Volume 6, Issue 1
Spring/Summer 2015
WHERE WILL YOU ENCOUNTER THE
STILLSPEAKING GOD?
General Synod 2015 - June 26 - 30 Cleveland, Ohio REGISTER TODAY AT UCC.ORG/SYNOD ®
CAN’T MAKE IT TO CLEVELAND? STAY CONNECTED AT UCC.ORG/SYNOD
Vol ume 6 , Issue 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
24 31
9
39
Geoffrey’s Welcome
5
Letter from Bernard Wilson
7
The Great Crusader
9
Forging a Path – Her Way
15
Fueling the Future
24
UCC Military Chaplains in Demand
31
The Long Haul: The Rev. Jim and Elizabeth Deitz
39
Our Church’s Wider Mission: the Connecticut Conference
45
2014 United Church of Christ Annual Report
49
Our Church’s Wider Mission: Top 50 Giving Congregations Masthead & General Info
52 54
Chairperson, United Church of Christ Board of Directors
At 84, the Rev. Edgar Krueger is devoted to a hands-on ministry for workers' rights just over the border in Mexico. “My age is kinda catching up with me a little bit, but for me it is a joyous passion and I’m very happy that my health still permits me to do this work.” UCC minister Ann Kansfield makes headlines as the New York Fire Department’s first female and openly gay chaplain.
Since becoming the first denomination to move toward divestment from fossil fuels to combat climate change, the United Church of Christ has taken great strides to make positive changes for the planet.
45
Since the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” UCC military chaplains are ministering to an increasing number of gay and lesbian service members.
15
A retired pastor and his wife remain drawn to the UCC’s extravagant welcome for nearly six decades. Conference Minister Kent Siladi says, "We continue to be big supporters of what Our Church's Wider Mission dollars equip and empower the church to do.”
Highlights, facts, and figures from the past year in the life of the national setting of the UCC.
Don’t miss an issue of StillSpeaking! StillSpeaking Magazine is published annually and is sent to United Church of Christ Annual Fund contributors of at least $50 annually, as well as to all “5-for-5” churches – congregations that contribute to Basic Support and the four special mission offerings. To learn more, contact the Office of Philanthropy and Stewardship at 800.846.6822; giving@ucc.org.
2
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
Cover photo: The Rev. Ann Kansfield (center) is congratulated by daughter Grace (4) and wife Jennifer Aull. (Son John [6] not pictured.)
StillSpeaking
3
GEOFFREY’S WELCOME
T
Amazed, Inspired and Encouraged! he United Church of Christ amazes me. That is what I find myself saying again and again as I encounter the people of the United Church of Christ. My amazement is first about the breadth of our church’s diversity. Yes, of course, we are still a faith family that is numerically predominantly Euro American.
Yet, with that in mind it remains true that the diversity is there within that majority and among the many people of other racial, cultural and religious backgrounds who come together to make the United Church of Christ what it is today. I believe that these varied strands of human experience and perspective form a rich tapestry of faith that bodes well for our future. For that reason among many, I am filled with hope for the church we are becoming. While serving as General Minister and President for the last six years, I have had the unique opportunity to engage the diversity that is the UCC in so many settings. What I have also witnessed time and time again is the commitment of people whose faith in God is palpable. In various ways they strive to live that faith and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Their faith is lived in many ways — in the rich and creative forms of worship found in the UCC, in human service and care for the earth, or in
tinyurl.com/welcomefc
advocacy and protest; all are expressions of people who are attesting to the hold of the Gospel of Jesus on their lives. This characteristic has been an inspiration for which I give thanks. There is yet one more dimension of faithfulness that has been a constant source of encouragement to me. I am reminded of
Visit our Conference & Retreat Center in the restorative, rural setting of Eastern North Carolina.
Book your event today! franklintoncenteratbricks.com 800.345.1850
The Franklinton Center at Bricks • 281 Bricks Lane • Whitakers, NC 27891
it each time I sign a thank you letter. That is the generosity of UCC members and friends throughout the nation. The financial and prayerful support of our shared mission and ministry coming from those who are the strands of that UCC tapestry is a blessing to the world. It has been more than an honor to serve in leadership with that support in mind.
The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black General Minister and President, UCC
StillSpeaking
5
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.”
TO UCC FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND DONORS: Greetings! As spring approaches, I am mindful of how very thankful we are for your steadfast support of the United Church of Christ.
Re-imagine
Your generosity has supported this Church we love as it has moved through significant change and challenge. We have navigated transition in governance, ministry alignment, and missional direction — all with an eye toward improving effectiveness in mission and service, and being excellent stewards of the resources you entrust to us. There is still much to do. And we know that it is only in partnership with our congregations, associations, conferences, and other covenantal relationships that through the grace of God we will be able to accomplish the work before us — feeding spirits, advocating for justice, growing churches, and developing leaders to profess a Stillspeaking God locally and globally. As Chair of the UCC’s Board, I am deeply grateful for the philanthropy that allows our collective ministry to go forward. In 2014, local congregations gave $21,788,892 to Our Church’s Wider Mission! Of this, $6,475,313 was designated to assist the UCC’s national setting, with the remainder retained for conference support. This amazing generosity, along with special support through our Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church, and One Great Hour of Sharing offerings, made more than $9,400,000 available to support programs and services coordinated at the national setting in 2014 to help local, national and global communities. Never doubt that this covenantal giving supports ministries in churches, conferences and the national setting that change lives. More than 80 percent of all gifts to the UCC’s national setting came from organizations (congregations, conferences, etc.) in 2014, yet we are grateful, too, for our growing list of individual donors.
The Rev. Bernard Wilson
Chair, United Church of Christ Board
We are poised for great things to come:
2015 Annual Fund
As we prepare for our 30th General Synod and elect a new General Minister and President, I am confident that this will signal renewal, revitalization and revival on every level of our beloved church. Though change is in the air, the United Church of Christ holds steadfast to its mission and its profession of a still speaking God. On behalf of the UCC Board, thank you for all the ways you support our ministries.
ucc.org/annualfund
Faithfully, The Rev. Bernard Wilson Chair, United Church of Christ Board StillSpeaking
7
THE
GREAT
CRUSADER by Emily Schappacher
Several times a week, the Rev. Edgar Krueger leaves his home in Edinburg, Texas, and drives across the border to Reynosa or Rio Bravo, Mexico. There he meets with groups of women who work in the maquiladoras, or foreign-owned factories, to help them understand their rights under Mexico’s labor laws. Whether it’s a case of unjust termination, an injury on the job, or an act of discrimination, Krueger educates the women about regulations in place to protect them from such mistreatment and works to hold corporations accountable for their actions. At 84 years old, Krueger does more in a month than some people do in a lifetime.
StillSpeaking
9
“My age is kinda catching up with me a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “But for me it is a joyous
“I felt that the pastors along the border here should be very concerned about immigration
passion, and I’m very happy that my health still permits me to do this work.”
issues and the situations of workers in U.S. factories in Mexico,” Krueger said. “They should be alert to what is happening 10 miles across the river from where they are living.”
Krueger, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, has dedicated much of his long life to helping those less fortunate. In the 1950s, he served as a missionary in Honduras, teaching
As a leader of the Comite de Apoyo, Krueger traveled from factory to factory, organizing and
migrant children, pastoring at village churches and working in a health clinic. In the 1970s,
educating groups of workers. They would meet regularly at homes or in churches to discuss
he and his wife and children lived in Chile and served those affected by the country’s brutal
the dangers they faced and how they could protect themselves based on federal labor laws.
military coup. Krueger worked with the country’s native communities to teach them skills
Through role playing, Krueger taught the women how to effectively and eloquently look a
such as tree planting, soil conservation and milk production — skills that would help them be self-sustaining in the long term. In the late 1970s, Krueger turned his attention to the injustices he saw along the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly among workers in the maquiladoras, which import equipment parts duty free, assemble them in a free-trade zone, and then export finished products, such as toys, cars and flat-screen TVs, to countries like the United States With little oversight — even more so in the years before the North American Free Trade Agreement — these factories and assembly plants treat their workers as second-class citizens, often forcing them to operate outdated machinery with little to no training, handle toxic chemicals without the proper protection, and work long hours for pay far below a living wage, Krueger said, adding that women, who
70
women make up
%
of the workforce in maquiladoras
male supervisor in the eye and demand fair and equal treatment according to the law. Today, he does less of the organizing and instead meets weekly with about 12 promotoras, who in turn meet with the individual groups and report any issues back to Krueger, who helps solve problems as needed. Just as he did for the people of Honduras and Chile, Krueger helps these women help themselves. “It’s a delight to me when people can come together and there’s a point of harmony and a group process,” he said. “Those are some of the things that really appeal to me — helping people in a way to help themselves and their communities.” Rosa Sarmiento Moreno can attest to Krueger’s commitment to the workers of the
make up 70 percent of the workforce in maquiladoras, are particularly prone to harassment
maquiladoras. In 2011, she lost both of her hands after they got caught in a press making
and discrimination by male management. In 1979, Krueger rallied a group of American
television parts. She refused a one-time payment of $4,500 offered to her by her employer and,
pastors along the border to start the Comite de Apoyo, or the Committee of Support, a
unable to work, she gets by on the Mexican government’s equivalent of Social Security
nonprofit dedicated to the health, education and empowerment of these workers.
disability. Through Krueger and the Comite de Apoyo, Moreno was connected with the
Partners for Responsible Trade, a nonprofit dedicated to unfair practices in the global manufacturing industry, which recently arranged for her to receive a prosthetic where her right hand used to be. “My life has changed a lot,” Moreno said. “I was trained how to do a lot of things [with my prosthesis] and because of that, I feel more independent and can do things by myself.” “It’s very important that I have learned though the promotoras and through the Comite de Apoyo how to defend myself using federal labor law,” she added. “I wish that all or more of the women who work in the maquiladoras could learn their rights.” With the help of Krueger and the Comite de Apoyo, a worker who was run over by a factory machine and is now unable to walk received a wheelchair that helps him get around independently. Another woman is working with the promotoras to fight for her husband’s pension after he was crushed by a press and killed on the job, leaving behind their two young children. Krueger and the Comite prompted an investigation into the local water quality, which resulted in one company building water treatment systems in all of its Mexican factories. Additional efforts have required corporations to implement anti-discrimination clauses and to stop the hiring of underage workers. While Krueger remains very much involved with the Comite de Apoyo, the organization’s board worries about his safety in a country plagued with drugs and violence. Krueger’s wife prefers that he work during daylight hours, encouraging him to forgo evening committee meetings and to always be in a safe place before it gets dark. He knows they are right to be cautious, but is hopeful things soon “calm down” so he can resume his mission without restrictions. For as long as he can remember, Krueger has felt called to the trenches where he puts his faith into action. “Some people have asked, ‘Why did I give up the ministry?’” Krueger said. “Well in my opinion, I don’t feel at all that I’ve given up the ministry. Being involved in ways in which I feel God is moving us to work for justice is very much a part of what our church is all about.” Emily Schappacher is communications specialist for the United Church of Christ’s Publishing, Identity, and Communication Ministry.
Workers in the Maquiladoras in Mexico.
12
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
“
[PASTORS ALONG THE BORDER] SHOULD BE ALERT TO WHAT IS HAPPENING 10 MILES ACROSS THE RIVER FROM WHERE THEY ARE LIVING.
”
Forging a path
– HER way by Connie Larkman
BECOME a
friend
FOR LITERACY Come to "A Place Like This" - the General Synod Gala a fundraiser that will directly support local literacy programs.
She really wanted the job … but has been pretty staggered by the attention that goes along with it. “This was a job that I really dreamed about having. We’ve all had those combinations of callings and yearnings, and this is one that I had hoped for. When I got it, I almost couldn’t believe it. It’s a really difficult position to get.”
Saturday, June 27, 5 p.m. the Grand Ballroom Cleveland Convention Center JOIN US to call attention to the unexpected places where low literacy rates impact people's lives. Keynote address from Cleveland native and noted director, screenwriter, author and film producer ANTWONE FISHER. For more information and tickets bit.ly/APlaceLikeThisCle
Top right: Rev. Ann Kansfield watches as Grace explores the fire engine, just as she explored one (bottom) under her grandfather's watchful eye.
StillSpeaking
15
“I don’t know why they are making a fuss about this, but I’ll take it because it’s a way of spreading the word about the church.”
T
he Rev. Ann Kansfield, a United Church of Christ minister this day, “Anytime there’s a fire engine that goes by – I stand up
and co-pastor of Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn, and look around.”
is the New York Fire Department’s newest chaplain, and
away from her job as a stockbroker a week after 9/11,
the first-ever female and openly gay chaplain in the corp. Chosen
Her father, who lost his seminary presidency for officiating his
from a field of 350 applicants, Ann has become the FDNY’s eighth
daughter’s same-sex wedding in 2004 and was defrocked by delegates
“I’m excited
chaplain, joining a rabbi, four Catholic priests, and Episcopalian and
of the 2005 RCA Annual Synod (he has since had his clergy
to have Pastor Ann Kansfield
Baptist clergy to minister to more than 10,000 firefighters.
credentials restored) was moved to tears on March 3, the day his
join our ranks and assume her important
“If I had died that day, the only thing
daughter was sworn in to the FDNY family.
role in the FDNY — providing spiritual guidance and
that people could have said was that I
emotional support to our 15,000 uniformed and civilian employees,”
made money (and not that much money),”
basis to protect the city of New York is an incredible honor,” Ann
“Her grandfather, who was a volunteer fire chief in Illinois, was the
said Nigro. “She has demonstrated a strong commitment not only to
Ann said. “When I started seminary I wanted to do two things: I was
said. “Gratitude to the people who can provide care and put themselves
only grandparent she got to know, and he meant a great deal to Ann,”
the people of her parish, but of the entire Greenpoint community by
really committed to serving and revitalizing small churches. If there is
on the line is a tremendous opportunity for ministry. To serve God in
said the Rev. Norman Kansfield. “This appointment brings together a
running a soup kitchen and coordinating various local programs
a church that can be turned around and given new life and relevance
a place where ministry is so needed is really important to me.”
long commitment on Ann’s part to firefighting and ministry. As the
promoting music, the arts, and mental health. Through her work for
to its community, that would be one of my dreams. The other was to
son of my father who would have also probably wept, I am extremely
and on behalf of others, she’s a natural fit for our department and our
find a way to make ministry relevant in the public sphere, to show
It’s also important that she is combining the family business in this
proud of Ann’s long commitment to firefighting and her intense
mission to protect and serve the people of our great city.”
that faith and doubt matter in life and are relevant today. It mattered
call. Her father, the Rev. Norman Kansfield, is a retired Reformed
commitment to urban ministry. She is a pastor and she will find a way
Church in America minister, and former president of New Brunswick
to be a pastor wherever pastoring is needed.”
“The opportunity to serve the people who risk so much on a daily
Theological Seminary in New Jersey. Her grandfather, Orval
deciding immediately that she needed to go to seminary.
enough to leave my career and enter ministry. I was fortunate enough Ann Kansfield, who will continue to co-pastor Greenpoint with her
to see my life change and to have venues in life to share that. This
spouse, the Rev. Jennifer Aull, along with the Rev. C.B. Stewart,
job is a similar moment: to be able to say, hey — theology and
Kansfield, was a firefighter on the South Side of Chicago. Ann has
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro referred to Kansfield’s
previously worked for United Church Funds in New York City, and at
talking about faith and God — there are certain moments where
fond memories of spending time with him at the fire station, and to
appointment as a God-send.
the office of TD Waterhouse at the World Trade Center. She walked
people are hungering for that.”
16
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
StillSpeaking
17
FDNY’s eighth chaplain will minister to more than 10,000 firefighters On the job just a week, Kansfield had already been called out to a four-alarm fire and spent some time learning how valuable a chaplain’s presence can be, from a couple of people who know best. “One of the first things I did was to meet with the parents of an FDNY member who was killed in the line of duty to learn how chaplains served them during that difficult time. They were so incredibly helpful — that was one of the best things I’ve done. I learned more about how chaplains really make a difference from them.” One of the key roles in her job, Kansfield says, is just being present, ready to serve the members of a very tight community. “The level of community care for one another in the fire department family is amazing. The number of guys who came up to Jen at the ceremony and said welcome to the family was amazing and really meaningful for both of us.” She also recognizes that helping bring diversity to the department is another one of her roles. This stockbroker-turned-minister is the FDNY’s first female chaplain and the first openly-gay chaplain in a department that has long resisted diversity. There are just 44 female firefighters in the ranks, but Kansfield expects that to change. Far right: Rev. Kansfield is sworn in.
18
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
StillSpeaking
19
“The commissioner is really committed to having a department that
“I hope it [her appointment] is helpful to all women and to all gays,”
resembles the city it serves. New York is one of the most diverse cities
said Mary Kansfield, the new chaplain’s mother. “There are a lot of
in the world and his office is actively, genuinely trying to be more
fronts for people to be included in a more meaningful way.”
representative [of the population].” She said they spoke about the department’s commitment to be better at resembling diversity in the
FDNY chaplains fill a central role in the spiritual life of the
city during her interview process and that the department, with a new
department: opening and closing all FDNY ceremonies with
chief diversity officer, is actively recruiting, reaching out more to
invocations and benedictions at centennials, plaque dedications and
communities that traditionally don’t know much about fire service.
other departmental events; assisting in arranging services for
In 2014, 45 percent of those who graduated from the FDNY Fire
deceased members of the department; aiding fire, EMS and civilian
Academy were people of color — including 48 African-Americans, 70
families by providing solace and comfort and maintaining contact
Hispanics and 10 Asians. Three of the four women graduates are also
with the kin of deceased members; responding to major fires and
people of color.
other emergencies where members are seriously injured; and visiting firehouses regularly to provide spiritual guidance and direction.
“Where they can make an impact, they are making an impact. The most recent FDNY graduating class was more diverse, and they
The swearing-in ceremony for Kansfield preceded her first official act
addressed areas underserved in the chaplain corps with the last two
on the job. The FDNY’s newest chaplain helped cut the ribbon at a
appointments — an African-American Baptist minister and me.”
new facility in Brooklyn that will serve as EMS Station 59 and the Special Operations Command (SOC) readiness deployment center.
Kansfield’s history-making appointment made news in a lot of places. The story appeared in the New York Times, New York Daily News, Wall
“It’s not every day that someone desperately needs a chaplain,” Ann
Street Journal, MSNBC, the front page of the Christian Science Monitor,
said. “But seeing that we are often called to the most painful and
Christian Century and Curve magazine. She was particularly surprised
difficult times in people’s lives, we want to be there just in case. And
to see it shared through a news video service in all the N.Y.C. taxis, as
there are certainly moments where we are needed. We do things that
part of the city information system.
prepare us to be needed.”
“I don’t know why they are making a fuss about this, but I’ll take it because it’s a way of spreading the word about the church,” Ann said. “Most of the time I’m not so aware about being the first, because I enjoy doing the work so much. I don’t really think about it. What I am more excited about now is ramping up, learning about the department and how best to serve the people of the department.”
Rev. Kansfield at ribbon-cutting ceremony in Brooklyn, her first official act as FDNY chaplain.
StillSpeaking
21
Pe
opl
e in Missi
on
Building on the past, reaching into the future. Here and there, now and later. Becoming a member of the Haystack Society with a gift of $1,806 offers a unique opportunity to partner in God’s mission and commemorates the 1806 Haystack Prayer Meeting which established foreign mission. Your donation supports the current work and future needs of Wider Church Ministries in pioneering new understandings and mission practices in global and local settings. Your generosity of any amount significantly impacts our global and local mission work and is greatly appreciated.
THE HAY S TAC K S O C I ETY
www.ucc.org/haystack 866.822.8224, ext. 3202
TOGETHER KNOW HIV • GET TESTED • GET INVOLVED
The United Church of Christ
HIV and AIDS Net work w w w.u c a n i n c.o rg • 216- 736 -2 2 8 4
22
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
Fueling the by Emily Schappacher Since becoming the first denomination to vote to move toward divestment from fossil fuels as a strategy to combat climate change, the United Church of Christ has taken great strides in using its financial assets to make positive changes for the planet. Along with a path toward divestment of the UCC’s funds from fossil fuel companies, the resolution passed at the 29th General Synod in 2013 calls for enhanced shareholder engagement with the fossil fuel industry and the identification of “best-in-class” fossil fuel companies, among other strategies, to address the world’s climate crisis. With United Church Funds (UCF) and the Pension Boards of the UCC, the UCC’s main investment vehicles, and a growing number of conferences and local congregations fully committed to the cause, the UCC is putting the phrase “money talks” into action by using its investments to advocate for the good of the earth. “I think the UCC’s witness, along with all of the other revolutionary voices on climate, has really moved the needle on the public discourse,” said Katie McCloskey, UCF director of social responsibility. “These are exciting times to be a socially-responsible investor.”
24
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
StillSpeaking
25
DIVESTMENT UCF’s Beyond Fossil Fuels Fund was one important step toward meeting the goals of the UCC resolution. With a core group of investors contributing the $20 million needed to get the fund off the ground, it launched on Nov. 1, 2014, as a domestic core equity fund free of investments in U.S. companies extracting or producing fossil fuels. Some of the fund’s founding investors include the Southwest, New York, Minnesota and Central Atlantic conferences of the UCC, the UCC Church Building and Loan Fund, and the United Church of Christ Board. The foundation of Mayflower Church UCC in Minneapolis was also a founding investor, an example of a local church taking part in a national movement. “Our church is excited to be a pioneer church that is enabling this fund to get off the ground,” said the Rev. Emily Goldthwaite Fries, Mayflower UCC's associate pastor. “I think, in the church, this is part of a very uphill movement to empower people to have a just relationship with their money and to know that they can do something about it if they feel that their finances are out of whack with their values.”
“These are exciting times to be a socially responsible investor.” Katie McCloskey, Director of Social Responsibility, United Church Funds
The Rev. Jim Antal, conference minister of the Massachusetts Conference of the UCC and leader of the denomination's move toward fossil fuel divestment, is sharing the message of divestment with other local churches as they call on his passion and expertise to help them get started with the process. In early 2015, Antal was invited to preach on the morality of divestment at First Congregational Church UCC in Williamstown, Mass., which is in the early stages of exploring fossil fuel divestment, and Eliot Church of Newton UCC in Newton, Mass., which will vote on whether to move forward with the divestment process at its annual meeting in June. “I have mentioned the story of our denomination's divestment in 20 or 30 sermons, but this is the first time a congregation has said, 'Can you please come and preach on divestment?'” Antal said. “Now a second church has asked for the same thing. I expect that, over the next year, other churches will want to hear sermons on the morality of divestment as well.”
SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
“The success stories emerge over time — it’s a slow process, a trust process between the
Another element of the 2013 General Synod resolution is shareholder engagement, and the
its proponents are impatient for change, and I certainly understand that the timeline for
Pension Boards and UCF have been actively engaged in various levels of investor activism as
climate change is not really beholden to the timeline for shareholder engagement. But the
the groups work toward the resolution’s goals. During a stakeholder meeting, shareholders
things we have been a part of have happened because of trust we have built over time.”
shareholders calling for change and the companies,” she said. “The divestment campaign and
such as the Pension Boards and UCF have the opportunity to introduce resolutions calling
26
for changes in a company’s practices, which are then heard and voted on by other
In one successful example, UCF was a co-filer on a resolution that resulted in Occidental
shareholders. While McCloskey knows that this type of activism can be a slow, tedious
Petroleum leaving the lobbying organization ALEC (American Legislative Exchange
process that doesn’t produce the immediate effects that many environmental advocates are
Council), a conservative group that has received public scrutiny as an organization that
looking for, she says it’s an effective strategy that has resulted in positive change.
influences corporate interests. UCF also co-filed resolutions with oil companies BP Global
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
StillSpeaking
27
strategies for leveraging assets to further the social justice witness of
McCloskey said is unprecedented. The Pension Boards were part of a
the church, and a more sensitive, cooperative effort to develop
group of institutional investors that filed nearly 150 climate-related
policies and actions on economic issues. It’s an informational
resolutions that resulted in commitments by 20 major international
resolution, Walters said, to bring attention to the various ways the
corporations to set goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
church can leverage its economic assets to positively impact the
Significant gains in human rights efforts have also been made
environment, beyond the buying and selling of stocks.
Photo by Craig Thompson
and Shell Global calling for environmental disclosure — a move
through shareholder advocacy and corporate dialogues, adds Rick Walters, director of corporate social responsibility for the Pension
“There is a whole cafeteria of methodologies available to us to use,”
Boards, who agrees that investor activism is an effective tool.
Walters said. “We think that sometimes the thinking might be too limited about what’s possible to do because the emphasis is usually
“If you are a shareholder advocate, you continue to sit down at the
placed on the divestment movement.”
table and demand change,” he said. “You have an ongoing relationship with these companies that you are witnessing directly
McCloskey says the upcoming General Synod will also see discussion
along with the whole church. We are going to see a tremendous
about more options for investors to structure their portfolios in ways that
response to pressure being put on by shareholders about issues like
address climate change, as well as the initial roll-out of UCF’s views on
climate change.”
the “best-in-class” fossil fuel companies, called for in the 2013 resolution. “As a church, we have to resist being told that we don’t have a
WHAT’S NEXT?
choice,” said Goldthwaite Fries. “This can be done. The churches are doing it as a very public example that this is the direction we need to be moving in.”
General Synod 2015 will see more action on the fossil-fuel front. The Pension Boards and UCF have co-sponsored a resolution urging
Emily Schappacher is communications specialist for the United Church of
socially responsible investment practices, which calls for multiple
Christ’s Publishing, Identity, and Communication Ministry.
w i l l yo u g i ve t o
one great Hour?
2 Corinthians 8:13-15
28
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
www.ucc.org/oghs
UCC Military Chaplains
in
by Rev. Stephen Boyd Legislation to repeal “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” the official U.S. policy since 1994 on service by gays and lesbians in the military, was enacted in December of 2010 and, after much debate, went into effect September 20, 2011. This major legislative action directly affected many American service members who lived daily in fear of losing their jobs, their security, and their livelihoods if they were ever to be discovered as gay or lesbian. Less than two years later, in a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court declared the unconstitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act on June 26, 2013. The impact of these decisions on both the military and the ministry of military chaplains to our men and women in uniform has been immeasurable.
StillSpeaking
31
A long time in coming While many of us believe that these decisions were a long
time in coming, what has not been as visible to most of the American public are the consequences that this legislation has had on the Army, Navy and Air Force Chaplain Corps. Chaplains in the military — uniformed clergy — must be ordained as well as endorsed by a recognized endorsing body. Following these decisions, many chaplains coming from the more conservative denominations are now restricted in their availability to minister to the LGB community because doing so, in the view of their denominations, gives the appearance of condoning homosexuality. What is even more disconcerting is that, in the midst of changing policy, there are still endorsers and chaplains asking when reparative therapy is appropriate to suggest to a service member.
Above: Military chaplains travel Afghan battlefield ministering to troops. Left: A U.S. Army chaplain with the 101st Airbor.
A significant number of military chaplains are endorsed by
chaplain, contractor or volunteer who personally practices a
the North American Mission Board (an entity of the
homosexual lifestyle or affirms a homosexual lifestyle or such
Southern Baptist Convention), whose policy states that
conduct.” In other words, although I have been a U.S. Army
chaplains they endorse cannot counsel or perform rites or
chaplain for over 23 years, chaplains from the North
sacraments for the LGB community. They are also prohibited
American Mission Board would not be able to co-lead worship
from participating in jointly-led worship services “with a
with me because of my theology. If they were found to do so,
32
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
Following these decisions, many chaplains coming from the more conservative denominations are now restricted in their availability to minister to the LGB community.
those chaplains risk losing their endorsement, which would result in immediate expulsion from the service. Since the number of denominations that allow chaplains to openly minister to the LGB community is very low, we have found that many of our United Church of Christ chaplains have been called upon to serve men and women outside of their immediate command. Chaplain Diane Hampton, a UCC Navy chaplain serving Marines at Camp Pendleton California, recently told me that she has been asked by Marine Corps chaplains to do ministry at the bases at Yuma, Twenty-nine Palms, and Miramar as well as in San Diego, Coronado and the greater Los Angeles area. From January 2014 through February 2015, Hampton was called on to provide marriage counseling five times and was asked to assist 23 times with same-sex couples and individuals in spiritual crisis. Clearly, the need for ministry with LGB service members is impacting our chaplains now, and the need is certain to increase in the future.
Clearly, the need for ministry with LGB service members is impacting our chaplains now, and the need is certain to increase in the future. There is some good news in all of this. A number of chaplains are requesting a transfer of endorsement from some of the more conservative denominations into the United Church of Christ so that they may openly minister to the LGB community without fear of losing their endorsement. Additionally, the Air Force has become proactive. Realizing the noticeable deficiency, the Air Force Chaplain Recruiting Command has decided to intentionally recruit men and women from more progressive seminaries and denominations in an effort to more efficiently serve their service members. Air Force Chaplain Robert Ward has been invited to be present in the General Synod Exhibit Hall during the upcoming General Synod in Cleveland this June. Chaplain Ward, a Presbyterian, is fully aware of the UCC commitment as a Just Peace Church, and yet feels strongly that the Air Force must make a concentrated effort to minister to all of its service members and their families. Rev. Stephen Boyd, the Minister for Chaplains and Ministers in Specialized Settings is the ecclesiastical endorser for the United Church of Christ and endorses 50 UCC clergy. He is a member of the Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization Team in the national setting of the United Church of Christ.
U.S. soldiers commemorate 9/11 anniversary at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
34
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
SocialMedia Communication
Anatomy
Comprehensive Inclusive Respect Challenges
Our Whole Lives Consent Values
Sexual orientation Pleasure Sexual behavior Commitment Affirmation Pregnancy
Church Building & Loan Fund Established 1853
OWL
Puberty
Gender identity
Contraception
Lifespan and Our Faith Justice Sexuality Sexually Transmitted Infections Sexuality and disability Sexual health
Body image
Internet Safety Bullying and bystander responsibilities Dating Gender expression Lovemaking Language
United Church of Christ
“People think Our Whole Lives is about sex. It is…but it’s really about respect.” – Our Whole Lives graduate
IS YOUR CHURCH OFFERING
OUR WHOLE LIVES YET? The United Church of Christ is proud to be a leader in offering honest, life-affirming, positive, inclusive, faith-based sexuality education programming. Our Whole Lives/Sexuality and Our Faith (OWL) is blossoming in churches across the nation, with age-appropriate, interactive courses for everyone from kindergartners through adults.
“After failed attempts with other lending institutions, Church Building & Loan Fund exceeded my expectations... of providing a loan for our church that not only refinanced our mortgage, but also provided additional monies for church expansion. We received an exceptional interest rate and lowered our monthly payments by $600. [They] went above and beyond normal customer service in seeing that not only did we get approved for the loan, but that we got the best possible result. I would definitely recommend Church Building & Loan Fund for all your church needs. It was a positive experience from beginning to end.” — Michele Battle, Esq., chair of church renovations, Thankful Baptist Church, Kennesaw, Georgia
For more information, contact UCC Our Whole Lives Coordinator, Amy Johnson at 216-736-3718 or owl@ucc.org.
visit us online: cblfund.org or call toll free: 866.822.8224 ext. 3834
StillSpeaking
37
The Long Haul The Rev. Jim and Elizabeth Deitz by Emily Schappacher For nearly 60 years, the Rev. Jim Deitz and his wife, Elizabeth, have watched the United Church of Christ grow and evolve into the church it is today. Part of the UCC in both pastoral and lay positions since its birth in 1957, the couple has celebrated the highs and mourned the lows, and both have been long-time supporters of the church’s wider mission. They believe the UCC’s extravagant welcome of anyone and everyone makes a difference in a world that paints Christianity in a uniformly-conservative color. This unyielding acceptance has been a driver behind the Deitzs’ faith all these years. “We’ve been there from the start,” Jim said. “I would say that my continuing loyalty to the UCC has to do with its open stance, theologically and ecumenically. We provide diversity in the life of the church, this country, and the world.”
D
StillSpeaking
39
CARING
humanity
faith support
home
HAPPY
outreach family
PROSPERITY
WELCOME
evolving
community
LOVE outreach GROW
inspire hope
GIVE The Deitzes have family roots planted deeply within the church.
housing and meals to the area’s homeless families. Four times a year,
Elizabeth’s parents were Presbyterian missionaries. Jim’s family was
First Church hosts up to four local families in need of a place to
active in the Evangelical and Reformed Church, with Jim’s father,
stay, and Jim and Elizabeth volunteer to oversee the group during
Purd Deitz, serving as an educator at Eden Theological Seminary in
the night shift.
Webster Groves, Mo., and then working for the UCC’s national setting as general secretary of the Division of Church Extension on the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries. Jim attended Eden Theological Seminary and was ordained in the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1955, two years before that church and the Congregational Christian churches joined to become the UCC. Jim’s first call was to a small UCC church in Xenia, Ohio, housed in a building that dates back to 1843 and is “still standing sturdily,” he said. During his 40 years as a pastor, Jim served in five different UCC churches in rural and urban areas throughout Ohio.
“Retirees like us can rest up the next day,” Jim said, laughing. “It’s a hands-on mission,” he added. “It’s not simply sending off money, it’s getting ourselves directly involved and making sure that homeless people are not treated as clients, but as guests and new friends. There’s a personal touch to it that I think is very important.” It’s this kind of hands-on ministry that has kept the Deitzes loyal UCC members and donors for so many years — ministry that strives to make change and to build upon the progress of yesterday. Jim believes that the hymn written by his father, titled “We Would Be
“We felt at home in the UCC,” Jim said. “We do some significant
Building,” expresses well the spirit of the UCC: the church keeps
things as a denomination — we don’t follow the normal pattern all
building and growing and changing, just as God is still speaking.
the time, which I think is good.”
“We would be building; temples still undone,
“One thing that left me happy was the [UCC’s] marvelous outreach,”
O’er crumbling walls their crosses scarcely lift,
Elizabeth added.
Waiting till love can raise the broken stone,
And hearts creative bridge the human rift.”
the church keeps
building & growing & changing,
just as God is still speaking.
Today, Jim and Elizabeth are members of First Church in Oberlin UCC in Oberlin, Ohio. They have served the church in one capacity
“I would say that we are a denomination that encourages people to do
or another “pretty much all the time,” and have been part of adult
a lot of their own thinking and to keep working on faith as something
education, outreach, membership and communion committees,
that is not cut and dried and given to us, but something we have to
among others. In addition to giving the occasional church building
work on to deepen,” Jim said. “We are not pushing a doctrine you
tour and helping with dinners served by the congregation on
must adopt. We keep evolving.”
Wednesdays, they are currently active with the Interfaith Hospitality Network, a group of 14 churches throughout the county that provide
40
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
StillSpeaking
41
A Little Help We get by with
Listen Up!
from our
Friends
On October 4th, please give to the Neighbors in Need Special Mission Offering, or anytime online.
God always has something new to say. (Even in the Bible.) Make your next Bible study a Listen Up! Bible Study. Traditional texts, not-so-traditional takes. The Listen Up! Bible Study series includes studies on Genesis, Exodus, Ecclesiastes, Mark, Acts, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Corinthians. Coming in 2016: Romans and Job. Single copies for $6.99. 5-packs for $15.00. Try one of each book with the LISTEN UP! Bible Study Starter Kit. Just $39.95.
Twice a year, the Neighbors in Need offering provides small grants to congregations and organizations to assist in the fight against systemic injustice. http://www.ucc.org/nin
Listen Up! Bible studies Order from www.uccresources.com/collections/listen-up • 800-537-3394
Our Church’s Wider Mission Giving: the Connecticut Conference by Anthony Moujaes Of the 240 congregations in the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, 188 of them contributed dollars toward Our Church’s Wider Mission in 2014. That amount of support doesn’t come as a surprise to Conference Minister the Rev. Kent Siladi. “We continue to be big supporters of what Our Church’s Wider Mission dollars equip and empower the church to do, and how it promotes interdependence within different settings of the church,” he said.
®
StillSpeaking
45
"If a local church cares deeply about youth ministry, we encourage them to give and to find ways to give to youth ministry,” “We are a 50-50 conference, in that we send along 50 percent of our receipts every year to the national setting,” Siladi said. “That’s roughly $70,000 from our churches.” Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) funds the work of the church’s various settings, from associations, to conferences, to the national and global church. OCWM funds are invested in programs, resources and tools needed to keep local UCC churches strong, effective and growing. Part of the reason for the Connecticut Conference’s strong contributions to OCWM is an awareness of how those dollars equip both conference ministries and national setting
OCWM funds are invested in programs, resources and tools needed to keep local UCC churches strong, effective and growing.
2014
Annual Report of the
United Church of Christ Since 1957, the United Church of Christ has been weaving God’s message of love and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that create change and bring hope to communities in our nation and around the world. Here are just some of the highlights of the witness and work of the UCC’s national setting in 2014:
Conference leaders encourage local churches and individual givers to donate to where their
&
passion lies
ministries. Conference leaders encourage local churches and
• Responding to UCC leaders in Ferguson, St. Louis, and throughout
• The first completely online UCC Data Hub is now available to
the nation, we have met as clergy, youth leaders, and church leaders
make key statistical information available immediately for
with great concern on issues of racial justice, leading to the recent
Associations, Conferences, and the national setting; representatives
UCC Pastoral Letter on Racism: A New Awakening. Sacred
of all 38 Conferences have been trained in using the system.
to give to what they
conversations on race and bold theology of anti-racism work and
think mission should
seminaries, local churches, associations, and regional networks.
be about.
decade old in our conference,” he said. “We could say, ‘Let’s try
action continue across UCC settings, at annual conference meetings,
• Nineteen new and renewing congregations were given grants totaling $380,000 and the UCC’s Center for Progressive Renewal, funded annually with $250,000, continued to innovate, train and undergird new ways of being church in the 21st century.
• We worked with over 400 pastors and lay leaders in 70 congregations and 10 Conferences to assist churches making major decisions about their futures through the New Beginnings Assessment Program. • In 80 countries, with more than 300 partners and 140 mission personnel, we engaged in worldwide mission, sponsoring over 1,000 children; offering humanitarian support to Syrian, Iraqi, Gazan,
individual givers to donate to where their passion lies and to give to
harder.’ It’s another thing to say the way we generate and ask for those
• Through the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network, more than
and Palestinian refugees and displaced peoples; partnering with the
what they think mission should be about.
dollars needs to be looked at.”
14,000 actions were taken to support justice and advocacy, and
United Church of Christ in the Philippines in the response to
“If a local church cares deeply about youth ministry, we encourage
Among the ideas the Connecticut Conference is exploring: Planned
32,000 letters were generated to policy decision-makers through 50
Typhoon Haiyan; and giving attention to the Ebola health crisis in
them to give and to find ways to give to youth ministry,” Siladi said.
giving, grant writing to receive outside dollars, and fundraising
action alerts.
western Africa.
• We engaged UCC congregations to pledge more than 3,000 Church
• We led the denomination to a re-formatted UCC Ministerial Profile
World Service Gifts of the Heart School Kits for displaced
and a completely new portal for profile distribution with 4,529 users,
families globally.
including 2,218 ministers enrolled in the new system.
• The UCC’s Office of Philanthropy and Stewardship has been fully
• We offered 41 trainings in Conference or cross-Conference settings
shaped and staffed to support and sustain the national setting of the
for Committees on Ministry, Response Teams, and Member in
Anthony Moujaes is United Church News coordinator for the United Church of
United Church of Christ and provide stewardship and fundraising
Discernment events.
Christ’s Publishing, Identity, and Communication Ministry.
resources to congregations and Conferences.
through social media. In recent years, OCWM contributions have dipped, and Siladi isn’t blind to that fact and the challenges it brings. But he and his
“With the issue of resources and generating alternate revenue streams,
colleagues have been willing to seek out answers to that challenge in
it’s time to do that differently and look at that question in news ways,”
new ways. Siladi’s belief is that the church needs to offer more choices
he said. “Generations have changed in their giving.”
and to be more adaptive. “Every year we receive less in receipts. That’s been a pattern that is a
48
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
StillSpeaking
49
2014 Sources and Uses of Funds
• Stoking the Fires of Justice, 150 UCC members attended the first regional justice leaders gathering with advocates from the Central
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2014
Pacific and Pacific Northwest Conferences, national staff, and United Church of Christ Board members. Staff visits followed to 11
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT
congregations in Oregon, and Washington Sunday worship connected with more than 1,500 UCC members.
OCWM-National Basic Support OCWM-Special Support
• We organized four Stillspeaking Worship Events in Minneapolis,
Draw on Investments
Denver, Chapel Hill and Buffalo, bringing more than 100 leaders
SOURCES
together to experience first-hand innovative and inspiring models of local church ministry.
hope of impacting the lives of the 1 in 5 persons in the United States who are functionally illiterate. • We raised over $55,000 for unaccompanied child refugees fleeing Central America, for UCC-led groups of congregations and agencies, for Church World Service toward legal assistance for deported families, and to help staff an Immigrant Care Coordinator in the Southwest Conference. • We embarked on the planning and training stages for an ecumenical Disaster Recovery Support Project to develop long-term
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OGMP provides common services for the national setting of the church;
Reimbursements
4.37%
SOURCES
24.37% 0.12%
Administration
20.86%
Fundraising
15.52%
Publications, Identity and Communication
19.14%
Pilgrim Press and United Church Press
24.63%
53.18% 10.64%
Reimbursements
2.07%
Resource Sales/Fees
1.46%
Other
0.22%
Congregrational Assessment, Support and Authorization
18.52%
Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization
28.12%
Faith Formation
17.31% 11.67% 4.63%
the UCC’s publishing houses (The Pilgrim Press and United Church Press)
General Synod
3.74%
and distribution servies (UCC Resources); and assists the national setting in
Grants and Other Program Initiatives
3.48%
Grants and Other Program Initiatives
commandments to do justice, seek peace, and effect change for a better world.
Center at Bricks, a UCC Center for Education and Social
The work of JWM is guided by the pronouncements and resolutions approved
Transformation. Almost 10,000 people attended programs there,
by the UCC at General Synod.
0.00%
Fundraising
Center for Analytics, Research and Data
financial development.
19.75%
Administration
USES
JUSTICE AND WITNESS MINISTRIES
5.47%
Trusts and Gifts
6.47%
USES
26.96%
Draw on Investments
Conference and Ecumenical Relations
constituencies in the church; provides platforms for communication; manages
• Hundreds attended four immersion experiences at Franklinton
WIDER CHURCH MINISTRIES
JWM helps local congregations and all settings of the church respond to God’s
LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRIES
• Global Ministries’ Congo Initiative focused on the Democratic
LCM supports local congregations in their concerns about growth, finances,
Republic of Congo, with people-to-people exchanges, justice advocacy
liturgy, and education; supports ordained and lay ministers in their
projects, and educational materials for individuals and churches.
vocations; and manages research services for the church.
• UCC Conferences and staff across the national setting engaged in
WIDER CHURCH MINISTRIES
collaborations on training and educational resources, including Our
WCM supports congregations and the other settings of the church in developing
Whole Lives, Just Peace Church and seminary partnerships, Church
relationships with a wider church that is global, multiracial and multicultural,
Building and Loan Fund, Our Faith Our Vote, the UCC Policy
open and affirming, and accessible to all. WCM is in partnership with the
Briefing Book, and the Environmental Justice Centers with Pacific
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Common Global Ministries — the
Northwest Conference and Connecticut/Massachusetts Conferences.
worldwide mission program of both denominations.
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
20.64%
6.16%
JUSTICE AND WITNESS MINISTRIES
50
OCWM-Special Support
Office of the General Counsel
cares for relations with Conferences, other faith traditions and racial/ethnic
recovery groups and engage disaster recovery earlier.
including two remarkable UCC Leadership Conferences.
OCWM-National Basic Support
0.36% 2.29%
Other
hundreds of UCC churches in literacy-related programming in the
47.86%
Trusts and Gifts Resource Sales/Fees
• The Reading Changes Lives all-church initiative has engaged
LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRIES
SOURCES
OCWM-National Basic Support
31.12%
OCWM-National Basic Support
OCWM-Special Support
27.06%
OCWM-Special Support
28.96%
Draw on Investments
37.52%
Draw on Investments
40.51%
Trusts and Gifts
3.56%
Reimbursements
0.00%
Resource Sales/Fees
0.06%
Resource Sales/Fees
0.01%
Other
0.68%
Other
0.16%
Administration
6.46%
Fundraising
5.36%
Administration
0.00%
General Synod
0.00%
Health and Wholeness Advocacy
SOURCES
Trusts and Gifts
8.77%
Reimbursements
13.40%
27.57%
Fundraising Public Life and Social Policy USES
8.19%
24.42% 9.31%
USES
Overseas Programs
54.23%
Global Sharing of Resources
19.45%
Education and Advocacy and Field Teams
23.68%
Local Church Relations
Grants and Other Program Initiatives
15.02%
Grants and Other Program Initiatives
2.83% 11.67%
StillSpeaking
51
Celebrating giving to
Our Church’s Wider Mission TOP 50 CONGREGATIONS
TOP 50 CONGREGATIONS (PER CAPITA)
Plymouth Congregational UCC Des Moines, IA
First Congregational UCC Sioux Falls, SD
Lahuiokalani Kaanapali Cong UCC Lahaina, HI
United Parish UCC Auburndale, MA
Plymouth Congregational Church UCC Seattle, WA
The First Church in Oberlin UCC Oberlin, OH
Congregational Community Church of Sunnyvale, UCC
South Euclid UCC South Euclid, OH
Church of Christ At Dartmouth UCC Hanover, NH
Union Congregational UCC Montclair, NJ
First Congregational UCC Nashua, NH
First Congregational Church in Winchester UCC Winchester, MA
First-Plymouth Congregational UCC Lincoln, NE
Saint Pauls UCC Chicago, IL
Evangelical Reformed Church Frederick, MD
Naples United Church of Christ Naples, FL
Saint John’s UCC San Francisco, CA
Saint Paul’s UCC Laramie, WY
Claremont United Church of Christ Claremont, CA
Countryside Community UCC Omaha, NE
Congregational Church of Campbell UCC Campbell, CA
The First Church in Oberlin UCC Oberlin, OH
Rock Spring Congregational UCC Arlington, VA
Central Congregational UCC Providence, RI
Congregational UCC Conrath, WI
Zion United Church of Christ Laramie, WY
First Congregational UCC Appleton, WI
First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn UCC Glen Ellyn, IL
Rolling Hills Congregational UCC Salina, KS
Mira Vista UCC El Cerrito, CA
Coral Gables Congregational UCC Coral Gables, FL
Hancock United Church of Christ Lexington, MA
First Church of Christ UCC New Haven, CT
Hanapepe United Church of Christ Hanapepe, HI
First Congregational UCC Dubuque, IA
Trinitarian Congregational UCC Concord, MA
Collenbrook United Church Drexel Hill, PA
United Church of Christ Lubbock Lubbock, TX
Federated UCC Chagrin Falls, OH
Union Church of Hinsdale Hinsdale, IL
Oxford Congregational Church UCC Oxford, ME
Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ Scottsdale, AZ
Little River UCC Annandale, VA
Mayflower UCC Minneapolis, MN
United Church of Hayward Hayward, CA
Rock Spring Congregational UCC Arlington, VA
Wellesley Congregational Church UCC Wellesley, MA
Avon Lake United Church of Christ Avon Lake, OH
East Side Congregational Church UCC Binghamton, NY
First Congregational UCC Pocatello, ID
University Congregational UCC Seattle, WA
The First Church UCC Windsor, CT
Church of Christ At Dartmouth UCC Hanover, NH
First Congregational Church Redwood, CA
First Congregational UCC Madison, WI
Plymouth Church UCC Shaker Heights, OH
First & Saint Stephen's UCC Baltimore, MD
Congregational UCC Belmont, CA
First Congregational UCC Hudson, OH
Christ United Church of Christ Orrville, OH
Saint Michael's UCC West Chicago, IL
Union Congregational UCC Green River, WY
Christ Congregational UCC Silver Spring, MD
St. Paul United Church of Christ Columbia, IL
Federated UCC Paxton, IL
Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC Seattle, WA
First Congregational UCC Berkeley, CA
Newman Congregational UCC East Providence, RI
First Congregational Church United Church of Christ West Chicago, IL
Claremont United Church of Christ Claremont, CA
The Second Church in Newton UCC Newton, MA
United Church of Christ New Brighton, MN
Community Church UCC Altadena, CA
First Congregational UCC Norwich, NY
First United Church of Christ Northfield, MN
Covenant United Church of Christ South Holland, IL
Evangelical Reformed Church Frederick, MD
Congregational Church of Austin UCC Austin, TX
Congregational Church in South Glastonbury UCC
Sylvania United Church of Christ Sylvania, OH
The Second Church in Newton UCC Newton, MA
First Congregational UCC Webster City, IA
Saint John's UCC Lansdale, PA
Sunnyslope Church of the Brethren UCC Wenatchee, WA
New Joy Community Church UCC Sioux Falls, SD
First Congregational Church Wellesley Hills, MA
First Church in Cambridge Congregational UCC Cambridge, MA
South Mountain Community Church Phoenix, AZ
Open Table: A Community of Faith Mobile, AL
First Congregational UCC Colorado Springs, CO
First Congregational UCC Madison, WI
First Congregational UCC Indianapolis, IN
First United Church of Christ Northfield, MN
The First Congregational Church of Guilford Guilford, CT
Rolling Hills Congregational UCC Salina, KS
First Congregational UCC Dubuque, IA
First Congregational UCC Madison, WI
South Glastonbury, CT
52
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
Sunnyvale, CA La’au O Le Ola Congregational Christian Church of Samoa Daly City, CA
First Congregational UCC Derby, CT Cross Wood UCC Long Beach, CA Spirit of Peace UCC Kingston, NY
StillSpeaking
53
ADVERTISING
STAFF Christina Villa P U B L I S H E R A N D E D I TO R
Barbara A. Powell C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R
email L A R K M A N C @ U C C.O R G toll free 8 6 6 - 8 2 2- 8 2 24, e x t 219 6
Connie Larkman A DV E R T I S I N G M A N AG E R Marie Tyson D I S T R I B U T I O N M A N AG E R
SUBMISSIONS QUERIES ONLY
EDITORIAL OFFICES
Content is arranged by assignment only. For specifications, writers and photographers should contact:
700 PROSPECT AVENUE CLEVELAND, OHIO 44115-1100
toll free 8 6 6 - 8 2 2- 8 2 24, e x t 376 6
email E D I TO R @ U C C.O R G
fax 216 -73 6 -2 2 23
Cover TO M M A R T I N E Z
Pages 9 J U L I O G O N Z A L E Z , J U L I O P H OTO G R A P H Y
Page 12 JOE R A EDL E, GE T T Y IM AGES
Page 15 C OURT ESY OF RE V. A NN K A NSFIEL D
Pages 16, 18, 20 TO M M A R T I N E Z
Page 19 C O U R T E SY O F T H E F D N Y
Page 32 J O H N M O O R E, GE T T Y IM AGES
Page 33 PAT R I C K B A Z , GE T T Y IM AGES
Page 45-47 E R I C A N D E R S O N , C O N N E C T I C U T C O N F E R E N C E U C C
email E D I TO R @ U C C.O R G
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
RATES AND GUIDELINES
web U C C.O R G /M AG A Z I N E
Opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the official bodies of the United Church of Christ.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Currently, there is no section for letters; however, readers’ comments, ideas and story suggestions are welcomed and encouraged.
ADDRESS CHANGES
PLEASE SEND CORRECTIONS TO:
email T YS O N M @ U C C.O R G
email E D I TO R @ U C C.O R G
mail S T I L L S P E A K I N G M AG A Z I N E c /o U C C R E S O U R C E S 70 0 P R O S P E C T AV E N U E 4T H F LO O R C L E V E L A N D, O H 4 4115 toll free 8 0 0 - 5 37- 3 3 9 4
Don’t miss an issue of StillSpeaking! StillSpeaking Magazine is published annually and is sent to United Church of Christ Annual Fund contributors of at least $50 annually, as well as to all “5-for-5” churches – congregations that contribute to Basic Support and the four special mission offerings. To learn more, contact the Office of Philanthropy and Stewardship at 800.846.6822; giving@ucc.org.
StillSpeaking is a publication of the United Church of Christ’s Publishing, Identity and Communication Ministry.
54
SPRING/SUMMER 2015
700 PROSPECT AVE. CLEVELAND, OH 44115
Printed on FSC-certified paper.