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Covenant, not Creed

Churches of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches are never bound to subscribe to a statement of faith drafted by a national (or international) body. There is strong New Testament support for the conviction that we, as disciples, are called to belief "in" Christ and not to subscription to any particular list of things "about" Christ.

It is in the prayerful seeking of Christ's will and the ongoing exploration of Holy Scripture that we discover authenticity, perspective, and understanding. Lacking a national catechism, it is not surprising that there is a wide spectrum of theological position among Congregationalists. This variety has served us well as we work together, from our varying perspectives, to discover new light coming from God's Holy Word.

Since we are bound neither by ecclesiastical structure nor by creedal profession, what is it that identifies the Churches of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches?  Each Church is a group of Christians who regularly meet and worship together and who are bound to one another by a covenant. The words of the covenant may be borrowed from an historic Congregational Church or may be original to that particular congregation. The covenant may be very brief or somewhat expansive. In any event, the covenant of the Church is the promise of the members to "walk together" in seeking to learn and to do the will of Christ. We make a promise to one another and to God that we will be mutually supportive in all of life's contingencies, that we will work together to serve God in our time and place, and that this mutuality is what calls our Church into being and gives it legitimacy.

Some Churches elect to use one or more of the historic creeds as an expression of their common faith. Some Churches have included a "statement of faith" in their constitutions. Even when that is the case, the details of those creeds or statements are but reflections of what the members of that congregation believe and are neither binding on the other Churches nor stand as "tests of faith" for those desiring to unite in covenant. The recent 150 years or so of Congregational history have embraced a high regard for individual conscience within the framework of the Church's covenant.

National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
PO Box 288, Oak Creek, WI 53154
 

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