Mission & Vision

Our Mission

The mission of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society is to preserve and proclaim the story of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) within the context of the broader Stone-Campbell tradition out of which it grows.

Our Vision

Celebrating our past and telling its hard truths, we seek a church empowered to make history now and thus to shape a future ever more faithful to God’s dream of unity and justice for all.

Our Unique Mandate

We are a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with the special mandate to serve all three major streams of the Stone-Campbell movement: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We preserve records and artifacts common to our traditions and foster collaboration and conversation through historical research, publications, and lectures.

Our Work

Since 1941, Disciples of Christ Historical Society has preserved the many documents, books, periodicals, audio and visual materials, and precious artifacts that tell the story of the Stone-Campbell heritage. We have made these available for personal and academic historical research. We hold the largest collection of Stone-Campbell material in the world, including a large number of historic photographs and paintings, a great number of rare books and artifacts, biographical files and congregational, regional, and general church records and documents. 

Our logo: “the Three Streams Cross”

DCHSLogo-Black-500.png

In our expression of this ancient, historic symbol of Christianity, we have anchored the Cross of Christ with three circles, representing the three streams of the Stone-Campbell heritage (Disciples of Christ, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, and Churches of Christ). All are connected to and surround the Cross, which remains the powerful center of our faith heritage. The Cross is completed with an arrow pointing toward the future. It is a future, we believe, filled with unity and hope, as we carry the Gospel message forward into new generations.