In the past few years, topics addressed at the annual forum included gospel perspectives of life, immigration, mass incarceration, poverty and racism.

CCT brings together the diversity of Christian churches and organizations in the U.S. to foster loving relationships, cultivate theological learning, and discern through consensus how we bear witness to the reconciling power of Jesus.

This process was designed with the hope it will be applicable both to the national CCT and to local expressions that may come into existence.

This spirit of inclusion also extends to other ecumenical groups, organizations and regional councils within the United States.

The hope is the CCT process will be replicated across the country in regional and/or state ecumenical councils and associations.

It is important CCT work on the "religious literacy" of Christians in the US, and therefore the concept of receptive ecumenism, through which we learn from each other about theologies, histories and organizations, will always be held as foundational.

This means inviting well-known persons from within our Family Groups, who are on the right, center and left of the topic or issue.

This is important, because knowledge of specific issues is not necessarily the forte of persons who ecumenically represent faith communions and Christian organizations.

On September 7–8, 2001, various American church leaders met informally in Baltimore to explore whether or not the time had come to "create a new, more inclusive body."

At the meeting no votes were taken, but there was a strong desire among the participants for a broader structure of some kind that would include all the major groupings of churches.

In 2017, the Bruderhof Communities, the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the International Justice Mission joined CCT.