Ralston United Church of Christ is a member of the United Church of Christ denomination.  Our congregation was born into the denomination known as The Congregational Church, one of the oldest denominations in America, and it remains strong in the New England states where we started with the beginnings of our nation, with the pilgrims.  In 1957 there was a merger of four American Christian denominations, including our parental stream, The Congregational Church, the Christian Church, Evangelical Church and Reformed Church.  That is when we all took the name The United Church of Christ, often referred to simply as “The UCC”.

The UCC is a voluntary association of congregations.  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.  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.  The absence of obligated affiliation allows for a stronger voluntary association, for those congregations who feel the benefit of it.