An
ecumenical church fostering cooperation in ministry in the Reston
community and beyond
Who We Are
The United Christian Parish of Reston, Virginia, is an
ecumenical church
uniting in ministry four denominations: the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Presbyterian Church (USA), the
United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church. In joining the UCP, a
new member is welcomed into all four denominations.
We honor the traditions of our denominations in our worship and sacramental
practices, and in our commitment to Christian education, mission, fellowship and
witness. We encourage you to look at the information provided here on our
webpages and visit us soon. Use the maps
provided to find us.
Click on the captions under the icons below to learn
more about each denomination...
VISION STATEMENT
Grateful for God’s gift of Christian unity, the United Christian Parish seeks
to actively foster open dialogue and cooperation in ministry in the Reston
community and beyond, and to truly live the reconciling love of God as expressed in Romans 12: 9-18: "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit,
serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."
(NRSV translation)
MISSION STATEMENT
Rooted in the Gospel, defining the church of tomorrow,
We, the United Christian Parish, will:
Proclaim the faith that makes us one in Christ; Welcome the stranger with openness;
Celebrate the diversity of our membership;
Unite through ecumenical worship and sacraments; Explore variety in theology and education;
Multiply God's gifts through faithful stewardship;
Support one another through prayer and nurturing presence;
Commit ourselves to local and worldwide service; and
Work together for peace and justice in the world.
History
The United Christian Parish of Reston, Virginia, traces its roots to the Consultation On Church Union
(COCU) movement of the sixties. In 1966 the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Capital Area, the National Capital Union Presbytery and the United Methodist Church Virginia Annual Conference affirmed
a covenant for church development in Reston, Virginia, that led to an ecumenical parish. On Pentecost Sunday, June 10, 1973, the United Christian Parish (UCP) was established.
Before the Parish, Methodists (later to become United Methodists) began holding services in the new Town of Reston in December 1964, led by the Reverend J. Robert Regan, Jr., as founding pastor. In January 1967, the
Redeemer building on North Shore Drive near the Lake Anne Village Center was consecrated. In 1972, the Reverend Douglas T.
Ibach, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, was called to be the founding pastor of a second congregation that began worshipping in the Hunters Woods Elementary School.
The
Hunters Woods building on Colts Neck Road was opened in September 1977. The third congregation allied with the United Christian Parish started in 1979 in the South Lakes Village when the Parish called the Reverend Russell (Budd) Friend-Jones, a United Church of Christ pastor, to organize a new congregation to minister to that area of Reston. The congregation met after October 1979, in the Sunrise Valley Elementary School. The South Lakes building
was completed early in 1990.
In 1998, the three congregations of the United Christian Parish voted in a Parish meeting "to worship
and to operate" as a unified congregation, starting January 1, 1999. That unification was seen as the logical next step toward being one in Christ Jesus. The decision was made to worship at the South Lakes building. Subsequently, due to space considerations, the Parish voted to move worship and Christian Education to the Redeemer building beginning August 4, 2002. The use of building space for community services also continues.
The Child
Development Center and the Parents
Day Out programs through which the Parish served children in the
community for more than 25 years were merged on July 1, 2004. The newly
formed United Christian Parish Preschool
continues to operate at both Hunters Woods and Redeemer.
The Parish currently enjoys the
services of the Rev. Dr. M. Bruce Irwin, Co-Pastor and Ministerial
Team Leader; the Rev. Joan Bell-Haynes, Co-Pastor; and Ms. Billie P.
Sutter, Director of Christian Education, as
members of the Ministerial Team.
So much has transpired since this ecumenical experiment was formally chartered in 1973. In 2003 the United Christian Parish celebrated its
30th anniversary year on Pentecost Day. The Parish has played an important role in the development of Reston as a Metropolitan Washington suburb, by helping to found and to guide a number of interdenominational
community service agencies. The Parish has been recognized locally and nationally for breaking new ground in ecumenical ministry.
a covenant for church development in Reston, Virginia, that led to an ecumenical parish. On Pentecost Sunday, June 10, 1973, the United Christian Parish (UCP) was established.
In 1998, the three congregations of the United Christian Parish voted in a Parish meeting "to worship
and to operate" as a unified congregation, starting January 1, 1999. That unification was seen as the logical next step toward being one in Christ Jesus. The decision was made to worship at the South Lakes building. Subsequently, due to space considerations, the Parish voted to move worship and Christian Education to the Redeemer building beginning August 4, 2002. The use of building space for community services also continues. 
