UCC and United Church of Canada celebrate a decade of ‘shared mission, mutual accountability, common hope in Christ’

Ten years ago, the United Church of Christ (UCC) and The United Church of Canada (UCCan) celebrated the beginning of a full communion agreement. The agreement initiated an intentional relationship between the denominations that share a geographic border.

“This full communion agreement is at its heart an expression of the spirit of the united and uniting church movement. With it, both churches seek to lift up and reaffirm the ‘fire in the belly’ for the ecumenical visions that brought them into existence. They also want the agreement truly to make a difference for them and for the world,” the Joint Partnership Committee — made up of representatives from both denominations — wrote in their April 2015 report as they officially recommended entering into full communion.

The UCC and United Church of Canada delegate bodies unanimously approved resolutions toward this new path of partnership at their respective 2015 gatherings – the 30th General Synod of the UCC in Cleveland, Ohio, and the 42nd General Council of the UCCan in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador.

A joint worship service in Niagara Falls, Ontario, cemented and celebrated the relationship on Oct. 17, 2015. For the event, both denominations brought together their board of directors and leadership “to share our common witness, and we see that as a good way to start out — centered on our faith traditions — in this journey together,” the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson said at the time, when she was serving as UCC ecumenical and interfaith officer.

Celebrating a decade of ‘work across borders’

Now, ten years later, the UCC and The United Church of Canada will gather for an online worship service on Sat, Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. ET to celebrate a decade of journeying together.

Thompson, now the UCC General Minister and President, will be a featured guest at the live-streamed worship service, as well as the Rev. Michael Blair, who serves the General Council of The United Church of Canada as General Secretary; and the Rev. Philip Vinod Peacockof India, general secretary-elect of The World Communion of Reformed Churches.

These ten years of relationship hold significant meaning as “the UCC remains committed to reconciliation among the separated branches of the body of Christ,” said the Rev. Danielle Hickman, current UCC ecumenical and interfaith relations minister and manager.

“Today, we live in a time of unprecedented division,” Hickman reflected. “This ecumenical partnership serves as a powerful reminder that we are called to work across borders, rather than being constrained by them. In an era when our government encourages us to stay in our corners and judge the worthiness of others, our ongoing commitment to collaboration across boundaries empowers us to courageously pursue unity.”

The Rev. Japhet Ndhlovu, executive minister for the Church in Mission unit of The United Church of Canada, noted how these ten years of full communion have enabled a wealth of worship, leadership, and learning across the border, with shared ministers and ministries.

“This full communion relationship has been a quiet but critical sign that border-crossing, justice-seeking Christian community is not only possible but life-giving for both of our Churches. In a time of polarization and fragmentation, it witnesses to a different way of belonging – rooted in shared mission, mutual accountability, and a common hope in Christ,” he said. “Both churches bring strong commitments to peace, reconciliation, LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusion, anti-racism, gender equity, and care for creation, so the partnership amplifies that witness in ways neither could manage alone.​”

An agreement ‘for common mission in God’s world’

Ten years ago, full communion between UCC and The United Church of Canada formally commenced with an October 2015 worship service, celebration, and document-signing by leaders from both denominations with over 400 people attending in-person.

There, two leaders from each denomination signed the official communion document. The Rev. John Dorhauer, former UCC GMP, and Dale Bonds, former Board chair, signed on behalf of the UCC. Nora Sanders, former general secretary of The United Church of Canada and the Rt. Rev. Jordan Cantwell, former moderator, signed on behalf of UCCan.

“Any time members of the body of Christ lay aside whatever differences we have and share full communion with each other, we fulfill our calling,” Dorhauer reflected at the service. “What we do here is not just a fulfillment of Christ’s prayer, but of our faithfulness to a gospel we know has the power to change the world.”

“Our most critical commitment in this agreement is for common mission in God’s world,” Cantwell said at the 2015 service. “In this relationship together, we bear witness to the hope for unity in a world that is so profoundly divided. And if we, in our lives and commitments, can give testimony to the possibility of crossing divisions, of being sisters and brothers across diversity, then we are shining Christ’s light in the world.”

Thompson, then the UCC ecumenical and interfaith officer, described how the partnership expressed “the unity we know exists through Christ, and affirms our identity as disciples of Jesus.”

In a Christian ecumenical context, full communion signifies a relationship of mutual recognition and shared faith between two or more denominations. It means recognizing each entity as part of the universal Christian church, while recognizing and honoring each other’s sacraments. The agreement is not a merger, but a commitment to deeper unity and cooperation in ministry.

Inviting the Spirit ‘to move afresh among us’

As the UCC and The United Church of Canada prepare to celebrate ten years of full communion, the return to shared worship offers a fitting space to both reflect and gain inspiration for the next decade.  

“Marking the tenth anniversary in a joint worship service this year underlines that this is not a symbolic document from the past, but a living covenant that continues to call us to pray, discern, and act side-by-side in Christ’s mission,” Ndhlovu said.

“Shared worship is a meaningful way to mark this anniversary because it reminds us that at the center of our communion is Christ, and that our mutual dependence on the Holy Spirit strengthens our life together. Worship invites us into relationship with one another, deepening both connection and understanding,” Hickman said.

“Our hope is that corporate worship, in which prayers for God’s world empower and inspire us, and reflection upon our shared history, will allow the Spirit to move afresh among us, giving direction and courage for the path ahead.”

Register to attend the United Church of Christ & United Church of Canada 10-Year Anniversary Online Worship here.

The entire 2015 full communion worship service is available to watch and revisit here.

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