The Early Years of the CCCC
(This article is composed of extracts from Rod Wetzig’s chapter, “What Were the Early Years Like?” in Modern Day Pilgrims. A revised and updated version of this book is being published in conjunction with the 75th Anniversary of the Conference.)
The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference has never been a large denomination, but for the first ten to fifteen years the main question was whether or not it would survive. The young denomination faced these discouraging circumstances:
Our Numbers Were Small. In the 1959 CCCC Yearbook only forty-nine ordained and licensed ministers and sixteen churches were listed.
Our Beginnings Were Discouraging. Dr. H. Ellis Lininger, who was elected president at the first annual meeting in 1948, died just before the 1949 Annual Meeting. Dr. Hilmer H. Sandine, Sr., the main inspiration behind the beginning of the CCCC and long-time editor of the Congregational Beacon, died of heart failure on May 30, 1949.
The Task Was Daunting. Considering the size of the CCCC in contrast to the size of the General Council of Congregational Churches, there was little on the surface to recommend it to churches and pastors looking for a place where Bible-believing Congregational Christians could join forces.
Our Stance Was Negative. The CCCC appeared to have come into existence to focus a reaction against the growing tide of liberalism in the Congregational Christian Churches, rather than to develop a positive outlook on what they could accomplish.
We Were In Survival Mode. The CCCC was so tiny that the leaders had to do what they could just to keep the organization in existence. Because the Conference was so small, many leaders had to occupy several offices.
Churches Appeared Reluctant to Join. Although a few churches gradually joined, growth in the first years was very slow. It wasn’t until two large evangelical Congregational churches voted to join—Park Street Church in Boston in 1960 and Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, CA in 1963—that the CCCC began to gain significance among Congregational and Christian churches.
There Was Dissension in the Ranks. There were several issues that were being heatedly discussed. 1. The tone of many articles in the Congregational Beacon, the CCCC newsletter, was strongly separatistic, reflecting the views of the editor, J. A. Stueckle. Conflict over the issue eventually led to his resignation. 2. There was criticism of those who were involved in the neo-Evangelical movement. Dr. Harold Ockenga, pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, one of the two large churches in the conference, was a leading spokesman for this movement. 3. Standards for ordained clergy tended to be legalistic. 4. The ordination of women was a controversial issue.
Despite these challenges, several important policies of the conference were developed during this first decade. The Statement of Faith was refined, reaching its current form in 1959. The Congregational Christian, the forerunner of the Foresee, was established as the denominational periodical, replacing the Congregational Beacon. It was decided to support missionaries from various evangelical mission organizations and not any one in particular. The ordination and credentialing process was developed. It was decided that the conference would not assess individual churches for support according to their size, as was done in the old General Council of Congregational Christian Churches and the UCC.
While there were many obstacles to growth in the early years, the Lord raised up godly pastors and laity who persevered through the first decade. Considering the early challenges and struggles the CCCC faced, it is certainly a tribute to the power of God that it survived.