The '''Kansas City Statement of Faith''' is a 1913 [[Creed|confession of faith]] adopted by the [[National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States]] at Kansas City, Missouri. This concise statement of Congregational beliefs restates traditional [[congregational polity]] and endorses [[ecumenism]], while also displaying the drift away from [[Reformed theology]] that had occurred in [[Congregationalism in the United States|American Congregationalism]].
==Contents== [[Congregationalism in the United States|American Congregationalists]] had adopted [[Reformed confessions of faith|earlier confessional statements]]. The [[Savoy Declaration]], a modified version of the [[Westminster Confession of Faith]], had been in use in America since the 18th century and reflected an earlier commitment to [[Calvinist]] theology.<ref>{{cite book | last = Youngs | first = J. William T. | title = The Congregationalists | publisher = Praeger | series = Denominations in America | volume = 4 | edition = Student | page=52 | date = 1998 | location = Westport, Connecticut | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kOuBhis1-7QC | isbn = 9780275964412 }}</ref> The Kansas City Statement of Faith was crafted in 1913 to "affirm traditional congregationalist principles in a form that would meet the needs" of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ucc.org/beliefs_kansas-city-statement-of | title = Kansas City Statement of Faith | date = 1913 | website = www.ucc.org | publisher = [[United Church of Christ]] | access-date = June 22, 2017 |ref={{Sfnref|Kansas City Statement of Faith|1913}}}}</ref> The statement is organized into three sections on "Faith", "Polity", and "Wider Fellowship".
The section on faith affirms belief in [[God the Father]], [[Jesus Christ]] as lord and savior, and the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]]. The will of God is described as being found in the [[Bible]]. The mission of the [[Christian Church|church]] is described as proclaiming [[the gospel]] to all, worshiping God, and "laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood." It commits Congregationalists to "work and pray for the transformation of the world into the [[Kingdom of God (Christianity)|kingdom of God]]" and looks forward to the ultimate triumph of [[righteousness]] and [[Eternal life (Christianity)|everlasting life]].{{Sfn|Kansas City Statement of Faith|1913}}
According to historian William Youngs, the section on faith "suggests the degree to which dogmatic Calvinism had disappeared from Congregationalism". Youngs notes that the statement lacks any mention of the [[means of grace]], [[original sin]] or [[predestination]].{{Sfn|Youngs|1998|p=184}}
Though the statement officially recognized the movement away from [[Puritan]] theology, its section on polity is largely consistent with early Puritan beliefs in the autonomy of the local church. In this section, [[congregational polity]] is affirmed. The statement also affirms the cooperation of churches together in district, state and national bodies (such as the [[National Council of Congregational Churches]]).{{Sfn|Youngs|1998|p=184}}
The section on "Wider Fellowship" endorses [[ecumenism]] and the efforts to achieve unity with other Christian denominations. This section reflects future initiatives of the Congregationalists to unite with other Christian denominations, ultimately culminating in the formation of the [[United Church of Christ]] in 1957.{{Sfn|Youngs|1998|p=184}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.ucc.org/kansas-city-statement-of-faith/ Statement of Faith]
{{Reformed confessions}} [[Category:United Church of Christ]] [[Category:Christian statements of faith]] [[Category:Congregationalism in the United States]]