| Daniel Sommer |
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The roots of the division that created the Church of Christ were both secular and spiritual. The American Civil War divided the pro-slavery southern Churches from the anti-slavery northern Churches in sentiment. After the war the wound was not healed and spiritual issues became the focus that made the division a reality. Daniel Sommer himself spoke out against what he called "innovations" and included on that list things like para-church societies, Bible colleges, the pastor system and instrumental music. At the same time he was impatient with others who opposed "innovations" like the Sunday school and multiple cups for communion. Sommer pushed for a division between the Church of Christ and the Christian Church and when it took place celebrated by saying, "The Church of Christ will be entirely separated from the Christian Church. Hallelujah!" The date of the beginning of the actual division was Sunday, August 18 , 1889 . The place was Sand Creek, Illinois , where Sommer delivered what he called "An Address and Declaration." At its close he said, :"In closing up this address and declaration, we state that we are impelled form a sense of duty to say, that all such innovations and corruptions to which we have referred, that after being admonished, and having had sufficient time for reflection, if they do not turn away from such abominations, that we can not and will not regard them as brethren." The division was completed by 1906 when the US Census Bureau asked David Lipscomb if the Churches of Christ should be listed spearately in the Bureau's report and Lipscomb responded affirmatively. Although Daniel Sommer argued for division early in his life as he grew older he worked for reconciliation among Churches of Christ and maintained many personal relationships with those in the Christian Church. It is fair today to say that none of the Restoration Movement groups willingly embrace Sommer as a positive figure in their background. The Christian Church and the Disciples of Christ certainly don't since it was through his efforts that division came. But even in Churches of Christ the name of Daniel Sommer is most often cited in a negative context to condemn divisive behavior. |
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