Specialties
Claremont United Church of Christ is an open and affirming congregation where we welcome people of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, physical and cognitive abilities, and gender expressions. We celebrate everyone’s ability to go on their own faith journey without telling people what they have to believe. We encourage people to think for themselves and ask questions. We have a strong investment in our children and youth and have a wide variety of Sunday School, Youth Group, and music programs for kids. We have a small, intimate chapel service on Sundays at 8:15am and our main service in the sanctuary at 10:00am. We also run a full service and bilingual infant to pre-K Early Childhood Center.

History
Established in 1891.

For the first fifteen years, the congregation met in Sumner Hall and later Holmes Hall on the campus of Pomona College. In 1906 the first building was dedicated on the site where the Henry Kingman Chapel now stands. The church grew steadily and was the only Protestant church in Claremont. In the mid-1920s, more space was needed and the Guildhall was constructed and dedicated in 1928. After the second world war, the congregation decided to build the current sanctuary. In the 1990s the congregation voted to become Open and Affirming, where all persons are accepted regardless of their race, background, or sexual orientation. Pastors Jen and Jacob, a married couple, have served as co-pastors of the church since 2016 and church attendance has already doubled since their arrival.

Meet the Manager
Business owner information
Jennifer S.

Manager

Pastor Jen received a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing and Mass Communications at Miami University and a dual Master of Fine Arts degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at Chapman University. She received her Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary where she and Pastor Jacob were classmates. They are currently pursuing their Doctor of Ministry degrees at Duke Divinity School.

Pastor Jen has previously served at churches in Philadelphia, PA, Liberty, OH, Prairie Village, KS, and Lincoln, NE.

When she isn’t writing a sermon or dreaming about the church, Jen can be found walking her two dogs, reading fiction, drinking lattes, cooking vegetarian food, watching movies, walking on the beach, or playing with her beloved nieces. She and her husband love to travel and find out what God is up to in other parts of the world.