About Us

History

The United Church of Christ is a church of firsts:

1st Woman Pastor
1st African-American Pastor
1st School for the Deaf
1st Ordained Openly Gay Minister
1st Integrated Anti-Slavery Society

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ

The history of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ is, at its core, a story of audacity. Just after the Civil War ended, in 1870, a small group of 25 members committed themselves to becoming a religious presence in downtown Westminster. So they built a church that accommodated well over 220 people. The congregation has grown into the building. In the 1950s, our Fellowship Hall was added and a recent major renovation and construction project made the entire facility handicap accessible.

St. Paul’s was initially established as part of the German Reformed Church in the United States. In 1934, the German Reformed Church merged with the German Evangelical Synod in North America. Together, they formed the Evangelical and Reformed Church. In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Churches. The result is the United Church of Christ which celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2007.

Throughout its history, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ has been attentive to matters of social justice, for example. In a wide variety of ways, the congregation has maintained its firm commitment to community service and world-wide mission.

On September 7, 2008, St. Paul’s became the first church in Carroll County to officially declare itself to be Open and Affirming to LGBTQIA+ people. St. Paul’s became the only mainline Christian church in Carroll County where same-sex couples can wed. In 2018, we adopted the UCC’s covenant to be Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, Engaged with Mental Illness, Brain Injury, and Substance Abuse (W.I.S.E.). In recent years, we have committed to becoming Anti-Racist as a congregation.

We continue to work together in love and fellowship for a common cause — to love God and serve all of God’s Creation. We are confident that, with God’s help and by God’s grace, our future will reflect the same spirit of self-sacrifice and compassion that is our legacy and our calling.

Mission & Vision

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ is a faithful and forward-looking Christian congregation. We welcome every person into loving community and bear witness to the power and love of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Following Jesus’ example, we strive to serve God by serving all of God’s creation in everything we do.