At the end of 2014, the UCC's 5,116 congregations claimed 979,239 members, primarily in the U.S.[7] In 2015, Pew Research estimated that 0.4 percent, or 1 million adult adherents, of the U.S. population self-identified with the United Church of Christ.

[19] The Afro-Christian Convention was a long-ignored "Fifth Stream" that had been neglected voice or visibility, resulting in an official apology from the denomination at the 2023 General Synod in Indianapolis, Indiana.

[21] While individual congregations are supposed to hold guidance from the general synod "in the highest regard", the UCC's constitution requires that the "autonomy of the Local Church is inherent and modifiable only by its own action".

UCC is generally theologically liberal, and the denomination notes that the "Bible, though written in specific historical times and places, still speaks to us in our present condition".

The denomination's official literature uses broad doctrinal parameters, emphasizing freedom of individual conscience and local church autonomy.

It claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers.

It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.

Other statistics found by the Hartford Institute show that 53.2% of members say "the Bible" is the highest source of authority, 16.1% say the "Holy Spirit", 9.2% say "Reason", 6.3% say "Experience", and 6.1% say "Creeds".

[27] Because of this, the UCC is involved in Churches Uniting in Christ, an organization seeking to establish full communion among nine Protestant denominations in America.

In 1982, the World Council of Churches (WCC) published "Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry",[30] a document that has served as a foundation for many ecumenical recognition agreements.

[35] The United Church of Christ facilitates bilateral dialogues with many faith groups, including members of the Jewish and Muslim communities.

[citation needed] The UCC's "Covenantal Polity" is best expressed in Article III of the 1999 revision of the Bylaws and Constitution of the United Church of Christ.

[citation needed] Local churches have, in addition to the freedom to hire ministers and lay staff, the sole power to dismiss them also.

Local churches are usually aided in searching for and calling ordained clergy through a denominationally coordinated "search-and-call" system, usually facilitated by staff at the conference level.

However, the local church may, for various reasons, opt not to avail itself of the conference placement system, and is free to do so without fear of retaliation, which would likely occur in synodical or presbyterian polities.

[citation needed] Conferences, like associations, are congregationally representative bodies, with each local church sending ordained and lay delegates.

A few have had territorial adjustments since then; only one conference, the Calvin Synod, composed of Hungarian-heritage Reformed congregations, received exemption from the geographical alignments, with its churches scattered from Connecticut westward to California and southward to Florida.

[43] The UCC national body has been active in numerous traditionally liberal social causes, including support for abortion rights,[44] the United Farm Workers, and the Wilmington Ten.

The resolution was one of 32 actions[46] by the General Synod and other national bodies, beginning in 1969, to support civil rights for LGBTQ persons and urge their full inclusion in the life of the church.

[citation needed] United Church of Christ General Synod 25 passed two resolutions concerning the conflict between Israel and Palestinians in the Middle East.

The United Church of Christ, along with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), created the Our Whole Lives curriculum (commonly known as OWL), which is a lifespan, comprehensive, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate sexuality education program.

[citation needed] In 2021, the UCC and the UUA presented "a study on polyamory by the Canadian Unitarian Council" as a part of its sexual education programs.

[58][59][60] At the 2003 General Synod, the United Church of Christ began a campaign with "emphasis on expanding the UCC's name-brand identity through modern advertising and marketing".

Campaign materials, including print and broadcast advertising and merchandise, featured the quote and a large comma with a visual theme in red and black.

United Church of Christ congregations were asked to opt into the campaign, signifying their support and willingness to receive training on hospitality and evangelism.

Following the decision of General Synod 25 in 2005 to endorse same-sex marriage, the UCC's Puerto Rico Conference left the church, citing differences over "the membership and ministry of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians".

"[70] The church had consulted lawyers prior to the event to make sure they were following the law and had instructed those in attendance that no Obama campaign material would be allowed in the meeting.

Though in many respects similar to the colleges and universities that have full membership in the Council, these institutions tend to be less intentional about their relationships with the United Church of Christ."

(from the United Church of Christ website)[citation needed] These colleges and universities were founded by or are otherwise related historically to the denomination or its predecessors, but no longer maintain any direct relationship.

[citation needed] This section lists notable people known to have been past or present members or raised in the United Church of Christ or its predecessor denominations.