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The characteristics of the United Church of Christ can be summarized in part
by the key words in the names of the four denominations that formed our
union: Christian, Reformed, Congregational, Evangelical.
Christian. By our very name, the United Church of Christ, we
declare ourself to be a part of the body of Christ, the Christian church.
We continue the witness of the early disciples to the reality and power of
the crucified and risen Christ, Jesus of Nazareth.
Reformed. All four denominations arose from
the tradition of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformers: We confess the
authority of one God. We affirm the primacy of the Scriptures, the
doctrine of justification by faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the
principle of Christian freedom. We celebrate two sacraments: baptism
and the Lord's Supper of Holy Communion.
Congregational. The basic unit of the United
Church of Christ is the congregation. Members of each congregation
covenant with one another and with God as revealed in Jesus Christ and
empowered by the Holy Spirit. These congregations, in turn, exist in
covenantal relationships with one another to form larger structures for more
effective work. Our covenanting emphasizes trustful relationships
rather than legal agreements.
Evangelical. The primary task of the church
his the proclamation of the gospel, or evangel, the good news of God's love
revealed with power in Jesus Christ. We proclaim this gospel by word
and deed to individual persons and to society. This proclamation is
the heart of the liturgia, the work of the people. We gather each
Sunday for the worship of God, and through each week, we engage in the
service of humankind.
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