Press Release for Churches Uniting in Christ
June 10, 2023
Philadelphia, PA: Representatives from all ten member churches of Churches Uniting in Christ gathered this week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for their first in-person plenary since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The fifty representatives from across the United States spent time in worship, discernment, prayer and fellowship over three days of engagement and witness.
Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) was inaugurated in the early 2000’s as a new expression of visible unity among several historic Protestant churches in the United States who hold visible unity, racial equity and theological dialogue among their top commitments. The group currently consists of ten churches, including: The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church(AMEZ), the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME), The Episcopal Church, theInternational Council of Community Churches, the Moravian Church (Northern Province), the Presbyterian Church in the USA, the United Church of Christ and The United Methodist Church. This plenary in Philadelphia represented a renewed engagement of all ten communions and a determination to continue their work toward visible Christian unity in the United States.
A community worship service was held at Mother Bethel AME Church, after walking there from Historic St. George’s UM Church, in remembrance of the forced exit of Black members led by Richard Allen and others. The Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler of Mother Bethel welcomed the worshippers. Bishop Jeffrey Leath of the AME Church offered a sermon calling CUIC to say “good morning” to a new time of dedication to the vision of racial equity that is foundational to the commitment of the member churches of CUIC. Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, a former President of the ecumenical group, officiated at the Eucharistic table.
Much of the plenary time was dedicated to the development of new goals for CUIC. The Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm of the United Methodist Church lead the participants in a World Café process, in which three particular marks of commitment among the churches were reaffirmed. Several goals focusing on racial equity, welcome of all, and theological dialogue were proposed. These will now be studied by the Coordinating Council and used to set priorities are set for the next three years.
The group also met for a day at Old First Reformed Church, and it was from this building an historic Prayer Walk was launched. The participants walked together to six different sites in the city. At each site they noted the history regularly taught in the US school system and contrasted it with the history of enslaved Black Persons who were associated with the site, then they took time to pray together, asking for forgiveness, remembrance, and transformation.
Business was also conducted at the gathering. Outgoing President Abraham Wright of the International Council of Community Churches directed conversations on several projects of CUIC. Bishop Jefferson- Snorton presented information on online resources that were created during the pandemic to help local congregations commemorate Christian holidays through the lens of racial inequity. These videos, litanies and Bible studies are now located on the group’s website: www.churchesuniting.org, under the “teaching and preaching” tab. Rev. Mark Pettis of the United Church of Christ presented plans for the new ecumenical training program for young adults, which will begin in a few months. Rev. Rock Fremont and Rev. Christian Choi presented a new archiving plan in cooperation with Princeton Seminary. Mr. Wright was thanked for his leadership, and new officers were elected. For the next three years Rev. Dr. Jean Hawxhurst of The United Methodist Church will serve as President. Bishop Jeffrey Leath of the AME Church will serve as Vice President. Rev. Rock Fremont of the International Council of Community Churches will serve as Secretary. And, Ms. Juliet Owuor of the PCUSA will serve as the Treasurer, with bookkeeping help from Mr. James Tse of the PCUSA.
Participants left with a renewed commitment to stay together. Ms. Martinique Mix of the AME Church encouraged the group to “break, so that we can bend together,” and as they departed amidst hugs and congratulations, it was clear that the Churches Uniting in Christ intend to make that happen.