Historic Congregationalism came to America with the Separatist Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Congregationalism originated in English Puritanism, being the more radical wing of a Reformed movement that believed it impossible to renew the Church of England from within. By 1608 a group of Separatists had taken refuge from persecution at Leiden in the Netherlands. In 1620 a band of Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1629, the non-separatists English Puritans, fleeing persecution under Archbishop William Laud (1573-1645) in England, established settlements around Boston, Massachusetts.

From 1646 to 1648 the religious leaders of New England met several times in a Synod at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and there decided to accept the Westminster Confession of Faith as their doctrinal statement. They also drafted and adopted the Cambridge Platform defining their polity. Codifying the mixed polity of Puritan theorists, they described a government of Local, independent churches that was shared by church members and church officers. It is the earliest document setting forth American Congregational faith and church government and served as the constitution of the Congregational way well into the nineteenth century. The Great Awakening, which peaked in the years 1740-1742 and spread throughout the colonies, had great impact on New England Congregationalism. On the one hand there was the revival of a heart-felt religion that was profoundly evangelical in character. The Congregationalist minister and theologian of the movement, Jonathan Edwards, was perhaps the greatest intellect early American Congregationalism produced, and he set the agenda for the tradition of New England Theology that was carried on well into the nineteenth century. On the other hand, a significant number of congregational clergy opposed the revivals, and a rift developed that was to seriously divide Congregationalism into liberal and evangelical wings and profoundly affect American religious and political life in general.

However the Congregationalists regrouped and the Burial Hill Declaration of 1865 was signed. It proclaimed that with the whole church we confess the common sinfulness and ruin of our race, and acknowledge that it is only through the work accomplished by the life and expiatory death of Christ that believers in him are justified before God, receive the remission of sins, and through the presence and grace of the Holy Comforter are delivered from the power of sin and perfected in holiness.

The ABCFM was formed on 5 September 1810 in Boston USA, Massachusetts to spearhead the spreading of the gospel in the whole world. On 8 February 1812, the Hay Stack Brethren who used to come together for prayers on Sunday afternoons were ordained. In the same year, a charter was granted to the ABCFM to send missionaries to the whole world, effectively creating the first Missionary Society n the USA. In 1833 Rev Dr J Phillips the Superintendent of the London Missionary Society wrote to J. B. Purney describing the conditions in which the Americans would do the mission work. He explained the conditions and the character of the Zulus. Upon the knowledge and understanding of the people of Zululand, the ABCFM became convinced that they should extend their mission work to this side of the world, South Africa.

The ABCFM decided to send two groups of missionaries to South Africa. Three MARITIME MISSION families were assigned to Durban. They finally arrived in Durban in 1836. With the help of Dingaan Shaka's successor, they started the Zulu Mission in Natal. They faced many challenges as the chief virtually owned everything. They made great strides as they established some missions in Zululand.

In 1938 a union of the General Council of Congregational and Christian churches with the Evangelical and Reformed Church was proposed, but it was until 1957 that a body of delegates from both denominations, meeting at Cleveland, Ohio, elected a constitutional committee. In July 1961, in Philadelphia, a constitution was adopted and the United Church of Christ was established.

The first church congregation was started in 1897 at Mount Selinda and the Mount selinda church building was built in 1919. Almost at the same time, the first church congregation also started at Chikore. A number of preaching points were established in Chipinge before the first urban congregation was started in Harare in 1955. Key to the preaching of the gospel was the need to translate the Bible into native language, work which started in 1908 and continued until the printing press was burnt by devastating fires in 1915.

From 1893 Up to 1971, the administration of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe was run by the Conference of the United Church of Christ in Rhodesia under the American Board Mission (ABM). In 1973 local leadership was handed full administrative powers resulting in the effective handover of the leadership of the church to locals. The Conference of the United Church of Christ was, for the first time, called the Association of the United Church of Christ in Rhodesia. Leadership was confined strictly to Ministers of Religion who were serving in the highest capacity of Superintendant of Churches. The first Superintendant of the churches was Rev. E. J. Mwadira in 1963 up to 1968. The second Superintendant was Rev. Dr. W. M. Mkwakwami who was also handed the entire denomination (Association of the UCC in Zimbabwe) in 1973. The handover resulted in the Association being known as the Evangelism Council under a chairman of the Evangelism Council of the UCCZ and the Head of the denomination became known as the President. The first person to be accorded the title of President of the United Church of Christ in the then Rhodesia is Rev. Dr. F. J. Gomendo in 1978 and Rev. M. C. Kuchera was the Vice President and Chairman of the Evangelism Council. Rev. Dr. F. J. Gomendo (1977-1980, 1989- 1992) and Rev. Dr. W. M. Mkwakwami (1973-1976, 1981-1988, 1993-1996) exchanged the leadership of the UCCZ by popular vote of the membership of the Church up to 1996. There were fundamental changes in 1997 where church leadership had to be shared between the clergy and the laity. The President (clergy) remained the head of the denomination handling both the administrative and spiritual transactions of the church. A Superintendant (clergy) would be appointed to lead the evangelism side of the church and effectively overseeing the local ministers in the churches, mission stations, schools and chaplains in UCCZ institutions. The Moderator (laity) would be elected at an Annual General Meeting to be the chairperson of the Synod meetings. While the President and the Superintendant were in full time ministry of the UCCZ, the Moderator, Synod General Secretary and Synod General Treasure would hold honorary positions. The first Moderator of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe was Mr. MacMillan Major.

The UCCZ practices faith in action through what are now known as Spiritual Councils, the biggest of them being the Conferences. Prior to 1998, the single Conference was known as the "Association of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe". In 1998 the Synod of the UCCZ passed a vote for the establishment of three Conferences of the UCCZ namely the Eastern Conference with thirty-five (35) churches, the Northern Conference with twenty (20) churches and the Western Conference with eleven churches (11). Further to the Conferences, the UCCZ provides specialised fellowship through specialised Councils for different interests groups namely Junior Sunday School catering for boys and girls under the age of twelve years, Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) catering for boys and girls above the age of twelve years old, Ruwadzano catering for women who are full and voting members of the UCCZ, Volunteers specialising in providing in depth spiritual guidance to men, women, boys and girls wishing to preach the gospel locally and abroad as a way of enhancing evangelism and Christian Men's Fellowship which is a gathering of men only to discuss spiritual topics of interest to their spiritual growth and that of their families.