History and Covenant

Mayflower is a member congregation of the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination that came into being in 1957 with the union of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. We trace our roots to the Pilgrims and Puritans, who were among the first Europeans to come to North America in search of religious freedom. Beginning with the Pilgrims in 1620, these refugees of the European Reformation became known in this country as Congregationalists and Presbyterians. They were champions of freedom, independent of spirit, and democratic in governance--all of which exercised tremendous influence on American history and the development of democratic institutions. The Mayflower Compact became a template of sorts for the U.S. Constitution, and Congregationalists founded Harvard and Yale and many of the finest institutions of higher education in America. Believing that an uneducated clergy person is as dangerous as a quack physician, Congregationalists insisted that the "parson" (the person) be the most educated member of his community. And they saw no conflict between intelligence and piety.

In 1957, a mix of Congregationalist, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Evangelical and Reformed Churches created the United Church of Christ--the most progressive Protestant denomination in America. The UCC has been at the forefront of movements for peace and justice since its inception--inheriting the work of its predecessor denominations (including the ordination of the first woman to the ministry and the work of Christian abolitionists), and actively working for civil rights, women’s rights, and now gay rights. The first denomination to ordain an openly gay man in 1974, the UCC has steadfastly worked to insure equal rights, and fight discrimination of every kind.

Mayflower belongs to the Kansas/Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ, whose offices are located at 1245 Fabrique in Wichita, Kansas. Our conference minister is David Hansen, and our Oklahoma Association minister is Rev. Gordon Epps.

Mayflower, through its benevolence giving, voluntarily contributes to the work of the Oklahoma Association, the Kansas/Oklahoma Conference, and the national offices of the United Church of Christ, located in Cleveland, Ohio. We believe that churches should be locally autonomous but not isolationist, and we celebrate the connection we feel, and the obligation we gladly accept to the larger church as members of the United Church of Christ.

Further information about the history, structure, and mission of the United Church of Christ can be found on its web site at: www.ucc.org