Meeting at General Synod 28 in Tampa, Florida this weekend — July 1-5, 2011 — the historic United Church of Christ will vote on an amendment to eliminate God the Father from Article 5, lines 9-10 of its constitution. The Constitution of the denomination has remained unchanged in its theological core since the United Church of Christ’s founding in 1957, and remains the covenant connection with the basic truths of Christianity that keeps many churches affiliated who are otherwise alienated by the denominations very liberal agenda.
This is one denomination with which the ELCA is in altar and pulpit fellowship. Whether or not this passes, the point is clear. A significant number of folks in this denomination believe that belief in the Father has become a liability in this age of gender sensitivity, radical feminism, and the casting off of what is seen as centuries of patrimony and patriarchy.
This is also the denomination to which Pres. Obama belonged prior to leaving his home congregation. Their current advertising logo says "God is still speaking" -- a reference to their understanding of the ever evolving definition of God and the ministry and work of the church as they see it. It is a rather recent church body created by the merger of the historic Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches in 1957. The history of this once conservative Reformed tradition, influenced by Lutheranism, has given way to a denomination on the forefront of nearly every liberal social, political, and religious cause. At some point, it may very well end up reforming itself out of historic Christianity.
AN UPDATE: While I could not find the actual wording of the finalized changes, I did come across this in a UCC press release:
Synod delegates, however, voted to uphold the chair, and did so again when the Rev. Madison Shockley of the Southern California Nevada Conference submitted an amendment to a section defining local churches as believing in the “triune God.” Shockley objected to the language because he believed it limited the acceptable theologies of UCC churches. But again the delegates would not consider the amendment.
I am not sure if this means that the delegates did vote to strip out the passage or not.... anyone know???
10 comments:
Eliminate God the Father?! Have all the people who would say "The emperor has no clothes!" left this denomination?
These folks are Christian?!! I thought UCC stood for Unitarians Considering Christ!
Also with that advertising from the last decade was "Don't put a period where God puts a comma" I always thought it is sad because of the heresy it leads (God says anything you want Him to say), and funny because of their ignorance, Scripture (Hebrew/Greek) doesn't contain punctuation.
If the UCC eliminates the recognition of God the Father, they eliminate the organization as being Christian.
The UCC would become as much of an oxymoron as the Mormons.
Off topic.
Pastor Peters, I just want to thank you for the Prairie Churches post. I have been researching my family back to when some first came to the US and found the church they attended but it had not occurred to me to look for a picture of the building itself until I saw your lovely post. Well, I found it in a report by the historical society. It turns out it qualified for its historical significance as the first church in the county as well as for architectural significance. My sons really like learning about family history, and a picture is a great way to connect with it. Thanks again.
St. John's Lutheran Church, Pierce, NE
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/reports/pierce_county.pdf
Years ago, when the ELCA was considering the full communion agreement with various Reformed bodies, including the UCC, I was at a conference where I asked the ELCA ecumenical officer (at the time) what the minimum requirements were for full communion. "Trinitarian belief" was one of the things in his response. When I asked how the UCC fit into that requirement, his response was a sort of grudging acknowledgment that that was a problem.
One of the things that distinguishes
the Christian religion from non-
Christian religions is the belief
in the Triune God. Once you take
away God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit, you are no
longer Christian. Case closed.
St. Johns in Pierce??? I know that congregation. I grew up about 20 miles away in Wausa, NE...
This is simply a heretical re-imaging of God to fit our post-modern sensibilities, rather than submitting to the Biblical witness of God's self-identification and revelation as Father.
Happened upon your blog in preparation for my sermon as a UCC pastor. I want to reassure you that the United Church of Christ is still "Christian". And we really do believe God is still speaking - and not just as a cute bumper sticker catchphrase. God is challenging us to unpack the labels of our faith and reinterpret them for our time. For those people who have experienced their "fathers" as abusers would hear "Father" in a negative context. That being said, I for one defend the retention of the "Trinitarian" (or "triune")description of God. It is our (Christianity's) unique contribution to interfaith discourse - not as a triumphal "we're right and you're wrong", but as a mystery that we proclaim as true though it cannot be proven. My church recently hosted the participation of a rabbi and imam in our Christian service in which the Gloria and Doxology were sung - yet providing an opportunity for our Jewish and Muslim guests to praise God according to their tradition. We made room for them as our honored guests. There is indeed one God, but we must all understand that we are like the proverbial blind men trying to describe an elephant. It's just like Jesus said, "Go your way. Your faith has made you well."
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