All Souls Church Statements
This section contains the Mission Statement of the church and of some of the key boards of the church.
Click on the link to go to the section that refers to any particular statement. Included are:
Mission Statement of the Church (or Object of the Church as established in the Bylaws of the Church)
Polity Statement of the Church
Doctrine of the Church
Covenant of the Church
Shared Creeds
Mission Statement for Benevolence
Mission Statement of the Board of Christian Education
Mission Statement
The mission of this Church is to bind together Christian people for the purpose of sharing in the worship of God and in making the will of God dominant in the lives of all persons, individually and collectively, especially as that will is set forth in the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Statement of Polity
1. Jesus Christ is the head of this Church, which finds in Holy Scriptures, interpreted by the aid of the Divine Spirit through reason, faith and conscience, its guidance in matters of faith and discipline.
2. The government of this Church is vested in its members who exercise the right of control in all its affairs, subject in legal matters to the laws of the State of Maine.
3. While this Church is amenable to no ecclesiastical judicatory, it accepts the obligations of mutual council, amity and cooperation involved in the free fellowship of the United Church of Christ (UCC), and pledges itself to share in its common aims and work.
[ Dr. Haddix is on the national steering committee of a movement within the UCC that affirms the historical Christian belief in Jesus Christ as risen Lord and Savior.]
Preamble to the Constitution of the United Church of Christ:
The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. It looks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God. In accordance with the teaching of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians, it recognizes two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.
[About this testimony: Adopted at the uniting General Synod of 1957, the Preamble of the Constitution of the United Church of Christ represents the core of the theological consensus that brought the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches together in covenant.]
Statement of Doctrine
1. This Church recognizes the Bible as the sufficient rule of faith and practice, and holds that living in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ exemplifies true fellowship.
2. All our members shall have the right to follow the Word of God according to the dictates of their own conscience, under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
Covenant of the Church
The National Council of Congregational Churches meeting in Kansas City, Missouri in 1913 adopted the Kansas City Creed.
We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, goodness and love, and in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord and Savior, who for us and our salvation live and did and rose again and lives evermore, and in the Holy Spirit, who takes of the things of Christ and reveals them to us, renewing, comforting and inpiring human souls. [Adapted]
The remaining paragraphs of the Creed were adapted by our Diaconate and adopted as the Covenant of All Souls Congregational Church in 1984 and are printed below:
We are united in striving to know the will of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord made known or to be made known to us.
We hold it to be the mission of the Church of Christ to proclaim the Gospel to all, exalt the worship of the One true God, and labor for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and a world where God's love binds us together as members of one family.
Depending, as did our forebears, upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, we work and pray for the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting.
Shared Creeds
The Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Korean Creed:
We believe in the one God, maker and ruler of all things,
Father of all humanity, the source of all goodness and beauty, all
truth and love.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, our
teacher, example,
and Redeemer, the Savior of the world.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God present with us for
guidance, for comfort, and for strength.
We believe in the forgiveness of sins, in the life of love and
prayer, and in grace equal to every need.
We believe in the Word of God contained in the Old and New
Testaments as the sufficient rule both of faith and of practice.
We believe in the Church, those who are united in the living
Lord for the purpose of worship and service.
We believe in the Kingdom of God as the divine rule in
human society, and in the family of God, where we are all
brothers and sisters.
We believe in the final triumph of righteousness, and in the
life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ (Adapted):
We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father, and to his deeds we testify:
He calls the worlds into being,
creates men and women in his own image
and sets before them the ways of life and death.
He seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
He judges mortals and nations by his righteous will
declared through prophets and apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord,
he has come to us
and shared our common lot,
conquering sin and death
and reconciling the world to himself.
He bestows upon us his Holy Spirit,
creating and renewing the Church of Jesus Christ,
binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.
He call us into his Church
to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
to be his servants in the service of humanity,
to proclaim the gospel to all the world
and resist the powers of evil,
to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table,
to join him in his passion and victory.
He promises to all who trust him
forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
courage in the struggle for justice and peace,
his presence in trial and rejoicing,
and eternal life in his kingdom which has no end.
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto him. Amen.
Benevolence Mission Statement - The Congregational Tradition
In the Congregational tradition, the church is the people. Our building is a "meetinghouse" and the people gathering in the building are the "church". The church, as an institution, equips the people for the Christian work, and receives the bounty of their spiritual harvest. As an institution, the church extends our individual reach and witness but does not replace it. Each individual Christian must be a person with a mission, which is to follow Christ. We are responsible individually and collectively to follow the commands of Jesus and bear witness to the Kingdom of God.
The function of the church is twofold: worship and mission. Worship is central to the Christian community. Worship reminds us of the supremacy of God who creates all things and seeks, through Jesus Christ, to redeem his creatures. Worship also keeps us aware of Jesus' commands and empowers us to live following Jesus' example.
The Church's mission, which grows out of worship, is to make new disciples, to baptize and to teach Christian principles. The sacrificial acts of Christians living out their faith form the body of Christ and thus further Christ's mission in the world. Jesus tells us clearly what some of these acts must be: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Matt. 25:35-36
The conclusion of this mission is to move others to "give glory" to God, that is, to come to know and worship Him.
Consideration for the Benevolence Budget:
1. The benevolence budget should advance the goals of making new Christians and meeting the needs of the poor and the marginalized.
2. The benevolence budget should be calculated as a percentage of annual giving. A goal of at least 15% of total annual giving has been suggested as realistic and reasonable.
3. Each item in the benevolence budget should be reviewed annually in order to justify continued giving.
Based on Scripture and Congregational history and tradition, specific areas of mission may be delineated:
1. All Souls Church supports institutions and organizations that serve in making new Christians, baptizing, and teaching Christian principles in the Congregational tradition. Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
2. All Souls Church supports institutions and organizations which provide for the needs of the poor or marginalized segments of society, both Christian and non-Christian. James 2:14-18: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but have no works. Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your full,' and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith, by itself, if it has no works, is dead."
3. All Souls Church provides willing hands and feet, people giving of themselves with personal involvement and individual contributions as an expression of Christian love. Timothy 6:17-19: "As for those who in the present are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life."
Mission Statement of the All Souls Board of Christian Education
Preamble, Psalm 78:3-7 (NIV): "What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders he has done. He decreed statues for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands."
The mission of the Board of Christian Education, being comprised of members of All Souls Congregational Church, is to provide opportunities for members and friends to be educated in all aspects of the Christian faith.
Statement of Purpose of the All Souls Board of Christian Education:
The purpose of providing education for members, youth, and friends of All Souls Church includes increasing knowledge of Scripture, church history, doctrines, spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting and devotions, encouraging the practical application of our faith in daily living, and nurturing the young people of this community in their development of personal character.
In Confirmation and in our teaching, we use the Catechism adopted by the 210 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, USA. The theologian who lead the forming and adoption of this Catechism is Dr. George Hunsinger. Dr. Hunsinger was Professor of Systematic Theology at Bangor Theological Seminary. He is now a distinguished member of the theology faculty at Princeton Theological Seminary. The Catechism has been characterized as an expression of "generous Orthodoxy".
link to Presbyterian Church, USA
Date of Last Update: 2/4/10