Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations

It has been said that “ecumenism is at the heart of the United Church of Christ.” This sense of core identity, along with our commitment to relationship with all the peoples of the earth leads the United Church of Christ to remain actively involved in both ecumenical and interfaith relations.

The result of a union between two Christian denominations in the mid-20^th Century the United Church of Christ came into being as an expression of a commitment to pursue unity in the Body of Christ.  You hear this commitment echoing in the language of the Basis of Union itself, “Affirming our devotion to one God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our membership in the holy catholic Church, which is greater than any single Church and than all the Churches together.”

This commitment to unity in the Body of Christ is lived out through full communion agreements with various denominations, participation in myriad ecumenical dialogue tables, with ecumenical bodies like the World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, and National Council of Churches, and in the pursuit of new and broadening relationships in the ever-changing landscape of Christianity in the 21^st Century.

The United Church of Christ’s commitment to the pursuit of unity extends beyond the bounds of a single faith.  We recognize that our Still Speaking God speaks to people of all faith traditions, and that we are called to seek ways to connect and to affirm the worth of all of God’s beloved people.  As a result, the work of the United Church of Christ in the area of interfaith/interreligious dialogue and engagement is an important expression of our values.

The commitment of the United Church of Christ to Interreligious dialogue and engagement has been affirmed on numerous occasions by the General Synod, most recently at the 32^nd General Synod in an interreligious statement overwhelmingly adopted by the delegates.