The one closest to the UCC is a very large Disciples church in DC. Lyndon went there. Ronnie, who was raised in the Disciples church in Illinois & went to the Disciples college, didn't go to church later in life. James Garfield was a lay evangelist in the Disciples, as was Ronnie's mother.
Also the great British PM David Lloyd George was raised a Disciple.
Interesting for such a small denomination.
President is currently a woman. Read also - http://debtreliefcounselingus.com/countrywide-loan-modification.html
Dalilaof AL6:04PM April 18, 2010
If I had the president's ear, I would recommend he investigate St. Mark UCC in Chicago Heights. Although it is a predominantly white congregation, it is pastored by an African American Pastor and is the embodiment of the openness and transparency he has advocated for years.
Rev. Richard J. Mangnallof IL2:32PM April 17, 2009
The United Church of Christ is one of the few denominations which reflect a progressive view of faith that is consistent with the president's very inclusive and balanced convictions and leadership style. He IS and should continue to be UCC.
Lavon Baylerof IL5:06PM April 16, 2009
If I were a pastor in the DC area, especially a UCC one (since we have a history with the Pres.), I would have the audacity to invite him and his family to come worship with us. Perhaps that has already happened. It probably would end up being quite a challenge, were the Obama family to come aboard. But we have talked a lot about being a 'public church'. Why not?
James Deitzof OH11:48AM April 15, 2009
Most comments seem to focus on the writer/blogger and who he/she is. Just leave the decision up to President Obama, his family and their faith. It is between them and God. I also am a member of the UCC.
JBof PA8:58PM April 14, 2009
I am a member of UCC but more than that I am in a personal relationship with Christ. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe given the history of our country God had a hand in opening the hearts of Americans to elect a man of faith. President Obama not yet President said, "It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not epiphany. I didn't fall out in church, as folks sometimes do. The question I had didn't magically disappear. The skeptical bent of my mind didn't suddenly vanish. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side. I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works. I believe our President is walking out his purpose in God.
The President was introduced to Christ through Pastor Wright and Trinity UCC but his walk is personal as every believer knows it is a personal walk with Jesus. The world we live in wants to take away the audacity of hope by finding something wrong. We live out our lives in the media speculating on every choice made. We are a quick fix nation. President Obama understands that life is a process in which we take the hand of Jesus and submit to His will, and deicate ourself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works.
Our President is anchored by Jesus Christ. "I learned that my sins could be redeemed. I learned that those things I was too weak to accomplish myself, He would accomplish with me if I placed my trust in Him." I feel like President Obama cares for not just me but everyone. I pray that God continues to protect him while His hand remains on His works during President Obama's presidency. I believe that President Obama is guided by scripture not UCC. I pray that God leads him to the church that gives him the nourishment needed to lead our country.
I am proud to be an American under his leadership and God's guidance.
Mary Clarkof IL6:25PM April 14, 2009
Can you imagine the intense scrutiny of every word of every sermon preached by the President's new pastor? I would love to see the President and his family choose a UCC church. However, I think the controversy surounding Dr. Wright has ushered in a whole new era for Presidents and their churches. When I saw how the media distorted Dr. Wright and Trinity UCC, making them into something unrecognizable by those who know them, I dread to think what's in store for the President's next pastor!
Beth Lyonof PA2:23PM April 14, 2009
I checked what I previously wrote, and I re-checked it, and I checked it again. And an error escaped my attention until after I had submitted what I had written.
Life often goes that way, or so I regularly observe. I had no intention and no conscious awareness of my error until I became aware of it. That may be why I find I need to forgive myself as I forgive everyone else, when errors happen.
For me, the only alternative I can find to forgiveness is some form of resentment or retaliation or revenge and those alternatives seem only to give me even more to resent, to retaliate for, or to avenge, and my life and the lives of others become of diminished quality.
The typographical error is in the following, near the end of what I previously submitted:
"What would likely happen were we, the whole of humanity, to choose to learn to fully respect the whole of the gift of life in every way, accepting the fullness of what is it all of its creative diversity and richness?"
Corrected, it reads:
"What would likely happen were we, the whole of humanity, to choose to learn to fully respect the whole of the gift of life in every way, accepting the fullness of what is, in all of its creative diversity and richness?"
Please forgive me and my unwitting blunder.
Rev. J. Brian Harris, Ph.D., P.E.
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Rev. J. Brian Harris, Ph.D., P.E.of WI1:29PM April 14, 2009
President Obama was a member of the UCC for 20 years. A denomination that I too call home. Noone has the Christian authority to determine or judge the spiritual relationship that another person has with God. President Obama says he is a believer and I believe him totally. "Judge not lest you be judged." scripture teaches us. I am sorry that he felt the need to withdraw his membership from the UCC, a place where he was at home with the mission and message. I hope that he is able to find another congregation within our beloved UCC.
I very much enjoy hearing our President speak today. I don't think I have heard one speech that he has given where I haven't heard something that has come right from the United Church of Christ. His message of inclusivity, finding common ground, and seeking peace is not only a Christian virtue but a UCC message. I can see where the truth of hearing scripture would be an intimidation to some conservatives but it is long over due. Scripture also speaks to praying for those in authority over us, including our President, and I do so daily. Believe it or not, I also prayed for our former President. The people spoke and so did GOD.
President Obama, the United Church of Christ, your church home, stands ready and willing to receive you back into membership and continue to supply a place to meet your spiritual needs. If the UCC is good enough to serve a President in the making, it is good enough to sustain a sitting President. By the way, the history and tradition of the UCC has contributed other Presidents to our country in the past. MAy God bless President Obama and the heavy load he carries for our country.
ts dixonof WV1:20PM April 14, 2009
Judge not Others, lest Ye judge Thyself in vain.
Affirm others, that Ye may affirm Thyself in truthful actuality.
Ignorance is not knowledge and sincerity is not truthfulness.
"Allah" is simply one of the symbolic names of the "I Am" of the People of the Book.
Disrespect "Allah" and Ye disrespect "G-d" and Ye disrespect "YWWH"; and Ye disrexpect Thyself by disrespecting the Giver of the life Ye hath been given.
Gerald A. Arbuckle, S.M., Ph.D. is an Australian Marist priest who earned his doctorate in cultural anthropology. Fr. Arbuckle has written two books of possibly particular interest, "Confronting the Demon: A Gospel Response to Adult Bullying" (2003) and "Violence, Society, and Church: A Cultural Approach" (2004), both published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN.
People who, in their youth, were effectively bullied by adults seem to have a proclivity to bully others on becoming adults, and generation after generation, bullying continues. Yet choice does exist, for to not choose is only a form of choice and one cannot actually choose to not choose. A choice that is made without the choice being understood is an uninformed choice and uninformed choices are sometimes disastrously prone to catastrophic error.
What would we do were we to learn that the world was not created 6000 years ago or 16 billion years ago, but is actually being created now, for now is all that actually exists?
What would likely happen were we, the whole of humanity, to choose to learn to fully respect the whole of the gift of life in every way, accepting the fullness of what is it all of its creative diversity and richness?
Words only symbolize meaning, and have no intrinsic meaning. Is not to believe otherwise a form of idolatry -- deeming equivalent the symbol and the symbolized? The following six Latin words may take on any meaning anyone finds through them.
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison,
Rev. J. Brian Harris, Ph.D., P.E.
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Rev. J. Brian Harris, Ph.D., P.E.of WI1:17PM April 14, 2009
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Dalila of AL 6:04PM April 18, 2010
Rev. Richard J. Mangnall of IL 2:32PM April 17, 2009
Lavon Bayler of IL 5:06PM April 16, 2009
James Deitz of OH 11:48AM April 15, 2009
JB of PA 8:58PM April 14, 2009
Mary Clark of IL 6:25PM April 14, 2009
Beth Lyon of PA 2:23PM April 14, 2009
Rev. J. Brian Harris, Ph.D., P.E. of WI 1:29PM April 14, 2009
ts dixon of WV 1:20PM April 14, 2009
Rev. J. Brian Harris, Ph.D., P.E. of WI 1:17PM April 14, 2009