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In 1957, the year the United Church of Christ was formed, Time chose Nikita Khrushchev as its
"Man of the Year." The magazine's cover portrait showed the Soviet leader holding Sputnik, the world's first satellite, in his hands. The
Cold War between the United States and the USSR is long gone, if not forgotten. But the technology symbolized by the Russians' 1957
satellite launch into space is ever more with us. Fifty years ago, television signals were transmitted point-to-point on earth. Church
Sunday bulletins were reproduced on mimeograph machines. Church school classes watched filmstrips. Xerox machines and video cassettes, let
alone DVDs and satellite dishes, were still in the future. So were jet-propelled passenger aircraft, personal computers, cell phones, and
digital cameras. No one needs to be told that all of those technological changes are now part of our everyday lives. We accept them as
part of "modern life." But perhaps many of us are not so much aware of the changes that have occurred in the life of our church over the
same half-century. Altogether, they constitute a "religious revolution" that rivals what has occurred in technology. Ever since the
Reformation, the dominant movement in Protestantism had been toward division. But in 1957, two (really four) denominations came together in
the United Church of Christ. The founders viewed their work of reconciliation as only a beginning, even if they could not fully understand
where it would lead. For example, the definition of "united" has since been broadened well beyond its original meaning. Our forebears
rightly believed that bringing the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches together into one communion was
revolutionary. But not everyone felt included in that 1957 union. The past fifty years have witnessed the struggle by formerly marginalized
groups to gain full participation in the life of our church. That work is not yet completed. But, today we can see many signs of how the
United Church of Christ is becoming more and more inclusive. Our Bibles no longer perpetuate sexist language and imagery. Our hymnals
include music and lyrics from many cultures and languages. Hundreds of our congregations are open, affirming, and accessible to all, as are
all of our colleges and theological seminaries. Like the technological revolution, God willing, the religious movement we started in 1957
will continue to bring change long into our future.
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