The structure of the United Church of Christ is a beautiful experiment in mutual accountability and balance, a collection of covenantal relationships held in tension among individuals, congregations, associations and conferences. When I teach UCC History and Polity the students from outside of the UCC are often baffled by the structure, wondering how we accomplish things as well as how we make decisions. Being social creatures, humans are naturally hierarchical - that is, we function (in general) most comfortably in structures that are recognizable as a hierarchy. As with other social creatures, (e.g. primates, dogs) this makes it easy to determine who is in charge and where the power of the structure lies. However, humans are also naturally egalitarian - that is, we are distrustful of power that is concentrated too heavily or for too long in one place (especially "above" us). And we have an uncanny ability to recognize when structures are not fair or balanced. A number of our siblings in Christ function best in systems that are more tightly bound in hierarchy than ours - Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists - while yet others thrive in loose systems with little or no hierarchy (e.g. Quakers). The UCC structure floats in the middle and attempts an unusual task. We ask individuals and churches to live in covenant with one another respecting our mutual responsibility and accountability. That is, we choose to live in a structure that exists and flourishes by mutual agreement. If a church makes a decision that is determined to be a bad decision by other UCC churches, our structure does not provide someone who can come in and remove that church. We choose to live with voluntary accountability - and we hope that we can maintain the tenuous balance. My students from Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist backgrounds marvel at the looseness of the system while they struggle with the perception that there are some who can "get away with things" because there is no centralized authority. Students from other backgrounds find the UCC structure to be comfortable since it is greater than what they've known - although sometimes getting used to covenant accountability takes time.

 

Our covenant relationships, especially those in associations and conferences, were established on the outlines of our predecessor denominations. In some areas those relationships continue to thrive. In other areas churches feel disconnected, isolated or different than their neighbors (even their UCC neighbors) and have little or no connection to their association. I have heard many of you ask how this can be fixed. The answer is that in some areas, it cannot be. In other areas, there is the interest and capacity for reconnection and a renewed commitment to covenant. Our polity is a choice and cannot be forced. Associations can make the time to have authentic and honest conversations among their members. Understanding the role of history is a first step. Then meeting in small groups for discussion about what difference it makes to be UCC in your area today can be enlightening. There are questions that can start good discussions. What is our mission in this place and time? What might we accomplish together that we cannot do alone? What would a renewal of discipleship look like in our communities? How might we answer the call of Jesus and walk together?

 

All answers must be heard and respected. Living in covenant is a choice. It is one that we must take seriously and it is worthy of our time, energy and effort.