The UCC story is broad and diverse, and it's a story that we celebrate. Like all God's children, we rest in God’s amazing grace and hear God’s voice in the words of scripture. Unlike many other denominations, we do not require uniformity of belief. We are a church of open ideas, extravagant welcome, and bold justice advocacy.

Our story is the story of the United States. More than 600 of our 5,700 congregations were formed before 1776. Eleven signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of UCC predecessor churches. As early abolitionists, our members came to the aid of the Amistad captives and founded hundreds of schools across the South after the Civil War. We were the first mainline church to ordain an African-American (1785), a woman (1853), and an openly gay pastor (1972). 

Our membership includes people from every immigrant group, as well as Natives and descendants of enslaved people. Our unity is not dependent upon uniformity, but in our shared allegiance to Christ.

 

As Gracie Allen once said, "Don't put a period where God put a comma." In the UCC, we trust that “God is still speaking,”