Churches Uniting in Christ

United States Christian bodies v · d · e

United States Interchurch National Association of Evangelicals National Council of Churches Churches Uniting in Christ S. Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America North Am. Presbyterian & Reformed Council Anabaptist & Friends Brethren Church Church of the Brethren Evangelical Friends International Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches Friends General Conference Friends United Meeting Mennonite Brethren Churches Mennonite Church USA Old Order Amish Mennonite Church Baptist & Stone-Campbell Baptist Alliance of Baptists American Baptist Association American Baptist Churches Baptist Bible Fellowship International Baptist General Conference Baptist Missionary Association of America Conservative Baptist Association of America General Association of Regular Baptist Churches National Association of Free Will Baptists National Primitive Baptist Convention North American Baptist Conference Southern Baptist Convention African-American Baptist National Baptist Convention of America National Baptist Convention, USA National Missionary Baptist Convention of America Progressive National Baptist Convention Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Christian Churches and Churches of Christ Churches of Christ International Churches of Christ Catholic & Anglican Anglican Church in North America Episcopal Church Old Roman Catholic Church Polish National Catholic Church Roman Catholic Church Holiness & Pietist Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of God (Anderson) Evangelical Covenant Church Evangelical Free Church of America Church of the Nazarene Salvation Army Seventh-day Adventist Church Wesleyan Church Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Methodist African Methodist Episcopal Church African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Free Methodist Church United Methodist Church Orthodox Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Orthodox Church in America Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia Serbian Orthodox Church Non-Chalcedonic Armenian Apostolic of Am. Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Am. Coptic Orthodox Church Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church of God (Cleveland, TN) Church of God in Christ Church of God of Prophecy Church on the Rock- International Full Gospel Fellowship Intl. Church of the Foursquare Gospel Intl. Pentecostal Holiness Church Pentecostal Church of God Oneness Pentecostal Pentecostal Assemblies of the World United Pentecostal Church Intl. Presbyterian & Reformed Christian Reformed Church in North America Conservative Congregational Christian Conference Cumberland Presbyterian Church Evangelical Presbyterian Church Korean Presbyterian Church in America International Council of Community Churches National Asso. of Congregational Christian Churches Presbyterian Church (USA) Presbyterian Church in America Reformed Church in America United Church of Christ Other Church of Christ, Scientist LDS Church Community of Christ Grace Gospel Fellowship Independent Fundamental Churches of America Jehovah's Witnesses Messianic Jewish Alliance of America Plymouth Brethren Vineyard USA See also: Non-denominational Christianity

Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) brings together ten mainline American denominations (including both predominantly white and predominantly black churches), and was inaugurated on January 20, 2002.

CUIC is the successor organization to the Consultation on Church Union (COCU) founded in 1962. The original task of COCU was to negotiate a merger between its ten member denominations; however, the membership of the denominations overwhelmingly rejected a merger when it was proposed in 1969. With the failure of the merger proposal, COCU then turned to negotiating "full communion", whereby each member church would retain its own autonomy and identity, while recognizing the validity of the rites and ministry of the others and accepting them as true churches. In 1991 it was proposed that this was to be done on the historic model of bishop, presbyter and deacon. However, the Presbyterian Church USA was unwilling to implement some of the changes to its internal rules that this model would require, and the Episcopal Church did not feel able to participate at the time. It was then proposed that intercommunion be established without a resolution of the ministry issue, which would be resolved by 2007 by means of intensive dialog between the churches. This modified proposal was then accepted by the member churches.

CUIC is not a merger, but rather an intercommunion agreement whereby each member recognizes the others as part of the true church, and recognizes its rites (baptism, communion) as valid. The original proposal for CUIC also had a full recognition of each other's ministers, but the Episcopal Church's insistence on the historic episcopate, which conflicts with the system of organization and governance in some other member churches (especially in the Presbyterian Church USA and the United Church of Christ), has meant that this part of the CUIC proposal has been put on hold. CUIC will however hold negotiations once it is established, possibly leading to a full recognition of each other's ministers within the next few years.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church have withdrawn from CUIC. They feel the other churches were not doing enough to counter the history of racial injustice between black and white churches. In response to this, the remaining churches in CUIC have decided to suspend its work while they seek reconciliation with those two churches.^[1][2]

Full members

• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• The Episcopal Church (TEC)
• International Council of Community Churches
• Moravian Church Northern Province
• Presbyterian Church (USA)
• United Church of Christ
• United Methodist Church

Former members

• African Methodist Episcopal Church
• African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Partners in mission and dialogue

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

See also

• Christian ecumenism
• Christian Churches Together

References

1. ^ http://www.cuicinfo.org/pdf/cuic_april_09.pdf
2. ^ http://www.cuicinfo.org/Letter%20CUIC%20President.doc

External links

• Churches Uniting in Christ homepage
• Christian Century, May 10, 2000