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Characteristics 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 rise 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 or Holy Communion.
- Congregational. The basic unit of the United Church of Christ is the
congregation. Members of each congregation convenant with one another and with God
as revealed in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. These congregations,
in turn, exist in convenantal relationships with one another to form larger structures for
more effective work. Our convenanting emphasizes trustful relationships rather than
legal agreements.
- Evangelical. The primary task of the church is 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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