What is the United Church of Christ?

The United Church of Christ is the result of a merger in 1957 of denominations who decided that what we have in common in Christ is greater than what keeps us in part. The major denominations that are part of this merger are Congregational, Reformed, Christian, and Evangelical. You can find out about UCC history by clicking here which includes links to Reformed histories and hidden histories of the UCC.

That’s actually a hard question for us to answer. One of the hallmarks of the UCC is its great diversity in membership and a philosophy that encourages each person to study, think, and question for themselves. Even in our local congregation, you’ll find a great difference of opinion.

A quote we often use to explain our beliefs is “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, diversity. In all things, charity.”

We believe that all Christian churches are united through the body of Christ. This unity is not of our own making, or even by our own desire. It was a gift of Christ through the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost. (See Acts 2)

We believe that God spoke through the prophets, through Jesus Christ, through the apostles, and continues to speak to us today. God speaks to us through scripture, service, and prayer. Study of scriptures is not limited to historical insights. We expect new light to dawn, and new understanding to emerge in our age and every age.

We believe in the priesthood of all believers. All of us, by virtue of our baptism, are called to minister to one another in the church, and to spread the good news of the gospel through word and deed. When someone is “set apart” for ordination, we view that person as a servant of the church, not someone with complete authority over the church. All major decisions within a local congregation are made by its members, not the pastors.
 
Read the UCC Statement of Faith

Worship

Communion