Churches Uniting in Christ

Churches Uniting in Christ ( CUIC ) is a church community that consists of ten churches in the United States. The organization was established on January 20, 2002 in Memphis, Tennessee on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The CUIC is the successor of the Community Consultation on Church Union ( COCU ), which was established in 1962.

The Churches Uniting in Christ is not a church union among the member churches, but a church community whose members maintain their own identity, but mutually regarded as falling within the true Church and recognize their sacraments ( Baptism, Eucharist) are mutually exclusive. The CUIC are to be classified with their claim of a moderate theology between the liberal theology and evangelical theology. The member churches of Churches Uniting in Christ all belong to the Mainline Churches in the United States. Ordination of women is possible in all member churches of CUIC.

History

The Churches Uniting in Christ is the successor organization of the Consultation on Church Union, founded in 1962, whose original mission was to prepare a unification of the then ten members. However, the overwhelming majority of members rejected in 1969 an association of churches. After the failure of the union of the member churches of the Communion community was the target.

1991 was provided in the Consultation on Church Union preparatory work that this should be done on the traditional idea of ​​bishop, presbyter and deacon. Because different understanding of ministry, both the Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church did not address the mutual recognition of ministries.

Due to the controversial situation then agreed the member churches, offices detached from the question to clarify the recognition of the Community Supper. This modified proposal in the organization had the support of the member churches.

The member churches of CUIC work toward a more complete union, which would include overcoming racism and mutual recognition of ministries. Such a recognition of ministries there are not due to the different official understanding of the member churches. From 2002 to 2006 CUIC was working on a document entitled " Mutual Recognition and Mutual coordination of the ministries " ( Mutual Recognition and Mutual Reconciliation of Ministries MRMRM ). Despite a careful process with a lot of dialogue, the final document in 2006 was rejected by the member churches for two reasons. On the one hand there were different understandings of the episcopate ( bishop's supervision). Secondly feared some members that CUIC too narrowly focused on the recognition of ministries and " our commitment to those issues, such as the systematic racism ', which persist in the heart of our ongoing and separate lives as churches here in the U.S., is not serious. " The fight against racism is a major concern of Churches Uniting in Christ. The church community includes both churches with mostly white and majority black churches with church members.

In 2007, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church had withdrawn from the CUIC. The bandage put in their view, too little against racism.

In 2010, the AME Church continued their participation. Rev. Staccato Powell, pastor of the AME Zion Church preached in the CUIC plenary meeting of 2011, but the AME Zion Church has not resumed their membership.

Full members

Associate Members

  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Former members

  • African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Full communion Memphis (Tennessee) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
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