General Information - Our Beliefs

One of the distinctive features of Community Churches is the composition of their membership.  Whereas most denominationally connected churches are comprised of a solid majority of members who have either birth or marriage ties with the particular denomination of their church (whether Catholic, Amish, Lutheran, Baptist, etc.) that may be said for only a very small percentage of Community Church members.  By far, most members of Community Churches originally come from some other denominational background.

 Members of denominational churches are therefore more homogenous in their patterns and practices of worship and in their beliefs.  Some baptize infants by sprinkling; others baptize only adults by immersion.  Some observe the Lord's Supper in certain prescribed ways every Sunday, others in different ways less frequently.  Some subscribe to certain doctrinal statements, confessions of faith or creedal formulations that may not be recognized by others.  In contrast, Community Churches may baptize all ages by any or all modes, celebrate Holy Communion in different ways and times, and are essentially non-creedal churches.  Various creeds may be recited in Community Churches, but not as a test of membership.  In fact, membership in Community Churches is not even required for individuals to be married, buried or baptized in them. 

 Membership

What, then, does it mean to be a member of a Community Church?  What are the commonalties that unite members into one body of believers?  What, in fact, do believers believe in Community Churches if they come from so many different religious backgrounds and bring so many different systems of belief with them to church?  These are very good questions to answer if Community Churches wish to avoid a pitfall alluded to by the well-known saying: "Stand for something - or you'll fall for anything."

 First it should be pointed out that most denominations do, indeed, stand for something.  However not all of what one stands for is consistent with what others stand for.  In fact the firm stand of one may be diametrically opposed to that taken by another or even all others.  So taking a firm stand for something should not automatically be equated with standing solidly upon a universal spiritual truth.  Secondly, while Community Churches do have a rather broad theological perspective compared with that which is more narrowly possessed by other denominations, there is little evidence that Community Churches "fall" for every changing wind of doctrine that blows their way any more than other denominationally connected churches.  Community Churches are just as enduring, and preserve just as strong historical identities, as do other churches. 

 If Community Churches do not "fall for anything," upon what have they taken their stand?  What are the consistent beliefs which hold Community Churches together, and which have held them thus over time?  We will here deal with three foundational beliefs shared, if not entirely then largely, by the member congregations of the International Council of Community Churches.  These threefold beliefs will not only be found to be biblically-based, but in the case of one in particular, will be found to be preeminent in both the Bible and in the teachings of Jesus Christ himself. 

 Christian Freedom

Our discussion of "What We Believe" will begin at the beginning of all enduring faith traditions within Christendom.  We believe in Christian Freedom.  Every expression of Christianity has had its genesis as a liberating reform movement, the Protestant Reformation being perhaps the most obvious example.  Historically there have always been believers who have resisted following the Word of God according to the dictates of a secular authority such as a king or emperor, or even according to the dictates of a religious authority such as a chief priest or teacher of the Law.  Because faith and religious devotion are so intensely spiritual, there have always been those who insisted upon following the Word of God according to the dictates of no other conscience than their own, as they were led by the Holy Spirit of God. 

 Among these spiritually independent-minded people are the founders of most Christian denominations such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Menno Simons and including the founder of Christianity itself.  Jesus Christ was born and raised into the Jewish faith tradition, for which he had the highest regard as evidenced by his attendance at both Temple and Synagogue, and by his study of the Law and Prophets.  Yet his unique interpretations and following of God's Word were so contrary to the dictates of the religious authorities of his day that he was branded a dangerous heretic out to destroy his faith tradition.  But Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17).  Jesus came to reform and restore his faith tradition back to its original spiritual purity.  He also came to rescue and free it from its bondage to the myriad man-made religious rules, regulations and traditions, which had grown up around it over the centuries. 

 We might point out at this juncture that the worshipping community into which Jesus was born had its own genesis in the freedom of God's people from their bondage in Egypt.  Why did God free them?  So that they could follow him in faith - so that he could be their God and they could be his people.  In the same way Jesus came to free God's people from a religious bondage imposed by their traditions and leaders so that they could once again follow God as he led them by his Holy Spirit.  As Paul wrote to those early followers of the risen Christ who were being pressured back into religious bondage by the Judaizers, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).

 Community Churches believe in Christian freedom, understood as the freedom to follow the Word of God as the Holy Spirit leads each one through the dictates of one's own conscience, as opposed to the dictates of any religious or secular ruling authority.  The Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit speaks to each one individually and personally through the voice of conscience.  Again, as Paul has written, "I speak the truth in Christ — I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit..." (Romans 9:1).  Paul does not need the Emperor or the Chief Priest to confirm the truth for him.  All he needs is the Holy Spirit speaking through the voice of his own conscience.  Therefore he elsewhere asks, "Why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience?" (I Corinthians 10:29). 

 Christian Unity

This brings us to the second Bible-based principle comprising the trinity of "What We Believe,” which is Christian unity.  The natural corollary of Paul's question, "why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?” may be stated this way: "why should another's freedom be judged by my conscience?"  What gives any of us the right to judge how and where the Holy Spirit might be leading someone else?  What gives any of us the right to compete with the Holy Spirit of God for the attention and control of another's conscience?  What gives any of us the right to burden with a yoke of slavery those whom Christ has set free?  Nobody has that right, which is why presuming to have it always leads to conflict, contention and the kind of strife that works to divide and destroy the Body of Christ rather than build it up.

 Why do religious folk presume to stand in judgment of one another, for it seems to have been a perennial problem down through the ages?  The answer is that the Spirit not only leads us in ways we do not fully understand, he leads us in uniquely different ways at different times.  If the Spirit can lead the same individual along different paths over the course of a lifetime, he can certainly lead different individuals along different paths at the same time.  Unfortunately our ego wants to believe that our present way must be the only way for all people of all times.  When others do not go our way they must be going the wrong way.  They are in error and we must correct them - if not for the sake of their souls, then to protect God from the infidel.

Religious war - a holy jihad - is one way that religious folk have historically reacted to their differences.  Religious wars are the nastiest, most brutal and ungodly wars there are because any atrocity may be justified when protecting God from the infidel.  However God does not need anyone to protect him, and he certainly does not need those who go by his name to treat his other children in such ungodly ways.  Among other things, it is just plain bad for business.  Rather than attracting people to the Lord, it repels them, which is precisely why Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers.  He prayed, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me..." (John 17:23).  Who is going to believe that God sent Jesus Christ if all those who presently go by his name treat each other in such nasty ways?  Who needs to go to a church that bears his name for that kind of stress?  There is already enough of that kind of stress in the world without getting religion for more of the same. 

 Christian unity is the preferred alternative to religious polarization when confronting the fact of religious differences.  A Community Church is one of those rare places where people of different spiritual backgrounds and belief systems can come together in peace and harmony and mutually supportive ways.  Many couples of religiously mixed marriages are attracted to Community Churches because they find a common ground for worship, which does not offend the different, though equally genuine spirituality of one or the other.  Several slogans express this ideal, which, while not always attained, is always striven for in Community Churches: "Unity Without Uniformity."  "Diversity Without Divisiveness."  "Agreeing to Disagree Agreeably." 

 Christian Love

Just as Christian unity follows naturally upon Christian freedom in "What We Believe," so also our third belief, Christian love, proceeds naturally from Christian Unity.  Once again we return to the writings of St. Paul where we read, "You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 5:13-14).  All the commandments and statutes, all the Psalms and Proverbs, all the teachings and truths of the Law and Prophets are summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 

 Why?  Because the only way to love the Father is by loving his other children.  There is simply no other way we can show our love for God?  This explains Jesus’ linkage of love for our heavenly Father with love for our earthly neighbor when “…an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'  Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:35-40). 

 A Community Church member is taught to regard as a neighbor the folks next door, of course, whether they happen to be Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim or otherwise.  A neighbor is also the next person in the pew, whether or not he or she believes exactly the same way we do (and nobody believes exactly the same way we do, because we ourselves do not believe exactly the same way we did a few years ago, maybe even a few days ago if we are growing in our faith).  Our neighbors include those who regard us as enemies because we may not believe exactly the same way they do, which is why Jesus taught us to love our enemies.  Our neighbors are all God's children everywhere and we are to love them as we love ourselves, despite our differences. 

 If rising above our differences to reach out to others in love makes us appear as if we do not stand for something, as if we do not believe in anything, as if we must be “wishy-washy” in our faith; then such a false appearance is a risk we must be willing to take.  St. Paul took the same risk when he testified, "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.  To those under the law I became like one under the law … so as to win those under the law.  To those not having the law I became like one not having the law … so as to win those not having the law.  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.  I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Corinthians 9:19-22).

 As Community Church members we are likewise willing to become all things to all people to win as many as possible and by all possible means to save some.  Not to win them to ourselves nor to save them by our own power, but to win them by encouraging a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ which we understand is the way of love, and which we believe is the true way of salvation for all.  This, then, is "What We Believe" based upon God's Holy Word to us.  We believe in Christian freedom, Christian unity and Christian love - these three.  And the greatest of these, as always, is love.