Disciples History

09/05/2026

We want to extend our deep thanks to General Minister and President Rev. Terri Hord Owens for her insight and wisdom as our featured preacher at the 225th Cane Ridge Revival Anniversary Celebration, as well as to Rev. Yvonne Gilmore, who offered a powerful homily to begin the day! We are also grateful for the musical and worship leadership gifts of Rev. Dean Phelps, who offered his Kentucky bluegrass-inspired sound to the Meeting House, creating a rich worship experience to close our day.

09/04/2026

It is back to school season which means we are looking back on the many ways through out the Stone Campbell Movement education has been a priority. Today we are highlighting twentieth-century African American Disciples who continued the Movement’s interest in education.

Pictured is the faculty and students of Southern Christian Institute, Edwards, Mississippi, in 1897. Read more about the Southern Christian Institute and the role of education in twentieth century: https://discipleshistory.org/wiki/african-americans-in-the-movement/

08/27/2026

On Saturday, August 8, we were honored to co-hosted the 225th Anniversary of the Cane Ridge Revival at the Cane Ridge Meeting House. The weekend welcomed over 200 attendees to experience a day of scholarly lectures, panel discussions, lunch, bluegrass music, and worship. It was a joyful day reflecting on the history, meaning and future of the Cane Ridge Revival.

08/13/2026

Thanks to The Christian Chronicle for sending a report out to Cane Ridge on Saturday and covering this historic event celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the Cane Ridge Revival. Read the full story:

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... BOURBON COUNTY, KY. — By the thousands, the believers came — Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians among them. In covered wagons and carriages, pioneer settlers traveled […]

08/04/2026

We are thrilled to have a brand new sign installed at our site in Bethany, West Virginia. Now it's easier to find us and all of the rich Disciples history we house.

07/25/2026

We are pleased to share our worship preacher for the 225th Cane Ridge Anniversary Celebration will be General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Rev. Terri Hord Owens.

This historic event will take place on Saturday, August 8. Explore the day's schedule, and register for this FREE event at: https://discipleshistory.org/225th-cane-ridge-revival-anniversary-event/

07/07/2026

In April, leaders gathered for Yale Divinity School's Public Theology and Public Policy Conference, to reflect on this year's conference question "What are the Moral and Spiritual Issues of the 2026 Election?" Participants in the panel included President Emeritus of the Historical Society Rick Lowery and past General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Sharon Watkins. The conference was facilitated by Rev. Dr. William Barber, who is a Disciples pastor and the director of the Public Theology and Witness program at Yale. Watch the full panel discussion here: https://youtu.be/zOBvqJV_ZnY

07/03/2026

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this weekend, our work—the work of faithful remembrance—feels especially urgent. In a moment when many are tempted to celebrate by forgetting the harder parts of our nation’s story, the Historical Society remains committed to telling the full and honest truth about the past—whether pertaining to the history of our religious movement, the history of this country, or the places where those stories meet. In this 2024 reflection, “Remembering that We Forget on this Fourth of July,” DCHS President and Historian Joel Brown invites us to celebrate our founding ideals of freedom, equality, and justice while also remembering the histories of violence, exclusion, and racial injustice that have too often been repressed. May such honest remembering not diminish our hope, but deepen it; may it help us move toward a more faithful future. Read the article at: https://discipleshistory.org/remembering-that-we-forget-on-this-fourth-of-july/

07/03/2026

The Cane Ridge 225th anniversary celebration will feature two major lectures reflecting on the significance of Cane Ridge for the Stone-Campbell Movement and the wider landscape of American religion. Dr. Amanda Porterfield, Emerita Professor at Florida State University and a leading historian of American religion, will deliver the Forrest F. Reed Lecture, a forum for exploring the interconnection of theology, history, and culture. Dr. James L. Gorman, Chair of the DCHS Board of Trustees, Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Abilene Christian University, and Director of ACU’s Center for Restoration Studies, will deliver the Kirkpatrick Lecture, a biennial lectureship featuring prominent historians engaging the Stone-Campbell tradition. Together, their lectures will invite participants to consider Cane Ridge both for its role in giving birth to and shaping our movement, as well as for its significance in the broader landscape of religion in America. Register today: https://discipleshistory.org/225th-cane-ridge-revival-anniversary-event/

06/25/2026

We are pleased to announce the schedule for the 225th Anniversary of the Cane Ridge Revival. The event, which will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the historic Cane Ridge Meeting House in Paris, KY, will be a day to celebrate and reflect on the earliest history of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Featuring guest lectures, panel discussions, and worship, spend the day connecting with other Stone-Campbellites as we explore our shared history at one of the birthplaces of the movement. This day-long event is free with registration. Learn more at: https://discipleshistory.org/225th-cane-ridge-revival-anniversary-event/

There’s only a limited number of spots so register TODAY!