A Downtown Salem Congregation with 174 Years Behind It
First Congregational Church UCC sits on a quiet block of Marion Street Northeast in downtown Salem, Oregon, four blocks north of the state Capitol. The congregation was gathered in 1852, and its members describe themselves, with characteristic directness, as "a diverse community of believers, skeptics, heretics, and seekers who desire to be united and uniting within our congregation and the wider Christian community." The church belongs to the United Church of Christ and to its regional body, the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ, and it carries two long-standing declarations that shape its public life: it has been an Open and Affirming congregation since 1997 and a Just Peace Church since 1996.
That shorthand captures the place well. Inside the brick and wood of the building at 700 Marion Street NE, the congregation blends a still-traceable Congregational history with a progressive Christian theology that takes questions, doubt, and the language of justice seriously. The church describes itself as having "a traditional congregation with a progressive theology," and that combination shows up in everything from how Sunday morning unfolds to how the building itself is being repurposed for the next generation of work in Salem.
What Sunday Morning Looks Like
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:30 AM, both in person and online, followed by a fellowship time with snacks and beverages. The sanctuary is fully wheelchair accessible, and hearing-assist devices are available for those who need them. The bulletin for each Sunday is posted online, and live and recorded services can be watched on the church's YouTube channel.
The service is described by the congregation as "informal yet more traditional." It follows a traditional Protestant shape with scripture, prayer, music, and reflection, but it is not formal. Some Sundays lean contemplative, some are celebratory; all are grounded in love. There is no dress code and no expectation that visitors will know when to sit, stand, or read along. The welcome line is the same one the church has used for decades: "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."
Children belong fully in the life of the congregation. There is a family-friendly space at the back of the sanctuary with quiet activities, a rocking chair, and room to move as needed, and kids are encouraged to take part in all parts of the church's common life. Readers, liturgists, communion servers, ushers, greeters, and a choir of singers all come from the gathered community, and the church keeps an open sign-up for anyone who wants to serve in those roles on a single Sunday, a season, or as their schedule allows.
Welcoming the Whole Neighborhood In
First Congregational's welcome has long been more than a slogan. Its Open and Affirming declaration, first adopted in 1997, explicitly states that the church "welcomes everyone without regard to race, gender identity and expression, citizenship status, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic class, marital or educational status, physical or mental abilities, or appearance" and encourages all people to share their talents, gifts, and energy in the liturgy, life, and leadership of the congregation. The Just Peace declaration, first adopted in 1996, commits the church to keep the vision of shalom central to its corporate and individual lives, working for reconciliation, hope, and courage in its worship, programs, and outreach.
The church welcomes those who are neurodiverse and is working to build a space where all brains are honored, and it actively embraces neighbors who are housed and unhoused, long-time members and first-time visitors alike. The pastor's own description puts it simply: "We strive to be a place where all people are welcome, honored, seen, and encouraged to become the fullness of who they are as beloved children of God."
Rev. Robin Lunn and the Pastoral Voice
The pastor of First Congregational UCC is the Rev. Robin Lunn, who serves as Designated Term Pastor. Pastor Robin arrived at the church in 2021 as an Intentional Interim Minister and, in 2024, transitioned to a Designated Term Pastor role so that the congregation could continue a shared journey the church has named its Resurrecting Church process. They hold a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School, with a concentration in congregational transformation and worship, and they are a student of trauma-healing modalities, particularly Resonant Healing with Sarah Peyton, and a longtime member of the Interplay community.
Pastor Robin's own theological formation draws on early American Congregationalist and Baptist roots, but is also shaped by sacred dance, music, Native American sweat circles, and a wide range of spiritual and religious practices. They have served American Baptist and United Church of Christ congregations in New England, on Maui, and in Oregon, and they previously served as Executive Director of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. Office hours are Tuesday through Wednesday, 9 AM to 4 PM, and Monday mornings Pastor Robin can be found at Prismatic Coffee. The congregation can be reached through the pastor's email or the church office.
The Pastor's Pen carries sermon texts and shorter reflections. Recent writing has engaged Just Peace Sunday, the parables of Jesus and economic justice, the spiritual meaning of hand-holding in a circle, the courage required for a congregation to take risks it cannot guarantee, and the practice of resistentia, the ancient idea of standing firm against systems that work to make human beings disappear.
The Ministry Circles
The congregation organizes most of its shared life through four standing Ministry Circles, each built around the lines of Micah 6:8: "To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Mission and Justice leads the church's outward-facing work. Worship and Spiritual Development shapes what happens on Sunday and the educational life around it. Care and Connection tends the internal life of the congregation. Administration and Facilities stewards the building, the budget, and the technology that keeps everything running.
Anyone in the congregation can step into one of the Circles or the smaller Teams beneath them. The Finance and Stewardship, Building and Grounds, Technology, Safety, Scholarship, and Gardening Teams all live in Administration and Facilities; the Parish Care, Open Table, and Team Welcome groups live in Care and Connection. The staff and lay leadership are intentional about inviting new faces into the work.
Mission and Justice in Salem and Beyond
Mission and Justice is the congregation's outward-facing circle. Its stated mission is to "inspire, equip, and mobilize" the congregation "to live out God's call to justice and mercy in our community and beyond" through partnerships, advocacy, education, and hands-on engagement. The circle coordinates community partnerships with local churches, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations, connects the congregation with the justice initiatives of the Central Pacific Conference UCC and the wider UCC, and hosts workshops, forums, guest speakers, and advocacy campaigns on homelessness, climate justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and systemic inequity.
The work is organized into smaller teams and partnerships. Team Earth focuses on climate and environmental justice. The Family Promise team supports families as they work toward stable, long-term housing through the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Family Promise of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Team Indivisible connects the congregation's public witness to the wider Salem community. The church also partners with the Ella Curran Food Bank, Marion-Polk County Food Share, Church at the Park, the Salem Environmental Faith Network, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the Sacred Organizing Coalition, the Salem Peace Lecture, Salem Regional Indivisible, PFLAG, and Peers for Love. A number of 12-step and advocacy groups also meet at the building.
Justice & Resilience Collaborative
The largest piece of new work in the congregation's life is the Justice & Resilience Collaborative, or JRC, a vision the congregation formally affirmed in June 2024 when it voted to become a Resurrecting Church. The JRC is being built in the church building itself: a co-working and shared-space hub for justice-rooted organizations, with the second floor of the building currently being explored as a justice-centered co-working space.
A Shepherding Team, made up of Pastor Robin Lunn, Cheryl Beaver, Susan Smith, Shelley Wagener, Dana McBrien, Bev Pratt, and Jen Fujii, is guiding Phase I of the Hub's development through 2026, with parallel tracks for leadership and coordination, partnerships and programming, building and operations, and funding and sustainability. The team is also working with the United Church of Christ's Church Building & Loan Fund through the Partners in Vision program. The long-form vision is described plainly by the congregation: the JRC will be "a co-working space, a community of organizations, and a center for resilience on Marion Street" and "a shared home base for justice-rooted organizations and a center for community resilience in Salem and the region."
Worship and Spiritual Development
The Worship and Spiritual Development circle is responsible for the Sunday service, seasonal worship, contemplative and creative forms of prayer, and the educational opportunities that surround them. Sunday worship planning, rituals marking life's milestones, Bible studies, book groups, retreats, hands-on learning, and intergenerational programming all live here.
Among the recurring offerings the circle runs are a Monday Book Group that meets each week throughout the school year and works through books by biblical scholars such as Marcus Borg, Amy-Jill Levine, and Elaine Pagels. The circle is also developing additional programs, including a Movie and Meal Night and a Buddhist-style meditation group, intended to give the congregation a range of ways to grow together.
The circle coordinates its youth work through the Salem Youth Collective, an ecumenical youth group for junior and senior high youth that includes partner congregations from across Salem. First Congregational also hosts the Salem Youth Mental Health Group, described in more detail below.
Care and Connection
The Care and Connection circle is responsible for the congregation's inner life. The parish care team offers prayer, cards, visits, transportation, meals, and simple presence during illness, grief, transitions, and hardship. Team Welcome works to connect long-time members with newcomers and strengthen the bonds of the whole congregation. The Open Table Team coordinates food-based ministries, including Sunday fellowship, potlucks, meal trains, and community meals.
Fellowship groups in the circle include women's, men's, young adult, LGBTQ+ (Rainbow), and family fellowship groups, with the goal of fostering meaningful relationships across generations, identities, and interests. Visitors who want to find a place to belong often start here.
Salem Youth Mental Health Group
The Salem Youth Mental Health Group, known as SYMH, is a non-sectarian, non-clinical peer-support group for high school students in grades 9 through 12. It meets roughly twice a month on most first and fourth Sundays at First Congregational Church UCC and is facilitated by a minimum of two background-checked adults, including Pastor Robin and other experienced youth leaders. Sessions include time to play, craft, and have fun, structured conversation using a circle format, and clear agreements for safety, respect, and choice.
The group explores communication styles, healthy boundaries, empathetic listening, and self-regulation, and conversation topics are driven by the youth themselves. They range across faith, values, and meaning, politics and current events, living with anxiety or depression, peer pressure, relationships, social media, and school stress. SYMH is explicitly not therapy; facilitators guide conversation and uphold safety agreements but do not diagnose or treat conditions. Participation does not require attending the church or belonging to any faith tradition, and families complete a registration and permission packet before a student joins.
First Congregational is also a partner in the Salem Youth Collective, which meets most second and third Sundays at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salem.
A Building That Opens Its Doors
First Congregational sits in a downtown Salem location that the congregation is increasingly sharing. The sanctuary, kitchen, meeting rooms, classrooms, and halls are available for advocacy days, training sessions, community meetings, weddings and funerals. The building also hosts Twelve Step meetings and recovery groups, as well as a number of advocacy partners.
Prospective renters and partner organizations can reach out through the church office. The Shepherding Team's work on the Justice & Resilience Collaborative is laying the foundation for what the church calls a co-working space for justice-rooted organizations, an effort that will eventually give justice-focused groups in Salem a permanent home base just a few minutes' walk from the Capitol.
A Network of Partners in the Willamette Valley
The church's wider partnerships read like a map of progressive Salem. Family Promise of the Mid-Willamette Valley works to help families find stable, long-term housing. Church at the Park, Marion-Polk County Food Share, and the Ella Curran Food Bank address food insecurity. The Salem Environmental Faith Network gathers local congregations around climate and creation care. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon connects the church's work to a wider state and regional ecumenical table. The Sacred Organizing Coalition links the congregation with local organizing efforts. Salem Regional Indivisible, PFLAG, Peers for Love, and the Salem Peace Lecture connect justice work to LGBTQ+ advocacy, civic engagement, and ongoing public witness.
Through Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and the Central Pacific Conference, the congregation also stays connected to the wider UCC's justice initiatives, including the denomination's longstanding Just Peace commitments around shalom, the redistribution of assets, and the movement of resources away from the machinery of war.
What This Church Believes
First Congregational describes itself, plainly and on its own terms, as "a community grounded in love, justice, and radical inclusion." It is a progressive Christian congregation that affirms the UCC motto that God is still speaking, and it does not require creeds or doctrinal tests for belonging. Its published covenant opens with these lines:
- We covenant to be a progressive Christian community that values inclusivity and embraces diversity.
- We endeavor to be a congregation of extravagant welcome that respects the spiritual life and journey of each person.
- We listen to the "Still Speaking God" who emboldens us to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.
The congregation believes that faith is a journey, not a destination, and treats doubt as a doorway rather than a weakness. It holds scripture with reverence alongside the questions that come from deep reflection and dialogue. As a member congregation of the United Church of Christ, it enters into covenantal relationship with one another rather than requiring assent to a particular creed. Worship is rooted in sacred story and meaningful ritual and is also "fresh, engaging, and relevant to our time." The church teaches that Jesus' radical inclusivity, deep compassion, and call to justice shape its mission, and that a faithful church is an active church that engages homelessness, climate justice, racial equity, and the well-being of its neighbors.
First Congregational has also adopted the eight points of Progressive Christianity as articulated by ProgressiveChristianity.org, which include following the path and teachings of Jesus, honoring other sources of wisdom, building communities inclusive of all people, treating how we behave toward one another as the fullest expression of what we believe, valuing questioning over absolutes, working for peace and justice among all people, working to protect and restore the earth, and committing to a path of lifelong learning and selfless love.
Staying Connected
The congregation publishes a weekly email newsletter called the Weekly Word, and sermon texts and shorter reflections appear in the Pastor's Pen. Worship bulletins for each Sunday are posted online in advance, and previous Sundays' services are available on the church's YouTube channel. The church's ongoing calendar of events, including Justice & Resilience Collaborative open houses, special forums, and congregational meetings, is published on the events page.
Donations can be made online through a dedicated giving page, and the church welcomes new staff and volunteers through a Join Our Team page. Communications and Media Intern postings and other openings are listed there when they are active.