The actual membership of UCC churches varies enormously. Some congregations are quite liberal, others, probably a majority, are pretty much in the middle for mainline churches, and a fair number of congregations, especially in New England, are rather more theologically traditional. There are a significant number of UCC members who remain in their churches primarily out of tradition: their families have been congregational since the 17th century, fill the cemetery near the old church they grew up in, and they want their children to appreciate the heritage. In Connecticut it's not unusual to see UCC churches that are 75% Republican (RINO in many cases but still 'pubbies) with clergy just to the right of the Gang of Four
The UCC national and regional administrations, and a large number of the clergy, are very radical and are the ones who pushed this resolution and the whole left-wing political agenda of the UCC National body. The number of normal young men with UCC vocations is at an all time low, and probably 2/3 of those in UCC seminaries (including up until recently Yale Divinity School) are women. Most of the women are either divorcees whose exes left them for trophy wives and are paying for their education, or lesbians. It's getting harder and harder for traditional UCC congregations to hire pastors who are not radicals.
You might think this resolution will force many people out of the UCC, and it could cause some major congregations to leave the UCC and be come "continuing congregational" just like the Congregational Churches that declined to join the UCC when it was created in 1957. (Unlike the Episcopal Church USA, in the UCC, each individual congregation owns its property and sets ALL of its own rules.) More likely, however, there will be local discussion and disagreement, with a large number of churches -- again especially in Connecticut and New Hampshire and Maine -- who remain in the denomination in name (so the clergy get retirement programs etc.) while reducing their financial support of the UCC and who simply decline to perform gay marraiges.
thank you for your explanation of the UCC. I had long known that they are an extremely leftist and unorthodox church. However a few years ago I moved to New Jersey from the Midwest. I often drive by a small, old UCC church in a nearby town. It has one of those marquee-type signs that one can use to put up different messages. I was shocked to see it display things like "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" at Christmas, and other messages promoting frequent prayer and church attendance. Around these blue parts, one would expect something like that from an evangelical church, but certainly not a UCC. I guess this particular congregation must be one of the conservative holdouts in the northeast. Though it is a sad commentary on the UCC's reputation for leftism that a UCC church displaying basic Christian messages is shocking.
Good explanation. Thanks. I didn't know the history of the UCC.