UCC has lost 49 congregations since its vote on gay marriages
The Layman Online, January 25, 2006
The United Church of Christ says 49 of its 5,725 congregations have left the denomination since its national governing body voted in June 2005 to support same-gender marriage equality.
Based on 2004 financial data, the withdrawing congregations – with a combined membership of 10,535 – contributed about $89,000 to the denomination’s 2004 mission budget, UCC officials said.
But denominational officials say 23 congregations have joined the UCC during that same time period and that 42 others have expressed a “firm interest” in joining.
One of the prospects is the 4,300-member Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas, a congregration that was formerly affiliated with Metropolitan Community Churches, which were organized mainly to appeal to a homosexual constituency.
UCC leaders say two other large congregations are also considering joining the UCC. But they did not say whether they were attracted by the UCC’s policy on homosexual marriages, as the Cathedral of Hope leaders say.
The Cathedral of Hope currently is going through a months-long process before it can become a member congregation in the UCC. But the door in and out of the UCC is easier to pass through than other mainline denominations such as the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Episcopal Church (USA). The Presbyterians and Episcopalians both say that local congregations hold their property in trust for the benefit of the denomination. The UCC says the local congregation owns the property for its benefit alone.
The UCC says it has nearly 1.3 million members. It has lost 37.4 percent of its members since 1965.