Epiphany Community Church, UU

Our Beliefs

At Epiphany Community Church there is no creed, no statement of belief that everybody must adhere to in order to belong. We share certain principles, and come together in covenant, a promise we make to each other and God. Epiphany’s covenant is:

“In the love of truth and the spirit of Jesus Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of humanity.”

Here is how some members of Epiphany Community Church describe what we have in common:

“We believe in one God, whose love is promised for everyone and shown to us by the life of Jesus.”

“This is a free-thinking church where you are free to search for your own truth and try to get back to the teachings OF Jesus not teachings ABOUT Jesus.”

“We believe children are born holy and that everyone will live with God after death. We believe in one God with whom each of us has a personal relationship. We believe that everybody is free to choose their spiritual path within the care and love of this community.”

Epiphany Community Church is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA), an association of likeminded independent churches and fellowships. Each church is distinctive and free to develop its own worship and spiritual orientation.

The purposes and principles listed below were adopted by the UUA in 1985. Historically, there have been statements of belief that Unitarians and Universalists upheld. The most recent of these is the bond of fellowship that the Universalists adopted in 1935:

“The bond of fellowship of the Universalist Church shall be a common purpose to do the will of God as Jesus revealed it, and to cooperate in establishing the Kingdom for which He lived and died.

“To that end, we avow our faith in God as Eternal and All-conquering Love, in the spiritual leadership of Jesus, in the supreme worth of every human personality, in the authority of truth known or to be known, and in the power of men of good-will and sacrificial spirit to overcome all evil and progressively establish the Kingdom of God.”

Previously, in 1899, the Universalists summarized their beliefs in five principles:

“The universal Fatherhood of God; the spiritual authority and leadership of His Son Jesus Christ; the trustworthiness of the Bible as containing a revelation from God; the certainty of just retribution for sin; the final harmony of all souls with God.”

The Unitarians never developed a denominational statement of faith as such, but the covenant of Epiphany Community Church, written by Charles Gordon Ames for a Unitarian congregation in Philadelphia in 1880, was adopted by many Unitarian churches. His original statement was:

“In the freedom of truth, and in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we unite for the worship of God and the service of man.”

All of these statements are guideposts along the way. No statement of belief is seen as absolute, the final definition of truth for all time. We know that we need to continue to grow in our faith and understanding, and cast our beliefs anew in every generation. That is the great, exciting adventure of being a Unitarian Universalist!

Mission Statement of Epiphany Community Church

"The mission of ECC is to help people grow in grace:

by liberating minds to seek truth without fear;
nurturing souls to grow in God's abundant love;
creating a loving community that honors each person's experience;
and freely extending the love of God to all in the spirit of Jesus;
in order to make the world a better place"

Unitarian Universalist Association Principles and Purposes

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

The Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association
The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of the Association is to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles.

The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member societies and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any society unless such is used as a creedal test.

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