Editing The Christian Community (section)

==Organization==
[[File:Kristiyhteisö hki.jpg|thumb|Altar in a Christian Community congregation in [[Helsinki, Finland]]]]
The Christian Community has a modified congregational polity in which each congregation, of which there are approximately 200, is governed by its own members and is financially independent from the organization as a whole.<ref name="cults"/> Priests assemble at the national and international levels in synods and elect a coordinator from among their own number.<ref name="cults"/> The Christian Community is globally headed by the Erzoberlenker, a priest whose office is located in [[Stuttgart, Germany]].<ref name="cults"/>

The Christian Community's clergy, referred to as priests, are ordained by national synods upon completion of six months of instruction in one of its three seminaries, followed by an internship with an active priest in a congregation. Both men and women are ordained. The Christian Community does not claim [[Apostolic succession]].<ref name="abc"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Coulombe |first1=Charles |title=Heretic of the week: Rudolf Steiner |url=https://catholicherald.co.uk/heretic-of-the-week-rudolf-steiner/ |access-date=November 21, 2024 |work=[[Catholic Herald]] |date=April 25, 2019}}</ref>

===Ecumenical and external relations===
The Christian Community is one of several self-identifying Christian faiths, including [[Mormonism]] and the [[Salvation Army]], whose baptisms are not considered valid by the [[Roman Catholic Church]], according to the list of the [[Archdiocese of Cincinnati]] website.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Issue of Baptism |url=https://resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/tribunal/valid-baptisms |website=catholicaoc.org |publisher=Archdiocese of Cincinnati |access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>{{weight|date=January 2026}} The [[Evangelical Church in Germany]] also does not accept the Christian Community's baptisms, however, neither does it deny its Christianity.<ref name="enc"/> A study commissioned by the [[World Council of Churches]] in 1950 recommended it be accepted into membership in the organization; its application was ultimately refused.<ref name="enc">{{cite book |editor-first1=Erwin |editor-last1=Fahlbusch |editor-first2=Geoffrey William |editor-last2=Bromiley|first=Hubertus |last=Mynarek |title=The Encyclopedia of Christianity |date=1999 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans |page=440 |isbn=9780802824134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z47zgZ75dqgC|chapter=Christian Community, The|volume=1}}</ref> The community itself states it operates "without attachment to any existing church or ecumenical movement".<ref>{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://www.thechristiancommunity.org/about/ |website=thechristiancommunity.org |publisher=The Christian Community |access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>

Many members of the Christian Community are also members of the Anthroposophical Society and there are informal ties between the two groups.<ref name="cults"/> However, it is a legally distinct organization.<ref name="cults">{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=James |title=The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions |date=2001 |publisher=Prometheus |isbn=9781615927388 |page=167 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lk8_ARNz-dYC}}</ref>