A Very Old and A Very New Denomination
The United Church of Christ is a very old and a very new denomination.
We are old in the sense that we are composed of four denominations that merged together to form a united church. These are:
(1) The Congregationalists (the Puritans and Pilgrims) - landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the 1600s;
(2) The Christian Churches - First Free Christian Church in Vermont was organized in 1801;
(3) The German Reformed Church - composed of German immigrants in Pennsylvania establishing churches in 1725; and
(4) The German Evangelical Synod - composed of German immigrants in the Midwest in the 1800s.
We are a new denomination in that in 1957 these four came together to form the United Church of Christ. These came together under the motto, "That they may all be one" from Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 for his disciples. The belief was and is that it is better to use our resources in working together for the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ, than it is to compete with one another.
We are very new in that we continue to receive new congregations into the United Church of Christ who also see the benefits of working together.
Our rich religious heritage includes the Protestant Reformers Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin. We are also an ecumenical church acknowledging all Christians regardless of denomination as kindred.
To learn more about the United Church of Christ you can e-mail us to request a booklet.
About the UCC
