Hope United Church of Christ

Here follows an excerpt from the church's website:

Hope’s History
Hope Church began as a mission in 1960, meeting at Rose Hill Elementary School in Alexandria under the leadership of Reverend Wallace Anderson. Three years later, Hope was officially chartered and became Hope United Church of Christ. The United Church of Christ has its roots in the Reformation Tradition; the denomination was formed in 1957 through the merger of the Congregational Christian and Evangelical Reformed churches.

Coming Home to Hope
When Reverend Howard P.M. Borgstrom was called to the pastorate at Hope in 1964, planning and construction of a permanent church building was the first order of business. Just before Christmas that year, the worship committee laid out a vision for Hope’s sanctuary: “A table centrally located near the people signifies the heart as well as gives a sense of the presence of God in the midst of the congregation. The communion table should be the focal point of the worshiping congregation with the cross, the symbol of the risen Christ, being given its rightful place.”

Ground was broken on August 15, 1965, and on July 17, 1966, the members of Hope United Church of Christ celebrated their first worship service at the congregation’s permanent home. The church was dedicated on September 18, 1966.

Active in the World
Even as Hope UCC was establishing its physical home, it was building its congregational character of concern and engagement, playing an active role in denominational and social concerns.

In 1975, Hope UCC participated in an exchange of pastors with Christ Church in Enfield, England. Rev. Borgstrom filled the pulpit at Christ Church, and that church’s pastor, Reverend Kenneth F. Faulkner, came to Hope.

In September 1978, in a growing sense of awareness of its UCC missionary roots, Hope UCC sponsored the first of a series of authentic Hawaiian fellowship luaus under the guidance of member Harold Bailey, a native Hawaiian. In February 1979, Obookiah Sunday was celebrated, including a special Hawaiian worship service commemorating Henry Obookiah, the Hawaiian youth who came to New England and inspired the Congregationalists there to send missionaries to his native islands. The tradition continues through Hope’s ongoing relationships with the local Hawaiian native community and through Hope’s Luau celebrations.

In the early 1980s, members of Hope UCC led an effort to raise awareness of Christian persecution in the Soviet Union. As a result, a resolution to encourage the Soviet government to allow seven persecuted Christians in Siberia to emigrate was adopted by local and regional UCC conferences and then by the 13th General Synod.

After Rev. Borgstrom retired, Reverends Marc and Cheryl Stewart were called to serve as co-pastors. The Stewarts left Hope in 1987. Following a two-year period during which Reverend Kenneth Hoagland, Reverend Vince Carroll, and Chaplain George Fienck served as interim pastors, Hope welcomed Reverend Michael Morse as pastor.

Open, Inclusive, and Affirming
Under Reverend Morse, Hope UCC continued to become an inclusive community, open to all, yet respecting the spiritual and intellectual integrity of each person.

By late 1991, Hope UCC finished its tower and installed an elevator to make the building handicap accessible in order to accommodate persons with special needs.

In 1997 the church purchased one of only five Braille hymnals then existing in the nation for a parishioner’s use.

In 1998, Hope UCC voted to become an official Open and Affirming church toward gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual persons and their families. Rev. Morse retired in December 1998, and student pastor Ellen Spero served as the interim pastor as the search committee worked to call a new pastor.

Hope had a history of intentionally welcoming diversity and freedom of thought among its parishioners. The church lived that witness in extending a call to Reverend Kenneth L. Harrington, an openly gay man, as its pastor in September 1999.

A graduate of the local Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., Rev. Harrington expanded Hope’s membership and continued its proud tradition as a community of thinking Christians who seek to live, in our times, Christ’s example of love and inclusiveness.

From the turn of the new century, the community of Hope UCC became active in international missions in Mexico, in state-wide missions advocating for LGBT rights in Virginia, and in local missions to those in need through Koinonia. In addition, the Called to Care Ministry developed lay caregivers who desired to intentionally and actively care for members within the congregation.

Hope UCC Today
Hope is home to a spiritually diverse range of congregants from many different Christian traditions. Today as it has for five decades, Hope seeks to be a church of Christ’s extravagant welcome to all people.

Rev. Amber Henry Neuroth began as Hope’s pastor in January 2011. We continue to seek God’s call for Hope as we continue our ministry of Welcome, Nurture, Transform.