Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council

A second international body is the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC), founded in 1979, as a council of member churches throughout the world from the Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ, together with United and Uniting Churches which Disciples have joined, who have taken official action to join the DECC in supporting its stated goals. The DECC was established to further and strengthen the common calling of Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ to visible unity and mission. It is not a legislative body, but is intended to enable the churches to consult with each other about matters of Christian faith, witness and unity. In particular the DECC seeks: 

 –    to deepen the fellowship of Disciples with each other and with other churches on their way to the visible unity God wills for God’s people;
 –    to facilitate relationships between its member churches and regional and international ecumenical bodies;
 –    to encourage participation in the ecumenical movement through joint theological study, international bilateral dialogues, church union conversations and other forms of ecumenical engagement and programmes of joint action and witness;
 –    to gather, share and evaluate information about Disciples’ ecumenical activities in local, national and regional situations around the world, and to report on its own activities to member churches;
 –    to represent the worldwide fellowship of Disciples of Christ/Churches of Christ in the wider ecumenical movement, including the appointment of official representatives of Disciples, when invited to do so by ecumenical bodies such as the World Council of Churches, other Christian World Communions (including the Catholic Church), regional ecumenical bodies, etc.

The DECC pledges itself not to undertake work separately which can be better done together with other churches and Christian World Communions. The DECC has 19 member churches, representing 4.5 million Christians throughout the world. Ten of the member churches are also members of the WCC.