| Quick News From Jane
Jane Fisler Hoffman, Interim
Conference
Minister |
Dear SCNC
Friends,
Have you heard that the United
Church of Christ is again considering
restructure?
Ok, I know that there are
those 'out there' in our churches who say that what
happens in the national setting of our United Church of
Christ isn't important to them. Some might even
say "I don't care." But my experience going
around to our churches is that many people in our
congregations DO care about our national church and see
it as 'us' ---as indeed it is. "We are
'them'"! The United Church of Christ is a covenant
community that is lived out in various expressions for
various ministries in the name of Jesus Christ.
Local congregations, associations, conferences, national
setting, ecumenical relationships---all are different
ways of serving the one Christ. And to do so
effectively, sometimes we have to look at how we
organize ourselves to serve. Some local churches
have shifted their organization from 'committees' to
ministry teams or task groups. This Conference will be
looking at how we organize our lwork together during the
self study in this time of transition. And now our
national setting is considering a new way of governance
through a single governing body.
On this
subject, I haven't yet shared any material because it
has been so much 'in process' that I haven't been sure
what to share. But we are at a point at which the
conversation is very serious and vigorous in some
quarters so I want you to at least have access to what's
going on.
As most of you know, in 2000 our
national UCC went through a major restructure, creating
the 'collegium' of five executives and boards after many
years of multiplying instrumentalities . For many
reasons which I am not going to try to interpret here
but about which you can read in the documents, there is
a new conversation about yet another restructure.
There have been several versions of proposals and board
votes. You can access the current one by going to
www.ucc.org and clicking on 'governance
proposal'. I also want to share with you a
very helpful reflection
piece from our General Minister and President, John
Thomas. He, the others of the collegium and many others
have worked very hard through a careful process to this
point. I hope you will look at
it.
Few of you will be surprised to learn
that this proposal is very controversial for some
folks. There is a website of protest and a
circulating petition to oppose the proposal.
That's nothing new in the UCC. Every voice and
concern needs to be heard.
At this
point only our national boards are being asked to make
decisions about this proposal in their meetings in
October and November. If all 5 boards (Wider
Church Ministries, Local Church Ministries, Justice
Witness Ministries , Office of General Ministries and
Executive Council) approve the proposal, it will come to
the 2009 General Synod as by-law revision
proposals. IF approved at synod, then the Conferences
will have an opportunity to ratify (or not) the
by-laws.
So here's what I would ask
of you at this point: Read and learn
about all of this as you are so inclined. But for sure
PRAY for your leaders in the national setting and on our
national boards. Our Conference has excellent folk
representing us on the boards so pray in particular for
them. Pray for our church to witness to the
reconciling, unifying power of Jesus Christ as we move
through yet another contentious time. And above all
let's pray that we will follow God's guidance in ways
that the United Church of Christ will best become the
church God needs for our time in history and in our
world.
Stay tuned---the journey is in
progress!
In Christ,
Jane
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