United. This is who we are.

“ We are a diverse, Christ-centered people, learning together and reaching out to serve the community in faith, hope, and love.“
                                                                                        -- Guiding Vision

It's not a book of platitudes. Its stories help guide us toward aligning our choices with our values.

Applied together, they create meaningful, personalized spiritual experiences.

Stereotypes, profiling and labels limit human possibility. We nurture the integrity of the individual.

Small miracles arise from collaboration.

God is still speaking.

Mercy, humility and justice.

Meet our pastor.

Rev. Charlene Hill is a lifelong spiritual sojourner, and as fate would have it, an ordained minister for 13 years.  Previous to UCHP, she led the Good News Community Church United Church of Christ of Rogers Park for nine years. Like Hyde Park United, Good News Church is a multicultural, inter-generational congregation. Charlene has also served UCC congregations in Galewood and Bryn Mawr, as well as the Reba Place Mennonite Church. Prior experiences include multiple social work positions in her human services-inspired career, including Clinical Director at Centers for New Horizons and Foster Care Supervisor at Catholic Charities--Archdiocese of Chicago. They all inform a deep understanding of human challenges and their origins.

As the daughter of a military man, Charlene’s childhood years were equally divided between islands, urban areas, and rural America. Her worship experience was also diverse, including Baptist during her childhood, charismatic non-denominational, Mennonite, and now the United Church of Christ. Like most of us, her life experiences inform her spirituality and contribute to her passion for pastoring a church where variety and differences are celebrated as God’s creative artistry.

As a licensed psychotherapist, Charlene delights in bringing deeper meaning, insight and highly-personalized spiritual experiences to our community.  She is the proud parent of Josiah Hill. She enjoys time with family and friends, as well as traveling, reading, crocheting, photography, scrapbooking and writing letters on beautiful stationery. You can find more about Charlene's insights on life and her personal journey in the blog she authors at https://latebloomersistah.com/. 

Click below to view the full "Charlene's Journey" video on YouTube.

Watch

10 Questions with Charlene.

1. What's your favorite comfort food?
Popcorn.
2. What's your pet peeve?
Inconsiderate drivers and selfishness in general.
3. What inspires you?
A good movie.
4. What do you wish you knew more about?
Science.
5. What do you worry about when nobody is around?
The world.
6. What 5 music albums do you take with you on a desert island?
All singles--Stevie Wonder's Ribbon In The Sky, Maxwell's A Woman's Work, Avery Sunshine's Safe in God's Arms, Sweet Honey In The Rock's Would You Harbor Me and Sting's Fragile.
7. What's the one thing you would like people to know about you?
That I'm not just one thing.
8. If you could solve one big problem, what would it be? 
Poverty.
9. What's your favorite scripture or quote?
Psalm 139: "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when  I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
10. What's your secret superpower?
Intuition.

More about Charlene:

McCormick Theological Seminary (Masters degree of Divinity)
University of Chicago (Master of Arts--Social Service Administration)
Longwood University (Bachelor of Science--Social Work)
Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Psychotherapist
Chicago Metropolitan Association

Meet the team.

Joe Wilkinson, Music Director
Joe holds a Bachelors of Music from Baldwin-Wallace University and has done graduate study at the University of Kansas. Joe's music resume is extensive and accomplished. Joe brings inspired music experiences every Sunday.

10 Questions with Joe
​
1. What's your favorite comfort food?
Mashed Potatoes & gravy.
2. What's your pet peeve?
People who tailgate.
3. What inspires you?
Over-comers.
4. What do you wish you knew more about?
Technology.
5. What do you worry about when nobody is around?
Everything.
6. What 5 music albums do you take with you on a desert island?
Who knows?
7. What's the one thing you would like people to know about you?
I prefer privacy.
8. If you could solve one big problem, what would it be? 
Gangs and gun violence.
9. What's your favorite scripture or quote?
"Acknowledge him in all things and your paths will be directed."
10. What's your secret superpower?
Persistence. 

Jett McCoy, Custodian
Jett brings a warm vibe with him wherever he goes. To wit, he celebrates his birthday every year by hosting a back to school event--school supplies, face painting, water slide, etc. make for a special experience for the kids.

10 Questions with Jett
​
​1. What's your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate
2. What's your pet peeve?
Dirty house
3. What inspires you?
Good company
4. What do you wish you knew more about?
Politics
5. What do you worry about when nobody is around?
The safety of my children and grandchildren.
6. What 5 music albums do you take with you on a desert island?
Soulchild, Gerald Lavert, Jerry Hunte, Lil Louis, and Stevie Wonder
7. What's the one thing you would like people to know about you?
Gentle Giant
8. If you could solve one big problem, what would it be? 
Homelessness
9. What's your favorite scripture or quote?
John 3: 16
10. What's your secret superpower?
Saving the world

Denise McKnight, Administrative Assistant 
Denise McKnight is a Washington, D.C. native. She holds a Bachelors of Business Administration and Master of Science Information Technology from Strayer University. She is the proud parent of two daughters and grand-daughters. But wait, there is a lot more to this lady, Denise loves volunteering, listening to music and watching classic movies.

10 Questions with Administrative Assistant
​
1. What's your favorite comfort food?
“Not Your Mama” Banana Pudding or a sliced of Carrot Cake
2. What's your pet peeve?
Licking fingers when shuffling papers or my magazines. Not to mention, if you decide to borrow something, please put my items back where you found them. Oh! I have one more, micromanagement.
3. What inspires you?
Honest friends and believing in yourself. (Yes I can) 
4. What do you wish you knew more about?
Statistic.
5. What do you worry about when nobody is around?
My grown daughters, child abuse and domestic violence. 
6. What 5 music albums do you take with you on a desert island?
1. Contemporary Christian music
2. The Last Day – The Best of Billie Holiday
3. Dance Hall Reggae 
4. The Phantom of the Opera 
5. R&B Soul Classic and Silky 
7. What's the one thing you would like people to know about you?
I love playing monopoly. 
8. If you could solve one big problem, what would it be? 
Child abuse.
9. What's your favorite scripture or quote?
Isaiah 41: 10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
10. What's your secret superpower?
"Mum's the word

Charing Wei-Jen Chen (he/him), Minister of Media
Wei-Jen is a doctoral student at Chicago Theological Seminary and genderqueer. His concentrations are Hermeneutical and LGBTQ studies. Recently married, he enjoys the lakefront with his husband and chihuahua.

10 Questions with Wei-Jen
​
1. What’s your favorite comfort food?
Ebi Tamagodon (at Kikuya Japanese Restaurant)
2. What’s your pet peeve?
My husband did not shave, and he insisted to kiss me! “Take your sandpaper away from my face!”
3. What inspires you?
Star Trek, especially Next Generation series! 
4. What do you wish you knew more about?
The polar vortex is real.
5. What do you worry about when nobody is around?
Am I the only humanoid left on earth now?
6. What 5 music albums do you take with you on a desert island?
Piano Concerto No.22 in E-flat major, K.482 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Columbia Masterworks: 1959), Revolver (The Beatles, EMI Studio: 1966), Island's Sunrise (Fire EX, Sony Music: 2014), Happy Feet (Chicago Cellar Boys, Rivermont: 2019)
7. What’s the one thing you would like people to know about you?
I am a Queer Taiwanese Christian.
8. If you could solve one big problem, what would it be?
The postcolonialism of Christianity.
9. What’s your favorite scripture or quote?
The Lord said to him (Moses), “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” (Deuteronomy 34:8)
10. What’s your secret superpower?
I can cook creative Taiwanese cuisines nobody knew before.

We're proud of our past.

In 1858, lawyer, developer and staunch abolitionist Paul Cornell donated land for a Presbyterian church in Hyde Park, a known destination on the Underground Railroad, thanks to his associates, including the sheriff.

In 1862, we opened one of Hyde Park’s first Sunday schools to provide religious instruction during the early days of public education.

In 1869, the Old Stone Church opened at our current location, replacing the wood frame structure a few blocks away.

In 1889, we completed construction on our current structure, the same year Hyde Park was annexed to the City of Chicago.

In 1890, the University of Chicago was founded by J.D. Rockefeller, pictured here with its President W.R. Harper and trustee Martin Ryerson. We changed our name to University Congregational Church.

During the 1920s, we did an extensive renovation to our current building configuration. We were also among the first to include women on our governing board.

During the 1930s, we helped fight the ravages of the Great Depression, support African American families migrating from the south and united the Congregational and Presbyterian churches of Hyde Park into one.

During the late 1940s, we helped resettle Japanese Americans relocating from U.S. internment camps after the war.

During the 1950s, we were among the first to integrate our church school, ahead of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision.

Today, we still march for what matters, standing with those on the margins as we always have, to promote a more just and kind society.