OUR MISSION

First Christian Church is called to bring people into a relationship with God by Believing in Jesus, Belonging to a faith community, and Becoming Disciples commissioned for ministry and service.

Who we are...

First Christian Church is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a religious movement which had its beginnings on the American frontier.  With Christian unity as its guiding principle, Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander, and Barton Stone founded the movement in 1832.

Today the church numbers about a million members in 3900 congregations in the U.S. and Canada.

Congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are locally governed and work conventionally with their denominational structures, homes for the young and old, and homeland and overseas ministries of all kinds.

First Christian Church in McPherson began in 1875, with fourteen charter members.  Early meetings were held in the Opera house, in a school on the corner of Ash and Euclid, and other places around town. The present property was purchased in 1886 for $1,000.

Our current facility consists of the Braden Educational Building, dedicated in July 1958, and the Sanctuary, dedicated in November 1969.

At the present time, First Christian Church consists of 500 members, and strives to be true to the gospel of Jesus Christ through community involvement, worship, fellowship, education, and a sensitivity to the needs of this world which God loves.

What we believe……

No formal creeds define our theology or exclude anyone from our fellowship.  There is vast freedom and diversity within our congregations, with only one primary requirement for membership – belief in Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Supper, which we observe each Sunday, is the central act of worship.  We practice the rite of Baptism by immersion for believers, and members of other churches are received into our fellowship by transfer of membership with no repetition of baptism required.

The Bible is our primary witness to the presence and activity of the living God in the world.  It is the responsibility of each Christian to bring the text into dialogue with Christian tradition, experience and reason in understanding its authority for today.

While ordained clergy carry out many of the ministerial functions, all members are called to ministry, including teaching children and youth, caring for others, leading in worship, and determining the church’s direction for ministry.

Ours is a very ecumenically oriented church, meaning we seek unity and work cooperatively with Christians of other denominations, backgrounds and practices, believing this is what Christ will and prayed for.

We have a democratic congregational polity.  We own our property, determine the use of our financial resources, and call our ministers.