Union Congregational Church is a part of the United Church Of Christ (UCC). In the UCC, the local church governs itself, in covenant with other local churches and the wider church. In our congregation, we share leadership between clergy, staff, and lay leaders.
We have quarterly congregational meetings that include opportunities for discussion and big-picture conversations with the entire congregation. These meetings sometimes include key decision-making with the members of the congregation, such as electing leadership or voting on a budget.
The congregation went through a lot of discernment surrounding the church’s governance size, philosophy, and structure in 2022. A task force explored sustainable, nimble models that allow members more time for missional work and spiritual growth and reported back to the congregation. The smaller governing board size of 8 (plus a youth member) was approved in February 2023, and new bylaws were approved at a Congregational Meeting that June.
Current Governing Board Members:
Timothy Crist (Moderator), Carlos Valdes-Dapena (Vice Moderator), Sally Iracane (Treasurer), Christina Kelly (Secretary), Seo Hee Koh (At Large), Vicki Paulson (At Large), Catherine Spinella (At Large), Gerald Walle (At Large), Jesse H. (Youth Representative)
The congregation was first gathered in 1881. Early years were spent stabilizing the congregation via clergy leadership, facilities, and budget. As Montclair grew and prospered, so did Union. Always active in the community, Union was responsible for or related to the formation in the early 1900s of Boy Scout Troop 13, the Women’s Club of Upper Montclair, the Montclair Operetta Society, the Montclair Society of Engineers, and the Rose Society, and more recently, the Montclair Counseling Center begun by William Lutz, then an associate minister at Union, Nursery School, and the Side Door after-school program for middle schoolers. Through our missional work, our congregation is known around the world.
In 1957, the Congregational-Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church joined to form the United Church of Christ. The denomination’s offices until the mid-1980’s were in New York City, and Union Cong served as the home church for many officers during these years. It continues to be known throughout the denomination as a vital church and a leader in theological education. We have served as a field education site for dozens of student ministers, ordained five women in quick succession during the late 1970’s and 1980’s, and have had many theological students in our care as they moved toward ordination, the most recent being John Rogers, who grew up in our midst.
As our name implies, the founders of the congregation hoped to serve the spiritual needs of everyone. As our community has become more pluralistic, we’ve recognized the richness of diversity and the value of mutual respect, and we are active in the interfaith community. Our congregation draws both individuals who are on lifelong spiritual journeys and families with blended religious traditions.
With our sister congregation, First Congregational United Church of Christ, we received strength from Watchung Congregational Church, which disbanded following a devastating fire in the 1970’s. We enjoy our relationship with First Cong, which is both collegial and congenial.
Markers along the way of the current generation at Union Cong include:
The very best characteristic of our history is that it is always in the formative stages. As much as we treasure the past, we hope for the future, confident that we will continue to increase love of God and neighbor in this our time and place.
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