Every summer we’ve come to expect a convention catfight among “mainline” Protestant denominations over some burning issue or another, usually homosexuality. This year the United Church of Christ (UCC) has an even more controversial item on the agenda: Jesus Christ.
According to Christianity Today, the UCC is expected to vote down a resolution affirming that Jesus is Lord. That’s right: They are expected to reject a resolution that states that Jesus is Lord. The resolution mentions the embarrassment of serving in a denomination often thought of as “Unitarians Considering Christ.” The resolution further states, “It is highly detrimental to the health and growth of UCC churches and extremely embarrassing for UCC pastors and members to be viewed as non-Christians.”
As one UCC pastor explains to a northern New Jersey newspaper: “We have significant numbers of clergy who do not believe in God.”
Let’s pray that the UCC gains some sanity here, but we shouldn’t expect it given past history. It is one more reminder that many of the historic American denominations are more “mainline” than “Protestant.” And after years of gender confusion and sexual chaos, we really shouldn’t be surprised when the Lordship of Christ is a controversy. Still, it is sad to know that in the United Church of Christ Arius would be considered a moderate.
