Practices
and Beliefs
The disciples are a very distinct denomination without any
creed. Learn what they believe!
Article was added to FaithandValues.com in July 2002.
It is no simple task to summarize what members of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) believe. In his book We Call Ourselves Disciples,
General Minister and President Emeritus Dr. Kenneth Teegarden explains:
"Disciples
always have opposed...the use of creeds to exclude persons from the church. It
was (the) use of creeds as 'tests of fellowship' that the Disciples' founding
fathers fingered as the major cause of division among Christians...(So) unlike
most other churches, we Disciples do not have an official doctrinal statement
we can refer to when someone asks, 'What does the Christian Church
believe?'"
"For
many years, The Christian Evangelist,a forerunner of our present
journal The Disciple, carried a maxim in its masthead: 'In essentials, unity: in nonessentials, liberty; in
all things, charity.' It expresses the cherished conviction that
liberty should be allowed in the nonessential areas into which most creedal
statements roam."
A
widely-known slogan among Disciples claims "No Creed but Christ."
That conviction is borne out in the manner in which persons come to be a part
of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Dr. Teegarden goes on to say:
"Standing
before a congregation of Disciples to confess faith in Jesus Christ and become
part of the church, a person is asked only one question. It is usually phrased,
'Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and do you
accept him as your personal Savior?' The person who responds, 'I do,' might
have recently completed a church membership course. If so, the instruction will
not have been to transmit a system of doctrines. In fact, a person who
is comfortable with a dogmatic approach would be disappointed in the Christian
Church."
"We
Disciples have beliefs and practices in common with all sorts of Christians.
These apparent similarities sometimes are superficial, sometimes fundamental.
We baptize by immersion, so we look like
Baptists. We have Communion every Sunday, so we look a bit
like Roman Catholics. We stress the ministry of the laity, so we look a little
like Quakers. Our congregations call their pastors rather than accepting
assigned ministers, so in that respect we look like Presbyterians. We rely
heavily on preaching and teaching, so we look somewhat like Methodists. We have
congregational government, so we look a lot like the United Church of
Christ."
While
Disciples honor no human-made creed, the preamble to a document called The
Design for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) poetically and
prayerfully expresses our shared affirmations in this way:
"As
members of the Christian Church, we confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of the living God, and proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world.
In
Christ's name and by his grace we accept our mission of witness and service to
all people.
We
rejoice in God, maker of heaven and earth, and in the covenant of love which
binds us to God and to one another.
Through
baptism into Christ we enter into newness of life and are made one with the
whole people of God.
In
the communion of the Holy Spirit we are joined together in discipleship and in
obedience to Christ.
At
the table of the Lord we celebrate with thanksgiving the saving acts and
presence of Christ.
Within
the universal church we receive the gift of ministry and the light of
scripture.
In
the bonds of Christian faith we yield ourselves to God that we may serve the
One whose kingdom has no end.
Blessing, glory and honor be to God forever. Amen."