Disciples Of Christ Would "Welcome A Conversation" With Santorum

He suggested in 2008 that Mainline Protestants aren't real Christians. "All we do is driven by Jesus Christ's call to care for his people," says a spokeswoman.

Rick Santorum's 2008 dismissal of the Mainline Protestant denominations — many of whose leaderships are on the political left — as "gone from the world of Christianity as I see it" was one in a string of remarks reviving his persona as a culture warrior.

BuzzFeed reached out to officials at several Mainline denominations, including Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Methodist, over the holiday weekend, and the first to respond was the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

The denomination, which claims more than 650,000 members in more than 3,500 congregations, is among those Santorum suggested isn't really Christian.

Cherilyn Williams, the Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Disciples of Christ, said in an email:

For the Disciples of Christ, our call has always been to work for wholeness among the children of God whether that means working for physical water for those without or providing education for those who are thirsting for knowledge. The "how" of this work is changing as needs change in the world. All we do is driven by Jesus Christ's call to care for his people. We would welcome a conversation about our mutual concern for making the world a more caring place.

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