Who We Are
Weimar United Church was founded in 1900 as the German Lutheran Church in the small town of Weimar, Texas, located almost halfway between Houston and San Antonio. Through its history it has also been known as Weimar Evangelical and Reformed Church until it obtained its present name in 1957 through church mergers of two denominations. Our town of 2152 residents has a Protestant presence of over ten churches, with Weimar UCC being the largest with almost 300 members. Weimar UCC is an active and lively congregation, historical and traditional in worship, yet ministering to the needs of the community and the world.
This part of the Body of Christ continues to be the arms reaching out in mission and ministry to all. Now 116 years old, the pioneer spirit continues to live on in the members and friends who call Weimar UCC their spiritual home. We give God thanks for the legacy of the past and look forward to a future alive with hope and promise as a congregation involved in worship, fellowship, study, and service. No matter who you are or where you are on the journey of life, you have a home in the Weimar United Church!
History of Our Church
The story of Weimar United Church begins in the summer of 1900, when the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was organized. According to the writings of one of the earliest charter members of the congregation, "In October of the year 1900 (October 15th to be exact) a small group of people from Weimar and the Reverend Carl Kniker of Cibolo, Texas...met in the Christian Church to organize this congregation." That began the birth of this congregation. German and Czech pioneers, many of whom were first generation Americans, longed to have a place of worship for their families wherein they could worship as they desired. They aligned themselves with the German Evangelical Lutheran Church and became "Die Evangelisch Lutherische Kirchen Gemeinde zu Weimar, Texas" as it is written on one of the church's stain glass windows in our sanctuary.
The congregation worshiped in English and German for thirty years or more and in 1934 the Evangelical Synod of 
North America merged with the Reformed Church in the United States to become the Evangelical and Reformed Church. The Weimar church changed its name to reflect this merger and became the Weimar Evangelical and Reformed Church.
In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Churches to form the United Church of Christ with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. The church at Weimar followed suit and changed its name to Weimar United Church of Christ which is its present name.
The congregation began worship in 1902 in its first house of worship at the intersection of Summit and North Streets. That church was white with a tall steeple and stained glass windows. It had a balcony to accomodate worshipers. Rev. Carl Kniker was the first pastor serving the church from 1900 to 1905. By 1954, the church membership had grown to 250 and the parish hall was no longer adequate so the congregation voted to dismantle the old parish hall and to build a new education building on the same location. This was accomplished in 1955. In 1963, the congregation began discussing plans to build a new church sanctuary. Final services in the old building were held on November 15, 1964. The new church sanctuary was dedicated on September 26, 1965.
Our congregation continues to maintain and improve its property and buildings in a variety of ways. We are a congregation of nearly 300 members welcoming people of many traditions and backgrounds. We are a mixture of tradition and innovation. We attempt to seve God faithfully in Weimar and the surrounding world. Ours is an inspiring story of many hard-working and dedicated folk who have built on the solid foundation laid down over 116 years ago. The story has no end as we are always changing and welcoming any who would come and join us as we live out our faith journeys together.
The United Church of Christ
We belong to the denomination called The United Church of Christ. It's headquarters is located in Cleveland, Ohio. We are a connectional and covenantal church in that each church covenants with other churches to participate in mission and ministry together. We support our Association and Conference (learn more about them in the mission section) by voluntarily giving to assist them. We also help each other by participating in five designated mission offerings each year. Those offerings benefit disaster relief efforts in the world (Did you know that the UCC was one of the first church groups to respond when the tsunami struck Japan a few years ago?), help establish new churches where they are needed, and aid those who are in need of the basics of life in many places. The United Church of Christ has had a history of standing up for and with those who have been oppressed and marginalized in society.
Each United Church of Christ congregation elects its own pastor and decides how its monies will be spent. Each congregation elects its officers to serve their church and conducts business in open meetings that all may attend (although only members may vote). Congregations have authority at the local church level to make decisions and grant authority to the Association and Conference as they see fit to participate with other congregations in the UCC.
The United Church of Christ partners with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to fulfill their mission calling in the world. The UCC partners with other Protestant denominations to do ministry on college campuses. The United Church of Christ is a part of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. To learn more about the United Church of Christ, visit the website at: www.ucc.org.
