What is the church of Christ?

We are a nondenominational body of believers. Our goal is to be "Christians only." Our membership is made up of many people from many backgrounds. The common faith we have in God and His Word keeps us together as a large family.

Each individual church of Christ congregation is self-ruled and independent of other congregations. Each congregation is governed by a plurality of elders selected from among the members. These are men who meet the specific qualifications for this office given in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Worldwide, there are about 20,000 congregations of churches of Christ with a membership of around 3 million people. The largest number of members can be found within the states of Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kentucky, but there are churches of Christ in every state in the United States and in 109 other countries.

Jesus said, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). We try, to the best of our ability, to follow this command in structuring our worship services. By careful study of the New Testament churches, it is revealed that items of worship observed by the first-century church were singing, preaching, giving, and partaking of the Lord's Supper.

One worship practice that sets the church of Christ apart from most Christian churches is a cappella singing. We worship in song in this way because there is no Biblical mention of instrumental music in the first-century church (Matthew 26:30, Acts 16:25, Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Ephesians 5:18-19, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 2:12, James 5:13). The result is a beautiful blending of all voices, seeking to praise and glorify God in spirit and love.

Another place you may notice a difference between our church and other religious groups is the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper. It is observed in memory of Christ's crucifixion. In Acts 20:7, we find "And upon the first day of the week ... the disciples came together to break bread." We follow this example and honor Jesus every week by participating in this communion. Those who participate have accepted Christ as the Son of God and as their Savior.

If you visit a church of Christ, there may be a baptism following the lesson. After study, prayer, and meditation, an individual may feel ready to be baptized as a means of remission of sins and salvation. (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, John 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 22:16). When a person is baptized in Christ for these reasons, he or she becomes a Christian and a member of the church. No further steps are required for church membership except continued love and service to the Savior.

Since Christ died to save the whole world and the invitation to share in the saving grace is open to everyone (Acts 10:34-35, Revelation 22:17) we do not believe that anyone is predestined for salvation or condemnation. To accept or reject Christ is a matter of choice. Wherever you are at this moment, we hope you will decide to accept the love and salvation offered by Christ. We look forward to getting to know you through a visit to our worship services, or a fellowship activity.

History of Broadview Road church of Christ

The congregation now known as the Broadview Road church of Christ first began meeting in 1957 in a storefront on West 25th Street, Cleveland, Ohio. That building no longer exists. They soon moved to a remodeled home on the corner of Cypress Avenue and Broadview Road where they worshiped for 6 years.

In 1965 the congregation bought land at 5964 Broadview Road in Parma, Ohio. On a single lot they built a church building, classrooms, and parking lot. A house that was on the lot was converted into a minister's home. Originally the church building with all the pews in place would seat 455 people, but pews have been removed over the years to make more room for church activities before and after worship. The facility now seats comfortably about 175.

Ministers and their wives who have served the congregation either full or part time since 1957 are:
Edward & Bell Sennett 1965-69
Alfred & Ora Reeves 1970-71
Edward & Georgia Boring 1973-80
Billy & Kaye McDonald 1981-87
Don & Zela Jarrett 1987-88
Mac & Diana Ballard 1989-90
James & Dolly Hiser 1990-92*
Hoover & Maggie Spence 1993-95*
James & Barbara Mowder 1995-99*
Roger & Lu Pace 1999-
*Part time

Attendance and operating funds were so low during the early 1990s that the congregation considered disbanding. However, several events kept this from happening. First, people began moving to the area and worshiping here. Second, friends of the church elsewhere began to assist financially. Third, there were conversions that dramatically changed the life of the church. Fourth, a strong, though small, youth group began to create an overwhelming sense of optimism.

Consequently, by 1999 the congregation was self-supporting and looking forward to further increase. In that year Roger and Lu Pace came to work full-time with the congregation.

Demographics Male 76 Female 90 Away @ college 7 Total 166 Ages 0 - 12   15 13 - 19   25 20 - 30   21 30 - 40   10 40 - 50   6 50 - 60   3 60 +   3 Married 39

Record of Congregation Average Attendance at last 6 weeks Sunday morning worship 87 Budget for 2009 $1,845.00 Average offering 2009 $1,814.13 % given to poor 10% Baptisms CY 2009 as of August 1, 2009 8 Average Attendance Sunday School CY 2009 55 Average Attendance Sunday PM CY 2009 21 Average Attendance Wednesday PM CY 2009 42