Conservative Congregational Christian

Conference
The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
(CCCC or 4Cs) is a Congregationalist denomination of Protestant Conservative
Christianity. It is based in the United States. Congregational Christian
Conference
The denomination maintains headquarters in Lake Elmo, Classification Evangelical
Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. It is a member of the World Protestant
Evangelical Congregational Fellowship and the National
Association of Evangelicals.[1] Orientation Congregationalist
Polity Congregational

History Associations World

Evangelical
The CCCC has its roots in the Conservative Congregational Congregational
Christian Fellowship, which was formed in 1945 within the Fellowship;
Congregational Christian Churches by churches and ministers who National
disagreed with what they perceived as an unacceptable liberal Association of
direction being taken by the majority of the denomination's Evangelicals
members and leadership. In 1948, this group established itself as
Region United States
the CCCC.[1]
Headquarters Lake Elmo,
The CCCC was one of two U.S. Congregational Christian bodies Minnesota
to split from the main denomination in the decade leading up to the
1957 merger of the Congregational Christian Church with the Origin 1948
Evangelical and Reformed Church, forming the United Church of Separated from Congregational
Christ (UCC). The other dissenting Congregational Christian Christian
group was the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
Churches (NACCC), which split from the main group in 1955
Congregations 298 (2019)
over concerns about maintaining congregational polity and
opposition to some national CC ethical and political stances, not Members 42,296 (2010)
over theology per se. Official website www.ccccusa
.com (http://www.
Theology/doctrine ccccusa.com)

The CCCC espouses theologically conservative views. It opposes homosexuality, abortion, and non-marital
sexual activity. The CCCC holds to traditional Protestant Christian faith and inerrancy is a guiding principle
in Biblical interpretation carried out by ministers and teachers. Some ministers have sought to revive an
interest in the study and teachings of Puritanism; however, both Reformed and Arminian emphases may be
found in the CCCC, as is usually the case with larger, more broadly-based evangelical groups.

Practices
The CCCC admits churches of any origin that operate according to congregational polity and that subscribe
to the denomination's Statement of Faith, which contains most of the tenets of conservative evangelicalism
as developed throughout the 20th century. Although refusing to permit critiques concerning the main points
of doctrine, the CCCC does allow for local opinion and practices in matters not pertaining to those subjects
addressed in the Statement. The motto “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty, and in all things, love”
is repeated freely in CCCC circles. Member churches derive not only from the founding Congregational
and Christian traditions, but also Evangelical and Reformed (former UCC member congregations), Baptist,
and non-denominational heritages; most churches joining the CCCC subsequent to the denomination's
founding have been acquisitions, rather than new starts.

Structure
The local church is the basic unit of the CCCC, but churches and pastors nevertheless agree to voluntarily
associate with other churches of like mind. To that end, regional fellowships are established across the
United States, much in the same manner as the UCC and NACCC; the role of the regional body is more
similar to the NACCC than the UCC, in order to restrain the tendency toward inter-congregational
authority. Moderators of each area fellowship are chosen by the local fellowship (composed of
representatives from area CCCC churches and nearby CCCC member ministers). Area Representatives are
appointed by the Conference Minister (who functions as the Executive Director or National Pastor for the
CCCC). Area Representatives serve as local CCCC contacts, to represent the Conference Minister, and to
serve as a liaison between the national organization and the area fellowships.

Statistics
As of 2005, the CCCC had 42,838 members in 275 churches.[2] It has experienced steady growth since its
founding.[2] As of 2000, there were congregations in 30 states. Membership is concentrated primarily in
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and the Midwest.[3] As of 2010, the CCCC had 42,296 members
in 298 member churches.[4]

See also
Congregational Library

References
1. Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. National Council of Churches. 2010. p. 103.
2. "Conservative Congregational Christian Conference" (http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1
311.asp). The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2009-12-17. Information
attributed to the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, published by The
National Council of Churches.
3. "2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study" (http://www.thearda.com/mapsRep
orts/maps/map.asp?variable=155&state=101&variable2=). Glenmary Research Center.
Retrieved 2009-12-17.
 4. "2015-16 Yearbook for the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference" (http://www.
ccccusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015-2016YRbk-Aug.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved
2016-03-28.Yearbook for the CCCC

Sources
Yearbook, Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
Handbook of Denominations, 12th edition (Abingdon Press)
Modern Day Pilgrims (2000: Foresee Publications, St. Paul, Minn.)
Foresee (official newsletter of the Conference)

External links
CCCC Website (http://www.ccccusa.com)
Article about UCC Churches joining the CCCC (https://archive.today/20130416102029/htt
p://www.ekumenizm.pl/article.php?story=20050531120622852&mode=print)
Profile of the CCCC on the Association of Religion Data Archives website (http://www.theard
a.com/Denoms/D_1311.asp)

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