The UCC is a church of many firsts. You could say we've always been an
"Act Up" people. You can see from these stories that it's not always easy
being first, but usually worth the risk!
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1620: Pilgrims seek spiritual
freedom
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| Seeking spiritual freedom, forebears
of the United Church of Christ prepare to leave Europe for the
New World. Later generations know them as the Pilgrims. Their
pastor, John Robinson, urges them as they depart to keep their
minds and hearts open to new ways. God, he says, "has yet more
light and truth to break forth out of his holy Word." |
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The Mayflower en route to
the New World. |
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1630: An early experiment in
democracy
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Pilgrims sign the Mayflower
Compact. |
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The Congregational churches founded by the
Pilgrims and other spiritual reformers spread rapidly through
New England. In an early experiment in democracy, each
congregation is self-governing and elects its own ministers.
The Congregationalists aim to create a model for a just
society lived in the presence of God. Their leader, John
Winthrop, prays that "we shall be as a city upon a hill ...
the eyes of all people upon us." |
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