The United Church of Christ was born on June 25, 1957. Although we are a relatively young denomination, our identity has been formed and nurtured over a long period. Our faith comes out of a Judeo-Christian heritage, as descendants of the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. Our Protestant roots were birthed during the 16th-century Reformation, led by Martin Luther in Germany and Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland.
The UCC was birthed from the merger of four different strands that evolved out of these reformed movements, and have defined who we are today: The Congregationalists, the Reformed Church in the United States, The Evangelical Synod of North America, and the Christian Connection. The Congregationalists, the first of these strands to arrive on our shores, were made up of two groups of English reformers: the Pilgrims, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts aboard the Mayflower in 1620 and the Puritans. Our heritage dates back to the founding of America. Nineteenth-century Congregationalists, with their belief in the principle of limited authority and popular participation in government, viewed themselves as the source of American democracy. We have grown and evolved together, influencing each other in the process. Although we are still a predominately Caucasian denomination, we are striving to be a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church, reflecting the diversity of this land of immigrants.
At times the UCC and its forbears have been at the forefront of change, addressing important issues facing society; not afraid of taking uncomfortable positions at odds with the establishment. In 1700, our forbears were the first mainline church to take a public stand against slavery. As a predominately Euro-American church, we were the first to ordain an African-American, Lemuel Haynes, in 1785. We initiated the defense of the Amistad captives in 1839, all the way to the Supreme Court and their eventual freedom. One of our churches ordained the first woman, Antoinette Brown in 1853, and the first openly-gay person, Bill Johnson in 1972. We have been on the front lines in the fight for human rights and equality for all people, regardless of race, gender, abilities, sexual orientation or economic status, leading to some of our churches declaring themselves Open and Affirming, and Peace with Justice Movement churches. The Community Church of Atascadero is proud to be designated under both of these affiliations.
Through all four of these stands run common threads which identify who we are today. That "they may all be one," (John 17:21) the motto of the UCC, reflects the spirit of unity which brought us together and keeps the flame of ecumenism alive. In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things charity. In love, we strive to understand and accept our differences in determining what is essential to our faith. Testimonies of faith rather than tests of faith. We understand that faith can be expressed in many different ways, therefore we are a non-creedal church. Our non-binding Statement of Faith provides us with an affirmation of our faith for worship and study. The priesthood of all believers. As part of the Body of Christ we are all called into ministry. Responsible freedom. We are all free to believe and act in accordance with our understanding of God’s will. At the same time, we are called into a loving, covenanted relationship with God and each other.
Our 1.4 million members do not always agree or think alike. Our autonomous roots run deep. But we have bound ourselves to each other and God in a covenanted relationship, working to affirm our differences and diversity and celebrate our oneness in Christ. That is not an easy task. The UCC is a united and uniting church. It was difficult to achieve in 1957, when each of the denominations partners in essence had to die in order to create a new and fuller life. But each of the members believed that unity, as demanded by the gospel, was more important than confessional stances, scriptural interpretations and theological positions. John Robinson reminded the Pilgrims: “There is yet more light and truth to break forth from God’s Holy Word.” Nearly four hundred years later the United Church of Christ echoes that theme: "God is still speaking -- never put a period where God has put a comma!"
-- Pastor Susan Brecht
The Community Church of Atascadero
United Church of Christ
