"The United Church of Christ, formed June 25, 1957, by the union of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches of the United States in order to express more fully the oneness in Christ of the churches composing it, to make more effective their common witness in Him, and to serve His kingdom in the world"

In 1985, a large group of U.C.C. members from every part of the country were called together to develop a clear "Statement of Mission" for the United Church of Christ.  A concise Statement of Mission was ratified by the 1987 General Synod:

"As people of the United Church of Christ, affirming our Statement of Faith, we seek within the church Universal to participate in God's mission and to follow the way of the crucified and risen Christ.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are called and commit ourselves:

To praise God, confess our sins and joyfully accept God's forgiveness;
To proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our suffering world;
To embody God's love for all people;
To hear and give voice to creation's cry for justice and peace;
To name and confront the powers of evil within and among us;
To repent our silence and complicity with the forces of chaos and death;
To preach and teach with the power of the living word;
To join oppressed and troubled people in the struggle for liberation;
To work for justice, healing and wholeness of life;
To embrace the unity of Christ's church;
To discern and celebrate the present and coming reign of God."

And, as Oakland Christian Church is a member of the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ, our joint mission is:

To create an environment for the continued spiritual growth of all our members.

To proclaim the saving grace, compassion, justice and peace of Jesus Christ for all people.

To pray, worship and work in covenant with the congregations of our conference and with mission partners at home and throughout the world.

To empower and equip clergy and laity for transforming ministry in the Body of Christ .    (Romans 12:1-2).

"The Southern Conference and all of its constituent churches have as their basic purpose, the fulfillment of the mission of God to which we have been called in Jesus Christ.  Every congregation   is founded in Christ and committed to carrying out His mission and ministry in its own community. The Southern Conference, because of its unique racial diversity, has a particular mission to embody and witness to the reconciliation which is God's gift in Christ. It links its churches in Christian unity and makes the resources we hold in common available to each for the effective pursuit of this mission in its local setting. The Conference, the institutions that are related to it, and the ministries of the entire United Church of Christ are all extensions of the mission of each local church and of all corporately."