Approximately 3,400 or one-fourth (26.1 %) of the congregations are distinguished by some uniqueness in matters of teaching and practice. However, these congregations are generally smaller and hold only 13.7% of the total membership within Churches of Christ. In most instances, these congregations have isolated themselves and use directories which include only churches with a like mind. In turn, the "mainstream" churches (a designation used to signify the majority) has tended to recognize the isolationist attitudes of these congregations and maintain limited fellowship with them. Nearly all the isolationists cluster into five fellowship groups, which are identified in this directory as "Non-institutional," "Non-class," "One Cup," "Mutual Edification," and "Premillennial."

Most of the isolationists draw the line of fellowship with the mainstream on the issue of "institutionalism." The Non-institutional (NI) churches number 2,053 and claim 15.7% of the total number of Churches of Christ and 9.5% of the membership. They comprise 60% of the isolationist churches and are found in 48 states. States with the largest number of Non-institutional congregations are Texas (303), Alabama (217), Kentucky (162), and Florida (151), although they claim the highest percentage of churches in Maine (32%). The four leading states account for 40% of the congregations and 47% of the members. These churches are referred to as "Non- institutional" because the major reason for their break with tile mainstream was over the issue of' "institutionalism," that is, the question of church financial support for institutions such as orphan homes and participation in missionary cooperatives. This break was complete by about 1960.

Other churches which embrace "non-institutional" tenets became isolationists in the earlier part of the twentieth century. A major focus at that time was the modern "Sunday school" with its individualized classes. Today, over 1,100 congregations in the U.S. remain non-class churches. These churches are themselves divided over whether individual containers may be used to serve the fruit of the vine in the Lord's supper. In 565 congregations (designated NC or NCp in this directory), individual containers are used; in 561 churches (OC, OCa, OCb, OCc), one cup is used. Each group claims 4% of the total number of congregations in the U.S. Non-class (NC/NCp) groups are found in 28 states and contain 1.8% of the members of Churches of Christ. One Cup congregations are found in 34 states, but constitute only 1.4% of the total membership. Non-class groups are prominent in Texas (197), Oklahoma (66), and Arkansas (55); Oklahoma has the highest percentage (8%) in its church population. Some 56% of the churches and 64% of the members reside in the three states. Leading states for the One Cup churches are Texas (103), California (59), Oklahoma (50), and Missouri (50). One Cup groups claim the highest percentage of the churches in Pennsylvania (12%). Forty-seven percent of the churches and about half the members reside in four states.

It should also be noted that Non-class brethren disagree among themselves over the use of a located preacher. Many of the Non-class churches maintain a policy of having no fellowship with those Non-class churches which use a located preacher or which fellowship class brethren. The practice of "chain fellowship" binds these churches in a tighter fellowship group. And although the majority of the One Cup folks use unfermented grape juice and believe each participant should break the loaf, others either break the loaf before distribution or insist on wine.

While "mutual edification" as a belief and practice characterizes the One Cup churches and most of the Non-class churches, a few congregations have adopted multiple cups for the Lord's supper and Sunday schools, but have held to mutual ministry. Mutual edification (or mutual ministry) suggests that the engagement of a person as the exclusive "preacher" for the congregation be disallowed in favor of giving all male members an opportunity to "edify" the church in public assembly. There are a number of Mutual Edification churches exclusive of the One Cup and Non-class churches that practice mutual ministry. These are concentrated in Missouri (43; 30% of their number). They total 141 bodies and account for only 1% of the U.S. Churches of' Christ. In this directory Mutual Edification (ME) refers to those congregations which disallow a located preacher, use multiple cups in the Lord's supper, and approve of' Sunday schools. Since mutual education as a belief also characterizes the One Cup churches and 332 of the Non-class (NC) churches, the brotherhood of churches could be conveniently divided into mutual education (1,042) and non-mutual education churches (12,368).

Churches which espouse premillennial ideas number only 81. Premillennial churches received their impetus in the 1920s and are found primarily in Kentuckiana (46) and in Louisiana (21). Only half of the premillennial brethren live in these two locations.

A few congregations subscribe to unique views pertaining to the kingdom and A.D. 70 (only a majority in 4), baptize in the name of Jesus only (3), or hold some other "unique" position. They are included in this director because of their roots in the Restoration Movement, but they do not represent a major division.

There are 1,246 congregations (9.5%) which have a predominantly black membership. These account for 13% of the members and 10% of the attendance within Churches of Christ. Only a few of the predominantly black churches are identified with the "non-mainstream" ideas noted above. Although there are differences between many black churches and most white churches (e.g., in their concept of ministry), these differences have not impaired relationships. Generally, these churches are conservative theologically. Of course, there are many blacks who are members of predominantly white congregations, but the blacks are under represented in relation to the national population. A few churches have a predominantly black membership but seek to be "integrated" congregations, with active outreach to non-black populations.

A vastly under represented group of Americans are the Spanish-speaking. Only 225 independent Spanish-language congregations are known. Seventy percent of Hispanic congregations are in Texas and Puerto Rico.

Other ethnic and/or language assemblies exist in small numbers. There are congregations of Koreans (15, with Korean language worship offered in 5 others), American Indians (10, with outreach to Indians at 2 others), Chinese (8 churches with Chinese language classes or worship), Haitians (5, plus one other outreach), Cambodians (1, with Cambodian language worship at 2 others), Laotians-Thais (2, with native language services at 12 other churches), Filipinos (1), Japanese (1), and Pohnpei (1). Many Anglo congregations have internationals in their memberships without offering special language services.

Statistics appear to indicate that a slight decline his begun in the number of' number of members and adherents within Churches of' Christ in the United States. The exclusion of the Discipling Ministry churches (now The International Churches of Christ) from the directory in 1994 accounts for some of the loss. However, since 1994, a numerical decline seems to have begun.

The average size of a congregation of the Churches of Christ in the United States is 94 members. The average mainstream church has 108. Non-institutional congregations average 58 members; Non-class churches average 41 members; One Cup churches average 32 members; Mutual Edification congregations average 34 members; and Premillennial churches average 73 members.

General observations based on returned questionnaires indicate that the average age of members of Churches of Christ may be over 40 years, several years older than the national population. Churches in the South (and older congregations generally) tend to have more seniors and an older population. The ramification is that as a body, Churches of Christ reflect the outlook of older Americans more than that of the youth. Most congregations are, therefore, disadvantaged in three ways: (1) they have less appeal to America's younger majority population, (2) they are finding it increasingly difficult to reach the surge of immigrants, and (3) their older posture may be more in line with that of an older generation who are historically less open to conversion. A cappella churches, once younger and more energetic than their sisters in the Restoration Movement, are following the same path. The challenges brought on by aging that have plagued the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the independent instrumental Churches of Christ/Christian Churches over the past decades have already begun to slow the progress of the Churches of Christ.

Among those churches which support the concept of using a local salaried evangelist or minister, most use him in the pulpit. Larger churches are likely to use additional salaried men in "associate" positions and in youth, education, counseling, and religious education. Many churches support financially an American missionary or one or more full-time national preachers overseas. There is widespread practice of providing partial support for American Christians who serve domestically or overseas.

Judging by the type of materials church respondents identify as reflective of congregational views, the brotherhood is quite "conservative" and "traditional." As one may expect, the various fellowship groups tend to remain loyal to their positions, although there is often some cross-over in choice of educational materials and song books. There is a correlation between the reading material and type of inter-congregational gathering members are likely to attend. In other words, those who read periodicals which foster traditional issues are likely to attend lecture programs which feature traditional issues. And, furthermore, sermons from the pulpits of these churches are likely to deal more with familiar themes.

The churches in the mainstream are not monolithic. Informal fellowship groups are somewhat recognizable through editorials, periodical subscriptions, lecture programs, schools, and preacher appearances. Nevertheless, the presence of members in a host of diverse activities related to the churches keeps them from becoming isolationists.

The type of sermon one may expect to hear in most congregations is expository, a sermon which seeks an exegesis of passages of scripture with modern applications. Other favored sermons are topical. Although some churches report using a mix of traditional and contemporary music, the preference is strongly toward the traditional.

Issues which appear to be of greatest importance to the churches during the 1990s include divorce/family matters, the youth, worship. the use of' women, and purity of teaching.

Historically, Churches of Christ have sought a course of action that would identify them as a back-to-the-Bible movement. A quest for faithfulness to God as defined by biblical mandates and principles has proven a difficult task. Division rather than unity has punctuated the a cappella fellowship. The loosely federated bodies have maintained a sense of cohesiveness (or, at least, fellowship identity) in a variety of ways. Inclusion or exclusion has been maintained by (1) favoring/opposing the use of given personalities for congregational or inter-congregational activities, (2) public promotion/denouncement of individuals, churches, gatherings, or papers, (3) alignment/withdrawal from corporate practices or positions on issues advanced by personalities, churches, or papers, or (4) encouraging/discouraging member attendance at congregational or inter-congregational gatherings.

Over the past few decade, Churches of Christ expanded only minimally. As the U.S. population continues to grow, the representation of Churches of Christ has diminished. Counties (especially the larger ones) without a Church of Christ are now more populous than in 1980. No ground swell appear for evangelizing in these counties or for new church plantings anywhere. In spite of a tremendous amount of energy spent in nurturing activity, neither a passion nor a strategy for domestic outreach is evident, in spite of a significant interest in evangelistic gatherings. More significantly, membership and attendance have declined. The greater losses appear to be due to two factors: (1) attrition that results when more people die or depart than are baptized and (2) the departure of a significant number of the younger generation. More of the younger generation appear to be attending other religious bodies than in past decades, when drop-outs tended not to align themselves with other churches.

The table below charts the churches statistically, as determined by this researcher from 1979 to 1997. They seem to point to a fellowship that continues to spawn congregations, but the size of congregations generally is growing smaller.