First Congregational Church of Otsego

First Congregational Church of Otsego
"Building a community in Christ to reach a community for Christ"

120 West Morrell Street ~ P O Box 227 ~ Otsego, Michigan 49078-0227
PHONE: (269) 694-6085 | FAX: (269) 694-6525 | E-MAIL: [email protected]

Christ-Centered
by Henry David Gray

Christian churches throughout the world are organized in five ways:

Monarchial, with one final authority and ruler. Such is the Roman Pontiff.
Episcopal. The word comes from the Greek meaning "bishop." Episcopal and Methodist churches in the United States have bishops who are elected for life, to whom are given certain powers over the churches. Bishops usually claim to be ordained in direct line from the Apostle Peter. Canon law or a book of discipline rules in these bodies.
Presbyterial. A nationally organized church body, with power to govern committed to area presbyteries, state synods, and finally to the national General Assembly, which is supreme over all and which makes the law of the churches.
Congregational. A fellowship of self-governing churches voluntarily working together in area associations, state conferences, and various national council and mission bodies, with control and authority reserved to the local church.
Independent. Bodies of Christian people with no denominational connection, each functioning independently.

The Congregational Way was the seedbed of American constitutional government (Republicanism) and has been in the forefront of democratic endeavors through the years.

Each of our churches is autonomous and self-governing and entirely free from external control. A Congregational Christian Church is a body of people who have pledged themselves to follow Christ, and who, because they seek to order all of their life and work according to His leading, cannot accept as authoritative the decisions of any other body, since to do so would be to avoid the responsibility of finding God's way in their own right. The authority within a Congregational Christian Church is the authority of Christ, exercised under the scriptural principles of persuasion, example, contagion, and inspiration. All decisions of bodies outside the local church are simply by way of recommendation and advice; they have as much worth as there is in the wisdom of them, and no more.

In Congregationalism there are no superintendents, or bishops, or popes, or presbyteries, or national councils with any authority to dictate the policies, programs, finances, forms of worship, pastor-people relationships, or other affairs of the individual church. Congregational Christians feel that this form of church organization is closest to the New Testament example, and offers by far the greatest flexibility in dealing with the changing demands which each age or locality makes upon the Church of Christ. Congregational insistence upon the absolute rule of Christ within His Church is the basis of all our cooperation with other denominations. When you join a Congregational Christian Church, you accept the comprehensive view that all believers are one in Christ, regardless of their denomination.

It is clear that the Congregational Christian conception of the Church places on every Church member great responsibility for reverent and thoughtful decision and action in accord with the Will of Christ.

It is equally plain that the individual Church must carry grave responsibiliteis for the care of sister churches. When we speak of "Congregational Christian Churches", we do not mean primarily an organization, but a voluntary fellowship of equals in which each church has a concern for the well-being of every other church and in which all churches have a concern for the well-being of each church. The fellowship of the churches leads us to create organizations through which our churches can effectively carry on their work in missions, national affairs, education, publication, and in such other ways as the churches may from time to time determine to be desirable.

The Congregational Minister

We would love to welcome you into our membership!
To enroll a membership class, please contact the Church Office.
(contact information at the top of this page)

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