Hamilton parish votes to withdraw from UCC, though it's not ALL about gays

[Ian David]

Hamilton parish votes to withdraw
Ties broken with Church of Christ

By Charles A. Radin, Globe Staff | November 24, 2006

Members of the historic First Congregational Church of Hamilton have voted to withdraw from the United Church of Christ and seek affiliation with a denomination that the congregation finds more theologically compatible.

The Rev. Dorington Little , pastor of First Congregational, said United Church of Christ's affirmation of the rights of gays and lesbians to marry -- an issue that is causing divisions in many churches -- was not a factor in last week's vote. He said the action came after extensive study and discussion of what congregants perceived as a drift of the United Church of Christ away from orthodox Christian beliefs. He declined to discuss specific issues on which the congregation believed the United Church of Christ had departed from orthodox Christian teachings.

"For us the main issue is having an orthodox commitment to the person and work of Jesus Christ, in alignment with how he is presented in scripture," Little said. United Church of Christ congregations, he said, "have a great diversity of ideas. It is not clear to us that the historic creeds of the Christian church are held up by the UCC as being authoritative, reflective of scripture, and meant to be adhered to today."

But the Rev. Michael Penn-Strah , a member of the United Church of Christ regional staff who tried unsuccessfully to keep First Congregational in the United Church of Christ, said the same-sex marriage issue was one of several on which First Congregational parishioners did not want to hear opinions other than their own assertions of orthodoxy.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/11/24/hamilton_parish_votes_to_withdraw/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+City%2FRegion+News

[ToolTex]

1. Bye bye