Barton W. Stone (1772-1844) was one of the leading voices for a movement that began in the early nineteenth century to reject the man-made doctrines and creeds of the religious world and enjoy unity on the Bible alone. This is sometimes referred to as the Stone-Campbell Movement due to the influence of Stone (along with Alexander Campbell) among Christians during that time. This message of “restoration” spread and many were won to the cause of Christ.

However, near the end of his life, Stone wrote that this movement had not continued to grow as he believed it could or should have. After traveling through Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, the elder Stone wrote in his journal – the Christian Messenger – about what he had observed and why he believed that more progress had not been made. Notice one of the reasons given:

“Another reason is that the preachers are almost solely engaged in working in the Lord’s vineyard, while the people and professors are gazing on without employment, without praying, without exhorting one another, without instructing, admonishing and comforting the young converts, and without building them up in the most holy faith. Until every member of the body be engaged in the work, it must fail—all can do something, however little—all are hired into the vineyard—all must labor or lose the reward.” (A Plea for the Union of All Christians, p. 292-293).

Stone observed that the preachers of the gospel were busy doing the Lord’s work. However, the rest of the brethren were “gazing on” and not helping in the work of teaching, exhorting, and encouraging others – particularly the new converts. As long as this was going on, he said “the work…must fail.”Continue Reading