More than 300 residents gathered at a special Christian service last week to proclaim their unity through Jesus Christ.

The “One in Christ” service culminated a six-week sermon series organized and hosted by eight local churches.

The “Progressive Christianity: Fact or Fiction?” series attracted Internet attention throughout the nation as some pastors and others criticized its theme and tone.

Yet those who hosted the series said they remained steadfast in their resolve and that they were simply explaining Biblical truth and taking a stand against teachings that deviated from those truths on such issues as the virgin birth, the inerrancy of the Bible, the deity of Christ and others.

Organizers also said they received many positive comments and that overall church attendance increased during the special series.

Presbyterian Church Pastor Bill Good, current head of the Fountain Hill Ministerial Association, the group behind the effort, said the service was an historic occasion.

The association for decades has organized an Easter Sunrise Service, and most recently a Thanksgiving community service and a Baccalaureate for graduating seniors.

A National Day of Prayer service the past few years also has been organized by the group.

However, Good said at the service the association has not always included several local pastors and that this series has unified the group even more than before.

He said pastors are discussing other ways to have joint services or studies or projects.

Good said the participating churches may have minor denominational and doctrinal differences, but that they were all united as a body of believers under the same savior – Jesus Christ.

“The series was such a tremendous success, we thought it appropriate to come together as a united body of believers in worship,” Good said in a statement prior to the service.

Christ’s Church Pastor Don Lawrence noted in his opening remarks that Jesus said a prayer recorded in the book of John that mentioned future believers and his desire that they be “one” in belief.

“Jesus prays that we would be one,” Lawrence said. “That we would be united. At this very moment we are seeing an answer to a prayer of Jesus.

“We have come together in the name of Jesus. We are one in Christ.”

It was hosted at Christ’s Church, and a social time was held afterward with snacks and refreshments.

Besides Good, other participating pastors were Tom Daly, Trinity Lutheran Church; Don Lawrence, Christ’s Church; Rick Ponzo, Calvary Chapel; Rod Warembourg, Desert Creek Fellowship; Tony Pierce, First Baptist Church; Dr. Steve Bergeson, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church.

Pastor Todd Forrest from the Fountain Hills Christian Center also participated in the series but could not attend the “One in Christ” service.