Background

This resolution was initially proposed by a UCC congregation in Frederick, Maryland, Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ. In 2010, when new reports of pervasive and harmful banking practices were nearly a daily occurrence, a member of the congregation approached the pastor asking whether the church had evaluated its bank and the bank’s practices. Realizing this had not been done, the church began a process to evaluate their banking relationships. After a careful examination, ERUCC moved over $1.5 million to financial institutions more in line with its values. Moreover, fees on the checking account declined by hundreds of dollars a year and the endowment funds, invested with the UCC’s United Church Funds, are in a more compatible institution. Read the story of their experience.  

Recognizing the importance of this experience, Evangelical Reformed UCC wrote a resolution asking all congregations and other settings of the UCC to engage in a similar evaluation of their banking relationships so that, in the words of the resolution, “where practical and prudent, [each setting of the church will] deliberately move toward relating to financial institutions that have records of fair lending, business and investing practices as each body discerns for its setting” 

The resolution was approved by the Cotoctan Association and Central Atlantic Conference, and sent on to the UCC’s General Synod 28. In July, 2011, the General Synod approved the resolution. Read the full text of the resolution.