As a minister in Churches of Christ for 20 years, I often struggled with how to help the contemporary church appreciate its past. I believe that, by understanding our past, church leaders become much better equipped to address the issues that arise in our own time. As they say, “There is nothing new under the sun!” The church of the 21st century is not the first generation to ask questions about gender roles or worship styles or engagement with the world. By listening closely to the voices of those who came before us, we increase our wisdom exponentially.

As a fellow minister of the gospel, I want to share an important resource designed to help you shepherd and lead your congregation. Abilene Christian University and the Center for Restoration Studies will host Restoration Day 2020 on September 7. Started in 2019, Restoration Day serves to commemorate the rich heritage of the Stone-Campbell movement by highlighting important persons, events, and ideas from the restoration movement tradition. Held each year on September 7 to mark the anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address, Restoration Day highlights the movement’s historic emphasis on the unity of the body of Christ.

Instead of taking place as a face-to-face event on the campus of ACU this year, Restoration Day will be held virtually and will center upon one of the most important figures in the movement’s history, Alexander Campbell. Dr. Douglas A. Foster, long-time professor of church history at ACU and one of the foremost scholars of the restoration movement, recently completed the first ever critical biography of Alexander Campbell entitled A Life of Alexander Campbell. Dr. Foster will share his wisdom with us by way of a recorded lecture on the topic of Campbell’s life and ministry, and as an added bonus, Dr. Foster will be speaking from behind the same pulpit Thomas Campbell, Alexander’s father, used as a preacher in Ireland. The pulpit is currently housed at ACU’s Center for Restoration Studies.

I believe Dr. Foster’s words provide an excellent resource for Sunday morning or Wednesday evening Bible classes. After listening to Dr. Foster’s insights about Campbell, church members would have occasion to discuss the ways in which we continue to model our habits and theology after this important leader from our past. The Restoration Day lecture touches on the important and central theme of Christian baptism. Visit the Center for Restoration Studies blog as Restoration Day 2020 approaches to access this important church resource.