The United Church of Christ came into being in 1957, and is currently comprised primarily of congregations that were founded in and originally affiliated with one of its predecessor denominations. According to the United Church of Christ Statistical Profile 2021:
- 84.9% of current congregations were organized prior to the founding year of the UCC
- Fewer than 1 in 20 current congregations have been founded since 2000 (4.6%)
- Average founding date of current congregations is 1873
- Median found date of current congregations is 1875
My Experiences
Since becoming a part of the United Church of Christ in 2010, I’ve been involved in congregations that are much younger than the denominational norm. This, however, is not surprising given that these congregations have been located in Texas and Florida.
- Naples United Church of Christ in Naples, Florida was organized in 1973.
- United Church of Marco Island in Marco Island, Florida was organized in 1968.
- Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ in Fort Myers, Florida was organized in 1976.
- Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas was organized in 1970.
While young by UCC standards, each of these congregations was founded in the decade prior to my birth (1968-1976).
So What?
God is indeed doing new things in congregations – some that are relatively new, some that have been around for decades, and some that have ministered faithfully for centuries.
Each of the congregations I’ve been involved in have helped me grow as a person and as a person of faith. And, I hope that my contributions to each have had meaningful and lasting impact.
Currently, I’m reflecting on these experiences by writing a post about each congregation.
- Naples UCC – The Church of Unsticking (May 2022)
- United Church of Marco Island – The Church of New Beginnings (June 2022)
- Fort Myers Congregational UCC – The Church of Renewal (June 2022)
- Cathedral of Hope UCC – The Church of Hope (September 2022)
About the Congregations
The following statistics are available from Access UCC, the United Church of Christ’s online platform for statistical data. Attentive readers will note that these congregations have fared better than the statistical averages within the denomination in recent years.
- Naples UCC. When I arrived in 2010, the congregation consisted of 1,099 members and had an average weekly worship attendance of 700. In 2021 (the most recent year of reporting available), those numbers had grown to 1,182 members (+8%) and 778 (+11%). During this time period, the operating budget grew from $1,400,055 to $1,836.870 (+31%).
- United Church. When I arrived in 2013, the congregation consisted of 276 members and had an average weekly worship attendance of 142. In 2021, those numbers had grown to 668 (+142%) and 187 (+32%). During this time period, the operating budget grew from $735,714 to $771,352 (+5%).
- Fort Myers UCC. When I arrived in 2015, the congregation consisted of 257 members and had an average weekly worship attendance of 158. In 2021, those numbers had declined to 169 (-34%) and 151 (-4%). During this time period, the operating budget grew from $273,970 to $313,901 (+15%).
- Cathedral of Hope UCC. When I arrived in 2017, the congregation consisted of 1,618 members and had an average weekly worship attendance of 1,284. In 2021, those numbers had declined to 1,454 (-10%) and 680 (-47%). During this time period, the operating budget declined from $2,4026,494 to $2,292,273 (-5%).
Notes on Roles & Statistics
- I served on staff of the first three congregations, and as a member and volunteer in the fourth. More specifically, I was Director of Adult Enrichment at Naples UCC, Interim Senior Pastor at United Church, Interim Senior Pastor at Fort Myers UCC, and a volunteer small group leader and resource leader for leaders of in person small groups at Cathedral of Hope.
- I expect several of these congregations experienced lower than typical lows in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their approaches to reopening for in-person worship. For example, Cathedral of Hope worship attendance in pre-pandemic 2019 was 1,165 and had been within +/- 10% of that number for the prior five years.
While I’ve never served a United Church of Christ congregation that was organized prior to the 1960s, I’ve learned much from those who have been around far longer. For example, I visited Saint Peter’s Evangelical United Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky in June 2018 as part of the Adese Fellowship. This congregation was organized in 1870, and was in the process of being revitalized while also revitalizing the surrounding community through the creation of the Molo Village CDC.