What To Expect When You Go To United Church Of Christ Service

Protestant Christian denomination

This article is about the United States denomination known as "United Church of Christ". For other merged denominations, encounter United and uniting churches. For other churches that have the words "Church" and "Christ" in their name, see Church of Christ (disambiguation).

United Church of Christ
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Reformed/Progressive/Pluralist
Polity	Mix of Congregational and Presbyterian
Full general Government minister and President	John C. Dorhauer
Associations	Churches Uniting In Christ National Council of Churches World Communion of Reformed Churches Earth Council of Churches
Region	Usa
Headquarters	Cleveland, Ohio
Origin	1957; 65 years ago  (1957)
Merger of	Evangelical and Reformed Church building and the Congregational Christian Churches
Congregations	4852
Members	773,539 members in iv,794 congregations (2020)[ane]
Official website	www.ucc.org
Logo

The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately four,794 churches and 773,539 members.^{[ane] [two]} The United Church of Christ is a historical continuation of the General Council of Congregational Christian churches founded under the influence of New England Pilgrims^[3] and Puritans.^[four] Moreover, it also subsumed the third largest Calvinist group in the country, the German Reformed.^[iv] The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Full general Council of the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC. These ii denominations, which were themselves the outcome of earlier unions, had their roots in Congregational, Lutheran, Evangelical, and Reformed denominations. At the stop of 2014, the UCC'south 5,116 congregations claimed 979,239 members, primarily in the U.S.^[v] In 2015, Pew Research estimated that 0.4 percent, or one million adult adherents, of the U.S. population self-identify with the United Church of Christ.^[6]

The UCC maintains total communion with other mainline Protestant denominations. Many of its congregations choose to practise open communion.^[7] The denomination places high emphasis on participation in worldwide interfaith and ecumenical efforts.^{[viii] [9]} The national settings of the UCC have historically favored liberal views on social issues, such as civil rights, LGBT rights, women's rights, and abortion. However, United Church of Christ congregations are independent in matters of doctrine and ministry and may non necessarily support the national body's theological or moral stances. It self-describes every bit "an extremely pluralistic and diverse denomination".^[x]

History [edit]

Congregational Church in Connecticut.

The United Church building of Christ was formed when ii Protestant churches, the Evangelical and Reformed Church building and the General Quango of the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957.^{[eleven] [12] [13]} This union adopted an earlier full general statement of unity between the two denominations, the 1943 "Ground of Matrimony".^[fourteen] At this time, the UCC claimed about two million members.^[12] In 1959, in its Full general Synod, the UCC adopted a broad "Argument of Faith".^[15] The UCC adopted its constitution and by-laws in 1961.^[12]

Beliefs [edit]

There is no UCC hierarchy or body that can impose whatever doctrine or worship format onto the individual congregations within the UCC.^[xvi] While individual congregations are supposed to concord guidance from the general synod "in the highest regard", the UCC's constitution requires that the "autonomy of the Local Church is inherent and modifiable only by its own action".^[17]

South Parish Congregational Church and Parish House in Augusta, Maine in 2013.

Within this locally focused structure, nonetheless, there are central beliefs common to the UCC. The UCC often uses 4 words to describe itself: "Christian, Reformed, Congregational and Evangelical".^[18] While the UCC refers to its Evangelical characteristics, information technology springs from (and is considered office of) mainline Protestantism every bit opposed to some doctrines in Evangelicalism. The word evangelical in this case more closely corresponds with the original Lutheran origins pregnant "of the gospel" every bit opposed to the Evangelical utilize of the word. UCC is generally theologically liberal, and the denomination notes that the "Bible, though written in specific historical times and places, nevertheless speaks to united states of america in our present condition".^[xviii]

The motto of the United Church of Christ comes from John 17:21: "That they may all exist i". The denomination's official literature uses wide doctrinal parameters, emphasizing liberty of private conscience and local church autonomy.^{[ citation needed ]}

Historic confessions [edit]

In the United Church of Christ, creeds, confessions, and affirmations of religion function equally "testimonies of faith" around which the church gathers rather than as "tests of faith" rigidly prescribing required doctrinal consent. Every bit expressed in the United Church of Christ constitution:

The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. It looks to the Give-and-take of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive piece of work in the globe. Information technology claims as its own the religion of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the bones insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to brand this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God. In accordance with the teaching of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians, it recognizes two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.^[17]

The denomination, therefore, looks to a number of historic confessions every bit expressing the common faith around which the church gathers, including:

• The Apostles' Creed,
• The Nicene Creed,
• The Heidelberg Catechism (inherited from both the German Calvinist and High german Evangelical heritages),
• Luther'due south Small Canon (inherited from the German Evangelical heritage),
• The Kansas City Statement of Faith (a 1913 statement in the Congregationalist tradition),
• The Evangelical Catechism (a 1927 catechism in the German Evangelical tradition), and
• The Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ (written at the founding of the denomination).

Studies and surveys of beliefs [edit]

In 2001, Hartford Establish for Religion Enquiry did a "Faith Communities Today" (FACT) study^[xix] that included a survey of United Church of Christ beliefs. Among the results of this were findings that in the UCC, v.six% of the churches responding to the survey described their members as "very liberal or progressive", 3.4% equally "very conservative", 22.four% as "somewhat liberal or progressive", and 23.6% equally "somewhat bourgeois". Those results suggested a nigh equal residue between liberal and conservative congregations. The self-described "moderate" group, however, was the largest at 45%. Other statistics found past the Hartford Institute prove that 53.2% of members say "the Bible" is the highest source of potency, sixteen.1% say the "Holy Spirit", ix.ii% say "Reason", six.iii% say "Experience", and vi.1% say "Creeds".

David Roozen, director of the Hartford Institute for Faith Research who has studied the United Church building of Christ, said surveys bear witness the national church building'due south pronouncements are often more than liberal than the views in the pews merely that its governing construction is ready up to permit such disagreements.^[20] Starting in 2003, a task force commissioned by General Synod 24 studied the diverse worship habits of UCC churches. The study tin can be found online^[21] and reflects statistics on attitudes toward worship, baptism, and communion, such as "Laity (70%) and clergy (xc%) alike overwhelmingly describe worship 'as an encounter with God that leads to doing God'southward work in the world.'" "95 percent of our congregations employ the Revised Common Lectionary in some way in planning or bodily worship and preaching" and "96 percent always or most always accept a sermon, 86 pct have a time with children, 95 percentage have a time of sharing joys and concerns, and 98 per centum include the Prayer of Our Savior/Lord's Prayer." Clergy and laity were invited to select 2 meanings of baptism that they emphasize. They were too to advise the pregnant that they thought their entire church emphasized. Baptism as an "entry into the Church Universal" was the nigh frequent response. Clergy and laity were invited to identify two meanings of Holy Communion that they emphasize. While clergy emphasized Holy Communion equally "a meal in which we encounter God's living presence", laity emphasized "a remembrance of Jesus' terminal supper, death, and resurrection".^{[ commendation needed ]}

Relationships with other denominations [edit]

Ane of the UCC'due south key behavior is that it is "chosen to be a united and uniting church building".^[22] Because of this, the UCC is involved in Churches Uniting in Christ, an organization seeking to plant full communion among ix Protestant denominations in America.^[23] Currently, the UCC has entered into an ecumenical partnership with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and through A Formula of Agreement, signed in 1997, is in total communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (United states), and the Reformed Church building in America.^[23] Internationally, the UCC has been in full communion with the Union Evangelischer Kirchen (Matrimony of Evangelical Churches) in Germany since 1981.^[24] The UEK is an organization of xiii Reformed and United Landeskirchen (regional churches) within the federation of Protestant churches known as the Evangelical Church building of Germany.

In 1982 the World Council of Churches published "Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry building",^[25] a document that has served as a foundation for many ecumenical recognition agreements. As a WCC member church, the United Church building of Christ issued a response every bit part of the process to work toward a statement of common theological perspectives.^[26]

On October 17, 2015, representatives of the United Church building of Christ and the United Church of Canada came together in Niagara Falls, Ontario to sign an historic full communion agreement. This agreement had been approved at the 30th General Synod of the UCC and the 42nd General Council of the United Church building of Canada in the summer of 2015 and signifies the mutual want of both denominations to work in cooperation and openness in the areas of worship, mission, witness, ministry and the declaration of a common faith. This agreement will allow the two denominations to recognize the validity of each other's sacraments and ordination of ministers and opens up the possibility of ministers existence called to serve in congregations of either denomination.^{[27] [28]}

Relationships with other religions [edit]

The United Church of Christ facilitates bilateral dialogues with many religion groups, including members of the Jewish and Muslim communities. This includes membership in the National Muslim-Christian Initiative.^[29]

Structure [edit]

First Congregational Church in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Quoting the United Church of Christ Constitution, "The basic unit of the life and organization of the United Church of Christ is the local church." An interplay of wider interdependence with local autonomy characterizes the arrangement of the UCC. Each "setting" of the United Church of Christ relates covenantally with other settings, their actions speaking "to merely not for" each other.

The ethos of United Church building of Christ organisation is considered "covenantal". The structure of UCC organization is a mixture of the congregational and presbyterian polities of its predecessor denominations. With ultimate dominance given to the local church, many run into United Church of Christ polity as closer to congregationalism; nonetheless, with ordination and pastoral oversight of licensed, commissioned and ordained ministers conducted by Associations, and Full general Synod representation given to Conferences instead of congregational delegates, certain similarities to presbyterian polity are also visible.^{[ citation needed ]}

The UCC's "Covenantal Polity" is best expressed in Commodity III of the 1999 revision of the Bylaws and Constitution of the United Church building of Christ. "Within the United Church of Christ, the various expressions of the church building chronicle to each other in a covenantal way. Each expression of the church building has responsibilities and rights in relation to the others, to the end that the whole church will seek God's volition and be faithful to God's mission. Decisions are made in consultation and collaboration among the various parts of the structure. As members of the Body of Christ, each expression of the church is called to honor and respect the work and ministry of each other function. Each expression of the church building listens, hears, and carefully considers the advise, counsel and requests of others. In this covenant, the various expressions of the United Church of Christ seek to walk together in all God'south ways."^[thirty]

Local churches [edit]

The bones unit of the United Church of Christ is the local church (also often chosen the congregation). Local churches have the freedom to govern themselves, establishing their ain internal organizational structures and theological positions. Thus, local church governance varies widely throughout the denomination. Some congregations, mainly of Congregational or Christian Connection origin, have numerous relatively independent "boards" that oversee dissimilar aspects of church life, with almanac or more frequent meetings (ofttimes conducted afterward a worship service on a Lord's day afternoon) of the unabridged congregation to elect officers, corroborate budgets and ready congregational policy. Other churches, mainly of Evangelical and Reformed descent, have i central "church council" or "consistory" that handles near or all affairs in a manner somewhat akin to a Presbyterian session, while still holding an annual congregational meeting for the purpose of electing officers and/or ratifying almanac budgets. Nonetheless others, usually those congregations started after the 1957 merger, have structures incorporating aspects of both, or other alternative organizational structures entirely.^{[ citation needed ]}

In about all cases, though, the selection of a minister for the congregation is, in keeping with the Reformed tradition of the "priesthood of all believers", vested in a congregational coming together, held usually subsequently a special ad hoc committee searches on the congregation'southward behalf for a candidate. Members of the congregation vote for or against the committee'southward recommended candidate for the pastorate, usually immediately afterwards the candidate has preached a "trial sermon;" candidates are usually presented one at a time and not as a field of several to be selected from. Typically the candidate must secure anywhere from 60 to 90 per centum affirmative votes from the membership before the congregation bug a formal telephone call to the candidate; this depends on the provisions in the congregation'south particular constitution and/or by-laws.^{[ citation needed ]}

Local churches have, in improver to the freedom to hire ministers and lay staff, the sole power to dismiss them also. However, dissimilar purely congregational polities, the association has the principal dominance to ordain clergy and grant membership, or "standing", to clergy coming to a church from some other association or another denomination (this say-so is exercised "in cooperation with" the person being ordained/called and the local church that is calling them). Such standing, among other things, permits a government minister to participate in the UCC clergy pension and insurance plans. Local churches are unremarkably aided in searching for and calling ordained clergy through a denominationally coordinated "search-and-call" organization, unremarkably facilitated by staff at the briefing level. Nevertheless, the local church building may, for various reasons, opt not to avail itself of the conference placement system, and is costless to do so without fearfulness of retaliation, which would likely occur in synodical or presbyterian polities. Withal, many UCC congregations have constitutions that mandate that their called pastor be an ordained minister approved by the clan, while others require that the call of a pastor be approved by the clan committee on ministry. Participation in the search and call process is normally considered a sign of the congregation's loyalty to the larger denomination and its work.^{[ citation needed ]}

At the end of 2008, 5,320 churches were reported to exist within the UCC, averaging 210 members. 16 churches were reported to accept over ii,000 members, but 64% had fewer than 200 members.^[31] The latter statistic probably indicates where most of the denomination'south declining membership has occurred, in formerly mid-sized congregations between 200 and 500 members or so. The reduction in a typical church's size has besides meant that, increasingly, many congregations are no longer able, every bit they once were, to afford a full-time, seminary-educated pastor, and that some of them accept to rely on alternatives such as one of their members serving the church under a license, the use of recently retired clergy on a short-term basis, or ordained ministers serving the church building on a half-time (or less) basis while earning their main income from chaplaincies or other occupations. While this has been occurring to a lesser degree in other mainline denominations as well, the UCC's congregational polity allows for churches to prefer such approaches without ecclesiological restraint, as might happen in a more hierarchical denominational structure.^{[ citation needed ]}

Larger organizations [edit]

Associations [edit]

Local churches are typically gathered together in regional bodies called Associations. Local churches often give financial back up to the clan to support its activities. The official delegates of an clan are all ordained clergy within the bounds of the association together with lay delegates sent from each local church. The association's main ecclesiastical part is to provide primary oversight and authority of ordained and other authorized ministers; information technology also is the ecclesiastical link between the local congregation and the larger UCC. The clan ordains new ministers, holds ministers' standing in covenant with local churches, and is responsible for disciplinary action; typically a specific ministerial committee handles these duties. Also, an association, again with the assistance of the ministerial committee, admits and removes local congregations from membership in the UCC.^{[ citation needed ]}

Associations run across at least one time annually to elect officers and board members and set budgets for the association's work; fellowship and advisory workshops are ofttimes conducted during those meetings, which may accept place more frequently co-ordinate to local custom. In a few instances where at that place is only one association within a briefing, or where the associations within a conference have agreed to dissolve, the Conference (below) assumes the association's functions.^{[ citation needed ]}

Conferences [edit]

Local churches also are members of larger Conferences, of which at that place are 36 in the United Church of Christ. A conference typically contains multiple associations; if no associations exist inside its boundaries, the briefing exercises the functions of the association equally well. Conferences are supported financially through local churches' contribution to "Our Church building'southward Wider Mission" (formerly "Our Christian World Mission"), the United Church of Christ'south denominational support system; unlike most associations, they usually take permanent headquarters and professional staff. The primary ecclesiastical function of a conference is to provide the primary back up for the search-and-phone call process past which churches select ordained leadership; the conference minister and/or his or her assembly perform this task in coordination with the congregation's pulpit search committee (encounter in a higher place) and the association to which the congregation belongs (particularly its ministerial committee). Conferences also provide pregnant programming resource for their constituent churches, such as Christian education resource and support, estimation of the larger UCC's mission work, and church building extension inside their bounds (the latter commonly conducted in conjunction with the national Local Church building Ministries division).^{[ citation needed ]}

Conferences, like associations, are congregationally representative bodies, with each local church building sending ordained and lay delegates. Well-nigh current UCC conferences were formed in the several years post-obit the consummation of the national merger in 1961, and in some instances were the unions of one-time Congregational Christian conferences (led by superintendents) and Evangelical and Reformed synods (led by presidents, some of whom served only on a part-time basis). A few take had territorial adjustments since and so; merely i conference, the Calvin Synod, equanimous of Hungarian-heritage Reformed congregations, received exemption from the geographical alignments, with its churches scattered from Connecticut west to California and southward to Florida. Merely ane conference has ever withdrawn completely from the denomination: Puerto Rico, expressing disapproval of national UCC tolerance of homosexuality (every bit well as that of a large number of mainland congregations), departed the denomination in 2006, taking all of its churches.^{[ citation needed ]}

General Synod [edit]

The denomination's churchwide deliberative body is the General Synod, which meets every two years. The General Synod consists of delegates elected from the Conferences (distributed proportionally by conference size) together with the members of the United Church of Christ Board (see below), the officers of the denomination, and representatives of then-called "Historically Underrepresented Groups", such equally the disabled, young adults, racial minorities, and gay and lesbian persons.^{[ citation needed ]}

While General Synod provides the virtually visible vocalism of the "stance of the denomination" on any particular issue, the covenantal polity of the denomination means that General Synod speaks to local churches, associations, and conferences, but not for them. Thus, the other settings of the church are allowed to hold differing views and practices on all non-constitutional matters.^{[ commendation needed ]}

General Synod considers iii kinds of resolutions:

• Pronouncements: A Pronouncement is a statement of Christian confidence on a matter of moral or social principle and has been adopted past a 2-thirds vote of a General Synod.
• Proposals for Action: A Proposal for Action is a recommendation for specific directional statements and goals implementing a Pronouncement. A Proposal for Action unremarkably accompanies a Pronouncement. (Meet link above regarding Pronouncements.)
• Resolutions and Other Formal Motions, which may consist of the following three types:
  • Resolutions of Witness: A Resolution of Witness is an expression of the Full general Synod concerning a moral, upstanding, or religious matter confronting the church, the nation, or the world, adopted for the guidance of the officers, Associated, or Affiliated Ministries, or other bodies every bit defined in Article VI of the Bylaws of the United Church of Christ; the consideration of local churches, Associations, Conferences, and other bodies related to the United Church of Christ; and for a Christian witness to the world. It represents agreement by at least two-thirds of the delegates voting that the view expressed is based on Christian conviction and is a role of their witness to Jesus Christ.
  • Prudential Resolutions: A Prudential Resolution establishes policy, institutes or revises structure or procedures, authorizes programs, approves directions, or requests actions by a bulk vote..
  • Other Formal Motions

National offices: covenanted, affiliated, and associated ministries [edit]

As agents of the General Synod, the denomination maintains national offices comprising four "covenanted ministries", one "associated ministry", and one "affiliated ministry". The electric current system of national governance was adopted in 1999 every bit a restructure of the national setting, consolidating numerous agencies, boards, and "instrumentalities" that the UCC, in the master, had inherited from the Congregational Christian Churches at the time of merger, forth with several created during the denomination'south earlier years.^{[ citation needed ]}

Covenanted ministries [edit]

These structures carry out the piece of work of the General Synod and back up the local churches, associations, and conferences. The head executives of these ministries contain the five member Collegium of Officers, which are the non-hierarchical official officers of the denomination. (The Office of Full general Ministries is represented by both the General Minister, who serves as President of the denomination, and the Associate General minister). According to the UCC part of communication printing release at the time of restructure, "In the new executive arrangement, the v will work together in a Collegium of Officers, meeting equally peers. This setting is designed to provide an opportunity for common responsibility and reporting, equally well as ongoing cess of UCC programs." The primary offices of the Covenanted ministries are at the "Church building Firm", the United Church of Christ national headquarters at 700 Prospect Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.

• The Office of Full general Ministries (OGM) is responsible for administration, common services (technology, concrete plant, etc.), covenantal relations (ecumenical relations, formal relations to other settings of the church), fiscal development, and "announcement, identity and communication". The current^{[ when? ]} General Minister and President is the Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer.
• Local Church Ministries (LCM) is responsible for evangelism, stewardship and church finance, worship and teaching, Pilgrim Press and United Church Resources (the publishing house of the United Church building of Christ), and parish life and leadership (potency, clergy evolution, seminary relations, parish leadership, etc.). The position of Executive Minister of Local Church building Ministries is vacant.^{[ when? ]}
• Wider Church Ministries (WCM) is responsible for partner relations* (relations with churches effectually the earth, missionary work, etc.), local church relations* (as relates to globe ministries and missions), global sharing of resources, health and wholeness ministry, and global teaching and advancement*. The starred '*' ministries are carried out through the Common Global Ministries Board, a joint instrumentality of the United Church building of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), based in Indianapolis, Indiana. WCM is sometimes referred to every bit the United Church Board for World Ministries, the historic successor to the Congregationalist American Board of Commissioners for Strange Missions and the East&R affiliated Board of International Missions^[32] The current^{[ when? ]} Executive Minister for Wider Church Ministries is the Rev. Rev. Jim Moos.
• Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) is responsible for ministries related to economic justice, man rights, justice for women and transformation, public life and social policy, and racial justice. In addition to its offices in Cleveland, JWM too maintains an part on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The current Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries is Rev. Traci D. Blackmon. JWM as well maintains an office called "Minister for Children, Families and Human Sexuality Advancement" that promotes the Our Whole Lives sex education curriculum.^[33]

Affiliated ministry [edit]

The Pension Boards of the United Church of Christ (Pb-UCC) operates the employee benefits systems for all settings of the United Church of Christ, including health, dental, and optical insurance, retirement annuity/alimony systems, disability and life insurance, and ministerial assistance programs. The Pension Boards offices are located in New York Urban center, where the headquarters of all UCC national bodies had been located prior to their movement to Ohio in the early 1990s.^{[ commendation needed ]}

The Insurance Lath is a nonprofit corporation collectively "endemic" by the Conferences of the United Church of Christ. It is run by a president/CEO and a 19-fellow member Board, with the total corporate lath consisting of Conference, Region and Presbytery ministers as well as laypeople. The IB administers a property insurance, liability insurance, and chance management program serving the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church(United states), and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) churches and related entities.^[34]

Associated ministry [edit]

United Church building Funds (UCF), formerly known as The United Church building Foundation, provides low cost, socially responsible, professionally managed Mutual Investment Funds (CIFs) and other trustee services to any setting of the United Church of Christ. United Church building Funds' offices are too located in New York City.^{[ citation needed ]}

Activities [edit]

Civil Rights Movement [edit]

Everett Parker of the UCC Office of Advice, at the request of Martin Luther Male monarch Jr., organized UCC churches during 1959 against television stations in the Southern The states that were imposing news blackouts of information pertaining to the and so growing Civil Rights Movement. The UCC later won a lawsuit that resulted in a federal courtroom decision that the broadcast air waves are public, not private, property. That led toward the proliferation of people of color in television receiver studios and newsrooms.^[35]

[edit]

The UCC national body has been active in numerous traditionally liberal social causes, including support for ballgame rights,^[36] the United Farm Workers, and the Wilmington Ten.^[12]

Aforementioned-sex activity marriage [edit]

Churches in the UCC may solemnize same-sex unions.^[37] A resolution, "In support of equal wedlock rights for all", was supported by an estimated 80 percentage of delegates to the church's 2005 Full general Synod, which made the United Church building of Christ the showtime major Christian deliberative body in the U.S. to endorse "equal union rights for all people, regardless of gender". It now is the 2nd-largest Christian denominational entity in the The states to support aforementioned-sexual activity spousal relationship, subsequently the Presbyterian Church (USA). The resolution was one of 32 actions^[38] by General Synod and other national bodies, beginning in 1969, which support civil rights for LGBT citizens and urge their total inclusion in the life of the church. The UCC's Open and Affirming movement, funded by the Open and Affirming Coalition,^[39] is the largest LGBT-welcoming-church programme in the world with more than than one,100 congregations and 275,000 members.^[40]

On April 28, 2014, the UCC filed a lawsuit confronting North Carolina for not permitting same-sex marriage, the first religion-based challenge to aforementioned-sexual practice marriage bans in the US.^{[41] [42] [43]} In the lawsuit, the church argues that prohibiting same-sexual practice marriages violates the freedom of organized religion, as the ban forced ministers for same-sexual practice marriages to not deed on their beliefs.

Same-sex spousal relationship is not supported by some UCC congregations, but information technology is chop-chop gaining ground.^[xl] Opponents included the Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Puerto Rico (United Evangelical Church in Puerto Rico), three fourths of which voted to withdraw from the UCC afterwards the 2005 General Synod vote.^[44] The Biblical Witness Fellowship, a small conservative evangelical organization within the denomination, opposes the denomination's growing support for same-sex activity relationships.^[45]

Apology Resolution [edit]

United Church building of Christ was recognized in the Apology Resolution to Native Hawaiians. Congress recognized the reconciliation fabricated by the UCC in the Eighteenth Full general Synod for their actions in overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii.^{[ citation needed ]}

Argument on the relationship between State of israel and Palestinians [edit]

United Church of Christ Full general Synod XXV also passed two resolutions apropos the conflict between Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East. Ane calls for the utilise of economic leverage to promote peace in the Middle E, which can include measures such equally authorities lobbying, selective investment, shareholder lobbying, and selective divestment from companies that profit from the standing Israel-Palestine conflict. The other resolution, named "Tear Down the Wall", calls upon Israel to remove the separation barrier between Israel and the W Banking concern. Opponents of the "Tear Down the Wall" resolution accept noted that the wall'southward purpose is to forbid terrorist attacks, and that the resolution does not call for a stop to these attacks. The Simon Wiesenthal Eye stated that the July 2005 UCC resolutions on divestment from Israel were "functionally anti-Semitic".^[46] The Anti-Defamation League stated that those same resolutions are "disappointing and disturbing" and "deeply troubling".^[47] In add-on to the concerns raised about the merits of the "economic leverage" resolution, boosted concerns were raised about the process in which the General Synod approved the resolution. Michael Downs of the United Church of Christ Pension Boards (who would be charged with implementing any divestment of the UCC'due south Pension Board investments) wrote a letter^[48] to UCC President John H. Thomas expressing business organisation "with the precedent-setting implications of voted actions, integrity of process and trust".

Sexuality education [edit]

The United Church of Christ, forth with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations, created the Our Whole Lives curriculum (commonly known as OWL), which is a lifespan, comprehensive, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate sexuality didactics program. The Whole Lives includes modules for grades K–one, 4–6, 7–9, and ten–12, and for Young Adults and Adults. The Our Whole Lives curricula are secular. Congregations who employ this program ofttimes besides utilize "Sexuality and Our Faith" for the age level they are offering. Sexuality and Our Organized religion are separate manuals that bring in the UUA principles and scripture used in the UCC to back up its teachings. The curriculum is based on guidelines provided past the Sexuality Information and Education Quango of the Usa.^{[ commendation needed ]}

Polyamory [edit]

In 2021, the UCC and the UUA presented "a study on polyamory past the Canadian Unitarian Council" as a part of its sexual education programs.^[49] Prior to the sexuality education series, in 2016, the UCC published differing opinions on polyamory in the UCC Stillspeaking Daily Devotional, one in opposition and one in favor of affirming polyamory.^{[50] [51] [52]}

"God Is Still Speaking" identity campaign [edit]

"God Is However Speaking" banner on a UCC church in Rochester, Minnesota

At the 2003 General Synod, the United Church of Christ began a campaign with "emphasis on expanding the UCC's proper noun-brand identity through modern advertisement and marketing".^[53] Formally launched during the appearance season in 2004, the campaign included a coordinated program of evangelism and hospitality training for congregations paired with national and local television "brand" advertising, known every bit the "God is Still Speaking" entrada or "The Stillspeaking Initiative". The initiative was themed effectually the quotation "Never place a period where God has placed a comma" attributed to Gracie Allen. Campaign materials, including print and circulate advertising as well as merchandise, featured the quote and a big comma with a visual theme in red and black. United Church of Christ congregations were asked to opt into the campaign, signifying their support as well equally their willingness to receive preparation on hospitality and evangelism. An evangelism event was held in Atlanta in Baronial 2005 to promote the campaign.^[54] Several renewal groups panned the ad campaign for its efforts to create an ONA/progressive perception of the UCC identity despite its actual majority in centrist/moderate viewpoints.^{[55] [56]} Co-ordinate to John Evans, associate professor of sociology at University of California, San Diego, "The UCC is clearly going afterward a certain niche in American society who are very progressive and have a particular religious vision that includes inclusiveness...They are becoming the religious brand that is known for this."^[57]

Criticism [edit]

The church's diversity and adherence to covenantal polity (rather than government by regional elders or bishops) give individual congregations a neat bargain of freedom in the areas of worship, congregational life, and doctrine. Notwithstanding, some critics, mainly social and theological conservatives, are^{[ when? ]} vocal about the UCC's theology, political identity, and cultural milieu.^{[ who? ] [ citation needed ]}

Criticism over same-sex marriage [edit]

Post-obit the decision of General Synod 25 in 2005 to endorse same-sex marriage, the UCC'due south Puerto Rico Briefing left the church building, citing differences over "the membership and ministry of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians".^[58] A number of conservative congregations also ended their amalgamation with the denomination after the decision in favor of same-sexual practice matrimony.

Barack Obama and the UCC [edit]

A controversy arose over onetime U.S. president Barack Obama speaking at UCC gatherings, only the IRS found that the UCC had adhered to the prohibition against churches campaigning for political candidates.

In 2007, longtime UCC member Barack Obama (then a Autonomous presidential candidate) spoke at the UCC'southward Iowa Conference meeting and at the General Synod 26.^[60] A complaint filed with the Internal Revenue Service alleged that the UCC promoted Obama'southward candidacy by having him speak at those meetings.^[61]

Barry Lynn, an ordained UCC government minister and the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, stated that although he personally would not have invited a Presidential candidate to speak at the meetings, he believed "the Internal Revenue Service permits this to happen."^[62] The church had consulted lawyers prior to the consequence to make sure they were following the law and had instructed those in attendance that no Obama entrada cloth would be allowed in the meeting. Notwithstanding, in February 2008, the IRS sent a alphabetic character to the church stating that it was launching an inquiry into the matter.^[63]

On February 27, 2008, in an open letter to UCC members, Rev. John H. Thomas announced the creation of The UCC Legal Fund, to aid in the denomination's defence force against the IRS.^[64] While the denomination expected legal expenses to surpass six figures, it halted donations after raising $59,564 in less than a week.^{[ citation needed ]}

In May 2008, the IRS issued a letter that states that the UCC had taken appropriate steps and that the denomination'south tax status was not in jeopardy. ^[65]

Membership [edit]

At the fourth dimension of its germination, the UCC had over 2 meg members in nearly seven,000 churches.^[66] The denomination has suffered a 44 pct loss in membership since the mid-1960s.^[67] By 1980, membership was at nigh 1.seven million and by the turn of the century had dropped to 1.3 one thousand thousand.^[66] In 2006, the UCC had roughly 1.2 million members in 5,452 churches.^[66] According to its 2008 annual study, the United Church of Christ had about 1.1 million members in about 5,300 local congregations.^[68] However the 2010 almanac report showed a decline of 31,000 members and a loss of 33 congregations since then. The refuse in number of congregations continued through 2011, as the 2011 Almanac Report shows 5,100 member churches.^[69] As of the 2014 Annual Yearbook of the UCC, membership is listed equally 979,239 members in 5,154 local churches.^{[ commendation needed ]} According to the 2020 written report for 2019 statistics, the membership has declined to 802,256 members in four,852 congregations.^[seventy]

Membership is concentrated primarily in the Northeast and Midwest. Pennsylvania, a breastwork of the German Reformed tradition, has the largest number of members and churches. As of 2000, the country had over 700 congregations and over 200,000 members.^[71] The highest membership rates are in the states of Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, situated in the heartland of the American Congregationalist movement.^[71]

The United Church of Christ among Christian churches has a highly educated membership, with 46% of members holding graduate or post-graduate degrees. Only Presbyterians (47%) and Episcopalians (56%) and Anglicans (60%) ranked college.^[72] The church also claims a disproportionate share of high-income earners.^[73]

United Church of Christ institutions [edit]

[edit]

Seminaries [edit]

• Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School (New Haven, Connecticut)
• Chicago Theological Seminary (Chicago, Illinois)
• Eden Theological Seminary (Webster Groves and St. Louis, MO)
• Lancaster Theological Seminary (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
• Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley, California)
• United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (New Brighton, Minnesota)

Colleges and universities [edit]

These eighteen schools have affirmed the purposes of the United Church of Christ Council for College Teaching by official action and are full members of the Quango.

• Catawba College (Salisbury, N Carolina)
• Chapman University (Orange, California)
• Disobedience College (Defiance, Ohio)
• Dillard University (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• Doane University (Crete, Nebraska)
• Drury University (Springfield, Missouri)
• Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Illinois)
• Heidelberg Academy (Ohio) (Dejeuner, Ohio)
• Huston–Tillotson University (Austin, Texas)
• Illinois College (Jacksonville, Illinois)
• Lakeland Academy (Sheboygan, Wisconsin)
• LeMoyne-Owen College (Memphis, Tennessee)
• Northland College (Ashland, Wisconsin)
• Olivet Higher (Olivet, Michigan)
• Pacific University (Woods Grove, Oregon)
• Piedmont University (Demorest, Georgia)
• Rocky Mountain College (Billings, Montana)
• Talladega College (Talladega, Alabama)
• Tougaloo Higher (Tougaloo, Mississippi)

Secondary academies [edit]

• The Massanutten Academy (Woodstock, Virginia)
• The Mercersburg Academy (Mercersburg, Pennsylvania)

[edit]

[edit]

• Hartford Seminary (Hartford, Connecticut)
• Harvard Divinity School (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
• Howard Academy School of Divinity (Washington, D.C.)
• Interdenominational Theological Centre (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Union Theological Seminary (New York, New York)
• Vanderbilt University Divinity Schoolhouse (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Yale Divinity Schoolhouse (New Oasis, Connecticut)

Historically related colleges and universities (Quango for Higher Education) [edit]

"These colleges proceed to relate to the United Church of Christ through the Council for Higher Didactics, but chose non to assert the purposes of the Council. Though in many respects like to the colleges and universities that accept full membership in the Council, these institutions tend to be less intentional about their relationships with the United Church of Christ." (from the United Church of Christ website) ^{[ citation needed ]}

• Beloit College (Beloit, Wisconsin)
• Carleton Higher (Northfield, Minnesota)
• Cedar Crest College (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
• Fisk Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
• Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa)
• Hood College (Frederick, Maryland)
• Ripon College (Ripon, Wisconsin)
• Ursinus College (Collegeville, Pennsylvania)
• Westminster College of Salt Lake Urban center (Common salt Lake City, Utah)

Other colleges and universities (historically related, currently unrelated) [edit]

These colleges and universities were founded by or are otherwise related historically to the denomination or its predecessors, merely no longer maintain any directly relationship. ^{[ commendation needed ]}

• Brokenshire Higher (Davao City, Philippines)
• Chamberlain College of Nursing, formerly Deaconess College of Nursing (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Colorado Higher (Colorado Springs, Colorado)^[74]
• Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire)
• Elon Academy (Elon, North Carolina)
• Harvard Academy (Cambridge, Massachusetts) – was founded by Congregationalists, but became informally Unitarian by 1807.
• New Higher Florida (Sarasota, Florida)^[75]
• Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio)
• Pomona Higher (Claremont, California)^[76]
• Rollins College (Winter Park, Florida)
• Tohoku Gakuin University (Sendai, Japan)
• University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California)^[77]
• Whitman College (Walla Walla, Washington) – briefly associated with the Congregational Church in the early 1900s
• Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) – was founded by Congregational ministers in 1701. Its chapel was officially affiliated with the UCC 1961 to 2005.^[78]

List of prominent UCC churches [edit]

• Cathedral of Hope (Dallas) – the largest church in the United States with a primary outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Local membership exceeds four,000 people, though the church claims over 52,000 worldwide constituents.
• Cardinal Union Church of Honolulu – The largest UCC church in the state of Hawai'i. Notable past fellow member includes missionary and educator, Philip Delaporte, who proselytized in Republic of nauru.
• Old Due south Church in Boston is one of the oldest congregations in the U.s.. Information technology was organized in 1669 by dissenters from the Offset Church building in Boston (1630). Notable past members include Samuel Adams, William Dawes, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Sewall, and Phillis Wheatley. In 1773, Samuel Adams gave the signal from the pulpit of the Old South Meeting House that started the Boston Tea Party. During the Unitarianism controversy of the early 19th century, Old South was the sole Congregational Church in Boston that remained Trinitarian.
• Plymouth Church Seattle – is an historic congregation located in downtown Seattle. Plymouth is known for its history of advocacy for social justice, its music program and its creation of programs to serve the homeless, such as Plymouth Healing Communities and Plymouth Housing Group.
• Riverside Church – an interdenominational American Baptist and UCC church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture and its history of social justice. Information technology was built between 1927 and 1930 with support from John D. Rockefeller. Harry Emerson Fosdick was its offset minister. Other famous quondam ministers include William Sloane Bury and James A. Forbes.
• Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago – a predominantly black church building located in south Chicago. With upwards of 10,000 members, it is the largest church affiliated with UCC. Information technology was pastored by Rev. Jeremiah Wright until early on 2008. It is now pastored by The Rev. Otis Moss III.
• Zion United Church building of Christ – formerly known as the Loftier German Evangelical Reformed Church and founded in 1762 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Zion UCC is sometimes known as the Freedom Bell Church. In 1777, eleven bells were brought there from Philadelphia for safe‑keeping during the Revolutionary War. Those bells included the State House Bell, at present better known as the Liberty Bell.
• First Church of Christ in Hartford - Celebrated church building in Hartford, Connecticut whose members founded the city of Hartford and whose outset pastor, Thomas Hooker is considered The Father of the Country of Connecticut and is remembered for his sermon in 1638 wherein he declared that "The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the free consent of people", inspiring the towns that would afterwards form the Colony and subsequently State to adopt The Central Orders of Connecticut, a landmark document that is regarded as contributing to the United states of america Constitution.^[79]

List of notable UCC members [edit]

This department lists notable people known to have been past or nowadays members or raised in the United Church building of Christ or its predecessor denominations.

Politicians [edit]

• Daniel Akaka – quondam U.S. Senator from Hawaii (Democrat)
• Max Baucus – former U.S. Senator from Montana (Democrat)
• Jon Corzine – former governor of New Jersey (Democrat)
• Howard Dean – old chairman of the Democratic National Committee, erstwhile governor of Vermont (Democrat)
• Jim Douglas – erstwhile governor of Vermont (Republican)
• Millard Fuller - founder of Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing grew upward in the Lanett, AL Congregational Christian Church (UCC)
• Mills Godwin – onetime governor of Virginia (Democrat)
• Bob Graham – onetime governor and U.S. Senator from Florida (Democrat)
• Maggie Hassan – U.S. Senator and old governor from New Hampshire (Democrat)
• Judd Gregg – former U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (Republican)
• Hubert Humphrey – former vice president of the Us
• Jim Jeffords – former U.S. Senator from Vermont (Contained)
• Bob Kerrey – former governor and U.S. Senator from Nebraska (Democrat)
• Marking Kirk – former U.South. Senator from Illinois (Republican)
• Amy Klobuchar - U.South. Senator from Minnesota (Democrat)
• Barack Obama – 44th president of the United States of America (2009–2017)
• Robert Orr – Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations
• Sally Pederson – onetime lieutenant governor of Iowa (Democrat)
• William Proxmire – quondam U.Southward. Senator from Wisconsin (Democrat)
• Kwame Raoul – Chaser General of Illinois (Democrat)
• Washington Gladden – early leader in the Social Gospel and Progressive movements
• William H. Rehnquist – Chief Justice of the United States^[80]
• George Smathers – former U.S. Senator from Florida (Democrat)

Others [edit]

• Julian Bond – Chair NAACP (2004–2008)
• Walter Brueggemann – contemporary theologian, poet, and UCC minister, retired professor at Columbia Theological Seminary
• William Sloane Coffin – Late Presbyterian/UCC government minister and activist; 'pastor, prophet, poet'; erstwhile Clergyman at Yale University and Senior Pastor of Riverside Church building, New York City
• W. Sterling Cary – president of the National Council of Churches from 1972 to 1975^[81]
• Common – Rapper, recording creative person, member of Trinity United Church building of Christ in Chicago
• Donald Hall – U.s. US Poet Laureate^[82]
• Roger Johnson – CEO of Western Digital and head of the General Services Administration nether President Bill Clinton
• Dean Koontz – American author and writer. Raised UCC, now is Catholic.^[83]
• Barry West. Lynn – UCC government minister and executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State
• William "Neb" McKinney – Old president of Pacific Schoolhouse of Religion
• Sherrill Milnes – Operatic baritone
• Robin Meyers – author, peace activist, and philosophy professor who served every bit Senior Minister of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from 1985 to 2020
• Nib Moyers – Journalist and host of PBS electric current affairs program Nib Moyers' Journal
• John Williamson Nevin – 19th-century theologian
• H. Richard Niebuhr – 20th-century theologian
• Reinhold Niebuhr – 20th-century theologian
• Leonard Pitts – Nationally syndicated Pulitzer prize–winning (2004) columnist
• Jackie Robinson – Major League Baseball role player for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and first African-American to break baseball's "color bulwark"
• Marilynne Robinson – Pulitzer prize-winning (2005) author of the novel Gilead
• Alex Ross – Comic volume writer and artist. Son of UCC minister Clark Norman Ross.
• Philip Schaff – 19th-century theologian
• Max Fifty. Stackhouse – public theologian and professor at Princeton Theological Seminary
• Jeri Kehn Thompson – American radio talk show host, columnist for The American Spectator, and political commentator
• Paul Tillich – notable 20th-century theologian
• Meredith Willson – popular composer of "The Music Homo", raised in First Congregational of Mason Urban center, Iowa; longtime member of Westwood Hills Congregational, Los Angeles
• Andrew Young – Civil rights leader, ordained UCC pastor, and former member of Congress, United nations ambassador, and mayor of Atlanta, Georgia

See also [edit]

• Congregational Library
• Protestantism in the Us

References [edit]

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Further reading [edit]

• Lucas Phillips (Oct 25, 2020), "New England churches buy upwardly, forgive $26.2 million in medical debt", Boston World

External links [edit]

• Statistical Contour of United Church of Christ at the Clan of Religion Data Archives

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_Christ

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