WHAT WE BELIEVE
“That they may all be one”
Taken from Jesus' prayer in John 17, 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 of 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 creed's, confessions, catechisms, and other statements of faith. Historic statements such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Heidelberg 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 especially 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 statement is widely used as a common affirmation of faith in worship and as a basis of 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 a source for understanding the good news and a foundation 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. It declares that the study of the Scriptures is not limited by past interpretations but is to be pursued with expectancy for new insights and help for living today.
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 of authority. Their task is to guide, to instruct, and to enable all Christians to do the work of the ministry rather than to do the work of the ministry for us.
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 of authority. Their task is to guide, to instruct, and to enable all Christians to do the work of the ministry rather than to do the work of the 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 the Scriptures. But it is also called to live in the covenantal relationship with other congregations for the sharing of insights and cooperative action.
Likewise, associations of churches, conferences, the General Synod, and national boards and agencies of the United Church of Christ are free to act in their particular spheres of responsibility. Yet all are constrained by 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, congregations, 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 of 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 purposes for the world
- seeking justice and liberation for all
This is the challenge of the United Church of Christ.
Reprint from United Church Press © 1980, 1991, 1993