Our denomination is The United Church of Christ. It is important to note upfront that “The United Church of Christ” is a distinctly different denomination from “The Church of Christ”. The United Church of Christ does not require adherence to a specific set of beliefs. Each person is encouraged to develop his or her own expression of his or her faith through study and reflection. The United Church of Christ came into being in 1957 with the union of two Protestant denominations: the Congregational Christian Churches, and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Each of these was, in turn, the result of earlier mergers in 1931 and 1934.

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The origins of these denominations are as follows:

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The Congregational Church began with the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the Puritans in 1629.

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The Christian Church sprang up on the frontier in the late 1700's in reaction to the theological and organizational rigidity of other denominations of the time.

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The Evangelical Church was organized in Missouri and Illinois in 1840 by an association of pastors from German Evangelical churches seeking religious freedom.

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The Reformed Church began in America in 1725 with the German settlers in Pennsylvania who came to America as a result of religious persecution.

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The ecumenical spirit that forged the union of these diverse backgrounds and traditions is still alive today in The United Church of Christ worldwide and The United Church of Huntsville locally.

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The United Church of Christ recognizes two sacraments:  Baptism (both infant and adult) and Holy Communion.  Other special ceremonies include confirmation, marriage, ordination and funeral rites.

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The United Church of Christ has 1500+ "open and affirming" inclusive congregations. The United Church of Huntsville is one of those.

Open and Affirming in the UCC - United Church of Christ

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