The United Church of Christ as a form of organization features a unique structure that prioritizes the local church as the main unit of life. While all churches are congregationally autonomous, the organization is united in the covenant. Thus, the special structure of the church allows maintaining the balance of autonomy with covenant relationships and cooperation between local churches in the joint mission of seeking God’s will and being faithful to God’s ways.
The hybrid nature of The United Church of Christ is sourced from the church’s historical roots as a result of a combination of Evangelical, Reformed, Congregational, and Christian churches. The United Church of Christ is presented as “a united and uniting church” with a progressive approach1. Thus, rather than differentiating Christians, The United Church of Christ focuses on their similarities, such as Bible authority, to unite them. In addition, the covenant aspect in the structure of the church eliminates the hierarchy component, emphasizing the unity and freedom of religious expression in the combination of European and American roots of the church. Therefore, the unique uniting yet autonomous structure of The United Church of Christ provides the church an opportunity to effectively promote the progressive values of equality, diversity, and freedom relevant in modern society.
Next, the source of authority of The United Church of Christ to represent God is in its covenant nature. The United Church of Christ is faithful to the belief that God engaged in a covenant-making activity in making promises to Noah, Abraham, Israelites, David, and all humankind. Furthermore, God promised to protect people if they remained faithful to his will, which can be perceived as covenant-keeping. Mutual covenants in the form of partnership between humans provide the opportunity for divine-human connection in traditional European Protestantism. In addition, covenants can also be considered the foundation of all humanity, as marriage is built on the basis of covenant. Therefore, by following the covenant structure, The United Church of Christ preserves the mutual covenant with God and unites all “faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.”2 Lastly, the church uses its authority to represent God in providing guidance and serving people.
The biblical premise that God is a covenant maker has significantly influenced me and my relationships with other people. Understanding that unity in diversity presents a source of divine connection with God influenced me to change my approach to people and treat everyone equally. Moreover, thinking about how God deliberately united people and brought them together makes me realize how separated people are from each other in modern society. Furthermore, it makes me understand that with more conflicts and misunderstandings in the world, humanity moves further away from God to the point when it will be impossible to return his blessings. As a 43-year-old African American woman, I understand that the lack of equality presents a substantial problem for the modern American community. I also think that if more people knew about the importance of covenants and their transformational capacity for society, there would be more equal opportunities for people worldwide.
The premise that God is a covenant maker also influenced my understanding of connections between people and their influence on the economy, environment, and overall population’s wellbeing. I acknowledged that a solution to any problem requires a complex approach. I am impressed by the fact that a similar approach is featured in the covenant structure of the United Church of Christ, which considers different sides and opinions on relevant problems to reach mutual agreements. Moreover, the church channels its resources for the actual acts of service in solving issues in eliminating racial disparities, protecting environmental safety, and advocating for LGBTQ communities3. I think that this approach is truly innovative for a church and emphasizes the organization’s commitment to God’s mission and will.
While there are several proofs of covenant structure’s importance in the United Church of Christ, the authority and autonomy are equally vital for the church’s functioning. Moreover, maintaining the balance between the covenant and authority presents one of the core elements of the organization’s structure. However, in my understanding of the balance between authority and covenant, authority and autonomy are necessary to ensure an individual’s freedom to take an independent stand while still listening to others’ opinions. Thus, in trying to live out the balance of Covenant and Authority, I will try not to be overly influenced by the covenant while responsibly accepting the arguments of the church’s members.
In conclusion, this essay explored the outstanding peculiarities of organizational structure in the United Church of Christ and explained the role of covenants in the church’s authority to claim to represent God. The essay determined that the covenant structure of the church emphasizes its values of unity and equality and brings together diverse groups of people. Lastly, the essay explained my views on the balance of authority and covenant in the United Church of Christ and how autonomy provides more freedom in the covenant.
References
United Church of Christ. “History: The Early Church.” United Church of Christ. Web.
United Church of Christ. “History: The UCC Comes of Age.” United Church of Christ. Web.
United Church of Christ. “How We Serve: Faithful Action Ministries.” United Church of Christ. Web.
Footnotes
- 1 – United Church of Christ, “History: The Early Church,” United Church of Christ, Web.
- 2 – United Church of Christ, “History: The UCC Comes of Age,” United Church of Christ, Web.
- 3 – United Church of Christ, “How We Serve: Faithful Action Ministries,” United Church of Christ, Web.