Over time, strains grew within the Restoration Movement. In 1906, the U.S. Religious Census listed the
Christian Churches and the
Churches of Christ as separate and distinct groups for the first time. This, however, was simply the recognition of a division that had been growing for years, with published reports as early as 1883. The most obvious distinction between the two groups was the rejection of musical instruments in the Churches of Christ. The controversy over musical instruments began in 1860 with the introduction of
organs in some churches. More basic were differences in the underlying approach to Biblical interpretation. For the Churches of Christ, any practices not present in accounts of New Testament worship were not permissible in the church, and they could find no New Testament documentation of the use of instrumental music in worship. For the Christian Churches, any practices not expressly forbidden could be considered. The major groups with historical roots in the movement are: • The
Churches of Christ • The
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) • The
Independent Christian churches and churches of Christ The term
Campbellite is most often applied to the more conservative branches of the movement, including the
Churches of Christ and the
Christian churches and churches of Christ. ==Term==