Editing Community of Christ (section)

{{Short description|Christian denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement}}
{{distinguish|Churches of Christ}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=June 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name                = Community of Christ
| caption_background  =
| image               = Community of Christ Seal and Nameplate.png
| imagewidth          = 200px
| alt                 = 
| caption             = 
| abbreviation        = CoC
| main_classification = [[Restorationism|Restorationist]]
| scripture          = {{ubl|[[Bible]]|[[Book of Mormon]]|[[Doctrine and Covenants]]}}
| orientation         = [[Latter Day Saint movement]]
| theology            = {{hlist|class=nowrap|[[Trinitarian]]|[[Mormonism]]}}
| polity              = [[Hierarchy|Hierarchical]]
| governance          = 
| structure           =
| leader_title        = [[President of the Church#Prophet-Presidents of the Community of Christ|Prophet-President]]
| leader_name         = [[Stassi D. Cramm]]
| director            =
| fellowships         = 
| associations        = [[National Council of Churches]]
| area                = 
| headquarters        = [[Independence, Missouri|Independence]], [[Missouri]], United States
| founder             = [[Joseph Smith III]]
| founded_date        = {{Plainlist|
*April 6, 1830 {{small|([[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]])}}
*April 6, 1860 {{small|(Reorganization)}}
*April 6, 2001 {{small|(Community of Christ)}}}}
| founded_place       = {{Plainlist|
*[[Fayette, New York|Fayette]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
*Reorganized: [[Amboy, Illinois|Amboy]], [[Illinois]], United States}}
| merger              = 
| separations         = [[:Category:Josephite denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement|Josephite denominations]] (such as [[Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]], [[Restoration branches]] and [[Church of Jesus Christ (Zion's Branch)]])
| hospitals           = 
| nursing_homes       = 
| aid                 = 
| congregations       = 1,100<ref name="cofc_">{{Cite web |title=Community of Christ and Consolidated Affiliates Consolidated Financial Report |date=December 31, 2020 |access-date=April 6, 2022 |url= https://s3.amazonaws.com/monkdev.mnk.26072/uploaded/a/0e13535791_1641229532_audit-report-for-fiscal-year-2020.pdf |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407004257/https://s3.amazonaws.com/monkdev.mnk.26072/uploaded/a/0e13535791_1641229532_audit-report-for-fiscal-year-2020.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
| members             = 250,000<ref name="cofc_" />
| ministers           = 
| missionaries        =
| primary_schools     = 
| secondary_schools   = 
| tax_status          =
| tertiary            = 
| other_names         = Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (legal name)
| website             = {{URL|http://CofChrist.org/}}
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Community of Christ''', known legally and from 1872 to 2001 as the '''Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints''' ('''RLDS'''), is an American-based international church,<ref name="coc_beliefs">{{citation |url= http://www.cofchrist.org/ourfaith/faith-beliefs.asp |title= Faith and Beliefs |publisher= Community of Christ |access-date= 2013-10-11 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120730151718/http://www.cofchrist.org/ourfaith/faith-beliefs.asp |archive-date= 2012-07-30 }}</ref> and is the second-largest denomination in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]]. The church reports approximately 250,000 members in 1,100 congregations in 59 countries.<ref name="cofc_" /> The church traces its origins to [[Joseph Smith]]'s establishment of the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]] on April 6, 1830.<ref>Staff (undated). [https://web.archive.org/web/20031123122119/http://www.cofchrist.org/history/earlychurch.asp "The Early Church (1830)"]. Community of Christ. Retrieved January 8, 2012.</ref> His eldest son, [[Joseph Smith III]], formally accepted leadership of the church on April 6, 1860,<ref>{{cite book |last=Edwards |first=Paul M. |title=Our Legacy of Faith: A Brief History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |date=1991 |publisher=[[Herald House]] |isbn=0-8309-0594-4 |pages=132, 163}}</ref> in the aftermath of the 1844 [[death of Joseph Smith]].

Community of Christ is a [[Restorationism (Christian primitivism)|Restorationist]] faith expression. Still, various practices and beliefs are congruent with [[Mainline (Protestant)|mainline Protestant]] Christianity. While it generally rejects the term ''Mormon'' to describe its members, the church abides by a number of theological distinctions unusual outside [[Mormonism]], including but not limited to: ongoing prophetic leadership, a [[Priesthood (Community of Christ)|priesthood polity]], the use of the [[Book of Mormon]] and the [[Doctrine and Covenants]] as scripture, belief in the cause of [[Zion (Latter Day Saints)|Zion]], the building of temples, and an interpretation of the [[Word of Wisdom (Latter Day Saints)|Word of Wisdom]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030345/http://www.cofchrist.org/onlineresources/DocCovenants/section161.asp Section 161, Doctrine and Covenants], Community of Christ</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070703081435/http://cofchrist.org/onlineresources/DocCovenants/section162.asp Section 162, Doctrine and Covenants], Community of Christ</ref><ref name=D&C163>[http://www.cofchrist.org/D&C163/section163.asp ''Section 163'', Doctrine and Covenants] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120112632/http://www.cofchrist.org/D%26C163/section163.asp |date=2010-01-20 }}, Community of Christ</ref><ref>[http://www.cofchrist.org/presidency/sermons/_040509Veazey.asp ''Presidential Address of April 5, 2009''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609213722/http://www.cofchrist.org/presidency/sermons/_040509Veazey.asp |date=June 9, 2009 }}, Community of Christ</ref><ref name="intoxicants">[https://www.cofchrist.org/Common/Cms/resources/Documents/WEB-Official-Intoxicants-Policy2017.pdf Pastoral Letter on Intoxicants ]</ref> In many respects, the church differs from the larger [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) and most other Latter Day Saint denominations in its [[religious liberalism]], belief in a more traditional conception of the [[trinity]] (as opposed to a [[Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints#God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost|godhead of three separate and distinct beings]]), and rejection of [[Exaltation (Mormonism)|exaltation]] and the [[Plan of salvation (Latter Day Saints)|plan of salvation]]. Salvation is considered a personal matter and not subject to dogma, but [[sola gratia|salvation by grace alone]] is emphasized. The church considers itself to be [[Creed#Christians without creeds|non-creedal]] and accepts people with a wide range of beliefs. Church teachings emphasize that "all are called" as "persons of worth" to "share the peace of Christ".<ref name="coc_beliefs" />

Community of Christ worship follows a free-form worship placing more of the foundation on scripture based on the [[Revised Common Lectionary]].<ref>[https://www.cofchrist.org/common/cms/resources/Documents/Using-the-Lectionary-14-15.pdf] webpage retrieved April 27, 2019</ref> From its headquarters in [[Independence, Missouri]], the church offers a special focus on [[evangelism]], peace and justice ministries, spirituality and wholeness, youth ministries and outreach ministries.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010408022419/http://cofchrist.org/seek/min.asp Community of Christ Ministries and Services], webpage, retrieved June 17, 2006</ref>