‘Tis the Season
No, I am not celebrating Christmas in June. But this is the season of meetings in the United Church of Christ. I hope to see all of you at the Southeast Conference Annual Meeting at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia June 12-13. Remember that registration deadline is Friday, June 5 (click here to register).
Our UCC polity lifts up the values of autonomy and covenant. Our Conference is in covenant with three others that make up the Southern Region. We are one of 39 Conferences in the UCC, with many holding their annual meeting in June. I will be attending the meeting of the South Central Conference in New Orleans June 5-7 to represent our relationships within the wider church and to honor their Conference Minister, Douglas Anders, who is retiring. Some of you may remember him as a keynote speaker at our Annual Meeting last year. I will also be attending the Annual Meeting of the Southern Conference on June 18-20 as they celebrate their 50th anniversary where I hope to get some ideas for our Golden anniversary next year.
Then June 25-30 I will be attending General Synod, the biennial national meeting of the UCC. This year it is being held in Cleveland which is the location of our national offices. It is a reunion time for many of us in the UCC and I look forward to seeing many friends and colleagues. It will also be a busy time as our Southeast Conference delegation votes on matters before the church. All of us – including visitors from this Conference and many others – gather for worship and fellowship and workshops and time in the exhibit hall. I encourage you to look at the General Synod page at www.ucc.org. Last month we published links to all the resolutions that will be considered. You can view General Synod on a live stream if you are interested. I am always interested in people’s thoughts, reactions, questions, and comments about our life together, so be in touch.
In the midst of all this, I will also be celebrating the ordination of Dan Stark at Decatur (GA) UCC and the building dedication of Church of the Savior, Alpharetta (GA). It is always about the balance in our church life between our own service, work in our local church, and attention to the wider church. It is a privilege to serve in this kind of way. It is always the season for faithful living. I pray that will be how you experience this month of life and ministry. And please hold our General Synod delegates and visitors in prayer.
