Cane Ridge, KY

After the Elderhostel ended, Pat and Morgan and I took a little side trip up to Cane Ridge, KY, the birthplace of the Stone-Campbell movement. There, a log cabin built in 1791, is surrounded by a golden limestone superstructure built to protect the log cabin in 1957. It is considered by the Disciples of Christ as their birthplace and is a shrine to Barton W. Stone who led the Cane Ridge Revival in 1801 which attracted 20,000-30,000 worshippers.

Stone and 4 other Presbyterian ministers in 1804 wrote the Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery to form a movement devoted to unity and a move to
dissolve "into the church universal." Although 2 of the ministers became Shakers, and 2 went back to the Presbyterian church, Stone eventually hooked up with Alexander Campbell and his followers. This group split into the Disciples of Christ and the non-instrumental Church of Christ around 1906.

Sitting in the cool breeze, one could almost hear those thousands of worshippers singing and shouting as they discovered freedom in Christ and the movement of the Holy Spirit, despite diversity in thought. Sure wish such another Awakening would happen in these times when our branch of the split has become again afraid of diversity and the movement of the Holy Spirit. We could use the fresh breath of Barton W. Stone.