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United Christian Parish: 30 and going strong By Michelle Zimmermann Article from Reston Times - 06/17/2003 Because it was an experimental community, Pastor Robert Regan thought it only appropriate for Reston to have an experimental church, too. And, as Reston's experiment turns 40 next year, United Christian Parish (UCP) is celebrating 30 years of successful interdenominational worship this year. The UCP comprises the local congregations of four Christian denominations--Methodist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ--that worship under one roof. The idea is that, despite slight differences in practice and terminology, the spirit of the worship is the same, and each denomination draws positively on the differences of the others. In 1964, Regan became the first pastor at Redeemer Methodist Church in Reston, and the first pastor in the then new community. He, with the help of the Rev. Doug Ibach, was responsible for the move to unite what Regan calls the "mainstream of Protestant churches." He is now retired and resides in Lake of the Woods near Fredericksburg. After convincing the four denominations that a united Christian parish would be a good idea, Regan said it was several years still before the differences were worked out and the experiment could begin in practice. The UCP was officially founded on June 10, 1973. Over the course of 30 years, the UCP built three houses of worship--one on North Shore Drive, known as the Redeemer building and which was originally Redeemer Methodist Church, one in Hunters Woods, and one in South Lakes. The idea for UCP came, Regan said, as a result of thinking about doing something that would demonstrate the unity of Christians not only in word, but in deed. "Some people might be satisfied in saying that [Christians] are one, spiritually," Regan said. "Many of us believe we must demonstrate that in actuality." With the UCP, Regan said there is a physical union of church communities. Since then, he said there are now 50 parishes in the United States that have undertaken similar experiments, also with success. "They simply say, if we affirm from Scripture that there is one [God], one faith and one baptism, we can demonstrate it in the church itself," Regan said. Even though the UCP in Reston only has four denominations participating, Regan said he hopes that in the future the church can incorporate even more, to include Baptists and Catholics, for example. "At least we got four," Regan said. "I'm satisfied that we made progress, though we could make more if we had all of them." The differences between the four denominations run from how a baptism should be conducted--to sprinkle or to immerse--to what the church board members are called--elders or deacons. The UCP solved those problems, for instance, by doing all types of baptisms. As far as the people who come to the church, Regan said, they are in essence no different from other church-goers. "The life of the church is not too much different from any other church," he said. "The same characteristics are there: to honor Christ and worship with real spirit." Regan did note that his parishioners have always had a strong concern for the larger community, and have served with groups ranging from Reston Interfaith to missionary work in Rwanda, Africa. Current pastor Suzanne Rudiselle, who retires at the end of the month from 15 years of service, said that because the church is unusual, its congregation tends to be more tolerant of differences and more committed to their faith. A plaque just inside the church doors attests to this tolerance, as well. It reads, "We welcome all who welcome all." "The people are wonderful," Rudiselle said. "They are adventurous and highly committed. These people invest themselves well beyond the parish, and are engaged in so many things because, I think, they take their faith so seriously." A lot of teaching goes on in the church, she added, because the church must do some things a little differently to be able to accommodate all faiths represented at UCP. "We're constantly called to be creative," Rudiselle said. "If we do it differently than what people expect, we must explain ourselves. Sometimes it gets tricky, but we've worked hard. It's been a joy and a challenge." Bill Jackson, who with his wife Mary, is among a handful of people who have been with the UCP since its inception, said it makes sense for him for Christians to worship together rather than compete against each other for parishioners based on small differences. "That approach to religion made sense to me," Jackson said. "I've never understood why there are so many denominations to begin with. If you believe the same things, why are there so many groups of you?" He says he's stayed with it all these years because he still believes in what the parish stands for. And among the benefits of belonging to a church that incorporates several denominations is being able to take advantage of the resources of all four. Any congregation member can attend any of the conferences each denomination has once a year and have access to literature and theological seminaries. And, when the church needs ministers, it has four groups from which to draw upon rather than just one. "It does have its problems, but we're able to overcome them, for the most part," Jackson said. "It can be a strain on your resources because sometimes you have to do things times four rather than just once. But it's been a fun trip." Other things attract new members, too. Reston Association Director Doug Bushee attends UCP with his wife, Stacy, and said they started attending on the recommendation of his childhood minister, Hugh Winston. "We listened to Dr. Suzanne Rudiselle just once," Bushee said. "We liked what she had to say, and that's why we went." |