Springfield Weekly Republican

The Disciples of Christ are a new sect that is apparently winning its way to an important position among the religious denominations of the country. There is but one little church of this faith in this city, but the increase in New England last year was 21 per cent. Over 3000 additions, it is said, were reported in a single week recently. The Evangelist, in speaking of the sect, says: The Disciples of Christ keep up their remarkable growth, now numbering over a million. It is only during recent years that their machinery for securing statistics has taken effective shape. From 1880 to 1896 their percentage of growth has been 186, larger than any other religious body in our country. Mr Carroll, the well-known statistician, in his article, "Is the power of Christianity waning?" found in the May, 1896, Forum, says upon this subject: The most remarkable instance of growth in the five years is that of the Disciples of Christ. The denomination was organized as a movement to restore the lost unity of believers, and so of the church of Christ, by a return in doctrine, ordinance and life to the religion definitely outlined in the New Testament. It has no human creed, taking the Bible as its rule of faith and practice. Like the Baptists, the Disciples hold to immersion as the proper mode of baptism, and to the baptism of believers only. Unlike the Baptists, they baptize for the remission of sins, celebrate the Lord's supper every Sunday.