Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church has a rich heritage benefiting from the merger of three churches: the original St. Andrews Church of South Boston, the Union Square Church, and the Trinity Church, both of Somerville.  We are a small but growing congregation committed to following the teachings of Jesus Christ.  We believe despite any differences among us that we are called to be one body of Christ.  As a result we believe that there can be no exclusivity in the Body of Christ.  Therefore, Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church welcomes everyone regardless of age, religious background, martial status, sexual orientation, and or worldly condition to join us on our shared journey of faith as a congregation.  Simply put you are welcome at Clarendon Hill.  As a demonstration of our commitment to this ideal CHPC is a member of More Light Presbyterians.  The mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Our congregation's More Light Statement is below:

Statement of Inclusion

Relying on the love and grace of God, the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church works for peace, justice and inclusion in our private lives, in our families, in our community and in society, both locally and globally.

We affirm that in Jesus Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, nor any other kind of partiality.

We welcome all persons into the fellowship regardless of age, race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, worldly condition or ability.

We accept into membership all those who have received the Holy Spirit and shall deny no person membership, or any of the privileges or responsibilities thereof, including ordination, on the basis of any such reason or any other reason not related to the profession of faith and discipleship.

As members of the Reformed community of churches, we are called to faithfulness to God's unfolding word in Scripture, to ongoing reformation through the work of the Holy Spirit, and to openness and justice by our Book of Order and the Confessions of Faith.

"The Church is called

a. to a new openness to the presence of God in the Church and in the world, to more fundamental obedience, and to a more joyous celebration in worship and work;

b. to a new openness in its own membership, by affirming itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races, and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of a new humanity;

c. to a new openness to the possibilities and perils of its institutional forms in order to ensure the faithfulness and usefulness of these forms to God's activity in the world;

d. to a new openness to God's continuing reformation of the Church ecumenical, that it might be a more effective instrument in the world." 

Clarendon Hill is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA which has approximately 3 million members around the country. The Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in the country.  It grew out of the "Reformed" movement, led by John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland in the 16th Century.  Presbyterianism eventually spread to the rest of Europe but it took a particularly strong hold in Scotland.  Scotch immigrants brought Presbyterianism to the United States during the colonial period.

Presbyterianism is rooted in the Scriptures, and the historic creeds and confessions of the Christian Church.  Our faith is based in trust in a totally loving and sovereign God, who is revealed in Jesus Christ.  We, empowered by the Spirit, are called to love and trust God, and everything that God has created.

Presbyterian church government is made up of representative assemblies of equal members of lay and clergy delegates and functions much like the U.S. Congress.  Each local church congregation is governed by the Session.  The Session is a board composed of church Elders (both women and men) who are ordained by the members of the church to manage the business of the congregation and administer the sacraments.

To learn more about Presbyterians and what we believe please click here for more details:  http://www.pcusa.org/navigation/whoweare.htm

Our Peace, Justice and Mission Committee meets monthly to plan and support events for our church and our community.  A few of the events that took place in 2007 include talks on Middle East issues, healthcare reform and Somerville Early Head Start; showings of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Peace is Every Step – Meditation in Action:  The Life and Works of Thich Nhat Hanh,”and a talk by Sheila Provencher, member of a Christian Peacemaker Team that lived in Iraq for 2 years.  Our Peace, Justice and Mission Committee report for 2007 is filed here.