CCK » Church Governance

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The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada is somewhat unique in its governance structure. Each congregation enjoys its own autonomy. It owns and manages its own property. It calls (and dismisses) its own personnel including its pastoral leadership. It is responsible for its own financial health and well-being. The congregation is the highest ranking authority within the CC(DOC).

Each congregation is also a part of a covenantal ministry with thousands of congregations throughout the US and Canada. These congregations recognize that there are ministries they can do together that they cannot do alone. Each congregation is a part of one of 33 different geographical clusters called “regions.” Each region has its own place within the covenantal design of the CC(DOC). Congregations and their identifying regions are part of the bi-national structure known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada. The CC(DOC) is further divided into ten general ministries that serve the whole.

There is no hierarchical ordering within the CC(DOC). Therefore, the accountability that each congregation, region and general ministry has to all the others is through honoring the established covenants that define these relationships. These covenants are subject to review and amendment through the biennial General Assembly.

Congregations write and live by their own constitution and by-laws. The CCK staff can assist congregations in assessing how well their forms of governance serve their ministries in these changing times and assist them in developing new forms of governance when warranted.