In Charlotte, you won’t find a UCC church in every neighborhood — in fact, Holy Covenant represents one of the few progressive Christian voices in the city. So our members come from around the metro Charlotte are — some drive more than 25 miles each way to come to church at our north Charlotte location. As a relatively small congregation of around 300 members, our community focuses primarily on Sunday activities. But you’ll find us gathering in smaller groups around town, and working together to support justice work throughout the city.

BUILDING COMMUNITY
With members drawn from across the greater Charlotte area, we mainly gather as a community on Sunday morning. But we’re always looking for ways to become more connected as a community of faith. Many of our folks participate in one of our Covenant Groups — small gatherings of 10-15 who meet outside church for a monthly dinner or an activity together. Others come together for book discussions, or for weekly yoga at the church (held outdoors in good weather!). And a number of people participate in our Community Garden, which delivers fresh food to hunger programs in Charlotte. Whatever your interest, you’re sure to find friends here with whom you can connect and build meaningful relationships.
DEEPENING OUR FAITH
One thing Holy Covenant’s people enjoy: our diversity of theological perspective. We come from a wide range of backgrounds, from a number of different religious traditions — and many of us still have more questions than answers. At Holy Covenant, that’s a good thing. You’ll find multiple options for exploring, expressing and deepening your faith journey — from volunteering to book and Bible studies to great one-on-one conversations. Among our membership: a number of UCC clergy who have retired to the area or who are working in roles outside the local church — and they, too, are always glad for a chance to engage with people asking the big questions. Bring your interests, your concerns, your questions — they’re all welcome here.
WORKING FOR JUSTICE
For a small congregation, Holy Covenant reaches deeply into our community. Our people don’t need to wait for an official okay to put their passion and energy to work when they see a need. Here’s just a sampling of the activities and the organizations our church and people support —

  • Annual Blessing of the Animals
  • Backpacks for Kids
  • Charlotte Pride Festival
  • Community garden — on the HC campus
  • CROP Walk
  • Elon Homes and Schools for Children
  • Environmental activism
  • Friendship Trays — fresh contributions from our Community Garden
  • Go Local NC Farms
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • LGBTQ community outreach
  • Men’s Shelter of Charlotte
  • Moral Monday
  • Room in the Inn — winter hosting for our neighbors experiencing homelessness
  • Sandwich Ministry — supporting our hungry neighbors in Charlotte
  • Social Media & Social Justice workshops
  • The Upper Room — weekday lunchtime devotions
  • Urban Ministry Center
OPEN & AFFIRMING
At Holy Covenant, we celebrate each person’s uniqueness and our common humanity. We offer God’s extravagant welcome to all, affirming people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity as part of God’s Beloved Community. As a community of faith, we seek to respond to the example of Jesus in word and deed. In 1985, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ (the UCC’s national, representative governing body) adopted a resolution, calling on local UCC congregations to declare themselves “open & affirming” in matters of sexual orientation. On July 9, 2000 — after a year of prayerful discussion — the members of Holy Covenant adopted the following Covenant of Openness and Affirmation —

 We of Holy Covenant United Church of Christ affirm Christ’s call to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to reach out to all people, including those who have experienced oppression, discrimination, isolation, and ostracism.
We accept the call from the General Synod for congregations to form a Covenant of Openness and Affirmation. We recognize the destructive power of homophobia in our society and among Christians. We seek to act as agents of reconciliation and wholeness within the world, within the Church Universal, and within our congregation. We affirm that all are worthy of love and declare ourselves welcoming to persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities who seek to live in loving relationships.
Therefore, we of Holy Covenant United Church of Christ declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming Congregation, welcoming into the full life and ministry of this family of faith persons of every sexual orientation and gender identity. We join together as a covenantal community to celebrate and share our common communion with the reassurance that we are indeed created by God, reconciled in Christ, and empowered by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Just a few years later in 2005, the UCC called for Equality in Marriage, a move celebrated by many at Holy Covenant. And in 2014, when the NC General Assembly passed legislation that sought to limit the right of clergy to perform same-gender ceremonies, Holy Covenant again stood up and spoke out against discrimination. Two of our members became parties to a lawsuit that received national attention, and our pastor stood with them to proclaim the absolutely inclusive love of God. The UCC celebrated their courage at its national General Synod in 2015.

Want to learn more about the UCC’s commitment to inclusion?
Click here to visit the UCC’s Open & Affirming Coalition.

 


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