United Church of Christ
Statement of Faith
Traditional Version Robert V. Moss
Version Doxological Version
This file contains the texts of the three authorized versions
of the Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ. For
this and other affirmations of the Christian faith, see the Book
of Worship, United Church of Christ and The New Century Hymnal.
Both books are rich sources of liturgies in inclusive language.
Statement of Faith
- 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 worlds into being, creates man in his own image
and sets before him the ways of 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 his 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 embraces a theological heritage that
affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of
God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions
of the Reformation. The UCC has roots in the "covenantal"
tradition-meaning there is no centralized authority or hierarchy
that can impose any doctrine or form of worship on its members.
Christ alone is Head of the church. We seek a balance between
freedom of conscience and accountability to the apostolic faith.
The UCC therefore receives the historic creeds and confessions
of our ancestors as testimonies, but not tests of the faith.
