ABOUT US
This is NOT the church for you—UNLESS you want an extraordinary and winning and holistic blend of traits. Federated Church is a church that invites wholeness.
We address both mind and heart. We seek a combination of open minds and rigorous thinking. We speak a word both of reassurance and of challenge. Biblically rooted, we are yet in touch with the world. Progressive and contemporary in many ways, we also see ourselves as growing out of a rich and vibrant tradition that goes back thousands of years.
This is not the church for everyone. It IS the church for lively, thoughtful, energetic, committed people who seek hope and wisdom and connection and a ministry of their own. It IS the church for people who yearn for moving music, extraordinary children’s programs, spirited worship, and a chance to make a difference in the world.
On second thought, this IS the church for you! You need us as much as we need you! We’re glad you’re here—at the website. And if you’re new, we hope to see you in church!
FEDERATED'S HISTORY
First, it must be pointed out, there is no denomination or association of Federated Churches. Wherever one finds a Federated Church, two or more local churches have merged. In our case, it was a merger between the Congregationalists and the Disciples of Christ.
The Congregational Church in Chagrin Falls was organized in 1835. Four years earlier the Disciples Church had been organized in Bentleyville. Later it was moved to Chagrin Falls. In 1884, an English church known as the Bible Christian Church, located on the Bell Street site of our present building, voted to disband and become a part of the Congregational Church. Then in 1919, our present Federated Church was born as a result of the federation of the Congregational and Disciples of Christ churches.
At the national level in 1957, the Congregational Christian Churches voted to merge with the Evangelical and Reformed Church, the result of which was the formation of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, at a special congregational meeting on March 5, 1961, voted to become a full member of the United Church of Christ.
With our history of uniting to work together, we feel very much at home in the present day ecumenical movement. By far the largest number of our present members have transferred to us from other denominations, bringing with them much of the richness of their traditions and working easily within the framework of our own.
Marty Culbertson - Director of Mission and Service
Pat Haynish - Director of Children's Choir
Joshua Konow - Director of Music Ministries
Kristin LeFeber - Director of Children's Faith Formation
Jake Magalski - Maintenance & Grounds Lead
Beth Rutkowski - Senior Director of People & Operations
Betsy Wooster- Pastor of Spiritual Formation
Click a staff member to learn more and view their contact information. Or VIEW ALL STAFF.
WHO IS UCC
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world. The UCC is a church of firsts, a church of extravagant welcome, and a church where "…they may all be one" (John 17:21).
The Church of Firsts
Since 1957, the United Church of Christ has been the church of firsts, weaving God’s message of hope and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that effect change in our communities. The UCC's many "firsts" mean that we have inherited a tradition of acting upon the demands of our faith. When we read in Galatians: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus"—a demand is made upon us. And so we were the first historically white denomination to ordain an African-American, the first to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, and the first Christian church to affirm the right of same-gender couples to marry. We were in the forefront of the anti-slavery movement and the Civil Rights movement. Our response to the demands of our faith is woven into the history of our country.
A Church of Extravagant Welcome
Today, we continue to change lives throughout the world. We work alongside more than 200 mission partners. We labor ceaselessly to fight injustice, in the United States and abroad. We instill our vision into our youth and young adults, forging leaders who will imagine new dreams. And we sustain and develop church leaders, pastors, and our local churches to live their faith in exciting new ways. We believe in a God that is still speaking, a God that is all-loving and inclusive. We are a church that welcomes and accepts everyone as they are, where your mind is nourished as much as your soul.
We are a church where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary, and where together, we grow a just and peaceful world.
