Dec 16, 2019 1 min read

Reverend Thomas Campbell

Thomas Campbell was a Presbyterian minister important in the Second Great Awakening of the United States. Born in County Down, northern Ireland, he began a religious reform movement on the American frontier. He lived in a house on the corner of Strawberry Alley and South College Street in Washington. He was joined in the work by his son, Alexander Campbell, who later founded Bethany (W.Va.) College. Their movement, known as the “Disciples of Christ,” merged in 1832 with the similar movement led by Barton W. Stone to form what is now described as the American Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement).

Today, approximately 32 congregations in Washington County, known as Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, or Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), trace their heritage to this movement. It has approximately five million members in the United States, including universities like Texas Christian, Pepperdine and Abilene Christian Universities.

Rod Weiss is a volunteer for the Washington County Historical Society.