Why are members of the Church of Christ sometimes called Campbellites?

Early in the 19th century, Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) broke away from the Presbyterian Church and was baptized (1812) for the remission of his sins (Acts 2:38), determining to follow “nothing that was not as old as the New Testament” (Phillips 57). After associating with the Baptist Church for a short time, he broke fellowship with them over the issue of baptism and started preaching, “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.” General Robert E. Lee said, “If I were asked to select a representative of the human race to the inhabitants of other spheres in our universe, of all men I have known, I should select Alexander Campbell” (Phillips 37). It is wrong, however, to state that Alexander Campbell founded the “Campbellite Church” or any other church. He simply called upon people to take the New Testament as their guide and the church of the New Testament as the only church that is authorized by the Word of God. Robert Owens was the first to use the nickname, “Campbellite” (The Shattered Chain 32). In 1828, Campbell responded to the question “What is Campbellism?” in the following fashion: “It is a nickname of reproach invented and adopted by those whose views, feelings and desires are all sectarian – who cannot conceive of Christianity in any other light than an ISM” (Christian Baptist, vol. 5, 270). Many today falsely identify Campbell as the founder of the Lord’s church and label her members with the misnomer “Campbellites.” Churches of Christ do not owe their origin to Campbell or to any other human leader. Jesus is the founder of His church (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:20-21; 5:23; Colossians 1:18), not Alexander Campbell. Members of Christ’s church are called “Christians” (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16). Thank God, however, for those like Campbell who threw off denominationalism and returned to the church of the New Testament as the only one authorized by God.