Congregational tradition finds its roots in Matthew 18:20:  "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."  Congregationalists hold that the local gathering of the people of God in Christ's name is the church proper, and that any organization beyond that cannot claim any authority over that church.  Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and he holds all authority. 

We are gathered as the church by covenant, not by creed.  That is, our church is defined by our relationship to one another, not by the details of what we believe.  The covenant of the Duluth Congregational Church is:

We covenant with the Lord and with one another, and do bind ourselves in the presence of God to walk together in all his ways according as he is pleased to reveal himself unto us in his blessed word of truth.

It is based on the Salem Church Covenant of 1629; versions of it are used by Congregational churches throughout the world.

Congregationalists are a part of the larger Christian tradition and are formed and molded by the history of Christian thought.  Although most members of a congregation may agree with the creeds and doctrines of orthodox Christianity, that which makes us church is the covenant that binds us, not an agreed-upon set of beliefs.   Congregationalists have historically valued education and freedom, of body and of conscience.  Many of this nation's great institutions of learning trace their roots to Congregationalism, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Williams, and Carleton,  Our history is also filled with stories of women and men who spoke out for the rights of Native Americans, blacks, and women.

Duluth Congregational Church seeks to walk the Congregational Way, inspired by our forebears in faith and bound together by Christ's love.