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Founded in 1844 by the Rev. John Shipherd, Olivet College continues to be affiliated with its Christian, Protestant and Congregational roots in what are now the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) and the United Church of Christ (UCC). Initially a single denomination, the UCC and NACCC separated over issues of autonomy and polity (church government philosophy), resulting in the UCC’s formation in 1957 by the merger of the Congregational Christian Churches with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches. Some churches elected not to join the new denomination and continue as the NACCC.
Despite the forming of two different denominations, the two groups continue to share the founding values of Olivet College, which include: openness to all; concerns for the importance of higher education; and commitment to providing education, especially to those not rich in this world’s means. The UCC and NACCC work together to continue to support Olivet College with financial contributions, prayer, mission opportunities and resources. These current individual statements help articulate this commitment.
NACCC: “With intellectual freedom and responsibility before God as guiding values, Congregational Christian Churches have founded colleges at home and planted missions abroad. The Congregational way has provided a religious, philosophical and moral force that has shaped our nation and the world from the moment the Mayflower landed in the new world.” (source: www.naccc.org)
UCC: “Our faith is 2,000-years-old, but our thinking is not. We speak in contemporary ways because we affirm the responsibility of the church in each generation to make the faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.” (source: www.ucc.org)
The NACCC is a fellowship of more than 400 congregations. They recently established the Center for Congregational Leadership at Olivet College. The Rev. Betsey Mauro, D.Min., serves as dean of the center and will be appointed to the faculty at Olivet.
The UCC is a denomination of 5,600 churches. They are “a people of extravagant welcome, who listen for the still speaking God…” Five historic commitments are embraced by the UCC: united and uniting; multiracial and multicultural; accessible to all; open and affirming; and seeking to be a peace with justice church.
Congregationalists have always been ardent supporters of education, establishing many institutions of higher education for both men and women, including Olivet, Harvard, Yale, Oberlin, Beloit and many others. They were also primary in establishing free education as a right for all children. Olivet values its Congregational ties to the UCC and NACCC and continues to draw deeply upon the tradition of educational excellence that is part of its Congregational heritage.
ADDRESS
Olivet College
320 S. Main St.
Olivet, MI 49076
1-800-456-7189
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Olivet College Commencement scheduled for May 19