Upon hearing of the vote of the congregation of the First Community Congregation Church at 200 Leeland Heights Blvd. in Lehigh, Rev. Kent J. Siladi, conference minister, Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ, said the organization is saddened by the decision of the church to leave the United Church of Christ.

“What troubles and surprises us most is that at no time was the conference made aware of any dissatisfaction the church may have had about the United Church of Christ,” Siladi said in an email to The Lehigh Acres Citizen which carried the story about the local church’s decision to break away from UCC affiliation in January.

He noted that the United Church of Christ is a non hierarchical church .

“We believe that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. We are a church that proclaims that God is still speaking and that as God’s people we are to offer and extravagant welcome to all of God’s children.

“We believe that no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, that you are welcome in the United Church of Christ,” Siladi said.

However, a spokeswoman with the local First Community Congregational Church, said there had been talk within the church for a very long time of dissatisfaction with United Church of Christ polity.

“They have put pressure to bear on this church for some time to be more open about their liberal policies,” said Ada Thompson, the church’s moderator.

Siladi said the Florida Conference would have welcomed a chance to respond to the concerns of the Lehigh Acres church.

“The leaders of the church, including the pastor, at no time made us aware of the concerns that the article in January names as the reasons why the church left the UCC. We would have been able to address their misconceptions about the United Church of Christ that are filled with inaccuracies of how we function as a church body,” Siladi said.

He went on to say that the current pastor of the church does not have a background or standing in the United Church of Christ and that she does not meet the educational credentials required for ordination in the United Church of Christ and she is not an ordained minister.

“We had recently met with her and church leaders to inquire about her progress in completing steps towards meeting the requirements to be considered for ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ. At no time did she indicate any issues or objections with the United Church of Christ or indicate to us that there were any concerns. We believe that the decision to leave the UCC made by the members of the congregation was influenced by not having a UCC pastor serving the congregation,” Siladi said.

Local church moderator Thompson said the allegations of misconceptions and inaccuracies in the article as claimed by Siladi are inaccurate.

“Rev. Siladi was no present,” Thompson said and that the vote to disassociate was not a planned vote, although 80 percent of the voters voted in favor of the withdrawal.

“If it had been a planned and well designed move to leave the UCC, more members would have been present and absentee ballots made available,” she said.

However, Siladi said at the meeting where the vote was taken to leave the UCC, there was a staff person and a conference leader present.

“They were denied the opportunity to speak by church leadership. The article portrays an open process in the congregation. It would be our opinion that this is simply not the case and that this was a planned and well designed move to leave the UCC without any public knowledge or announcement that this action was taking place,” Siladi said.

Thompson told The Citizen that since Rev. Deborah Frysinger, the pastor of the church, is a fully ordained minister, although not with the UCC, it is apparent that she is capable and qualified to be the pastor.

“This church plans to honor Pastor Deb in the near future with a local ordination ceremony and the vote from the congregation speaks for itself,” Thompson said.

UCC Conference Minister Rev. Kent J. Siladi said they have been contacted by members of the church who say they are dismayed and shocked at this action.

“We have met with those members at their request offering them our perspective and reaction to this surprising move,” he said.

Siladi said that there was to be a meeting this past Sunday, Feb. 21 in Lehigh to discuss the possibility of continuing the United Church of Christ’s presence in the community.

“Should the leadership at the church change and wish to reconsider its decision to leave the UCC, we would welcome a conversation regarding a reestablishment of our relationship with the church,” Siladi said.

But Thompson said that would not happen. She said the vote to remove the church from affiliation with the United Church of Christ was overwhelming. Thompson said she had heard that the UCC may ask another church in Lehigh to become affiliated with their organization.

Thompson said the local church has probably been affiliated with the UCC for around 15 years. The church is also the oldest house of worship in Lehigh.

The pastor of the church, Rev. Deb Frysinger said the First Community Congregational Church is a classic Christian church.

“We believe in the authority of God. We believe in the virgin birth. We believe in the Great Commandment. We are a purpose driven church. We believe in the 2,000- year-old law, the Bible, that

God is the way the truth and life. We, the church hold and seek to obey and emulate with the teachings of scripture.”