Who We Are
Answers to frequently asked questions about the United Church of God.
Our Mission
Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in all the world, to make disciples in all nations and to care for those disciples.
Our Vision
A Church led by God’s Holy Spirit, joined and knit together by what every member supplies, with all doing their share and growing in love to fulfil God’s great purpose for humanity to bring many children to glory (Eph 4:16; Heb 2:10).
We believe that God is building a family. He wants all of mankind—including you—to be part of that family.
We’re committed to recapturing and practicing true biblical Christianity and sharing God’s awesome plan with the world. We strive to follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices of the early Church.
Preaching the Gospel
The Church is to proclaim to the world the same ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God’ taught by Jesus Christ. This is the central theme of all Jesus preached and taught. This message not only offers great hope for all of humanity, but also encompasses the purpose of human existence—why we are here and where our world is headed.
Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14). But what was His message?
The word ‘gospel’ means good news—focusing on God’s gracious promise of eternal salvation to believers. Along with that promise is a wonderful opportunity to participate in a literal Kingdom under the rule of (King) Jesus Christ, Who will return to bring world peace for all.
Preparing a People
The Church’s overall mission extends well beyond its initial responsibility of preaching the gospel and making new disciples. Jesus Himself “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare followers of Christ for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
The Church is commissioned not only to feed His sheep, as He commanded, but to prepare these followers for greater works of service to God, their families, their communities and their fellow man. Jesus placed great emphasis on serving others.
The Holy Bible
We believe the Old and New Testaments are complementary—not contradictory. For this reason we keep the biblical Holy Days of Leviticus 23 because they are a path leading mankind through God’s plan of salvation. We recognise Christ as our saviour—our Passover Lamb—and we look forward to his Second Coming.
The Holy Sabbath
The Sabbath is more than just a day for church. It is a day for us to rest and reflect at the end of our week—just like God did at the end of the creation week. God sets this time apart to spend with His creation and we set it apart to spend with Him!
Our Congregations
The United Church of God strives to establish congregations around the world where people can assemble and receive guidance in godly living and service. Our congregations are served by ordained pastors trained to accurately teach and explain the Scriptures and to counsel those who request personal guidance. Pastors are often assisted by other dedicated men and women in helping congregations reach their full potential in serving others—as opportunity, need and resources permit.
Our brethren are spread across six continents in hundreds of congregations. We are different in language and culture, but we are unified by our beliefs and our love for each other. We love to get together for dances, potlucks and sports weekends. The Feast of Tabernacles is an opportunity for us to travel (near or far!) to worship together.
Our Teachings
In short, the United Church of God accepts the entire Bible as the living Word of God. We differ from mainstream Christianity primarily in our understanding of the relevance and importance of God’s law, which is evident throughout the Bible. While we firmly believe that we are saved by grace alone, we also believe that keeping God’s law is the means by which we demonstrate our love for God and our fellow man and grow in godly character (1 John 2:4).
We follow the example of Jesus and the apostles in keeping the Ten Commandments – including observing the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, Saturday. We also observe the annual Holy Days of God, as these Holy Days picture the plan of God. Christ was crucified on the very day of Passover (Nisan 14); God’s Holy Spirit came on the very day of Pentecost (Firstfruits). Likewise, we expect the return of Jesus Christ on the Day of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) at the sounding of the last trumpet. We believe that in the near future on that day, Jesus Christ will return to this earth to establish God’s peaceful government over all peoples and nations. He will do this at a time when humanity is on the verge of self-destruction if God does not intervene. For more details, please see the Faith section of this website.
Our History
The United Church of God was formed in 1995 when ministers came together to establish a church based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the first century apostles. A conference was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, during that same year to establish a church with a mission to preach the gospel just as Jesus Christ did, and to care for those people whom God would call. A 12-person Council of Elders, elected by a general assembly of all ordained ministers in United, was tasked to create our statement of beliefs and appoint a president and operation managers.
Since then we have worked hard to establish strong, vibrant and healthy congregations, preach the gospel ever more effectively and offer a helping hand to a suffering world. Most notably our flagship magazine, Beyond Today (formerly The Good News), was released to teach others about God’s amazing plan for all people. A youth camp program was also established to help support future generations of the Church. The Good Works program was later founded by which local congregations can provide financial assistance in the event of emergencies affecting our members and their communities.
Other efforts to preach the gospel include a library of printed booklets made available free of charge and an accessible, informative website geared toward helping people develop a stronger relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. In addition, the Church has a weekly television program, Beyond Today, which airs nationwide across the United States and many other countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Our work continues. Jesus Christ’s example of love and service to all people inspires us every day. Those things are an important part of our history.
Our Publications
Among other things, we publish a bimonthly magazine, Beyond Today (formerly The Good News ), with articles on topics related to modern life today, which are presented from a Biblical perspective. We also publish a church magazine with local and international news ( United News ) and publish a large number of booklets and other materials for Bible study – new issues are continually being published. All of our publications are offered to you free of charge and without obligation.
Our Supporters
We are grateful for the generous tithes and offerings of the members of the Church and other contributors who voluntarily support this work. We do not appeal to the general public for financial resources.
Personal Counseling
It is our desire to share God’s way of life with those who are seriously choosing to worship and follow our Savior and Leader of our faith, Jesus Christ. Our ministers are available to counsel you, answer questions, and explain the Bible. If you would like to speak with one of our ministers or attend one of our meetings, please contact us.
