Countryside was born into the denomination known as The Congregational Church, one of the oldest denominations in America, and remains strong in the New England states where we started with the beginnings of our nation, including the pilgrims and the puritans. In 1957 there was a merger of four American Christian denominations, including our parental stream, The Congregational Church, the Reformed Church in the United States, independent congregations of the Christian Connection, and the Evangelical Synod of North America. Most of us go by the name The United Church of Christ, often referred to simply as “The UCC.”
The UCC is a body that lives in covenant and community. We are connected for mission and nurture, but we have no superior body that tells congregations what they can or cannot do. We are, as a congregation, a free agent that lives in freedom and responsibility. Local congregations are free to accept, reject, or ignore initiatives from the wider church, but we are responsible to listen and consider. The big decisions for the congregation are made by the congregation itself, in a meeting of the congregation. There is a great deal of governmental freedom in The United Church of Christ. Countryside is part of The Nebraska Conference of The United Church of Christ and appreciates the covenantal connection of that relationship.
