"There are a number of movements that have greatly affected large masses of people and shaped circumstances that would dictate the future, either for the better or worse. A Dark Age in our history was when Catholicism reigned. Catholicism personified the great falling away prophesied in scripture (2 Thes. 2: 1-12; I Tim. 4: 1-3). During a period of about one thousand years, the Catholic Church enjoyed unchallenged domination (Ad 590-1517). However the Renaissance encouraged people to think for themselves (AD 1350-1650). The Renaissance served as impetus, in part, for the great European Reformation Movement (Ad 1517-1648). As a result of people thinking, they began to realize all the atrocities and scripture perversions of Catholicism. Hence, men such as Martin Luther (Germany), John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli (Switzerland) led the way toward the attempted reform of the Catholic Church. During the period between 1517 and 1784, a number of denominations were begun. 1 However, instead of attempting to reform Catholicism or start their own religions, it was realized that the goal should be to re-establish pristine New Testament Christianity.

    Many historians point to the time period of 1809-1917 as the time of the Restoration Movement. 2 There were a number of preachers in different religions and sections of America who started to emphasize a return to the pristine Christianity of the New Testament. Often, these men were unacquainted one with the other. These men usually worked hard and made many sacrifices 3 Some of the better known preachers were men such as Barton W. Stone, Walter Scott, Jacob Creath, Jr., Tolbert Fanning, David Lipscomb, Austin McGary, and Thomas and Alexander Campbell. Mottoes such as "Where the Bible speaks; we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent" began to
be uniformly heard and became the battle cry of the restoration.

    Within established denominations, the beginning of the Restoration was witnessed. James O' Kelley (Methodist) and others whom Kelley influenced resolved to be known as Christians only, to acknowledge no head over the church but Christ, and to have no creed or discipline but the Bible. It was about the same time as Kelley began his efforts that Abner Jones, member of the Baptist Church, became dissatisfied with sectarian names and creeds and began to preach such names and creeds should be abolished."

   This brought about the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ -- to be a back to The Bible method of worship; following only Christ, with no man made catechisms.