TCU

Church history is a vital part of the New Testament record. Acts 2 gives the beginning of the church when about 3,000 were baptized. The Lord added more daily as disciples continued in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and in prayers
(vs 38-47). The number soon came to over 5,000. The Holy Spirit’s inspired history carries the narrative from Jerusalem to Rome.
Skipping 2,000 years of history, we come to our city where today we find about 75 predenominational churches of Christ. Our focus today is on the church and its present relation to Texas Christian University. Joseph Clark and his two sons, Addison and Randolph, came to Fort Worth in 1837. They started a school named Add-Ran which was later moved to near Granbury … Thorp Spring Christian College. It reached a high of near 500 students before the explosive ‘organ incident’ in 1894.
Since the first century the disciples’ worship had been acappella (vocal), but students clamored to add an organ to the worship on the night of Feb. 20. Against the protest of the aged father, his son Addison raised his hand and said: “Play on Miss Bertha!” Joseph Clark walked out with around 150 members following him.
Within a few years it brought down the college and divided the church. The school dwindled then moved to Waco where the name was changed to Texas Christian University (1902). The organ group became known as the Christian Church.
TCU moved to Fort Worth in 1910. In time it lost its identity with churches of Christ and now its divinity school embraces all religions.
Your Paper Pulpit preacher has written a history of these events in a book that is yours for the asking while supplies last.

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