The United Church of Christ embraces a theological heritage that affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions of the Reformation. The UCC has roots in the “covenantal” tradition—meaning there is no centralized authority or hierarchy that can impose any doctrine or form of worship on its members. Christ alone is Head of the church. We seek a balance between freedom of conscience and accountability to the apostolic faith. The UCC therefore receives the historic creeds and confessions of our ancestors as testimonies, but not tests of the faith.
Our tradition does not have a central hierchary or the expectation that we must all believe the same thing, and we are not bound by the theology of our ancestors. However their faith, creeds, and confessions do inform our faith, and are a testimony of what many members of UCC Churches believe.
The UCC Statement of Faith
The Apostles Creed
The Nicene Creed
Luther’s Small Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
The Kansas City Statement
Evangelical Catechism