Our Mission & Covenant

“We are a people of God, living and sharing the love of Christ – and reflecting that love in WORDS and ACTIONS.”

We affirm that no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at Iao United Church of Christ. We are a confessing church in which we share what we believe with one another. We become members by sharing a simple covenant:

We covenant one with another to seek and respond to the Word and will of God. We purpose to walk together in the ways of the Lord, made known and to be made known to us.

We hold it to be the mission of the church to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world, while worshiping God, and striving for truth, justice and peace. As did our ancestors, we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead and empower us. We pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the triumph of righteousness and eternal life.

From the UCC.org’s web page on ONA:

“Open and Affirming (ONA) is the United Church of Christ’s (UCC) designation for congregations, campus ministries, and other bodies in the UCC which make a public covenant of welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.”

Iao United Church of Christ is a multi-racial and multicultural church that is open and affirming to all people regardless of race, color, nationality, age, political alliances, different abilities and sexual orientations.

We embody that commitment in our worship, in our policies and in our ministry to our faith community.

We are a congregation that cares for its members and its staff, that will make and keep commitments to the larger church, that is not afraid of inter-faith cooperation and dialogue, and that is liberal in welcoming all people into this community of faith because of the love we know in Jesus Christ.