Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council

Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council
Disciples World Communion
TypeCommunion
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationRestoration Movement (Disciples), Reformed
PolityCongregational
General SecretaryPaul S. Tché
ModeratorShernett Smith
Region18 countries
HeadquartersIndianapolis
Origin1979 (1979)
Congregations15,528
Members4.5 million members
Official websitedisciplesworldcommunion.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council (DECC), also named the Disciples of Christ World Communion, is a worldwide council of member churches associated with the Disciples of Christ, including United and Uniting Churches which Disciples churches have joined. It is an associate member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The headquarters is in Indianapolis.

History

The Council has its origins in a meeting organized by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nairobi during the World Council of Churches conference in 1975.[1] The Council was officially founded in 1979 in Kingston, Jamaica by 12 denominations.[2] According to a denomination census released in 2025, it claimed 18 member denominations in 18 countries and 4.5 million members.[3]

Member list

In 2024, the DECC had 18 members:[4]

Countrydenominational subfamilyDenominationNumber of congregationsNumber of membersYear
ArgentinaDisciples of ChristEvangelical Church of the Disciples of Christ77002006[5]
AustraliaChurches of ChristChurches of Christ in Australia43040,0002006[6]
CanadaDisciples of ChristChristian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada252,6062006[7]
Democratic Republic of the CongoDisciples of ChristChurch of Christ in Congo - Community of Disciples of Christ193650,0002006[8]


GhanaChurches of ChristUnited Churches of Christ of Christ (Ghana)---
IndiaUnited Churches (Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists and Disciples of Christ)Church of North India4,6002,300,0002025[9]
JamaicaUnited Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Disciples of Christ)United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands19414,0002025[10]
MalawiChurches of ChristChurch of Christ in Malawi4,00075,0001991[11][12]
MexicoDisciples of ChristAssociation of Evangelical Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ)---
New ZealandChurches of ChristAssociation of Churches of Christ in New Zealand332,0002006[13]
ParaguayDisciples of ChristDisciples of Christ Church in Paraguay12-2020[14]
Puerto RicoDisciples of ChristChristian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico10519,0002024[15]
South AfricaCongregationalUnited Congregational Church of Southern Africa1,0001,500,0002024[16][17]
United KingdomUnited Churches (Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Disciples of Christ)United Reformed Church1,24235,8442022[18]
United KingdomChurches of ChristFellowship of the Churches of Christ in England632,6212020[19]
United StatesDisciples of ChristChristian Church (Disciples of Christ)3,624277,8642022[20]
VanuatuChurches of ChristChurches of Christ - Vanuatu---
ZimbabweChurches of ChristAssociation of Churches of Christ in Zimbabwe---
GlobalTotalEcumenical Disciples Advisory Council15,5284,919,6352004-2024

Beliefs

The Council is an associate member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Ans Joachim van der Bent, Historical Dictionary of Ecumenical Christianity, Scarecrow Press, Lanham MD, 1994, p. 76
  2. ↑ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, 2010, p. 891
  3. ↑ Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council, About the DECC, disciplesworldcommunion.org, USA, accessed August 16, 2025
  4. ↑ "Disciples Ecumenical Advisory Council". Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Evangelical Church of the Disciples of Christ in Argentina". World Council of Churches. January 1975. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Churches of Christ in Australia". World Council of Churches. January 1948. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada". January 1948. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Church of Christ in Congo - Community of the Disciples of Christ". January 1965. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Demographics of the Church of North India". Archived from the original on July 13, 2025. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  10. ↑ "United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands". Archived from the original on May 2, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  11. ↑ "A brief history of the Churches of Christ in Africa". November 1991. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  12. ↑ Erik Tryggestad (January 1, 2011). "The face of Malawi: In a small African Nation, Churches of Christ Thrive". Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Christian Churches New Zealand". World Council of Churches. January 1948. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Disciples of Christ Church in Paraguay". Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico". Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  16. ↑ "United Congregational Church of Southern Africa". Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  17. ↑ "History of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa". Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  18. ↑ Clive D. Field (January 1, 2023). "Counting Religion in Britain: A Monthly Round-Up of New Statistical Sources" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Statistics of the Fellowship of Churches of Christ in England". Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  20. ↑ Jeffrey Walton (September 15, 2023). "Review: Disciples of Christ suffer huge drop in membership after 2019". Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  21. ↑ World Communion of Reformed Churches, Members, wcrc.ch, accessed August 16, 2025
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