starting in 1920, in 1939 he became the publication's editor, a post he held until his death. He was the namesake of Goodpasture Christian School in Nashville Tennessee, named in his honor in 1965.
Foy Esco Wallace was an influential figure among American Churches of Christ in the early and mid-20th century. Through his writing and speaking, Wallace gathered a considerable following among that autonomous group of churches. His skilled use of logic, combined with his charisma, propelled him to the forefront of at least three major controversies in the Churches of Christ.
Marshall Keeble was an African American preacher of the church of Christ, whose successful career notably bridged a racial divide in an important American religious movement prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Over the course of his 50-year career as a gospel preacher, he was credited with starting almost every African-American church of Christ in the state of Tennessee. Keeble enjoyed an almost unrivaled position as an African-American subject of hagiographical biography by white contemporaries within the church of which Keeble was a member. A notable example of this is Roll Jordan Roll by fellow minister and longtime Keeble associate, J. E. Choate.
Nicholas Brodie Hardeman was an educator, debater, and a gospel preacher in the Churches of Christ. Along with Arvy G. Freed, Hardeman in 1907 co-founded what became Freed-Hardeman University, first known as the National Teachers Normal and Business College, or NTN&BC, in Henderson, Tennessee. In 1919, the institution was renamed Freed-Hardeman College. In 1990, it acquired university status. From 1925 to 1950, Hardeman was the president of Freed-Hardeman. He was an avid horse enthusiast, having participated in Tennessee Walking Horse competitions as an owner, rider, and a judge.
Batsell Barrett Baxter was an influential preacher and writer within the Churches of Christ.
Ira Lutts North was a preacher and author within the Churches of Christ.
Grover Cleveland Brewer (1884–1956) was among the most famous 20th-century leaders in the Churches of Christ. He was said to be "among the giants of the brotherhood". "G. C." Brewer was named for U.S. President Grover Cleveland. Brewer is generally known by his initials. He was born in Giles County, Tennessee; he died in Searcy, Arkansas, on June 9, 1956. He was an author, preacher, and teacher, serving on the faculty of Lipscomb University. His persuasive rhetoric and passionate oratory have been noted, along with his uncanny ability to define mainstream biblical doctrine in the mid-20th century. G. C. Brewer challenged Catholicism and Communism. He also demonstrated a willingness to change his views, especially those regarding the doctrine of grace.
Douglas A. Foster is an American author and scholar known for his work on the history of Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement.
Dr. Charles Richard Brewer (1890–1971) was a notable professor, preacher, poet, and leader for the churches of Christ. Born in near Gimlet Creek in Giles County, Tennessee, Brewer's career included many publications, television and radio shows, and a reputation for biblical learning. His funeral in Nashville, TN, was attended by some 3,000 people. Brewer was named "Speaker of the Year" in his final year and eventually a "Lipscomb Legend" by the university. He was scheduled to speak at Pepperdine University, in April of his last year, where he was to receive the school's annual Most Distinguished Service Award. A belltower that was built on the campus of Lipscomb University in 1935 was dedicated to the memory of Charles R. Brewer after his death, and it continues to bear his name..
Dr. Rubel Shelly is an author, minister, and professor at Lipscomb University. He is the former president of Rochester University.
Emma Page Larimore was an educator, writer, and editor for The Gospel Advocate. She was the second wife of Theophilus Brown Larimore (1843–1929).
H. Leo Boles was an American preacher and academic administrator. He was a minister of the Churches of Christ and the president of David Lipscomb College. He was the author of several books.
Franklin College was in Tennessee before the American Civil War. It was established by Tolbert Fanning in the Elm Crag section of southeastern Nashville, Tennessee where the international airport is now located. Its operations were disrupted when hostilities broke out during the Civil War. Enrollment had been between 100 and 130. Its students joined the Confederacy. The school burned around this time and it was relocated to Hope Institute nearby. William Lipscomb, David Lipscomb, Elisha G. Sewell, and T. B. Larimore trained at the college. The Tennessee Legislature incorporated the school. Agriculture was part of its curriculum and a farm was connected to the school. Minerva College was its sister school established in 1849 for female students
