Faith-Based Schools: Bringing faith to the classroom

Churches of Christ are independent Christian congregations linked by their practices and beliefs. Followers base practices on the Bible and seek to restore the New Testament Church, believed to have been established by Christ in A.D. 30. Modern Churches of Christ are rooted in the early nineteenth century during the Restoration. This movement, led by Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, and Barton W. Stone, sought to join all Christian denominations into a single church.

The Restoration Movement was a combination of two separate attempts to bring Christians together under one church. The first began in Kentucky under Barton W. Stone and the second started in Pennsylvania under Thomas Campbell and his son. Although the movements were separate, both groups believed in bringing all Christians together under belief in the New Testament. They also felt that various creeds were responsible for splitting up Christian denominations.

The Churches of Christ were listed as separate from Christian Churches in 1906. This division is mainly due to the rejection of instruments in Churches of Christ. There were also several disagreements regarding interpretation of the Bible.

Churches of Christ are all autonomous but share several underlying guidelines:

• Reliance on Bible alone for doctrine and practice, and no formalized statements of faith
• No denominational oversight. Churches are autonomous
• Governance by male elders
• Baptism for forgiveness of sins
• Observance of communion on Sunday
• A cappella singing during worship

Churches of Christ believe that salvation is possible for any adult through “obedience to the proclaimed facts of the gospel.” It is also believed that children under the age of thirteen don’t understand the difference between right and wrong and are therefore not capable of sinning.

Today, due to large missionary efforts, most members of Churches of Christ live outside the United States. The largest concentrations are in Africa, India and Central and South America.

Lutheranism is a branch of Christianity that is based on the teachings of the German reformer, Martin Luther. Though he was born into the Catholic faith, Luther came to believe that the Catholic Church’s teachings were not in agreement with his own interpretations of the Biblical Gospel.

Luther felt that some practices within the Roman Catholic Church were actually leading people away from God, and had no real connection to the lessons contained within the Holy Bible. As he challenged the Catholic Church’s doctrines and practices, Martin Luther’s efforts launched the Protestant Reformation, the religious movement that began in Europe during the 16th Century.

Due to these differences in beliefs about theology, practices and doctrines, the Protestant denomination officially broke away from the Catholic Church. But later, divisions among Protestants grew, and those Protestants who agreed with Luther’s teachings became known as “Lutherans.” During the 16th Century, the monarchs of Denmark-Norway and Sweden adopted Lutheranism as their religion and helped its popularity spread in various regions of Europe.

As time passed, thousands of people came to support Luther’s movement. Like him, they believed the Catholic Church’s teachings were straying from the core lessons found in the Bible, and many more individuals began referring to themselves as “Lutherans.” Though Luther originally protested to using his name for the movement, he later consented. He felt this was merely a label to identify those who believed in the Gospel and its teachings.

One of Martin Luther’s most important teachings is that the Bible is the Word of God, and the only reliable guide for finding faith and putting it into practice. Today, many Lutherans still see the Bible as the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and millions of people belong to Lutheran churches, which are present on all the world’s populated continents. With the Bible as their guide, Lutherans continue to live their faith as build upon Martin Luther’s work and progress.

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church was formally established in 1863, which makes it one of the newer branches of Christianity. It’s based in the Protestant faith, but is considered part of the Radical Reformation congregations, alongside Baptists and Pentecostals. As of 2007, the church recognized more than 15 million members worldwide.

The Latin origin of the word “Adventist” literally means “coming,” as Adventists evolved from ardent believers in the Second Coming of Jesus, and the recognition of the proper Sabbath being Saturday.
The church is also known for its emphasis on diet and health as a way to approach a holistic understanding of the person, and its conservative principles and lifestyle.

The Adventist Church operates schools, colleges and universities totaling more than 7000 institutions, with a total enrollment of more than 1,400,000 students and approximately 75,000 teachers. The Adventist school system claims to be “one of the largest church-supported educational systems in the world”. In the United States, Adventist schools are only outnumbered by those operated by the Roman Catholic Church. The Adventist college system is comprehensive, encompassing “mental, physical, social and above all, spiritual health” with “intellectual growth and service to humanity” as its goal.

Among its most prominent figures were Joseph Bates, James White, and Ellen G. White. Ellen White came to occupy a particularly central role due to her claims of holy visions which convinced her fellow Adventists that she possessed the gift of prophecy.

Since the 1860s, the church put direct focus on wholeness and health through vegetarianism and expects adherence to the kosher laws described in the Old Testament. These laws direct members to avoid pork, shellfish, and other foods proscribed as “unclean”. Members are also discouraged from ingesting alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, even so far as avoiding coffee and beverages containing caffeine.

John Wesley founded the Methodist church after leading a movement in the Church of England. Soon after, the ideas of Wesley spread across the Atlantic and was practiced in the American colonies. Francis Asbury was an important follower who helped spread Wesley’s word. “His [Asbury] energetic devotion to the principles of Wesleyan theology, ministry, and organization shaped Methodism in America in a way unmatched by any other individual.” African Americans played a fundamental role in the Wesleyan movement.

John Wesley created three “General Rules.” Today, when United Methodists pastors are ordained, they are required to abide by Wesley’s rules. The three rules are:

1. Avoid doing what you know is wrong
2. Do all the good you can to everyone that you can
3. Pursue the spiritual disciplines, including prayer, worship, Scripture reading, and fasting among others.

When Methodism was taking shape, followers and leaders were known as social reformers. For instance, Wesley worked to improve the society as a whole. He created a school for children, assisted the poor, opposed slavery and urged prison reform.

Unlike Baptists, Methodists do use the Nicene and Apostle Creeds. Overall, Methodists are considered ecumenical, meaning they want to work with and learn from other Christian denominations. Methodists value intellect in their faith. Intellect means, “they are not to ‘check their brain at the door’ when they enter the church.”

Empowerment is a result of passion and experience. Personal faith is encouraged and Methodists believe in free will. They do not accept the idea of predestination. Passion was encouraged through Wesley’s three passions: Change lives, transform the world and revitalize the church.

According to the Methodist Doctrine, “God is all-knowing, possesses infinite love and goodness, is all-powerful, and the creator of all things.” The doctrine also states that God has always existed and will forever exist. Methodists believe the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all within God. The covenant between God and humans has been broken by humans through sin; however Christ will save humans if they have faith in Him. Though a unique denomination, the Methodists viewpoint on Scripture is quite similar to those of other Protestant denominations. The Scripture is meant to be acknowledged and followed with loyalty because it is the Word of God. The doctrine also mentions Wesley’s belief of baptism and communion; both are sacraments, but also sacrifices to God.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church states, “Wesley and the early Methodists were particularly concerned about inviting people to experience God’s grace and to grow in their knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christian living.”

United Methodist’s missionary work can also be identified as “the connection.” Through connectionalism, members of this denomination work to help the poor, improve health for those living in poverty, create new churches, help renew current congregations and provide the opportunity to develop as a Christian leader.

There are currently 33 million Baptists living in the United States. Globally, there are 45 million Baptists, with many variations of the denomination. Those with similar practices belong to “conventions.” The leading convention in the United States is the Southern Baptists.

In fact, Baptists strongly believe Baptism is for adults only. They feel Baptism is “for those who have already placed their faith or made confession of their faith in Christ.” Also, in contrast to Catholics, Baptists accept religious liberty. This being said, “God alone is the judge of conscience, not the state or the religious establishment.” Baptists do not have a formal structure like Catholicism as well. They do not have bishops, or outside authority.

American Baptist conventions consider themselves moderate and follow closely the practices of Methodism and Presbyterianism. However, Baptists conventions each have their own faith statements and do not use the creeds. A large emphasis is placed on the Bible. Baptists believe the Bible is “totally true and trustworthy.” Baptists follow the idea that faith alone allows one salvation by grace.

Baptists strongly support the idea of separation between church and state. They believe in “freedom of conscience.” This denomination does not have a single governing power nor national council, so standards and ideals vary from church to church. The structure of the Baptist church revolves around Evangelical doctrine and reformed worship. The acronym Baptists follow is: Biblical Authority, Autonomy or the local church, Priesthood of the believer, Two ordinances (Believer’s Baptism and Communion), Individual soul liberty, Separation of church and state, Two offices of the church (Pastor and Deacon).

According to Baptists, “Bible is the only authoritative source of God’s truth.” If something can’t be referred to a scripture, it is considered a human tradition rather than the Word of God. Antioch Bible Baptist Church states, “We believe the Bible is the supreme revelation of God’s will for men and constitutes the only infallible guide for faith and life. Baptists also strongly believe in salvation and accept that faith in it of itself helps one receive salvation.” They also say, “We believe God, Who is Truth, communicated through Spirit-controlled men so that the Scriptures are without error and therefore authoritative in all they teach and in all matters they touch.”

The current structure of the Anglican Church was developed in the late 1600s. Though Episcopalians are a denomination of Protestantism, the church encourages and allows a variety of traditions and interpretations of the Scripture. Despite the religious freedom, the ability of multiple interpretations allows for a number of disputes. These religious practice differences are among various regions and many churches in different churches tend to disagree often.

The Episcopal Church shares the “Book of Common Prayer.” This is “a compilation of liturgy developed by Thomas Cranmer in the 16th century.” However, because the denomination allows for freedom among areas of the religion, many versions of the “Book of Common Prayer” exist.

The Anglicans follow via media, which is defined as the middle ground between Catholicism and Protestantism. This denomination believed Luther and Calvin were extremists. Anglicans resemble the Roman Catholics with the practices of a “three-fold ministry” with a bishop, priest and deacon. However, much like the Protestants, the Anglicans allow their leader to marry. The Anglican’s worship ceremonies reflect those of Catholics because they use all their senses while participating in worship services.

Anglicans encourage every member of the church to be involved in the ministry of the church. This is because baptism makes “everyone a minister of the gospel.” There are three central aspects to Anglicans: Scripture, which is the “primary basis for both faith and practice,” tradition and reason.

The Episcopalian Church is very welcoming and encourages people to visit their church because they believe no one is an outcast according to Jesus Christ. They welcome anyone to “serve as preachers, teachers, or worship leaders.” They also emphasize, “the knowledge that God loves you and forgives is always present.” Anyone who has been baptized has the ability to take communion. The church also encourages people to grow by debating what God calls them to do and learn how to be a follower of Christ.

When it comes to the concept of prayer, Anglicans believe it is the focal point of any conversation. “Lex Orandi, lex credendi” means “praying and worshipping are the most important things we do.” Anglican’s prayer life has been sustained and enhanced because of the Book of Common Prayer which assists Anglican’s to lead a regular prayer life. Their emphasis on habitual prayer encourages setting time aside everyday in order to directly communicate with God. Through prayers, praise and worship belief is created according to Anglicans, rather than just a statement of belief.

Catholicism claims to trace its origin back to Jesus and his Apostles, especially the Apostle Peter. St. Peter is considered the first pope, and every pope since him is regarded as his spiritual descendant. This gives the leader of the church spiritual authority and provides a means for resolving disagreements that could divide the church. The idea that the church leadership represents the continuation of an unbroken line from the apostles and their teachings has contributed to the survival of Christianity.

In the first century of Christianity there were no denominations as we know them. The major division in the church was between the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. There were no Catholics as we think of them today, no Orthodox, and no Protestants. There were only followers of the Way, as they were called, believers in Jesus Christ. Therefore, to be Roman Catholic means to have unique beliefs, practices and traditions that are distinct from those of other Christians. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church continues to maintain that it alone has carried on the true tradition of the apostolic church.

The Roman Catholic Church is a Christian denomination of believers who are “in communion” with the papacy. The largest Christian church currently in existence, with more than a billion believers, it is characterized by an episcopal hierarchy with the pope as its head, a belief in seven sacraments and the authority of tradition alongside scripture. Catholicism is largely centered on the doctrine that God’s grace is conveyed through seven sacraments, but especially through the sacrament of eucharist (communion) celebrated at mass. The other six sacraments are baptism, confirmation, penance, holy orders, matrimony, and anointing of the sick.

Roman Catholic beliefs do not differ drastically from those of the other major branches of Christianity – Greek Orthodoxy and Protestantism. All three main branches hold to the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on. But on more minor doctrinal points, there are clear Catholic distinctions in belief.

Distinctive Roman Catholic beliefs include the special authority of the pope, the ability of saints to intercede on behalf of believers, the concept of Purgatory as a place of afterlife purification before entering Heaven, and the doctrine of transubstantiation, which states that the bread used in the Eucharist becomes the true body of Christ when blessed by a priest.

The beginning of the Presbyterian Church can be traced back to the 16th century when John Calvin, a French reformer, trained for the Catholic priesthood, later converted to the Reformation Movement and became a theologian and minister. During this reformation, John Calvin refined reformers’ new way of thinking about the nature of God and God’s relationship with humanity. Calvin’s theology is what came to be known as Reformed theology, the religious thought Presbyterianism is founded on.

The Presbyterian faith differentiates from other religions through their following of a religious belief known as Reformed theology. Reformed theology views God as the absolute ruler over all existence and believes humanity’s main purpose as being to glorify God forever. Another factor separating Presbyterianism from other religions is their government based on a structure which emphasizes the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.

Presbyterian belief and practice center on the Bible and the sovereignty of God. Presbyterian’s believe the Bible is the written word of God and is the revelation of God’s truth and is perfect and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. They believe there is one God, who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. According to the Presbyterian belief, salvation is decided by God alone and that He sovereignly chooses those He will save.

Presbyterian faith centers on Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death make up for the sins of all who will trust in Him. They believe that the Holy Spirit gives God’s people the strength and wisdom to trust and follow Christ. Followers of the Presbyterianism also believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself; and that all aspects of life are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.