Our Denomination - Disciples of Christ

Our Roots and Beginnings

Our congregation shares ministry with a general and regional church. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is our general church (or denomination). Click for more information about our general church.

The founders of this shared ministry began a movement which seeks to include rather than exclude. We are still committed to their hopes and desires for the church: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

First Christian Church belongs to the Capital Area Region of Christian Churches which includes approximately 50 churches in Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia. Click for more information about our regional church.

As ‘the Disciples’, our roots reach back to the early 1800’s when Scottish Presbyterians on the frontier of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, troubled by the feuding within churches at that time, yearned for all Christians to be united in a simple recommitment to a Testament faith that emphasizes.

Open Communion

The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is celebrated in weekly worship. It is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Freedom of Belief

Disciples are called together around one essential of faith: belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Persons are free to follow their consciences guided by the Bible, The Holy Spirit, study and prayer, and are expected to extend that freedom to others.

Unity of the Church

All Christians are called to be in Christ and to seek opportunities for common witness and service.

Baptism by Immersion

In baptism, the self-centered life is set aside, and a new life of trust in God begins. Although Disciples practice baptism by immersion, other baptiem traditions are honored.

The Ministry of All Believers

Both ministers and lay persons lead in worship, service and spiritual growth. We have no formal creed, but we profess a common faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we claim him as Lord and Savior. What that means, how it plays out in the life of each individual, and how it shapes the community, is worked out daily as we strive together to live faithfully into the ways of Jesus.

People of many different backgrounds find a spiritual home here, because we value each person and celebrate the depth and breadth of diversity in which God has created in us.