First United Church of Tampa

 
extravagantly welcoming  ·  radically inclusive  ·  evangelically courageous
 

FIRST UNITED CHURCH OF TAMPA

WHO ARE WE?

We are a people of compassion.  We are ministers who embody the tangible love of a savior who fed the hungry, healed the hurting, and told us bluntly that what we did to the least we did to him.

We are a people of inclusion.  This is a value Jesus held.  Jesus came to include, not to exclude.  All are welcome around God's table.

We are a people of liberation.  We seek to challenge all oppression and discrimination.  By embodying grace we live out our liberation until all are set free.

We are a people of hope.  We are people filled with joy and unrelenting optimism because we believe God is good.  With God, all things are possible.  God can use us to transform the world.

We are a people of Jesus.  Jesus was the incarnation of God's grace.  Jesus was the ultimate liberal, who resisted the status quo of oppression and showed us the way to the abundant life God intends for all people.

We are a liberal Christian church.  We willingly embrace such traditionally liberal values as helping and advocating for the poor, protecting the environment, and recognizing as sinful attitudes such as sexism, ageism, racism, homophobia, ableism, and religious discrimination.

We care for those who are hurting or in need.  Caring for others is the soul of who we are.  It keeps us from being consumed with ourselves.  It is the antidote for the toxic effects of the materialism that is consuming our society.  In a hurting and hopeless world, celebration is vital to health.  People need to celebrate to keep hope alive.

We are empowered to minister to others.  Everyone is gifted.  The role of the clergy and staff is to equip people for ministry.  Pastors minister, but they are not the ministers.  All God's people are ministers.  We are all producers, not just consumers, of faith.  (Adapted from Cathedral of Hope UCC)

What do we believe?

Faith is a matter of heart and mind.
Taking the Bible seriously does not mean taking it literally.
God embraces all people equally.
Christ calls us to be nothing less than global citizens.
The social expression of love is justice.
Every generation is called to discover new faith traditions.
God continues to speak through the actions and words of persons today, just as in times of old.

United and uniting since 1885

First United Church of Tampa was founded as First Congregational Church of Tampa in 1885, when Tampa had less than 4,000 inhabitants.  Our church has a history of courageously leading efforts for social justice and reform, and we continue to do that today.  In 2002, First United Church of Tampa merged with the United Community Church (UCC) of North Tampa to form a new First United Church of Tampa.  We are truly a united church and a uniting church.

Our liberal, open-minded Christian witness attracts members and friends from Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, Hernando, and Manatee Counties.  Our proximity to the University of South Florida makes access to our church very convenient for USF students seeking a progressive Christian environment.

This is the cornerstone from the church building that was erected on Florida Avenue in Tampa in 1906. When it was sold in 1959, the cornerstone was transported to our current property in the Temple Terrace area. It is located on the west side of our property.
This is the cornerstone from our church building that was erected on Florida Avenue in Tampa in 1906. When it was sold in 1959, the cornerstone was transported to our current property in the Temple Terrace area. It is located on the west side of our property.

 

The UCC is the first mainline denomination to:

Condemn slavery
(1700)

Ordain African-Americans
(1785)

Ordain women
(1853)

Ordain gays and lesbians
(1972)

Publish a hymnal that honors male and female images of God
(1995)

Support equal marriage rights for all couples, regardless of gender
(2005)
Our congregation has a consistent history of working for change and social justice.  During the twentieth century, First United fought political corruption, protested the racism and segregation that was (and is) present in the South, stood up for women's rights, participated in anti-hunger and anti-poverty movements, and worked for many other causes:
  • We helped lead peace vigils during the mobilization for war with Iraq.
  • We discussed how the Patriot Act curtails our civil liberties.
  • We spoke out against Hillsborough County's 2005 "gay pride" ban.  (We were the first organization in Hillsborough County to do so!)
  • We participated in the March on Washington to End the War on Iraq in September 2005. 
  • We condemned the use of torture on prisoners.
  • We began consciously educating ourselves about being better stewards of God's creation.
  • We made a true commitment to articulate our liberal expression of the Christian faith by including the excluded; standing in solidarity with the poor, oppressed and marginalized; and working for social and economic justice.
  • We participated in the UCC's God is Still Speaking identity campaign, which included TV commercials and other exposure in the media.
  • We, along with other UCC congregations and other religious organizations, supported efforts aimed at reinstating Largo's city manager, who was fired in 2007 for revealing that he was going to have sexual reassignment surgery.
  • We endorsed the Earth Charter.
  • We stated our opposition to the so-called Florida Marriage Protection Amendment (Amendment 2) and submitted a resolution to the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ for the delegates' consideration at the 2008 Annual Meeting.  It was approved overwhelmingly!  We worked tirelessly against the discriminatory amendment, encouraging voters to vote "no" in November.  Unfortunately, the amendment passed.
  • In celebration of our 125th anniversary, we declared ourselves a Multiracial and Multicultural church and reaffirmed our commitment to be an Open and Affirming church.

 

First United Church of Tampa, UCC · 7308 E. Fowler Ave. · Tampa, FL 33617 · 813-988-4321