Editing Community of Christ (section)

=== Changes in beliefs and practices ===
During the twentieth century, the then-Reorganized Church underwent what some scholars termed an "RLDS Reformation" in which the denomination's leadership pivoted toward mainline Protestant religious thought.<ref>{{Harvnb|Howlett|2013|p=105}}.</ref> Since the 1960s, the church's proselytizing outside North America have caused a re-assessment and gradual evolution of its traditional practices and beliefs.<ref name=D&C163 /><ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/rlds.htm History of the CofC Church] religioustolerance.org webpage, retrieved November 5, 2006</ref>

A revelation presented by [[Wallace B. Smith]] in 1984 decreed the construction of the [[Independence Temple]] and [[Ordination of women|the ordination of women to the priesthood]], after long-standing calls for both.<ref>{{citation |last= Howard |first= Richard P. |author-link= Richard P. Howard |contribution-url= http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/EoM/id/4127 |contribution= Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church) |pages= 1211–1216 |editor-last= Ludlow |editor-first= Daniel H |editor-link= Daniel H. Ludlow |year= 1992 |title= [[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]] |location= New York |publisher= [[Macmillan Publishing]] |isbn= 0-02-879602-0 |oclc= 24502140 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centerplace.org/library/study/dc/rdc-156.htm|title=RLDS Section 156}}</ref> Following the retirement of Smith as Prophet-President of the Church, [[W. Grant McMurray]] was appointed as the new President. Although McMurray had been designated prophet-president by Smith, some members objected because he was the first church president who was not a direct descendant of Joseph Smith, which they considered to be a distinguishing trait from other denominations of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]].<ref name="Choices">{{cite news |url=http://legacy.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/religion/050305/leader.shtml |title=Finding a Successor |access-date=2008-06-03 |date=2005-03-05 |newspaper=[[The Decatur Daily]]}}</ref>

These changes, among others, were controversial among the membership, and they led to the formation of [[Restoration Branches|breakaway churches]] such as the [[Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]]; in 1994, former church historian [[Richard P. Howard]] estimated that 25,000 members had left to join such groups.{{sfn|Launius|1998|p=53}} Between the mid-1960s and the late 1990s, there was a one-third decline in new baptisms in the United States along with a 50 percent drop in contributions in the decade before 1998.{{sfn|Launius|1998|pp=51–54}} The decline in membership was offset somewhat by an increase in converts outside the United States.<ref>Launius</ref>{{Page needed|date=June 2022}} Growth continues to be driven by missions outside the US, particularly in the developing world and in Australia. In recent years, the church has attracted many [[ex-Mormon]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dissatisfied liberal Mormons find refuge in the Community of Christ |date=2015-10-01 |website=[[The Guardian]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517050317/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/01/women-lgbt-mormons-community-of-christ |archive-date=2023-05-17 |url-status=live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/01/women-lgbt-mormons-community-of-christ}}</ref>

The vision and mission statements of the Community of Christ were adopted in 1996 by the leading [[quorum (Latter Day Saints)|quorums]] of the church's leadership and reflect the peace and justice centered ministries of the denomination. In its mission statement, the church declares that "[w]e proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love and peace." The vision statement states that "We will become a worldwide church dedicated to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit."<ref>[http://www.cofchrist.org/seek/vision.asp Our Vision and Mission] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621124952/http://www.cofchrist.org/seek/vision.asp |date=2006-06-21 }}, webpage, retrieved June 17, 2006</ref>

[[File:Kirtlandtemple2 ArM.jpg|thumb|The [[Kirtland Temple]]. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ until 2024.]]