Who We Are
What is the United Church of Christ?
The United Church of Christ came into being in 1957 with
the union of two Protestant denominations: the Evangelical and Reformed
Church and the Congregational Christian Churches. Each of these
was, in turn, the result of a union of two earlier denominations.
The Congregational Churches were organized when the
Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation(1620) and the Puritans of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony(1629) acknowledged their essential
unity. The Reformed Church in the U.S. traced its beginnings to
congregations of German settlers in Pennsylvania from 1725 on.
Later, its ranks were swelled by Reformed folk from Switzerland and
other countries.
The Christian Churches sprang up around 1800 in reaction
to the rigidity of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches of
the time. The Evangelical Synod of North America traced its
beginning to an association in 1840 of German Evangelical pastors in
Missouri, which reflected the 1817 union of Lutheran and Reformed
churches in Germany.
Through the years, members of other groups such as
Native American, African Americans, Asian Americans, Armenians,
Hungarians, and Hispanic Americans have joined with four earlier
groups. Thus the United Church of Christ celebrates and continues
a wide variety of traditions in its common life.
We believe in responsible freedom to act in accordance
with our individual perception of God's will for us. We are also
called to live in loving covenantal relationship with one another,
gathering in communities of faith to proclaim the good news of God's
love revealed with power in Jesus Christ.
Each congregation or local church is governed by the
collective decisions of its members, but also lives in convental
relationship to other churches to share insights, to help solve
problems, and to work together in mission. We recognize our
calling both as individuals and as a church to live responsibly in the
world around us,
- ministering to its needs,
- contributing to the collective welfare,
- being enriched by those aspects of culture that help
make human life more human,
- working through institutions and supporting laws that
reflect God's just and loving purposes for the world,
- seeking justice and liberation for all people in all
circumstances.
Last updated Wednesday, February 20, 2008.
1
Westmoreland Circle
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-7766
Email the church office: churchinfo@westmorelanducc.org
www.westmorelanducc.org
An
Open and Affirming Congregation
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