It’s extremely helpful for a church to have a catechism. Not just a “Statement of Principles,” or something like that, but a specific, detailed, nail-it-down catechism. It could be question-and-answer, like the Westminster Shorter Catechism or the Baltimore Catechism, or it could be more in the textbook form of the CCC.
Regardless of the format, a person who is signing on the church should be able to answer any major questions that come up by referencing specifics in an official church document.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I have tried to find details regarding other denominations, but most do not seem to have a written statement of their doctrine. Perhaps they just “wing it”.