THE COMMON RULE: THE RULE, COVENANTS, & GENERAL STATUTES
OF THE SACRAMENTAL COMMUNITY OF THE COWORKERS OF CHRIST
Adopted at the 2nd General Gathering May 4th 2006 Meeting in Ozark Missouri, updated by the General Gathering in 2007, 2010, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025 and approved in 2025 by the 20th General Gathering Meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas
INTRODUCTION
The Sacramental Community of the Coworkers of Christ (CWC) is an ecumenical autocephalous religious order within the Independent Sacramental Movement. We stand firmly within the Christian tradition upholding the spirit of the core tenets of the faith as expressed in Scripture and affirmed by the first seven Ecumenical Councils.
At the heart of our mission lies the preservation and sharing of our distinctive charism. We achieve this through a unique model that combines elements of Free Catholicism and the New Monasticism with the strengths of a community-based congregationalism. This, our foundational document, “The Common Rule,” serves as our guiding modality. It contains the Rule, Covenants, and General Statutes that outline our core principles.
The CWC embraces the seven Sacraments and finds its foundation of belief as expressed in the spirit of the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. We draw inspiration from historical documents like the Old Catholic Declaration of Utrecht (1889), the Fourteen Theses of the Old Catholic Union Conference at Bonn (1874), as well as contemporary affirmations of faith such as the Bill of Rights as published by the Association for Rights for Catholics in the Church (1998) and the Declaration Affirmation (2009). Our approach to faith, creed, and practice is one of a generous orthodoxy as expressed in the Free Catholic Tradition, welcoming a broad range of beliefs from within a Christian framework.
The CWC views itself as one expression of God’s truth among many within Christianity. We believe in the unity of the Church, transcending national borders, ethnicity, or earthly authority. Following the Free Church tradition, we answer only to Jesus Christ and hold no allegiance to worldly powers or principalities.
Our mission is to extend God’s love and the Sacraments to all people, regardless of background or circumstance. Age, ability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or socioeconomic status hold no barrier within our Community. We strive to embody the spirit of the apostolic faith while offering a truly inclusive and welcoming environment.
This document, adopted by the CWC’s General Gathering, serves as the foundation for our Community’s calling, charism, governance, and missionary endeavors. It outlines the core principles that guide our heart, life, and ministry.