FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Adapted
from “The Congregational Christian Way of Life” by the Rev. Phil.Jackson, M.Div.
Q. Who is the head of the Congregational Christian
Church?
A. The right of every individual to have
immediate access to God is one of the fundamental precepts of
Congregationalism. Our adherents believe that Jesus Christ alone is the head of
His Church; that His Holy Spirit can speak directly to and can act through each
member and each congregation without the benefit of bishops, hierarchies, or
presbyteries. A church exists based on the teachings of Jesus from Matthew
18:20, "for where two or three come together in my name, I am there with
them."
Q. Do Congregational Christians believe in the
divinity of Jesus?
A. A Congregational Christian
believes in God as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus.
God is one
whose unity is often expressed in the Trinitarian formula of the early Church
- God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The
unity of Christendom is not established, but
rather
recognized, and the unity to be sought is a oneness with Christ.
Q. Does “free church” mean Congregational Christians
are free to believe whatever they want?
A. Congregationalism provides
a free and simple way to salvation but it has never been known to be easy or
cheap. The freedom offered is not to be construed as freedom to do or to
believe whatever one wishes, but rather as the opportunity to be the kind of
person God intended one to be.
Congregational Christians believe that
the human soul is eternal and that our human destiny lies in the choices we
make and in our participation in the building of the kingdom of God.
The apostle Paul states that
one who adheres to the Christian faith looks upon the Church universal as the
mystical Body of Christ, of which Christ is the Head.
Q. What Sacraments are observed by the church?
A. Most Congregational Christian
churches observe two sacraments - Baptism and the Lord's
Supper. You
will also find that most of our member churches practice what is called
“open
communion" which means that all who love Jesus Christ and seek forgiveness
for their sins, are welcome to the Lord's table. Like many other Christian bodies,
Congregational Christian Churches practice at least three traditional rites -
funerals and memorial services, marriages, and Confirmation.
Q. How does one become a member?
A. Although this is not
always the case, upon recommendation of a Board of Deacons, a person may be
publicly received at a regular Church service in one of three ways: by confession
of faith (if the person is uniting with a Church for the first time); by
reaffirmation of faith if they were a member of another congregation but
without a letter of transfer; or by letter of transfer from another church.
In uniting with a Congregational
Church, the individual makes a declaration of faith, acknowledging Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior. The seal of this promise is the covenant by which a local
congregation binds itself together.
The new member accepts responsibility
by faithfully attending and participating in worship services, by sharing in
the ministries and missions of the local Church, and by contributing regularly
to the financial support of the Church. Naturally, he/she will be expected to
pray for the church and for others and to conduct a personal life in keeping
with Christ's teachings.
Q. What does it mean to be “gathered by covenant”?
A. Members speak of their own
local Congregational Church as the "gathered" church, made up of
individual Christians in a given geographical area assembled by Christ through
their common love for Him. This is a covenantal relationship-that of Christians
bound together, not by law, but freely and in a mutually agreeable bond of
love, as in the following historical covenant: “We covenant with the Lord, and
one with another, and do bind ourselves in the presence of God, to walk
together in all God's ways, as the Almighty is pleased to reveal the word of
truth to us (Salem Covenant of 1629)."
Congregationalism derives its name
from the prominence it gives to its local body of Christian believers. Each
church or congregation is a self-governing unit, with duties and
responsibilities shared equally by all members.
These self-governing Churches work
together in local, state and national associations; meeting for fellowship and
for consideration of matters of general interest and common responsibility.
Such associations, however, have no jurisdiction over the individual Churches
or their members. Their greatest blessing is the shared knowledge that they can
do much more together in the Spirit of Christian love than they can alone.