The Disciples of Christ refers to three closely related religious bodies bound by a common origin and has a large following throughout the northern states. In 1985, only one Disciples of Christ congregation was active in Wisconsin, although another group, the Church of Christ, had a role in Wisconsin's religious history. Distinguishing between the groups is often problematic because the names are used interchangeably.  The Disciples of Christ became active in Wisconsin in the late 1830s; 12 members were recorded in Grant County in 1839. The denomination did not make its formal appearance in the state until 1847 when congregations formed at Platteville, Manitowoc, and Waupun. The Wisconsin Christian Missionary Association of the Disciples of Christ Church was organized in 1853 and incorporated at Platteville in 1895 to promote the spread of the faith, particularly among Norwegians and Germans. In 1890, there were 1,317 Disciples; 1,700 in 1906; 3,769 in 1926. The Disciples experienced tremendous upheaval in the late 1940s and early 1950s as all but two of the churces went independent and became known as Christian Churches. The Wisconsin Christian Missionary Association also went independent. Dissension between the two groups was based on matters of theological interpretation. The Churches of Christ did not play a major role in Wisconsin until the mid-20th century; in 1906, for example, they had 8 members but in recent years, their membership has grown to equal that of the Christian Churches.

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