What We Believe
That they may all be one (John 17:21). This motto of the United Church of Christ reflects the spirit of unity on which the church is based and points toward future efforts to heal the divisions in the body of Christ. We are a uniting church as well as a united church.
In essentials unity, in nonessentials diversity, in all things charity. The unity that we seek requires neither an uncritical acceptance of any point of view nor a rigid formulation of doctrine. It does require mutual understanding and agreement as to which aspects of the Christian faith and life are essential.
The unity of the church is not its own making. It is a gift of God. But expressions of that unity are as diverse as there are individuals. The common thread that runs through all is love.
Testimonies of faith rather than tests of faith. Because faith can be expressed in many different ways, the United Church of Christ has no formula that is a test of faith. Down through the centuries; however, Christians have shared their faith with one another through creeds, confessions, catechisms, and other statements of faith. Historic statements such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Heidleberg Catechism, the Evangelical Catechism, the Augsburg Confession, the Cambridge Platform, and the Kansas City Statement of Faith are valued as authentic testimonies of faith.
In 1959, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ adopted a statement of faith prepared especialy for the United Church. Since that time a revision was made by Robert V. Moss, president of the United Church of Christ (1969-76), and recommended for use by the Eleventh General Synod, 1977. Another revision, in the form of a Doxology, was affirmed by the Fourteenth General Synod (1981). Both revisions use inclusive language. "The Revision of 1981: A Doxology" is reprinted on the Statement of Faith webpage on this site. The statement is widely used as a common affirmation of faith in worship and as a basis for study.
There is yet more light and truth to break forth from God's Holy Word. This classic statement assumes the primacy of the Bible as our source for understanding the good news and as foundational for all statements of faith. It recognizes that the Bible, though written in specific historical times and places, still speaks to us in our present condition because God is a still speaking God. It declares that the study of Scripture is not limited by past interpretations but is to be pursued with expectancy for new insights and help for living today.
The priesthood of all believers. All members of the United Church of Christ are called to minister to others and to participate as equals in the common worship of God, each with direct access to the mercies of God through personal prayer and devotion.
Recognition is given to those among us who have received special training in pastoral, priestly, educational, and administrative functions, but these persons are regarded as ministers--servants--rather than as persons in authority. Their task is to guide, to instruct, and to enable all Christians to do the work of ministry rather than to do the work of ministry for us.
Responsible freedom. As individual members, we are free to believe and act in accordance with our perception of God's will for our lives. But we are called to live in a loving covenantal relationship with one another--gathering in communities of faith, congregations of believers, and local churches.
Each congregation or local church is free to act in accordance with the collective decisions of its members, guided by the working of the Spirit in the light of Scriptures. But it is also called to live in a covenantal relationship with other congregations for the sharing of insights and for cooperative action.
Likewise, associations of local churches, conferences, the General Synod, and ministries and agencies in the national setting of the United Chruch of Christ are free to act in their particular spheres of responsibility. Yet all are constrained by the love to live in a covenantal relationship with one another and with the local churches in order to make manifest the unity of the body of Christ and thus to carry out God's mission in the world more effectively.
The members, local churches, associations, conferences, General Synod, and national instrumentalities are free in relation to the world. We affirm that the authority of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and interpreted with the aid fo the Holy Spirit, stands above and judges all human culture, institutions, and laws. But we recognize our calling both as individuals and as the church to live in the world:
ministering to its needs
contributing to the welfare of all
being enriched by those aspects of culture that help to make human life more human
working through institutions and supporting laws that reflect God's just and loving pursposes
for the world
This is the challenge of the United Church of Christ.