The Church I'm Proud to Call My Own

Dear Friends,

After being ordained in the Presbyterian Church, USA in 1990, it wasn’t until about the year 1996 or so when I served as an interim pastor in my first United Church of Christ. Point Place UCC in Toledo, Ohio was a very warm, welcoming congregation to say the least. My first Sunday, I received over 75 hugs and kisses on the cheek, which was the normal way of greeting each other in that church. It wasn’t just me; it was everyone who walked through the door. This Presbyterian pastor was in a bit of a love rush shock after being there! I wondered if all UCC churches were as affectionate as this one. (answer: no, but all seem very welcoming) While interim pastor of that church, I attended the UCC clergy cluster where I saw that the clergy were full of trust and love for each other. This was very different from the Presbyterian church where it felt to me as if clergy were competing with each other. I went to Association meetings which were far different from the very business-filled Presbytery meetings. My next interim was also UCC church in Findlay, Ohio, so a different but clergy cluster. Two members of the Toledo cluster called me, begging me to continue to attend their cluster because they missed me and cared about me. This UCC church was growing on me! After that interim position, I served both Presbyterian and UCC congregations as an interim pastor, so I asked for “dual standing” in both denominations, which I was granted after meeting with Committee on Ministry in NW Ohio Association. And eventually, in 2001, I dropped the PCUSA standing and became fully UCC. It was like going from high heels to slippers.