Defining Mottos

The history of the churches of Christ in America is illuminated by the mottos that helped define the Movement of which the churches of Christ are a part.


See if any of these ring a bell:

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.

We are Christians only, but not the only Christians.

Free discussion

Let unity be our polar star.

We are free to differ, but not to divide.

Union in truth

There are other mottos, but these are some of the most recognizable. Which one speaks to you the most? Which one troubles you the most?

Remembering who we are helps us to oppose those who try to rewrite history and portray the churches of Christ as a spiritually-arrogant, sectarian group of people. Certainly, this image is somewhat deserved, but it did not come from the first generation of leaders of what we call the Restoration Movement.

Our heritage is not perfect, but it was founded on the most noble of all causes: the unity of followers of Christ.