Our mission, our vision

We strive to be the people of Jesus Christ, transcending all boundaries of race, class, gender, ability, culture, and sexual identity. Furthermore, we desire to provide a loving environment in which individuals and community may experience Jesus Christ's love and reconciliation in the light of free conscience.

Unity: Smithfield United Church of Christ wants to help all believers experience Jesus Christ's love and reconciliation individually and communally.

Inclusion: Smithfield United Church of Christ seeks to provide extravagant welcome to members and visitors from all walks of life.

Community: Smithfield United Church of Christ pledges our ongoing commitment to be the light of Christ for all through service to congregants, Pittsburgh, and the greater region.

Free Conscience: Smithfield United Church of Christ prays that we be a tolerant place in which each believer is free to find Christ as she or he discerns Christ's call.

Hope: Smithfield United Church of Christ aims to help everyone have confidence that Christ has true purpose for each life and find comfort in that knowledge.

Our congregation

The Smithfield congregation was founded in 1782, making it the oldest organized church in the city. At that time Pittsburgh was only a small village numbering around 250 people, many of whom were German. In 1787 the grandson and great-grandson of William Penn gave the little congregation a deed to property on Smithfield Street. No buildings were erected on this plot, however, until 1791 because the land was so far out of town. Today it stands in the middle of Pittsburgh's business and shopping district.

In 1812 the congregation named itself the German Evangelical Protestant Church, the first such church in the world. English was adopted as the official language in 1928. The church united with the Slavonic Congregational Church in 1960 and was federated with Smithfield United Methodist Church in 1968. The affiliation with the United Methodist Church was discontinued June 1, 1994.

Smithfield United Church of Christ is a diverse congregation, its members coming from across the metropolitan Pittsburgh area. We maintain our original intent of freedom of thought, open-mindedness, and respect for different beliefs.

The people of Smithfield United Church of Christ, meet to worship and serve in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh.

We are a diverse and wonderful group. Each individual brings his or her own special qualities to our church – different threads coming together to form a beautiful tapestry.

Together with our senior minister Doug Patterson, associate minister Susan Cherian, education minister Liddy Gerchman Barlow and a dedicated church staff and council, we are an open, vibrant congregation joining hand, hearts, and minds to glorify God.

See a feature story about the church in the March 4, 2007, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

  – through you and me!

Smithfield United Church of Christ is a United Church of Christ congregation and a "Stillspeaking Church."
The UCC's Stillspeaking Initiative is designed to

• speak to people seeking a spiritual home.
• let all who come, visitors and members alike, know that "No matter who you are,
  no matter where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."
• proclaim that God is still speaking, that – to paraphrase Gracie Allen –
  we shouldn't put a period where God has put a comma.