First Congregational Church has a long history on South Main Street in Wellington, Ohio, a small Lorain County village roughly an hour southwest of Cleveland. Today the congregation identifies as a member of the United Church of Christ and gathers under a three-word motto that shows up everywhere from the welcome materials to the bulletin: "Loving, Welcoming, Serving." Its mission statement is plain and deliberate: "to make the love of God real in our community and world with what we have, through what we say, and by what we do."
The building sits at 140 S. Main Street, and Pastor Cheryl, whose first-person reflections appear weekly, leads the congregation with a tone that pairs warmth with challenge. The church describes itself as "An Onsite and Online Community Coming Together." In-person worship takes place in the sanctuary, and a parallel online presence carries recorded sermons and worship videos through Facebook and YouTube so that members who are traveling, homebound, or simply curious can participate from anywhere. A weekly bulletin is published as a downloadable PDF, and a link lets anyone send prayer requests straight to the pastor's inbox.
Bible Study in the Pastor's Study
For those who want to dig deeper into Scripture, Bible Study meets in the Pastor's Study. The class is built around two rotating tracks. The first walks through the book of Acts, beginning with an introductory lesson and moving through the Conversion and Early Ministry of Saul in Acts 9, then through the missionary journeys of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13, 14, and 15. The second track traces African American musical and spiritual heritage, with lesson titles that include "Birthed from the Black Experience in America," "The Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America," "Juneteenth," "The Gullah People," "Musical Attributes," and "The Legacy." The format is discussion-based, with participants encouraged to bring their curiosity, questions, and perspectives rather than sit through a lecture. Everyone is welcome.
Walking Through Grief Together
A Bereavement Ministry anchored in GriefShare gives those who are grieving a steady place to land. GriefShare is a widely used, video-driven support program that runs as a small-group experience over a series of weekly sessions, and the Wellington group uses the same curriculum as hundreds of other churches across the country. A "Surviving the Holidays" special session is offered each year for those navigating the first holiday seasons after a loss. Registration and details are available through the GriefShare leader.
An Ecumenical Partnership in Wellington
The congregation also values its relationships with other Christian bodies in Wellington. A long-running partnership with the local United Methodist Church has included joint worship services, shared Bible studies, and combined fellowship over many years. After a quieter period for those gatherings, the two congregations have reinstituted a joint outdoor worship service held at the Findley Park Pavilion. Pastor Cheryl of First Congregational and Pastor Hyeran Yu of the United Methodist Church take turns preaching, and the morning includes shared prayer, song, and a potluck lunch afterward. The two pastors have spoken openly about wanting to model cooperation and friendship among the followers of Jesus who live in the village.
What the United Church of Christ Believes
Worship at First Congregational follows the wider practices of the United Church of Christ. Two sacraments are recognized: Baptism and the Lord's Supper, also called Holy Communion. The congregation reproduces the Preamble to the Constitution of the United Church of Christ, which names Jesus Christ as the sole head of the church, looks to Scripture as the Word of God, claims the faith of the historic creeds, and affirms the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. Alongside the preamble, the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith, adapted by Robert V. Moss, is also presented. In plain language, that statement confesses belief in God the Eternal Spirit made known in Jesus; affirms that God creates, seeks to save, and judges all people by righteousness; proclaims that in Christ God has shared the human lot, conquered sin and death, and reconciled creation to its Creator; and promises that those who trust in the gospel receive forgiveness, grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing.
Connect, Follow, and Give
The church maintains three denominational connections: the national United Church of Christ at ucc.org, the Heartland Conference, which serves as the regional body for UCC congregations in this part of the country, and Living Water One, an additional ministry partner.
Giving is handled through Givelify, with a "Donate" button. The church maintains an active presence on three social platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, all under the WellingtonFirstChurch name. Pastor Cheryl's written reflections are published regularly. Recent posts include "Obligation to Love," a meditation on Romans 13:8 and the Greek concept of agape; "God's Hands," on Psalm 138:8 and the unchanging faithfulness of the Creator; "Together as One," on the renewed partnership with the United Methodist Church; and "In Amazing Ways," on Psalm 17:6-7 and the discipline of waiting on God to answer prayer. The closing line of nearly every post is the same gentle reminder: "Let us encourage one another. Let us love our neighbor. Let us be the church."
Anyone wanting to reach the church office can write to admin@wellingtonfirstchurch.org or call (440) 647-3308. Prayer requests can be shared directly with the pastor through a link. Visitors planning to attend are welcomed into a community that frames itself simply as a Christian family on South Main Street, one that wants its worship, study, and outreach to flow from the same source: the love of God made real in the life of Wellington and beyond.