Who We Are
First Church Amherst is a progressive, engaging, extravagantly welcoming, and intentionally inclusive Christian community of faith. We are proud to be part of the United Church of Christ; at the same time, we are an organic and ever-changing expression of the varied spiritual journeys, gifts, and calls of our members and friends.
We are an Open and Affirming congregation—and have been since 1987. This means we are deeply committed to deepening our affirmation and welcome of all people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer folk.
We are connected to the joys and struggles of life, and to the causes and concerns of the world. Our spiritual lives are rooted in the practices of worship, prayer, and community-building, and those practices impel us to seek justice, make peace, and love our neighbors and enemies. We have made congregational commitments to work against racism, to care for the earth, and to work for peace. We also love to have fun, and music and laughter are big parts of our life together.
We are cradle Congregationalists, mystics and activists, recovering fundamentalists, former Roman Catholics and evangelicals, Buddhists, and agnostics. Rather than endorsing a single creed, we covenant to respect and to care for each other. We are joyful children and questioning youth. Some of us have spent our whole lives in one church or another; others are brand new to church and Christianity.
We are part of First Church Amherst because we have found it to be a community of people who love us for who we are, a spiritual home where we can ask questions and share joys, and a living expression of faith where we experience healing and hope.
We invite you to join us on the journey.