National City Christian Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable The Rev. Stephanie Kendell (Senior Minister + President since 2023)

Founded 1843

Denomination Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Service Times Sunday 11:00 AM worship (in-sanctuary + YouTube/Facebook livestream)

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry No

Website nationalcitycc.org/

Pastor Credentials Ordained Disciples of Christ clergy; first female senior pastor of NCCC; former 1st Vice-Moderator of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 2019-2023

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

DoC affirms creedal Christology in name but the denomination is non-confessional ("no creed but Christ"); local congregational diversity wide.

Caution

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Disciples of Christ broadly accepts historical-critical scholarship; non-inerrantist.

WARNING!

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

No men's ministry listed.

WARNING!

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

DoC heritage affirms believer's baptism by immersion for remission of sins — Stone-Campbell sacramental framework; mainline drift on doctrinal specifics.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Female senior pastor (Rev. Stephanie Kendell, 2023-present); DoC ordains women since 1888; egalitarian polity.

Female senior pastor (Rev. Stephanie Kendell, 2023-present); DoC ordains women since 1888.

WARNING!

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Congregationalist Restorationist polity; senior minister + board.

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Topical, lectionary-based mainline preaching; progressive social-gospel orientation.

WARNING!

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

DoC Week of Compassion (denominational humanitarian fund); Wider Mission.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

DoC is Open & Affirming friendly; NCCC publicly progressive on LGBT inclusion; per MOOP rubric = red.

WARNING!

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Disciples of Christ has been on a progressive mainline trajectory for decades; ordained gay clergy and many congregations are Open & Affirming. Per rubric = red.

WARNING!

Assessment

National City Christian Church is the architectural and ecclesiastical "cathedral" of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) — a neoclassical John Russell Pope landmark on Thomas Circle, completed 1930, with stained-glass windows commemorating Presidents James A. Garfield and Lyndon B. Johnson, both Disciples. President Johnson occasionally attended during his presidency and his state funeral was held here on January 25, 1973. The church called The Rev. Stephanie Kendell as its first female senior pastor and president in 2023 — she previously served as 1st Vice-Moderator of the entire denomination. Disciples of Christ as a whole is mainline-progressive: non-inerrantist, egalitarian, with many Open & Affirming congregations and openly affirming LGBT clergy. NCCC publicly aligns with this trajectory. By MOOP's rubric the church is red across gender, cultural, denominational, and preaching dimensions — beautiful building, beautiful presidential history, theological distance significant.

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MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Live-fetched 2026-05-16: nationalcitycc.org confirms 5 Thomas Circle NW, Sunday 11am worship, Disciples of Christ. Wikipedia documents LBJ's occasional attendance during presidency and state funeral 1973-01-25. Stained-glass windows commemorate Presidents Garfield and Johnson. Senior Pastor Rev. Stephanie Kendell installed 2023 (first female SP); credentials verified via revstephaniekendell.com. [2026-05-19] MOOP rubric: Disciples of Christ — affirming since 2013. Already rated red.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source nationalcitycc.org
[2] Live source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_City_Christian_Church
[3] Live source revstephaniekendell.com

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.