Community of Christ affirms Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the center of the church's mission. The denomination has moved toward a Christology more consonant with mainstream Christianity — affirming Christ's full divinity and humanity without the distinctive LDS qualifications about his being the firstborn spirit child or his identity as Jehovah of the Old Testament in a strict LDS sense.

The church's Mission Statement declares: 'Jesus Christ, the living head of the church, is the lens through which we interpret scripture and make decisions.' This Christ-centered orientation is intentionally stated in terms accessible to ecumenical partners and to members from various theological backgrounds.