Our History
The Atlanta Christian Church was established on July 8, 1855 by evangelist George W. Minier (a close friend of Abraham Lincoln) and had 32 charter members. They met in the old Baptist chapel for the first year until they built their first building on the corner of Third and Maple in 1856. Their first full time pastor was William Guilford, who was also the principal of the public school. In 1913 the second house of worship was built and stands today! An educational wing was added in 1964 and construction on a multi-purpose community building called "The Gate" was completed in January 2019 and dedicated in September 2019.
ACC is affiliated with the independent stream of the Restoration or Stone-Campbell Movement. The other two streams of the movement are the A-Cappella (no instruments used in public worship) Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are proud of our heritage in this New Testament-modeled movement of unity and fundamental Bible truths.
CLICK HERE to read ACC member Connie Wertheim's 2002 research project, "History of the Atlanta Christian Church." (84 pages, 57 MB)
For more information on the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Restoration Movement in Illinois, CLICK HERE.
Echoing the great slogans of the Restoration Movement heritage will help ACC to honor our past and affirm the Biblical principles of our heritage, and in so doing, help us to better carry out the commission of Christ.
The "Restoration Slogans" message series, preached by Doug Maris in the Fall of 2018 (click links to hear messages):
ACC is affiliated with the independent stream of the Restoration or Stone-Campbell Movement. The other two streams of the movement are the A-Cappella (no instruments used in public worship) Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are proud of our heritage in this New Testament-modeled movement of unity and fundamental Bible truths.
CLICK HERE to read ACC member Connie Wertheim's 2002 research project, "History of the Atlanta Christian Church." (84 pages, 57 MB)
For more information on the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Restoration Movement in Illinois, CLICK HERE.
Echoing the great slogans of the Restoration Movement heritage will help ACC to honor our past and affirm the Biblical principles of our heritage, and in so doing, help us to better carry out the commission of Christ.
The "Restoration Slogans" message series, preached by Doug Maris in the Fall of 2018 (click links to hear messages):
- “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, in all things Love”
- “We are not the only Christians, we are Christians only!”
- “Where Scripture speaks, we speak. Where Scriptures are silent, we are silent" and "No Creed but Christ, no book but the Bible”
- “My Master First, then Others”
- “Faith should be no stronger, than the evidence for it”
- “May the Unity of Christians be our Polar Star”
