Connecticut
church leaves UCC

Members of the First Congregational Church in Torrington, Conn., have voted to leave the United Church of Christ, citing disagreements with the denomination's endorsement of same-sex marriage and other issues. Church members on Sunday voted 31-4 to leave the denomination as of October 1. Pastor Steven Darr said representatives of other churches within the denomination were at the meeting as observers and that those churches are weighing a similar decision. "For years the church has been batting this around," Darr said. "They've really done their work on this. It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction to any one issue." Torrington's Center Congregational and United Congregational churches remain members of the United Church of Christ. First Congregational becomes the fourth parish in the state church's Northwest District to leave in recent months. The others include Winsted Church of Christ, Northfield Congregational Church in Litchfield, and Beacon Falls Congregational Church. All the churches have left because of state and national convention votes that endorse same-sex marriage and ordination of gays. First Congregational, founded in 1741, owns its church building and won't have to vacate it as a result of Sunday's vote. (AP)