Disciples History Moment for Sept 29, 2024
On August 3, 1809, sailing from Scotland on the ship Latonia, the mother of one of our denominational founders, Alexander Campbell, and his six siblings, set sail for America. The voyage took 57 days crossing the Atlantic. The family had already had a near disastrous attempt to sail to America the previous year. Alexander stayed behind to study at the University of Glasgow.
Alexander’s family arrived safely in New York harbor on yesterday's date, September 29th 1809, and immediately set off to meet Alexander’s father, Thomas Campbell, in western Pennsylvania. Thomas had traveled to America in 1807 for both health and religious reasons.
Unbeknownst to Thomas (in America) and Alexander (in Scotland), through personal and individual study they had both disassociated themselves with the Presbyterian church because of objections over strict “fencing” practices, which closed off some from participation in the Lord’s Supper, and the church’s disinterest in unity of believers. This important foundation of an open communion for all believers and a call for unity is why we, as Disciples, open our Lord’s Supper table to all and work toward “wholeness in a fragmented world.”
Rev. Kevin K. Adams
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