Mission Statement
The Chief Apostle Monroe Saunders, Sr. was driven to bring reconciliation to the Body of Christ. His vision embraced the Spirit of Love as the essential agent in the process of reconciling a fragmented body. He was a peace ambassador… respected within diverse denominational and organizational settings.
In his address to the Convocation of 1996, in a message entitled “The Finished Work of Calvary and the Unfinished Work of the Church,” he stated, “we are called to join with others to bring about reconciliation.” The “joining forces” was not a call to dissolve the United Church of Jesus Christ but to bring into collaborative and cooperative relationship other ministries and organizations for the purpose of fulfilling the expectation of Christ expressed in His prayer for unity. (St. John 17:21-23)
Similarly, the Presiding Bishop Saunders, Jr. senses the urgency which envelops each of us who observe the climate of our time. The Church/Body of Christ is not to operate under a syncretistic ideology chameleorizing all religions and philosophies through an unqualified ecumenical process. Nor however, is it to function as a pietistic doctrinal separatist movement creating more schism than unity. There is one element that unifies us, and that is the Spirit of God, not merely a concept but an experience shared by the Body.
There are several operative words, which will define the mission and purpose of the United Church…uniting, collaborating, connecting, cooperating and bridging. Our assignment, simply expressed is to “pursue every avenue that will bring about reconciliation of the Body of Christ.” The United Church is to be a vehicle for the expression of love and reconciliation. To reconcile is to bring to agreement or into harmony. To conciliate is to overcome distrust or hostility, to bring together or unite.
The United Church of Jesus Christ must be a reflection of a body, which is unified in diversity…E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One. Our assignment is indeed prophetic, for we are called upon to minister recovery and restoration to a broken body whose bones are scattered. Prophesy to a dismembered body and cause life to return as it commands the winds of the Spirit to reform and reconnect the disconnected.
In his address to the Convocation of 1996, in a message entitled “The Finished Work of Calvary and the Unfinished Work of the Church,” he stated, “we are called to join with others to bring about reconciliation.” The “joining forces” was not a call to dissolve the United Church of Jesus Christ but to bring into collaborative and cooperative relationship other ministries and organizations for the purpose of fulfilling the expectation of Christ expressed in His prayer for unity. (St. John 17:21-23)
Similarly, the Presiding Bishop Saunders, Jr. senses the urgency which envelops each of us who observe the climate of our time. The Church/Body of Christ is not to operate under a syncretistic ideology chameleorizing all religions and philosophies through an unqualified ecumenical process. Nor however, is it to function as a pietistic doctrinal separatist movement creating more schism than unity. There is one element that unifies us, and that is the Spirit of God, not merely a concept but an experience shared by the Body.
There are several operative words, which will define the mission and purpose of the United Church…uniting, collaborating, connecting, cooperating and bridging. Our assignment, simply expressed is to “pursue every avenue that will bring about reconciliation of the Body of Christ.” The United Church is to be a vehicle for the expression of love and reconciliation. To reconcile is to bring to agreement or into harmony. To conciliate is to overcome distrust or hostility, to bring together or unite.
The United Church of Jesus Christ must be a reflection of a body, which is unified in diversity…E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One. Our assignment is indeed prophetic, for we are called upon to minister recovery and restoration to a broken body whose bones are scattered. Prophesy to a dismembered body and cause life to return as it commands the winds of the Spirit to reform and reconnect the disconnected.