On the western edge of downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, in a building shared with Silver Spring United Methodist Church, Christ Congregational Church gathers every Sunday morning at 10:30. The congregation has been around long enough to have witnessed the post-war expansion of Montgomery County and the slow transformation of Silver Spring itself, and short enough ago to have voted, in 2006, that it wanted to become something it had not yet been. That vote, to claim the name of an anti-racist church, is still on the wall and still, twenty years later, the subject of a fall sermon series titled "Becoming Who We Say We Are."
Founded in 1944 as the UCC's Pioneer Church
Christ Congregational Church dates its beginning to September 24, 1944, when 75 people met in the gymnasium of Montgomery Blair High School, then on Wayne Avenue, to launch a new congregation. They had been called together by the Rev. John F. McClelland under what was then called the "high potential" program of the Congregational Christian Churches, an effort to plant new churches in fast-growing, largely un-churched areas of the country. Silver Spring Congregational Christian Church, as it was first known, was the first congregation in America founded under that program.
When the Congregational Christian Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1957 to form the United Church of Christ, the Silver Spring congregation joined the new body. In 1957, the same year, the church became the first in Montgomery County to integrate; an apocryphal story tells of a cross burned on its front lawn in response. The congregation eventually grew into a substantial building at 9525 Colesville Road, where it worshipped for decades before deciding to sell that property and search for a new home.
The current senior ministers on record are Rev. John F. McClelland (1944 to 1959), Rev. Robert E. Marston (1960 to 1983), Rev. Dr. James A. Todhunter (1984 to 2007), and Rev. Dr. Matthew Braddock (2011 to present). The church's full history, including a series of short archival videos covering 1944 to 1964, is available in PDF and video form.
Three Covenants That Shape the Congregation
The congregation's identity rests on three written covenants, each adopted as a formal commitment, each treated as ongoing work rather than a finished achievement.
The first is the Anti-Racist Covenant, adopted in 2006 after a unanimous congregational vote. It commits CCC to dismantling racism and working toward a society that reflects the Gospel, and acknowledges what the church calls a system of white privilege in the United States. The Racial Justice Circle carries out much of the work, sponsoring study groups, lunch-and-learn sessions, advocacy in Annapolis and Montgomery County, and participation in coalitions such as the Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform and the Silver Spring Justice Coalition. The circle has organized events around issues ranging from monetary bail reform to the 2018 police killing of Robert White in Silver Spring, and it works closely with the Senior Pastor on Black Lives Matter initiatives. In the fall of 2026, the church is marking the twentieth anniversary of that 2006 vote with a sermon series titled "Becoming Who We Say We Are," returning to questions about which strategies the covenant called for have actually been implemented.
The second is the Open and Affirming Covenant. CCC accepts people of all sexual identities and gender expressions and believes that all people are made in God's image, united in Christ, and filled with power by the Holy Spirit. The Open and Affirming committee represents the church at DC TransPride, Capital Pride, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, HIV/AIDS walks, and LGBTQ+ suicide awareness and prevention events. A separate Marriage Equality Resolution has also been adopted by the congregation.
The third is the Just Peace Covenant, drawn from the United Church of Christ's hallmark theological statement on war and peace. Just Peace focuses on alleviating systemic injustice of all types using non-violence, distinct from crusade, pacifism, or "just war" theologies. The congregation's working phrase is "Peace is Possible."
Together, these covenants are woven into the church's stated mission: to embody the good news of God's love by laboring for knowledge, justice, and the reign of peace.
Worship on Sundays at 10:30
Sunday worship is the heart of life at CCC. Services begin at 10:30 a.m. and are offered both in person and online via Zoom. The blended service typically includes a welcome and announcements, prelude, call to worship, hymn of praise, musical offering, scripture reading, sermon, pastoral prayer, call to offering and offertory music, and benediction. Services usually run about an hour, and bulletins with the order of worship and hymn lyrics are posted in advance.
Worship is currently held in the Social Hall, also called the Fellowship Hall, at 8900 Georgia Avenue, the building Silver Spring United Methodist Church shares with CCC. The side entrance on Ballard Street leads into the worship space, which is fully wheelchair accessible with an accessible ramp into the doors and a lift into the sanctuary. Greeters meet visitors at the door. A lift is available for those who need it.
Parking is across Ballard Street in the Department of Health and Human Services parking lot. For online worship, the Zoom meeting ID is 119 508 399; attendees can join by video or dial in by phone. Online greeters welcome worshipers by name after they log in. Following the service on Zoom, participants can join breakout rooms to socialize.
The dress code is intentionally casual. Most people wear slacks or jeans, and a suit or dress will not look out of place. Children remain with their families for the first part of the service and are invited forward for Children's Time with the pastor or another leader before being dismissed to Church School.
The pastoral team is led by Rev. Dr. Matt Braddock, the Senior Minister, who has served since 2011. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Hartford Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School, and a B.A. from Gordon College, and is the author of "The Space Between: Spiritual Activism in an Age of Fear." The Associate Minister of Care and Community is Rev. Dr. LaTayna Purnell. The Church Director of Music is Sam Wack.
The Search for a Permanent Home
CCC sold its long-time building at 9525 Colesville Road and has been sharing worship space with Silver Spring United Methodist Church since. The Landing Place Team, a volunteer group drawn from the congregation, has been actively researching whether to build, purchase, lease, or co-locate for the long term. The team has toured and ruled out shared spaces including the Seventh Day Adventist Takoma Park property and several synagogues whose own Sunday program needs made co-location impractical, and is now working with a realtor and broker on pricing and accessibility for a commercial property, while Pastor Matt is exploring shared space at the Hughes Methodist location. Congregational information sessions, listening sessions, and town halls have been held regularly since 2025.
The search is treated as a process of congregational discernment rather than a transaction. Discernment takes time, patience, curiosity, and shared responsibility, the team has written. The Finance Committee and the Coordinating Council are coordinating closely so that any final decision reflects the church's mission and its budget realities.
Children and Youth: Church School and the Cooperative Youth Ministry
Church School runs during worship on Sundays. Children begin in the sanctuary with their families, come forward for Children's Time, and then move to classrooms. Childcare is available for infants through age 5, and a combined class meets for kindergarten through fifth grade. Church School Superintendent Lindsay Vogelsang oversees the program, supported by a team of volunteer teachers. The values emphasized include supporting others and the environment, and recent projects have included a Penny Challenge supporting the Congregation Action Network for separated families, a backpack drive for KRMA-US Partners in Kobulubulu, Uganda, a cereal drive for Manna Food in Wheaton, Trick or Treat for UNICEF, a Reverse Advent Calendar collecting 662 pounds of food for Manna Food, and collections for Shepherd's Table and A Wider Circle.
The Cooperative Youth Ministry (CYM) is a joint ministry with the youth of Silver Spring United Methodist Church. Open to students in 6th through 12th grade, CYM meets on Sunday evenings for a potluck dinner, spiritual formation, and activities, with a strong focus on social justice, inclusivity, and intergenerational connection. Recent CYM activities have included a sandwich-making event that produced about 200 sandwiches for Shepherd's Table, and a "Sweep the Creek" cleanup of Long Branch Creek. Summer mission trips have taken youth to home repair projects in West Virginia, Neptune City, NJ, and Juna Diaz, Puerto Rico, and to New York City for a study trip on immigration and freedom. Madison Tatum directs CYM.
CCC also offers Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education program developed jointly by the UCC and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Curricula are available for grades K-1, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12, as well as for young adults and adults. The program covers self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, justice, and inclusivity, with explicit respect for biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status. OWL is treated at CCC as a ministry that puts religious values into practice.
Adult Education and Spiritual Formation
For adults, the church runs the Exploring Faith Class on Sunday mornings from 8:30 to 9:30 via Zoom, currently working through Phyllis Tickle's "The Great Emergence." A separate Contemporary Theology Class meets Sunday mornings as well, and a long-standing Book Group gathers roughly once a month, also by Zoom. Small Fellowship Groups of 10 to 12 intergenerational participants meet online weekly for about an hour, with an "empty chair" policy: no group is ever closed to newcomers. Seasonal spiritual reflection offerings include walking a labyrinth, silent retreats, and Advent and Lenten studies.
The Ruth Richardson Scholarship, named for a founding member of the church and a teacher, is awarded each spring to a member of CCC or a child of members who has completed at least two years of college, is pursuing a human service profession (with priority given to education), and can demonstrate sincerity of intent, academic standing, volunteer experience, and in-service training.
Member Care, Fellowship, and Health
The Member Care and Fellowship engagement area is led by Moderator Marilyn Hall. Its core program is Because We Care, which pairs trained volunteers with members of the community who are navigating significant life changes. BWC Members keep in touch through calls, in-person and virtual visits, cards, and emails, listen without judgment, respect confidentiality, and can facilitate referrals to the ministers, to meals from the congregation, and to community resources. Grief resources gathered by the church include a list of helpful ideas for both those who are grieving and those who support them.
The Health and Wellness Ministry includes members with backgrounds in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, community resources, advocacy for nursing home residents, and personal and professional coaching. The ministry has published a long-running series of "Healthy Living" handouts on topics ranging from seasonal allergies to insomnia, women's health, and vaccines, and runs monthly blood pressure screenings. CCC also maintains a Loaner Closet of medical assistive devices, including wheelchairs, bedside commodes, shower/tub benches, elevated toilet seats, crutches, canes, walkers, and a kneeling scooter.
A weekly Grief Support Group meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom, led by Ann Marshall, and is open to anyone grieving a loss of any kind, including the loss of a job or losses associated with aging. A Caregivers for Aging Loved Ones Support Group meets on Google Meet on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m., offering a welcoming space to share experiences and find encouragement.
Music That Has Traveled the World
CCC's music program is built around the Chancel Choir, directed by Sam Wack. The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in the choir room at 8900 Georgia Avenue and sings at the 10:30 a.m. service weekly, plus Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, and other seasonal services. There are no auditions; the repertoire ranges from classical pieces to spirituals, and the choir welcomes singers from 9th grade up.
The Chancel Choir has a striking international tour history, traveling approximately every four years. Past tours have included France, Luxembourg, and Germany (2000); Germany, Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia (2004); Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Russia (2008); Scotland, England, and Wales (2012); and the Czech Republic and Germany (2016). A planned tour to Ireland was postponed. In November 2019, 26 members of the choir performed a Holiday Concert at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Eric Whitacre.
Other musical outlets include Children's Music Time for ages 3 to 10, the Acoustic Band Players (open to guitar, bass, percussion, banjo, accordion, mandolin, and violin), an Intergenerational Orchestra, a virtual "Keep Singing!" gathering, and a Music Committee. The church houses a three-manual and pedal Moller pipe organ, originally installed in 1978 and rebuilt with a solid-state console in 2002.
Justice and Witness
Justice and Witness is one of CCC's central engagement areas and includes the Open and Affirming committee, the Racial Justice Circle, an Immigration Circle, Global Ministries, a Middle East Working Group focused on Israel and Palestine, Stewards of the Earth, and local outreach partnerships.
Global Ministries centers on a long relationship with the Kobulubulu community of Uganda through KRMA-US Partners, providing financial and technical support to more than twenty women moving from subsistence farming to cassava production, and supplying feminine hygiene kits that have measurably improved school attendance for girls. Children at CCC have donated to UNICEF at Halloween, and the church has also financially supported programs in India and Zimbabwe, in areas ranging from disaster relief and hunger to health care and education.
Locally, the congregation supports Shepherd's Table in downtown Silver Spring, where volunteers serve meals on the second Wednesday evening of each month, and has long been involved with IMPACT Silver Spring and Shaw Community Ministry in Washington, D.C. Members volunteer monthly at Shepherd's Table and contribute to Progress Place, which CCC helped form in the late 1990s. The congregation is also a "5 for 5" church, contributing to all four of the UCC's special offerings (One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need, and the Christmas Fund) and directing 10% of its operating budget to Our Church's Wider Mission.
Stewards of the Earth includes the Green Team, which focuses on planting native plants, supporting the Sligo Creek watershed, and partnering with Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake. In 2021, CCC signed the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake Partner Congregation Pledge.
The CCC Retreat Center in Yellow Spring, West Virginia
About 30 minutes from Winchester, Virginia, CCC owns a Retreat Center on the Cacapon River in Yellow Spring, West Virginia. The property has a main house, three heated cabins with bunk beds and full baths (one of which is ADA compliant with a ramp, walk-in shower, and accessible toilet), and 23 twin beds total. The center is intentionally without TVs or internet, with ceiling and window fans in lieu of air conditioning. There is a pond for fishing, walking trails, a swimming and tubing area on the river, a picnic pavilion, a campfire ring, and a chapel on site.
The Retreat Center was acquired under Rev. Bob Marston in 1965, when the church learned that a pre-Civil War house on 55 acres across from Camp Rim Rock was for sale. After years of deferred maintenance, the loss of upper-floor sleeping privileges to West Virginia fire code, and a decade-long congregational visioning process, the church completed a major renovation in 2020, retaining three acres and selling 52 adjacent acres to the Davis family under agricultural-preserve covenants. The original renovation seed money came from the 2007 auction of a Virgil Williams painting, "View of Mt. Katahdin from the West Bank of the Penobscot River," which had once hung in the Smithsonian and sold for $82,800.
Today the Retreat Center hosts church programs including seasonal women's retreats led by Pastor LaTayna, and is also available for private rental. Weekday rates begin at $50 per night, weekend rates at $250, and the whole week at $500, with a $100 refundable security deposit. Pets are allowed for private rentals only.
Governance and Stewardship
CCC is governed by its members through a Coordinating Council led by a Moderator and supported by coordinators for each engagement area. Marilyn Hall is the current Moderator; Dirk Fitzpatrick is Past Moderator; John Potts is Treasurer; and engagement area coordinators include Betsy Furlong (Congregational Giving), Tony Ingram (Congregational Assets), Donna Miller (Member Care and Fellowship), Maureen Ingram (Spiritual Formation), Patty First (Justice and Witness), and Mary Scott (Worship and Arts). The church's Constitution and By-Laws were last revised in February 2019. Members vote on the annual budget, the calling of new pastors, and the leadership roster.
CCC is financially self-sustaining and receives no funds from the larger United Church of Christ, although it contributes 10% of its operating budget back to the wider denomination through Our Church's Wider Mission. Pledges can be made at any point during the year and can be paid by check, through Breeze (online and via text to 1.301.867.7143), or through Vanco. Checks and bank transfers are preferred over credit cards to minimize processing fees.
A Note from the Senior Minister
"At Christ Congregational Church we honor and celebrate people of all races, cultures, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities," Pastor Matt Braddock writes. "Christ Congregational Church is a covenant community. We are bound together, not by agreeing to a creed, but by our intention to walk together on our spiritual journeys." The church's recurring invitation is for those who are seekers of a loving, inclusive God, thinkers and questioners, doubters and believers, people with a passion for social justice, and people who have either deep roots in the church or none at all, to find a place to walk together. The Sunday bulletin, the upcoming fall sermon series, and the decades-long retreat house on the Cacapon River all testify that the walking is the point.