UCC History and Polity Resources

The UCC History and Polity Teachers Network, who collaborate in person and online to share materials and pedagogy, provide Guidelines for Courses on UCC Identity and Traditions for UCC polity courses. The materials on this webpage are organized around that description. This page is intended to serve as a library for polity teachers and others, providing easy access to materials that are often difficult to find. Additionally, a wide array of United Church of Christ documents are archived online.

For Local Churches seeking an accessible curriculum for use with confirmation, adult small groups, retreats, new member courses, Conference boards, Committee on Ministry training, and any other gatherings of folk who are curious about what it means to be a part of the UCC, the resource Exploring UCC History, Polity, and Theology is available for free. Please note that this curriculum, even as a whole, does not meet most Committee on Ministry requirements for History, Theology, and Polity coursework for Members in Discernment or other individuals seeking ministerial authorization in the UCC (although instructors may use some of these resources in their classes).

Suggestions for new materials to expand the list of resources can be sent to Dr. Renee C. Jackson (jacksonr@ucc.org)

Please review copyright permissions for all resources, including those provided here, before reproducing them as handouts. Certain resources have been removed from the list below due to copyright restrictions, although the titles are still included on the list and are recommended for purchase.

Resources below marked “Living Theological Heritage” are drawn from the seven volumes of The Living Theological Heritage of the United Church of Christ; click here for a Table of Contents of all seven volumes. The full 7-volume set is available for purchase at The Pilgrim Press.

History

Origins, development, significant documents, major events, important persons in the four primary constituent traditions (Congregational, Christian, Evangelical, Reformed)
Selected other traditions and/or groups within the United Church of Christ (especially, but not necessarily limited to, African American, American Indian, Pacific Islander/Asian American, Hispanic)
Founding of the United Church of Christ
Developments in the United Church of Christ from 1957 to the present

History Resources

The Shaping of the United Church of Christ by Louis H. Gunnemann, including Chapter 6 “From Movement to Denomination: The Congregational Christian Story” and Chapter 7 “From the Continent of Europe: The Evangelical and Reformed Story.”

American Originals: Homemade Varieties of Christianity by Paul K. Conkin, especially chapter 1 on Christians and Disciples

Origins of the UCC
A chart showing the origins of the UCC in Christian history.

Short Course in the History of the United Church of Christ
A short course in the history of the UCC tells our story beginning with our origins in the small community of those who followed Jesus 20 centuries ago and continuing to the present.

Afro-Christian Convention: The Fifth Stream of the United Church of Christ

A collection of essays published in 2023 and edited by the Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk.

Chart from Balaam’s Unofficial Handbook
A one-page chart showing the various Protestant groups that are part of the history of the UCC.

A History of the Christian Denomination (Morrill)
The classic history of the Christian denomination published in 1912.

History of the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania (Dobbs)
An early 20th century history of the German Reformed Church in Pennsylvania, 1902.

Key Dates in UCC History
An attempt to put key dates from United Church of Christ history on one page (bbz)

Chronology of Union Steps leading to the UCC
A chronology of the various steps leading to the formation of the United Church of Christ in 1957 (Gunnemann)

Message to the Churches from the Uniting Synod
In 1957 as the Uniting General Synod came to an end in Cleveland, the Synod passed a message to the churches. (Living Theological Heritage)

United Church of Christ Firsts
This list of UCC firsts is part of the “God is Still Speaking” identity initiative.

Women in the UCC
A 2007 pamphlet entitled “Celebrating the Memories: Selected Stories about UCC Women 1957-2007”

Hidden Histories in the United Church of Christ: Volume I
Chapters telling the stories of people and movements often ignored in traditional UCC history: American Indians, Afro-Christians, Old School or Ursinus School Reformed history, Armenian Congregationalists, German Congregationalists, Blacks and the American Missionary Association, Deaconess Sisters in the German Evangelical tradition, Schwenkfelders, Hungarians, Women’s Mission Boards and Organizations, and Japanese American Congregationalists.

Hidden Histories of the United Church of Christ: Volume II
Chapters telling the stories of people and movements often ignored in traditional UCC history: Union Churches (Lutheran-Reformed), German Evangelical Protestants, Christians in New England, Biblical Criticism and the Evangelical Synod, Women’s Mission Structures, Religious Journalism and the Christians, Otterbein and the United Brethren, Winebrenner and the Churches of God, the Congregational Training School for Women, and Chinese Congregationalists

Theology

Theological documents and texts (e.g. Statement of Faith, Basis of Union, Prism articles, various working papers of the national setting, ecumenical documents, pronouncements of General Synod, etc.
Worship (including Book of Worship, New Century and other hymnals)
Ecclesiology (the nature of the church)
Creeds and confessions (“testimonies, not tests” of what is commonly held among us)

Theology Resources

Recommended Reading:

•The Shaping of the United Church of Christ by Louis H. Gunnemann.

•The Stone-Campbell Movement by M. W. Casey and D. A. Foster, especially the essay by Nathan Hatch on the Christian movement.

•Who Do You Say I Am? edited by Scott R. Paeth, especially the essay by Gabriel Fackre entitled “Jesus Christ in the Texts of the United Church of Christ.”

Heidelberg Catechism
Written in 1583, this moderate catechism is at the center of German Reformed theology. Instead of celebrating the otherness of God, it reassures Christians that God is their only comfort in life and in death.

Good and Harbaugh on the Heidelberg Catechism
An 1849 interpretation of the Heidelberg Catechism by Jeremiah Good and Henry Harbaugh. (Living Theological Heritage)

Schaff Principle of Protestantism
A theological analysis of Protestantism written in 1846 by Philip Schaff, a leader in the Mercersburg Movement within the German Reformed Church.

Cambridge Platform
The 1648 statement expressing Congregational understandings of the church as local gatherings of “visible saints”

The Cambridge Platform and the Future of the Church
Theological reflections shared at the Cambridge Platform 350th Anniversary Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Burial Hill Declaration
In 1865, as Congregationalists began to develop a national identity and national structures, the first General Council of Congregational Churches approved this declaration as a description of Congregationalism.

Kansas City Statement of Faith
Adopted in 1913, this statement summarized the beliefs and polity of Congregationalism at the beginning of the 20th century.

Principles of the Christian Church
In late 18th and early 19th century America, a popular “Christian movement” – inspired by new political independence – declared religious independence. Traditional denominations and doctrines were unnecessary; the movement asserted that Christians needed to agree on a handful of basic “principles.”

Centennial of Religious Journalism 1908
A collection of materials from Christian publications to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Herald of Gospel Liberty

Bekenntnisparagraph
In 1848 an interconfessional group of German pastors in Misssouri, who had founded the Kirchenverein des Westens (Church Society of the West) in 1840, formulated a “confessional paragraph” that summarized their beliefs about scripture and doctrine. (Living Theological Heritage)

UCC Statement of Faith
The three versions of the UCC Statement of Faith (1959, 1977, 1981) presented side-by-side, enabling comparisons.

Preamble to the Constitution of the UCC
The Constitution of the UCC was presented to the General Synod of the UCC in 1959 and approved at a special “adjourned session” of that Synod in 1960. The Preamble, especially the second paragraph, is an important expression of UCC faith and practices. (Living Theological Heritage)

Steckel on the Preamble to the UCC Constitution
From the 2007 UCC@50 [italicized title] anniversary booklet, a brief reflection on the theological meaning of the Preamble to the UCC Constitution.

What We Believe
Twelve statements summarizing current theological principles held by most United Church of Christ members.

Introduction to the UCC Book of Worship
This 1986 introduction to the UCC Book of Worship puts worship in historic context and explains many of the common worship practices among Christians.

12 Principles informing the UCC Book of Worship (Dipko)
In the preparation of the UCC Book of Worship (1986) the working group and the designated writer, Thomas Dipko, were guided by these 12 principles.

Gunnemann on Baptism
A 1985 article by Louis Gunnemann entitled “Baptism: Sacrament of Christian Vocation” that was published in the Wisconsin Conference journal On the Way.

Gunnemann on Eucharist
A 1985 article entitled “Eucharist: Sacrament of Discipleship” that published in the Wisconsin Conference journal On the Way.

Crabtree on Inclusive Language
An excerpt from a 1985 presentation by Davida Crabtree entitled “Rock, Water and Word.” (Living Theological Heritage)

Ringe on Feminist Theology
A 1990 essay by Sharon Ringe, outlining the major concerns of feminist theology. (Living Theological Heritage)

Jackson on Indian Perspective
An article by Norman Jackson entitled “An Indian Perspective on the United Church of Christ” published in New Conversations. (Living Theological Heritage)

Essex on Black Theology
Excerpts from “The Unfinished Agenda: One Continual Cry,” a reflection on Black theology by Barbara J. Essex. (Living Theological Heritage)

Hirano on Asian American Theology
Excerpts from a Prism article on Asian American perspectives on UCC theology, by David Hirano. (Living Theological Heritage)

Armijo on Immigrant Theology
Excerpts of an essay by Enrique Armijo about the ways in which immigration calls for a new kind of theology. (Living Theological Heritage)

Toward the 21st Century
A 1993 statement setting forth four ways in which the UCC wished to describe itself: a Church attentive to the Word, a Church inclusive of all people, a Church responsive to God’s call, and a Church supportive of one another.

Theological Worlds in the UCC
An article by Lee Barrett published in Prism (2008) exploring four different theological perspectives that are alive and well in the UCC. Permission is granted to UCC congregations, associations, conferences, covenanted ministries, and seminaries to photocopy single articles provided no more than 50 copies are made and the material is distributed free of charge. All others must have written permission to make photocopies. Photocopies must include this statement: “Reprinted from Prism: A Theological Forum for the United Church of Christ” and list volume, number, and date of the issue.

Fisler Hoffman on Covenant
A small book by Jane Fisler Hoffman entitled Covenant: A Study for the United Church of Christ (2008), made available by permission of the author.

Russell on Covenant Theology
Rollin O. Russell’s paper on “Covenant Theology, Covenantal Church Life,” made available by permission of the author.

Polity

Constituent parts of the United Church of Christ—i.e., local church, conferences and associations, national setting, General Synod (Constitution and Bylaws)
Past and present structure of the United Church of Christ (“covenantal polity”)
Patterns of accountability and autonomy in the various settings of the church

Polity Resources

Ministry (Manual on Ministry)

Forms of ministry—licensed, commissioned, ordained; ministerial partners; emerging patterns for authorized ministry; ministry of all the baptized
Structures and patterns of accountability – i.e. standing and oversight
Ministerial ethics (Ministers’ Codes in MOM; other ethics documents)
Understandings of ministry in the UCC: “embodiment” and “empowerment” models

Ministry Resources

The Ethos of the UCC

Diversity: commitment to be a multi-racial, multi-cultural church
Justice and witness concerns
Ecumenical commitments and partnerships (esp. partnership with Christian Church/Disciples of Christ)
Mission

Ethos Resources

Aspiring to be a Multiracial Multicultural Church
A 1993 pronouncement of General Synod upholding the commitment of the United Church of Christ to become a multiracial multicultural church.

H. Richard Niebuhr on the Responsibility of the Church for Society
Niebuhr argues that Christians are responsible for society, condemning irresponsible religion and affirming the church as apostle, pastor and pioneer in this 1946 chapter from a book entitled The Gospel, the World and the Church.

Living Theological Heritage, Volume 7, Introductions to Parts 4 and 5
These introductions weave together documents linking UCC understandings of theology and social outreach.

Reinhold Niebuhr on Religiosity and the Christian Faith
A brief 1955 article by Reinhold Niebuhr published in Christianity and Crisis on the impact of religion in the world.

Gallagher on Controversy
A 1963 essay by Buell Gallagher on the importance of healthy controversy in the life of the church (reprinted from Social Action). (Living Theological Heritage)

Thomas on Contemporary Commitment and Catholic Substance
A 1997 statement by John Thomas explaining how UCC social justice commitments flow from universal Christian convictions.

Human Sexuality
Excerpts from the 1977 report Human Sexuality: A Preliminary Study. (Living Theological Heritage)

The Dubuque Declaration
The 1983 statement of faith created by the United Church People for Biblical Witness (UCPBW); it remains the basic theological position of the Biblical Witness Fellowship (BWF).

Just Peace Church Pronouncement
A 1985 General Synod Pronouncement spelling out the commitments of the UCC as a Just Peace Church.

Theological Foundations of a Just Peace Church
A 1986 statement affirming the United Church of Christ as a Just Peace Church. (Living Theological Heritage)

Open and Affirming Resolution
In 1985 the General Synod passed a resolution upholding the UCC as an Open and Affirming Church (ONA).

Anti-Racist Resolution
A resolution of the 2003 General Synod “Calling the United Church of Christ to be an Anti-Racist Church.”

Called to Wholeness Resolution
The 2005 resolution affirming the United Church of Christ’s commitment to being a church that is accessible to all (A2A).

Marriage Equality Resolution
The 2005 Marriage Equality Resolution passed by General Synod.

Faithful and Welcoming Churches in the UCC
Faithful and Welcoming Churches (FWC) was formed as a renewal movement within the UCC and identify as evangelical, conservative, orthodox, or traditional (ECOT) churches. They reject the ONA position and reject the Marriage Equality Resolution.

Pastoral Letter on the Environment
A 2008 letter from John Thomas and the Environmental & Energy Task Force.

Pastoral Letter on Faith and Science
A 2008 letter by John Thomas and the UCC Science & Technology Network.

New York Times Ad
The UCC ad ran in the New York Times in April 2008 in response to criticisms of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

Ecumenical Stance of the UCC
A 1973 statement affirming the importance of the ecumenical vocation for the United Church of Christ.

Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry
The 1982 World Council of Churches Faith and Order document exploring differences and commonalities around baptism, eucharist and ministry among Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant Christians.

UCC Response to BEM
In 1985 the United Church of Christ prepared a formal response to Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. The response was most concerned with issues related to ministry.

Ecumenical Partnership with the Disciples
A 1989 document spelling out the meaning of ecumenical partnership with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

UCC Response to the COCU Consensus Document
In the 1960s, the Consultation on Church Union (COCU) was an effort to overcome denominational fragmentation and to find new forms of church unity. COCU produced a “consensus” document in the 1980s, to which the UCC responded in 1989. (Living Theological Heritage)

Formula of Agreement
A 1997 agreement between the United Church of Christ (UCC), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of American (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), and the Reformed Church in America (RCA) about sacraments and ministry issues.

Relationship between the UCC and the Jewish Community
A 1987 General Synod resolution on UCC understandings of Judaism and the relationship of Christians and Jews.

Relationship between the UCC and the Muslim Community
A 1989 General Synod resolution on UCC understandings of the relationship between Christians and Muslims.

A Study Resource on Interreligious Relations for the UCC
A 2005 resource to help UCC people think through questions of interreligious relations.

Statement of Mission
A 1987 Statement of Mission – sometimes called the Houston Statement – developed by the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries (UCBHM) and offered to the UCC as a contemporary interpretation of mission.

“A United Church that Stands for Something”
A 2006 sermon by John Thomas highlighting his understanding of UCC identity and challenging UCC members to live up to what they say the UCC is.