About Eighth Day Faith Community
The Eighth Day Faith Community is one of the nine faith communities in the tradition of the Church of the Saviour, an ecumenical Christian church in Washington, D.C. We consider ourselves a part of the Christian church universal, with members from many different expressions of the Christian church: Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Mennonites, Presbyterians and others. We value the gifts that the many Christian traditions have to offer and believe that an openness to these different streams of Christianity allows us a richer faith.
Eighth Day takes its name from the faith that God has continued to create beyond the biblical seven days. The eighth day of creation is the life we now lead, one in which we are to be co-creators with God of a reign of justice, compassion and care for God's creation as witnesses of God's love expressed in Jesus Christ. We are a multi-ethnic worshiping body of over forty members and about twenty to thirty regular attenders.
In keeping with our confidence in the “priesthood of all believers,” we have no paid pastor or other staff. Instead, overall leadership is provided by members of the community. We rotate such roles as teacher/preacher, worship leader, retreat leader, and so on among the members of the worshiping community, encouraging new and experienced people alike to exercise their various gifts.
The missions page describes the concept of mission groups and the various missions and nonprofit charities that the church has helped start.
One School of Christian Living class has compiled the "marks" of the community.
Brief History
The Church of the Saviour was founded by Gordon and Mary Cosby and others in 1948 out of a call to create a new church. The intent was to look back to the earliest Christian communities and try to imitate their strong communal ties and their individual and corporate commitment. The spirit-filled early church was a place where "the whole body of believers was united in heart and soul." (Acts 4:32)
In 1976 the Church of the Saviour divided into smaller communities after realizing that at 100+ members it was getting too big and in order to be more faithful to God's call to do justice and love mercy. The Eighth Day Faith Community was among the first sister communities formed.
Founding members on July 18, 1976 were the following: David Dorsey, Dottie Bockstiegel, Helen and Harold Carey, Allan and Phyllis Holt, David Fitch, Dennis and Jayne Wood, Elizabeth O'Connor, Thelma Jones, Bill and Betty Price, and Esther Dorsey. It began meeting at the Potter's House on Sunday morning and later moved to meet at the Festival Center at 10AM.
Eighth Day takes its name from the title of Elizabeth O'Connor's book, The Eighth Day of Creation. After God created the world in seven days, we humans became co-creators with God for the continuing creation of God's dream. We are one of nine independent church communities birthed by the Church of the Saviour. Each church has its own worship service and mission groups. Click here for a list of Church of the Saviour worshiping opportunities during the week.
To find out more about The Church of the Saviour, click here or visit the Potter's House Bookstore Site for information on obtaining books by Elizabeth O'Connor (one of the founders of Eighth Day).