The UCC is a church of many firsts. You could say that we are the original “Act Up “ people. You will see from most of these stories that it’s not always easy being first and not as pretty as we would often make it out to be. Please use the following link to find out more:
What does the UCC logo symbolize?
The symbol of the United Church of Christ comprises a crown, cross and orb enclosed within a double oval bearing the name of the church and the prayer of Jesus, "That they may all be one" (John 17:21). It is based on an ancient Christian symbol called the "Cross of Victory" or the "Cross Triumphant." The crown symbolizes the sovereignty of Christ. The cross recalls the suffering of Christ—his arms outstretched on the wood of the cross—for the salvation of humanity. The orb, divided into three parts, reminds us of Jesus' command to be his "witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The verse from Scripture reflects our historic commitment to the restoration of unity among the separated churches of Jesus Christ.
What is the United Church of Christ?
The United Church of Christ came into being in 1957, although its roots branch as far back as the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation (1620) and the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629).
Four earlier denominations and people from diverse backgrounds contributed to our formation: the Christian Church, the Reformed Church, the Congregational Church, and the Evangelical Church. Through the years, members of many other groups and nationalities joined the original four, and the U.C.C. celebrates and continues a wide variety of traditions in its common life.
"The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. It looks to the Word of God in the Scripture, and to the presence and power of the Holy spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God, in accordance with the teaching of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians, it recognizes two sacraments; Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion."
~ from the Preamble to the Constitution of the United Church of Christ