As the Last Supper came to a close, Jesus prayed that his followers would be one, as he is one with the Father. Years later, Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 that Christians should make every effort to maintain unity. He also wrote to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:10ff) and Galatians (Gal 5:19-21) that factions are unacceptable in his church. Yet today, there are an estimated 1000 faith groups in North America alone which consider themselves Christian. (religioustolerance.org ).

Obviously, Christians need to be making efforts in this area. The task seems overwhelming. Yet something must be done.

Two hundred years ago, a Presbyterian minister named Thomas Cambell shared this conviction.  He was an immigrant from Ireland, the son of Anglican parents.  In 1809 he wrote a document titled  Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington, Pa.  In this document he laid out the basis for a new movement to unify all believers in Jesus, based on the Bible only. 

At a meeting held at Buffaloe, August 17, 1809, consisting of persons of different religious denominations; most of them in an unsettled state as to a fixed gospel ministry; it was unanimously agreed upon, the considerations, and for the purposes herein after declared, to form themselves into a religious association, titled as above which they accordingly did, and appointed twentyone of their number to meet and confer together; and, with the assistance of Mr. Thomas Campbell, minister of the gospel, to determine upon the proper means to carry into effect the important ends of their association: the result of which conference was the following declaration and address, agreed upon and ordered to be printed at the expence and for the benefit of the society. September 7, 1809