 This view came to prevail over that of Barton W. Stone, who believed the Spirit had a more direct role in the life of the Christian.Since the mid-late 20th century, many among the Churches of Christ have moved away from this "word-only" theory of the operation of the Holy Spirit.As one student of the movement puts it, "[f]or better or worse, those who champion the so-called word-only theory no longer have a hold on the minds of the constituency of Churches of Christ.