During the 16th century, the Western world was in turmoil. The turmoil wasn't necessarily political, economic or military. Instead it was theological. People in all
parts of society wrestled with what it meant to be THE church.
For a long time, the clergy ran the church. People didn't ever read the bible for themselves. They didn't know what God wanted of them.
Slowly leaders, like Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, reformed the church. Responsibility for believing was shared between clergy and other Christians. The church
changed. As these changes took place the church was divided up into many different groups of people who found different things to emphasize in their faith. They
learned about scripture and they listened intently to what the scripture meant. They trained their ministers to teach and preach the scriptures.
There were many groups of Christians. From among these many groups, our United Church of Christ comes.
Four Churches Become One
The 6,700 churches of the United Church of Christ and many other denominations are included in one of the three major groupings of Christian churches called
Protestant. The other two major groupings, which include most of the rest of Christianity, are the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches.
Churches Divided
A good question to begin with it, 'Why is the Christian church, or the body of Christ, divided in this way?"
In some cases there have been serious differences of opinion as to the meaning of the Christian faith, or theological differences. Sometimes the division has come
about through accidents of history or for political reasons. Race, language, and nationalism have also divided church people needlessly.
Each denomination or church believes that God is pleased with its particular interpretation of the faith. Some denominations insist that they are the only true church
and condemn everyone who does not agree with them. Most denominational groups, however, believe that God accepts different ways of believing and acting.
Some Protestants assert that human need the insights and examples of many different religious groups and leaders to reach a fuller vision of God's truth. They believe
there are a variety of ways to God and that God is not captive to one way.
Many Christians believe that it is unacceptable, even un-Christian, to have so many different denominations. While some divisions may be useful, the Christian church
has only one Lord. Jesus prayed that all of his followers might someday be one (John 17:21)
Christians who are a part of our United Church of Christ have a particular commitment to Christian unity that is rooted deeply in our history.
What's in a Name?
Similar names can refer to quite different realities. Newspaper headlines and non-church people often confuse the United Church of Christ with a conservative group
called "Churches of Christ". We are NOT the same. The "Churches of Christ" refuse to have organ music in their worship and reject all centralized national or
international missionary giving. The United Church of Christ has a great tradition of instrumental church music and many cooperative national and international
missionary programs.
A Uniting Church
The United Church of Christ is one of the youngest and one of the oldest denominations or churches among Protestants. It was formed in 1957 through the union of
two other denominations, each of which was formed by a series of unions over the years. Since it continues the heritage of these former denominations without
break, its roots can be traced back to the Reformation itself.
One way to characterize the United Church of Christ is by the names of these four branches:
Christian
Congregational
Reformed
Evangelical
Today there are some UCC churches that have never been anything but a part of the United Church of Christ.
We are a denomination with a commitment to the unity of Christ's church that is expressed in action as well as words. We are a uniting as well as a UNITED
CHURCH.
The CHRISTIAN branch:
Strangely enough, the desire for unity among the followers of Jesus Christ often has lead to more division. The beginnings of each of the four branches that formed
the UCC were the result of dissatisfaction with the existing church. In each case there were strong feelings that the church somehow had lost the sense of what true
freedom and responsibility in Christ was all about. This certainly was true of the beginning of that branch which called itself "just Christians". Dissatisfied with the
many different groups of Christians, they organized themselves into a new democratic church without a real name. The preferred to be called "CHRISTIANS". In
1820 they held their first national meeting, bringing other together who felt the same way.
The CONGREGATIONAL branch:
The Congregational churches share the story of the Pilgrims and Puritans that came from England.
The church in 16th century England was in need of reform. Established by Henry the VII, the Church of England continued many of the practices of the Roman
Catholic church to which Protestant churches in other countries were objecting. Those who would reform the church were divided as to the best way to accomplish
this task. One way was to reform the church from within, or to PURIFY it. This "PURIFYING" would be accomplished by removing power from the bishops and
giving it to the people. Another way to reform the church was to completely "SEPARATE" from the established church and to form congregations that were
controlled by the people. Each approach wanted the church to be more open to the movement of the spirit of God in its life. Those who wanted to form new
congregations a part from the established church were called SEPARATISTS.
After suffering persecution, one congregation moved into exile in Leyden, Holland. Eventually a small group of these English SEPARATISTS decided to seek refuge
in the new world. In 1620 this small group of SEPARATISTS landed on the shores of New England and founded the Plymouth Plantation. Those who wanted to
"PURIFY" the established church but remain within it were called PURITANTS. Some PURITANS felt that a committee of elders or presbyters should govern
congregations. Others felt that the total congregation should have a say in church matters. They agreed with the SEPARATISTS about the form of church
government, but did not believe that Christians should withdraw from the established church to reach their goals.
The efforts of both groups of PURITANS to purify the Church of England were put down by the authorities with the approval of King Charles I. As a result many
PURITANS decided to follow the SEPARATISTS to the new world. In 1629 a royal charter was granted for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a church was
formed at Salem.
With no established church to worry about, the PURITANS of Massachusetts Bay and the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation found that they had a great deal in
common. In 1648 these two groups held a gathering at Cambridge and drew up a document called the CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM, which described the "New
England Way". It insisted that each congregation should be free to govern its own affairs. At the same time it upheld the importance of cooperation among the
churches to maintain standards and to express the unity of all believers in Christ. The platform emphasized the relationship of church matters to political order and
good government. The "New England Way" used the biblical understanding of Covenant to shape a unique mixture of political and religious life.
Congregationalism met the needs of colonial New England well. Each town had a church and a pastor to oversee the spiritual and moral life of the community. The
people founded Harvard College in 1636 to educate leadership for the colonies and especially to train clergy.
The REFORMED branch:
Like the Congregationalists, the Reformed Church had its origins across the ocean, but in Switzerland instead of England.
It was in 1522 that Ulrich Zwingli began to work actively for the reformation of the church in the German speaking city of Zurich. Working through the civil
authorities Zwingli, a respected biblical scholar, was able to spread the doctrine that the Christian community was the ultimate earthly authority for church doctrine
and practice. By 1525 the reformation of the church in Zurich was complete. After Zwingli’s death John Calvin, a French lawyer who had fled to Switzerland after
being imprisoned for his religious beliefs, became a powerful force in the reformation of French speaking Switzerland. John Calvin’s main influence in Switzerland
was centered on the city of Geneva.
During this period of history Germany was gripped by famine and political persecution. Both, the famine and political persecution, directly afflicted many of the
people in the Reformed churches. Around 1700 groups of these Reformed Germans began to settle in the New World Colonies. Very few ordained clergy were
among these immigrants but this fact did not stop them from holding religious services. Following a European pattern they asked teacher to organize and lead several
congregations. John Philip Boehm was one such teacher who became the leader of several German Reformed churches near Philadelphia. On October 15, 1725,
John Philip Boehm lead a communion service at Falkner Swamp. Soon he was traveling throughout Pennsylvania ministering to small gatherings of German
immigrants.
By 1776 German Reformed churches were important religious communities on the American scene. Some member abstained from participation in the revolution for
conscientious reasons, but other became key leaders in the struggle for independence. An act that symbolized this participation was the transporting of the Liberty
Bell in 1777 from Philadelphia to Zion Reformed Church, Allentown to keep it from being melted down by the British.
During the 19th century the Reformed Church struggled to preserve its traditions and forms of worship. These German Reformed folk had a simple, solid piety based
on sound biblical interpretation. They emphasized lay participation in the work of the congregation, and valued the organizational support that congregations could
give to one another.
The EVANGELICAL branch:
The Evangelical branch of the United Church of Christ was the latest to spring up in the new world. Interestingly enough, however, its beginnings are the earliest of
the four branches. Friedens is one of the earliest of these.
It was on Halloween, 1517 that an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther nailed a sheet of paper onto the door of the castle church. Martin Luther was a professor
at the University of Wittenberg. It was the tradition that anyone who wanted to have a public, academic debate would publicize their proposal in such a manner. The
sheet of paper, that Martin Luther nailed onto the church doors, contained 95 propositions, arguments, or as they were called in 1517, “theses”. These 95 arguments
were directed toward the established church, stating “things” that were “wrong” and that were not a part of what the church should “be about”. At stake were the
great issues of justification by faith instead of works, and the abuses that had crept into the life of the church through the sale of indulgences. These 95 theses stirred
up more than academic debate. On January 12, 1521 Luther was excommunicated from the church by the Pope for his beliefs.
With the aid of sympathetic political leaders the influence of Luther’s ideas swept through a large part of Germany. In 1530 a statement of Protestant beliefs and
criticisms of the Roman church, called “The Augsburg Confession”, was prepared by Martin Luther, his colleague Philip Melanchthon, and several other scholars. Its
purpose was to show that the Lutheran movement was faithful to the basic tenets of the Catholic Church and that it was objecting to distortions of biblical
Christianity. But the confession was rejected by the Catholic theologians, and the break with the Roman Catholic Church was complete.
Luther influenced the development of this movement until his death in 1551. But the shape of Lutheranism was not set until 1580, when the majority of Lutheran
princes, cities, and ministers signed “The Formula of Concord”, the definitive Lutheran creed.
At this time Germany was a collection of little states rather than a unified country. The religion of each state was determined by the religion of its ruler. Lutheranism
was strong in North Germany while the Reformed churches were concentrated in the Palantinate and the Roman Catholics in Bavaria. Though the Lutherans and the
Reformed churches both opposed the Roman Catholic Church they disagreed sharply on several points of doctrine. One of these points was an interpretation of The
Lord’s Supper.
During the 1600’s the reformation lost much of its spiritual zeal. Church leaders emphasized correctness of doctrine rather than Christian life. But toward the end of
the century a house-church movement began.
This movement stressed the development of the spiritual life through small-group fellowships, and the acting out of Christian concern for others in need. This
combination of personal piety and service to others is still a vital part of the United Church of Christ today.
By the early 1800’s the differences between Lutheranism and reformed movement in German became outdated for many people, though rivalry between these two
groups was lively. In 1817 Frederick William III, king of Prussia, insisted by law that the Evangelical Lutheran and Evangelical Reformed Protestants stop fighting
over petty differences and become one Evangelical church. So appealing was this development to those German Protestants who were tired of the theological
arguments that the idea spread to the other German states that had both Lutheran and Reformed members.
The new church stressed the practical Christian life rather than strict adherence to doctrinal beliefs. Emphasis was on the living out of the Gospel – the evangel –
through personal piety and good works.
The union of the Lutheran and the Reformed movements in Germany created several important situations.
1. It became the center of liberal theological thought.
2. It developed institutions for the care of the sick, the orphans, and the mentally retarded.
3. it fostered a spirit of radical democracy in both church and political life.
These concerns were carried to the new world by the many German evangelicals who emigrated in the nineteenth century. They were a pious and practical people
with a concern for education and biblical scholarship.
In 1833 Hermann Garlichs helped to establish the First German Evangelical church at Femme Osage, Missouri. Another evangelical church leader, Louis E. Nollau,
recognized the need for communication between the isolated local clergy. In 1840 a group of these clergy formed the German Evangelical Church Society of the
West. German settlers continue to move into the “frontier” community of St. Charles. So many so they urged pastor Garlichs to hold worship services in St. Charles
in addition to those he already held in Femme Osage. Ultimately, in 1834 Friedens Church was founded. In 1840 Friedens Church became a part of the Evangelical
Church Society of the West
The Evangelical Church Society of the West was a close knit fellowship. It was not a church but a way for evangelical leaders to keep in touch.
Similar associations were formed in New York and Ohio, and in southern Michigan and northern Illinois. These united together in 1872 with the Evangelical Church
Society of the West. In 1877 two other groups joined to form the Deutsche Evangelische Synode von Nord-Amerika. (German Evangelical Synod of North
America) They called themselves a “synod” instead of a “church”. The word “church” was reserved for the universal church or for the local congregation. In order
to train ministers for the church they founded Eden Theological Seminary in 1850.
The “Synod”, when it was established, followed the pattern of nineteenth century church life in the United States. It created mission boards and founded educational
institutions. Because of their practical concerns rooted in personal piety, German Evangelicals founded many benevolent institutions to meet the needs of orphans, the
elderly, and invalids in the rapidly industrializing nation. Emmaus Homes, Evangelical Children’s Home, and Deaconess Hospital are among institutions they founded.
They refused to be bound by any authority except scripture and conscience. They were always receptive to ecumenical discussions and activities.
The motto of the church was: “in essentials, unity; in nonessentials, diversity; in all things, charity”.
parts of society wrestled with what it meant to be THE church.
For a long time, the clergy ran the church. People didn't ever read the bible for themselves. They didn't know what God wanted of them.
Slowly leaders, like Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, reformed the church. Responsibility for believing was shared between clergy and other Christians. The church
changed. As these changes took place the church was divided up into many different groups of people who found different things to emphasize in their faith. They
learned about scripture and they listened intently to what the scripture meant. They trained their ministers to teach and preach the scriptures.
There were many groups of Christians. From among these many groups, our United Church of Christ comes.
Four Churches Become One
The 6,700 churches of the United Church of Christ and many other denominations are included in one of the three major groupings of Christian churches called
Protestant. The other two major groupings, which include most of the rest of Christianity, are the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches.
Churches Divided
A good question to begin with it, 'Why is the Christian church, or the body of Christ, divided in this way?"
In some cases there have been serious differences of opinion as to the meaning of the Christian faith, or theological differences. Sometimes the division has come
about through accidents of history or for political reasons. Race, language, and nationalism have also divided church people needlessly.
Each denomination or church believes that God is pleased with its particular interpretation of the faith. Some denominations insist that they are the only true church
and condemn everyone who does not agree with them. Most denominational groups, however, believe that God accepts different ways of believing and acting.
Some Protestants assert that human need the insights and examples of many different religious groups and leaders to reach a fuller vision of God's truth. They believe
there are a variety of ways to God and that God is not captive to one way.
Many Christians believe that it is unacceptable, even un-Christian, to have so many different denominations. While some divisions may be useful, the Christian church
has only one Lord. Jesus prayed that all of his followers might someday be one (John 17:21)
Christians who are a part of our United Church of Christ have a particular commitment to Christian unity that is rooted deeply in our history.
What's in a Name?
Similar names can refer to quite different realities. Newspaper headlines and non-church people often confuse the United Church of Christ with a conservative group
called "Churches of Christ". We are NOT the same. The "Churches of Christ" refuse to have organ music in their worship and reject all centralized national or
international missionary giving. The United Church of Christ has a great tradition of instrumental church music and many cooperative national and international
missionary programs.
A Uniting Church
The United Church of Christ is one of the youngest and one of the oldest denominations or churches among Protestants. It was formed in 1957 through the union of
two other denominations, each of which was formed by a series of unions over the years. Since it continues the heritage of these former denominations without
break, its roots can be traced back to the Reformation itself.
One way to characterize the United Church of Christ is by the names of these four branches:
Christian
Congregational
Reformed
Evangelical
Today there are some UCC churches that have never been anything but a part of the United Church of Christ.
We are a denomination with a commitment to the unity of Christ's church that is expressed in action as well as words. We are a uniting as well as a UNITED
CHURCH.
The CHRISTIAN branch:
Strangely enough, the desire for unity among the followers of Jesus Christ often has lead to more division. The beginnings of each of the four branches that formed
the UCC were the result of dissatisfaction with the existing church. In each case there were strong feelings that the church somehow had lost the sense of what true
freedom and responsibility in Christ was all about. This certainly was true of the beginning of that branch which called itself "just Christians". Dissatisfied with the
many different groups of Christians, they organized themselves into a new democratic church without a real name. The preferred to be called "CHRISTIANS". In
1820 they held their first national meeting, bringing other together who felt the same way.
The CONGREGATIONAL branch:
The Congregational churches share the story of the Pilgrims and Puritans that came from England.
The church in 16th century England was in need of reform. Established by Henry the VII, the Church of England continued many of the practices of the Roman
Catholic church to which Protestant churches in other countries were objecting. Those who would reform the church were divided as to the best way to accomplish
this task. One way was to reform the church from within, or to PURIFY it. This "PURIFYING" would be accomplished by removing power from the bishops and
giving it to the people. Another way to reform the church was to completely "SEPARATE" from the established church and to form congregations that were
controlled by the people. Each approach wanted the church to be more open to the movement of the spirit of God in its life. Those who wanted to form new
congregations a part from the established church were called SEPARATISTS.
After suffering persecution, one congregation moved into exile in Leyden, Holland. Eventually a small group of these English SEPARATISTS decided to seek refuge
in the new world. In 1620 this small group of SEPARATISTS landed on the shores of New England and founded the Plymouth Plantation. Those who wanted to
"PURIFY" the established church but remain within it were called PURITANTS. Some PURITANS felt that a committee of elders or presbyters should govern
congregations. Others felt that the total congregation should have a say in church matters. They agreed with the SEPARATISTS about the form of church
government, but did not believe that Christians should withdraw from the established church to reach their goals.
The efforts of both groups of PURITANS to purify the Church of England were put down by the authorities with the approval of King Charles I. As a result many
PURITANS decided to follow the SEPARATISTS to the new world. In 1629 a royal charter was granted for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a church was
formed at Salem.
With no established church to worry about, the PURITANS of Massachusetts Bay and the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation found that they had a great deal in
common. In 1648 these two groups held a gathering at Cambridge and drew up a document called the CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM, which described the "New
England Way". It insisted that each congregation should be free to govern its own affairs. At the same time it upheld the importance of cooperation among the
churches to maintain standards and to express the unity of all believers in Christ. The platform emphasized the relationship of church matters to political order and
good government. The "New England Way" used the biblical understanding of Covenant to shape a unique mixture of political and religious life.
Congregationalism met the needs of colonial New England well. Each town had a church and a pastor to oversee the spiritual and moral life of the community. The
people founded Harvard College in 1636 to educate leadership for the colonies and especially to train clergy.
The REFORMED branch:
Like the Congregationalists, the Reformed Church had its origins across the ocean, but in Switzerland instead of England.
It was in 1522 that Ulrich Zwingli began to work actively for the reformation of the church in the German speaking city of Zurich. Working through the civil
authorities Zwingli, a respected biblical scholar, was able to spread the doctrine that the Christian community was the ultimate earthly authority for church doctrine
and practice. By 1525 the reformation of the church in Zurich was complete. After Zwingli’s death John Calvin, a French lawyer who had fled to Switzerland after
being imprisoned for his religious beliefs, became a powerful force in the reformation of French speaking Switzerland. John Calvin’s main influence in Switzerland
was centered on the city of Geneva.
During this period of history Germany was gripped by famine and political persecution. Both, the famine and political persecution, directly afflicted many of the
people in the Reformed churches. Around 1700 groups of these Reformed Germans began to settle in the New World Colonies. Very few ordained clergy were
among these immigrants but this fact did not stop them from holding religious services. Following a European pattern they asked teacher to organize and lead several
congregations. John Philip Boehm was one such teacher who became the leader of several German Reformed churches near Philadelphia. On October 15, 1725,
John Philip Boehm lead a communion service at Falkner Swamp. Soon he was traveling throughout Pennsylvania ministering to small gatherings of German
immigrants.
By 1776 German Reformed churches were important religious communities on the American scene. Some member abstained from participation in the revolution for
conscientious reasons, but other became key leaders in the struggle for independence. An act that symbolized this participation was the transporting of the Liberty
Bell in 1777 from Philadelphia to Zion Reformed Church, Allentown to keep it from being melted down by the British.
During the 19th century the Reformed Church struggled to preserve its traditions and forms of worship. These German Reformed folk had a simple, solid piety based
on sound biblical interpretation. They emphasized lay participation in the work of the congregation, and valued the organizational support that congregations could
give to one another.
The EVANGELICAL branch:
The Evangelical branch of the United Church of Christ was the latest to spring up in the new world. Interestingly enough, however, its beginnings are the earliest of
the four branches. Friedens is one of the earliest of these.
It was on Halloween, 1517 that an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther nailed a sheet of paper onto the door of the castle church. Martin Luther was a professor
at the University of Wittenberg. It was the tradition that anyone who wanted to have a public, academic debate would publicize their proposal in such a manner. The
sheet of paper, that Martin Luther nailed onto the church doors, contained 95 propositions, arguments, or as they were called in 1517, “theses”. These 95 arguments
were directed toward the established church, stating “things” that were “wrong” and that were not a part of what the church should “be about”. At stake were the
great issues of justification by faith instead of works, and the abuses that had crept into the life of the church through the sale of indulgences. These 95 theses stirred
up more than academic debate. On January 12, 1521 Luther was excommunicated from the church by the Pope for his beliefs.
With the aid of sympathetic political leaders the influence of Luther’s ideas swept through a large part of Germany. In 1530 a statement of Protestant beliefs and
criticisms of the Roman church, called “The Augsburg Confession”, was prepared by Martin Luther, his colleague Philip Melanchthon, and several other scholars. Its
purpose was to show that the Lutheran movement was faithful to the basic tenets of the Catholic Church and that it was objecting to distortions of biblical
Christianity. But the confession was rejected by the Catholic theologians, and the break with the Roman Catholic Church was complete.
Luther influenced the development of this movement until his death in 1551. But the shape of Lutheranism was not set until 1580, when the majority of Lutheran
princes, cities, and ministers signed “The Formula of Concord”, the definitive Lutheran creed.
At this time Germany was a collection of little states rather than a unified country. The religion of each state was determined by the religion of its ruler. Lutheranism
was strong in North Germany while the Reformed churches were concentrated in the Palantinate and the Roman Catholics in Bavaria. Though the Lutherans and the
Reformed churches both opposed the Roman Catholic Church they disagreed sharply on several points of doctrine. One of these points was an interpretation of The
Lord’s Supper.
During the 1600’s the reformation lost much of its spiritual zeal. Church leaders emphasized correctness of doctrine rather than Christian life. But toward the end of
the century a house-church movement began.
This movement stressed the development of the spiritual life through small-group fellowships, and the acting out of Christian concern for others in need. This
combination of personal piety and service to others is still a vital part of the United Church of Christ today.
By the early 1800’s the differences between Lutheranism and reformed movement in German became outdated for many people, though rivalry between these two
groups was lively. In 1817 Frederick William III, king of Prussia, insisted by law that the Evangelical Lutheran and Evangelical Reformed Protestants stop fighting
over petty differences and become one Evangelical church. So appealing was this development to those German Protestants who were tired of the theological
arguments that the idea spread to the other German states that had both Lutheran and Reformed members.
The new church stressed the practical Christian life rather than strict adherence to doctrinal beliefs. Emphasis was on the living out of the Gospel – the evangel –
through personal piety and good works.
The union of the Lutheran and the Reformed movements in Germany created several important situations.
1. It became the center of liberal theological thought.
2. It developed institutions for the care of the sick, the orphans, and the mentally retarded.
3. it fostered a spirit of radical democracy in both church and political life.
These concerns were carried to the new world by the many German evangelicals who emigrated in the nineteenth century. They were a pious and practical people
with a concern for education and biblical scholarship.
In 1833 Hermann Garlichs helped to establish the First German Evangelical church at Femme Osage, Missouri. Another evangelical church leader, Louis E. Nollau,
recognized the need for communication between the isolated local clergy. In 1840 a group of these clergy formed the German Evangelical Church Society of the
West. German settlers continue to move into the “frontier” community of St. Charles. So many so they urged pastor Garlichs to hold worship services in St. Charles
in addition to those he already held in Femme Osage. Ultimately, in 1834 Friedens Church was founded. In 1840 Friedens Church became a part of the Evangelical
Church Society of the West
The Evangelical Church Society of the West was a close knit fellowship. It was not a church but a way for evangelical leaders to keep in touch.
Similar associations were formed in New York and Ohio, and in southern Michigan and northern Illinois. These united together in 1872 with the Evangelical Church
Society of the West. In 1877 two other groups joined to form the Deutsche Evangelische Synode von Nord-Amerika. (German Evangelical Synod of North
America) They called themselves a “synod” instead of a “church”. The word “church” was reserved for the universal church or for the local congregation. In order
to train ministers for the church they founded Eden Theological Seminary in 1850.
The “Synod”, when it was established, followed the pattern of nineteenth century church life in the United States. It created mission boards and founded educational
institutions. Because of their practical concerns rooted in personal piety, German Evangelicals founded many benevolent institutions to meet the needs of orphans, the
elderly, and invalids in the rapidly industrializing nation. Emmaus Homes, Evangelical Children’s Home, and Deaconess Hospital are among institutions they founded.
They refused to be bound by any authority except scripture and conscience. They were always receptive to ecumenical discussions and activities.
The motto of the church was: “in essentials, unity; in nonessentials, diversity; in all things, charity”.
| Who we are as a denomination |
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| Friedens UNITED CHURCH of Christ located in historic St. Charles, Missouri |
We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
Father, and to his deeds we testify:
He calls the words into being, creates man in his own image, and sets before him the
ways to life and death.
He seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
He judges men and nations by his righteous will declared through prophets and
apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, he has come to
us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to
himself.
He bestows upon us his Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus
Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races.
He calls us into his church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be his
servants in the service of men, to proclaim the Gospel to all the world and resist the
powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at this table, to join him in his
passion and victory.
He promises to all who trust him forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage
in the struggle for justice and peace, his presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal
life in his kingdom which has no end.
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto him. Amen.
Father, and to his deeds we testify:
He calls the words into being, creates man in his own image, and sets before him the
ways to life and death.
He seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
He judges men and nations by his righteous will declared through prophets and
apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, he has come to
us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to
himself.
He bestows upon us his Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus
Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races.
He calls us into his church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be his
servants in the service of men, to proclaim the Gospel to all the world and resist the
powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at this table, to join him in his
passion and victory.
He promises to all who trust him forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage
in the struggle for justice and peace, his presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal
life in his kingdom which has no end.
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto him. Amen.
| The UNITED CHURCH of Christ is a "Covenantal" denomination as opposed to a "Creedal" denomination. |
This statement is essential to
knowing what it means to be a
member of the United Church of
Christ. While it is a guide for all
members to use for their
individual faith walks, it is not
restrictive. It does not tell a
person what they must think or
how to believe. Therefore,
though it is the centerpiece of
how we tell others what we
believe, it is flexible to allow
individual freedom of thought.
Please read our Statement of
Faith just to the right.
knowing what it means to be a
member of the United Church of
Christ. While it is a guide for all
members to use for their
individual faith walks, it is not
restrictive. It does not tell a
person what they must think or
how to believe. Therefore,
though it is the centerpiece of
how we tell others what we
believe, it is flexible to allow
individual freedom of thought.
Please read our Statement of
Faith just to the right.
| A brief lesson in Church History |
| Below is a summary that is taken out of Friedens' current Confirmation Curriculum. It is constructed from a combination of written and oral history. Subsequently no credit should be given to the staff and volunteers of Friedens for the document below. We apologize for any violation of copyright law. |
| THIS PAGE CONTINUES TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
