404-633-4505 | Join Us On Sundays at 11AM!
404-633-4505 | Join Us On Sundays at 11AM!
Learn more about our church, history and team.
Central’s “openness” is built right into our architecture: the main feature of the sanctuary is clear glass windows that soar into the 8-acre nature preserve. Worshippers feel as if they are sitting in the hardwood canopy and there are over 1,000 feet of walking trails in the woods. Certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife preserve, the urban forest is a sanctuary for people, native plants and pollinators.
Integral to our worship is an “open Table” for Communion: all who present themselves to be served will be served (we even have a gluten-free cracker for those who need it). Parents decide when their children are ready to receive the sacrament; no “profession” need be made by anyone to receive spiritual nourishment. There is “bread for your journey;” we come, “not because we must, but because we may.”
We are an “Open & Affirming” congregation, which is certainly meant to communicate our welcome and invitation to LGBTQ folk into the full participation in the life of the congregation—but it means so much more! Twice a month the 11:00 Sunday service has a sign language interpreter, we have hearing assistance devices and large-print bulletins, and the entire campus is “barrier-free” for those with mobility challenges (there is an elevator and accessible bathrooms throughout the campus).
We often proclaim at Central “Our faith is over 2,000 years old. Our thinking is not.” This is more than a “bumper sticker” or “bulletin slogan”—it is essential to Central! We believe that faith is a journey and thinking is encouraged; we covenant to make this journey with each other.
We believe in a “continuing testament” of God revealing of God’s self to us, through, but not exclusively, in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Other Wisdom traditions and sacred writings can inform and shape the faith practices of our Christianity.
We apply modern scholarship to Biblical interpretation and science is not a stranger to our faith. We use intentional inclusive language for referencing humankind and expansive language for God. We make space for awe and mystery.
Because we believe in “testimonies of faith, not tests of faith,” we are not “monolithic” in our theology; we celebrate our varied traditions and diverse faith expressions. A significant portion of our membership had no previous experience with the United Church of Christ prior to coming to Central.
Yes, we are—Christian. What that means for the members and friends of Central, however, is quite diverse. For most, it means embracing the continuing struggle with the prophetic tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures and the message, mission and vision of Jesus.
Inspired by the Hebrew prophets, we are challenged to speak to contemporary issues of justice. As a “Justice & Peace-seeking” congregation, we affirm that there can be “no peace, without justice.”
Rooted in his rabbinical training, Jesus proclaimed justice and the inclusion of all people. His message continues to confront us, his mission to the “least of these “ continues to inspire us, and his vision of the emerging Realm of God on earth as it is in heaven continues to be our hope. For us, “to believe is to care. To care is to do.”
We know it isn’t easy to find a new faith community, but we would love to welcome you to Central! In this place of stone and glass, you’ll find a progressive Christian community of diverse beliefs and experiences. Here, you’ll be in a place that welcomes you exactly as you are.
Asian, Black, Brown, White? You’re welcome here!
LGBTQIA+ You’re welcome here!
Have more doubt than faith? You’re welcome here!
Divorced? Widowed? You’re welcome here!
Clear in what you believe? You’re welcome here!
Introverted? Extroverted? Somewhere in between? You’re welcome here!
Kids and Teens? Yes, Yes, Yes!! You’re welcome here!
Central joyfully welcomes you into the life of this congregation, whether you’re visitor, long-time friend, or just stopping by! Membership is an opportunity to more deeply mark your relationship to Central by sharing our church covenant.
Members are also asked to service on boards and committees, and to vote in congregational meetings.
We offer opportunities to participate in our New Member conversations each quarter in March, June, September, and December.
Reach out to Rev. Thomas for more information.
Central Congregational Church was established in 1882, the third institution to be introduced in post-civil-war Atlanta by the Congregational Church’s American Missionary Society. The first two, begun in 1865, were Atlanta University and First Congregational Church. Central has had numerous homes in Atlanta over its nearly 150 years, most downtown. Immediately preceding its current home, Central was located in a large (formerly Baptist) church on Ponce de Leon and Piedmont. Central’s current wooded location with its dramatic sanctuary, designed by Atlanta architect Kenneth Johnson, was dedicated in 1968.
Throughout Central’s history, the congregation’s members, leaders, and pastors have expressed Christian faith and hope in programs of service and advocacy for justice: from educating and feeding cotton mill hands (including children) in the 1800s to helping the agencies today that feed the unhoused and impoverished (in the city and in our neighborhood). Central’s own Plymouth Harbor day program for frail elderly is in that tradition of loving service. In the 1960s, Central members were activists in the Civil Rights movement. Central became home to many progressive Christians rejecting intolerance. Today, Central folk remain Christian “pilgrims,” seeking justice, marching for Pride, educating for peace.
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.
To find out more about the United Church of Christ, visit ucc.org
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