Disciples History Moment for March 9, 2025
This week, on March 4, 1866, the foremost leader of the Disciples of Christ, Alexander Campbell, died at his home in Bethany, West Virginia. For months he had been in failing health, but his end was accelerated by a recent severe cold. Campbell co-founded the Restoration Movement with his father, Thomas Campbell, in 1809. Alexander became the main leader of the Campbellite movement shortly after 1812. In 1832 Alexander united with Barton W. Stone's Christian movement, forming the Stone-Campbell Movement.
The following are a list of Alexander’s accomplishments and are indictive of his impact and importance to the religious movement called the “Disciples of Christ”:
Periodicals:
Edited and published "The Christian Baptist" (1823-1830)
Edited and published "The Millennial Harbinger" (1830-1870)
Education:
Founded and taught at Buffalo Seminary (1818-1823)
Founded Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia
Public Service:
Served as delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention (1829-1830), arguing for public education and the end of slavery
Served as the first postmaster of Bethany (1827-1865)
Debates and Public Speaking:
Engaged in numerous religious debates and was known as a skilled orator
Delivered popular lectures on various topics, including education and social issues
Morality, government, war, financial issues, voting, anti-theocracy.
Publishing:
Operated one of the most influential religious presses on the frontier
Published numerous books, pamphlets, and translations, such as:
Books:
"The Christian System" (1839)
"Christian Baptism: With its Antecedents and Consequents" (1851)
"Acts of the Apostles, Translated from the Greek" (1857)
"The Sacred Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of Jesus Christ" (New Testament translation)
The Christian Preacher’s Companion
Hymn Books:
"Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs" (1851)
"The Christian Hymn Book" 1856 (co-edited with Barton Stone, Walter Scott and John T. Johnson)
The above makes a case for Alexander Campbell’s lasting impact on American religious history. Like Mark Twain, Alexander’s death was reported across the nation’s newspapers a month or more before it actually happened. As Twain was quoted as saying, “the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Of course they were for Campbell, too. . . but not for long.
Rev. Kevin K. Adams
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