Our Characteristics
The characteristics of the United Church of Christ can be summarized in part by the following four words: Christian, Reformed, Congregational and Evangelical.
Christian. By our very name, the United Church of Christ, we declare ourselves to be a part of the Body of Christ — the Christian church.
Reformed. The United Church of Christ comes 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.
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 is the proclamation of the gospel – the good news of God's love revealed with power in Jesus Christ. We proclaim this gospel by word and deed to individuals, communities and the institutions of our society. This proclamation is the heart of the liturgy — the work of the people. We gather each Sunday for worship and, throughout the week, we engage in works of Christian service.
