Community of Christ
The Community of Christ ( Community of Christ ) is a Christian faith community in the U.S. broke away after 1844 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints. It was originally called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, RLDS ).
History
The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, RLDS ) was founded in the 1850s by Mormons, Brigham Young is not recognized as a prophet. They were not in 1847 as the group Young went to Utah, but remained in the Midwestern United States, especially in western Missouri and eastern Kansas, around Kansas City. After a decade of strong fragmentation finally gathered in 1859 by Joseph Smith III ( 1832-1914 ), the eldest son of the Mormon church founder Joseph Smith Jr.. As founding of the church is April 6, 1860, the thirtieth anniversary of Joseph Smith Jr. 's original church foundation, because on this day took over Joseph Smith III officially following a conference in Amboy, Illinois, the government of the Church. At this time it counted 343 members. With missionary work was begun in 1863, and in 1880 the church had already 10,000 members. Its headquarters was located initially in Plano, Illinois, and then in Lamoni, Iowa, until it was established in 1920 to Independence in the U.S. state of Missouri, near Kansas City, relocated. The main building of the church was up to the dedication of the temple in Independence (1994 ) in 1962, completed auditorium. The RLDS changed its name in 2001 in Community of Christ ( Community of Christ ).
The Community of Christ today, with about 250,000 members worldwide the second largest denomination within the Mormonism in the broad sense and the greatest " Prairie - Mormon " (that is, Brigham Young and the exodus to Utah negative ) Church. Two sentences that arose in connection with the rejection of polygamy and a legal dispute over the sum earmarked for the construction of the temple site in Independence, confirmed in 1880 and 1894 Christ the community in the U.S. specifically, the legal successor of the originally founded by Joseph Smith Church. Therefore, it is also in possession of the Kirtland Temple, the oldest Mormon temple, and most manuscripts and other personal belongings of the founder Joseph Smith.
Staff and Organization
The Community of Christ is from the First Presidency (English: First Presidency ) headed by a president and two counselors. A council of twelve apostles leading the priesthood. Until a few years, all Presidents of the Church direct descendants of Joseph Smith Jr. were: 1860-1915 Joseph Smith III (son of Joseph Smith Jr.), 1915-1946 Frederick Madison Smith (son of Joseph Smith III), 1946-1958 Israel Alexander Smith (son of Joseph Smith III), 1958-1978 William Wallace Smith (son of Joseph Smith III), 1978-1996 Wallace Bunnell Smith ( son of William Wallace Smith and grandson of Joseph Smith III). From 1996 until his surprise resignation in 2004 led by William Grant McMurray first man the Reorganized Church, which was not a direct descendant or relative of Joseph Smith. While the specially scheduled World Conference in June 2005, Steven Mark Veazey has been appointed as the new President. In January 2007, a woman as a counselor in the First Presidency, was called by Becky L. Savage for the first time.
Teaching
The Community of Christ ( Community of Christ ) charges - unlike the other denominations incurred in the context of Mormonism - not claim to be the only true church. She moves since the 1960s, often closer to the departments participating in the ecumenical Christian churches as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints ( " Mormons ") can develop in some countries, their priests to ordinary Protestant colleges to pastors, and also works in the ecumenical movement. For example, they rejected polygamy from the beginning, just as the dead Baptism, the seal of marriages and the other temple ceremonies. From the beginning, the Community of Christ leaned in contrast to the Utah church from any discrimination based on skin color and taught the equality of people of all races. The ordination of women was introduced in 1984. The two temples of the Community of Christ, including the first Mormon temple in Kirtland, Ohio and a 1994 insider in Independence / Missouri are, unlike the temples of the Utah church open to everyone, and there are no secret or special rituals held therein. Even the image of God the community of Christ is classic Trinitarian; their baptism is therefore different from the baptism of the Utah church viewed from the other Christian Churches as fully valid. The Community of Christ emphasizes the communitarian and pacifist aspect of the Mormon teachings. Within the American religious spectrum, it is seen as left liberal.
Overall, one can say that the Community of Christ, especially the leaders, the activities and revelations Smith from his last years ( Nauvoo phase, from 1840 to 1844 ) is very ambivalent about it is always - they are not really accepted, but we also wanted to avoid Smith described as "fallen prophet ", as some of the smaller ostmormonischen churches - have done - (Temple Lot) and the Church of Jesus Christ ( Bickertoniten ), for example, the Church of Christ. The church has in the past insisted vehemently on the Mormon polygamy was an invention of Brigham Young and had nothing to do with Joseph Smith. This statement, however, is no longer tenable according to the current state of research.
Writings
For the Community of Christ, the Bible of all the scriptures has the highest authority unquestionable. It also uses the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. The Community of Christ regarded writings in general not as infallible, but as vital guidelines. Both the time, language, culture and living conditions play a role in the interpretation of the scriptures. A responsible, growing interpretation of the Scriptures is necessary for proper application (see " headings in the Community of Christ ").
The Book of Mormon, the Community of Christ recognizes indeed as valuable teaching source. However, it shall be different from the Utah church no longer it states that the book represents actual events of American history, when this is highly controversial in the membership. Published by the Community of Christ editions of the book have a different chapter and Verszählung than the Utah church, but are textually almost identical. The Doctrine and Covenants is recognized in one of these church 's own version, which is not identical to the version of the Utah church. The book Pearl of Great Price, which arose only after the separation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints, is not recognized by the Community of Christ. As the Bible is the so-called "Inspired Version " is used in English-speaking countries, a modified version of Joseph Smith the King James Bible, which is identical with essentially what is referred to the Utah church as the " Joseph Smith Translation ". However, some changes from Smith's last years are missing from the " Inspired Version". In Germany, the Luther Bible or other German -language translations are used.
The church newspaper, The Saints' Herald appears as an official, English-language organ of the Community of Christ since 1860 without interruption.
Dissemination
Worldwide in 2010, the number of members around 250 000 In Europe, the Community of Christ members in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, Norway, Russia and Ukraine respectively. In Asia, Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific it is present in many countries and regions. The Community of Christ in 2006 had 130,000 members in the U.S., 8,000 in Canada, 25,000 in Africa, in Asia 8000, the Caribbean, 13,000 in Europe, 2,500 in Australia and the Pacific and 10,000 in Central and South America 3000.
Christ Community in Germany
In Germany, the Community of Christ has been present since 1906, when in Berlin and Hamburg, the first members were baptized by the missionary Claus C. Joehnk ( 1860-1923 ). The leadership of the Church in Independence had sent him in 1904 as the first missionary to Germany. Today Christ the Community in Germany has seven churches in Augsburg, Bonn, Braunschweig, Dresden, Grossraeschen, Hamburg, and Jump (Region Hannover). The church newspaper Good News is published four times a year, together with the International Herald. A new hymnal for the Community of Christ in Germany was published in 2009.