The largest New England congregation in the United Church of Christ has voted to withdraw from the denomination and resume the independent status they held for most of their 369-year history, reports Newsday.
Churches members felt the national UCC has become too liberal:
Leaders of First Church say the UCC has embraced homosexuality, same-sex marriage and other ideas that do not conform to their views of the bible.
Some will argue that this represents a crisis within the UCC. My sense is that the decision by First Church of Christ in Wethersfield has little to do with the UCC and more to do with the more conservative theological outlook of the church and their ministers.
Their senior minister served Presbyterian churches before taking the helm at First Church. He also attended a Presbyterian seminary. One of their associate ministers attended the conservative evangelical Fuller Theological Seminary. It appears that none of their current ministerial staff attended UCC-related seminaries. Their leaders seem to have no ties to the UCC.
The church membership has grown as it has become more theologically conservative. It was not the UCC that grew apart from First Church; it was First Church that grew apart from the majority of UCC churches.
Churches in most mainline denominations are divided and struggling with the issues of gay rights, including gay marriage. This is not the first time churches have split over important social issues. In the last 160 years there have been splits over slavery, civil rights, and the rights of women.
Sadly, First Church of Christ in Wethersfield has chosen exclusion over openness. Hopefully, time will bring our churches back together to serve the open table that Jesus preached us to abide. I’m grateful that the UCC is trying to live that example as best we can.
Read the excellent Pastoral Letter on this issue from The Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree, Conference Minister.
