The 133rd Annual Meeting Concludes

With the rolling beat of drums, the foot-tapping rhythms of jazz piano, and the soul-building sharing of Holy Communion, the 133rd Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference came to a close. The three day gathering set the Conference's direction for the coming year, educated the delegates about the church's ministries, and invoked the blessings of God on the work of the Missionary Society of Connecticut.

The morning began with action on a group "B" resolution, in which the Conference voted support for the Jubilee 2000 effort to provide debt relief to the world's poorest, most indebted nations. Legislative action in the United States Congress has received the support of many of Connecticut's legislators, but Congress has not to date appropriated the funds necessary to the effort. More information is available at Jubilee 2000's website, http://www.j2000usa.org.

Alan Green, Chair of the Conference Board of Directors, returned to the lectern to offer several important items from the Board. The delegates took the following actions:

They set a goal for Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support of $2,710,000 for 2001. They allocated 63% of received funds to the work of the United Church of Christ through its national agencies. They authorized a fellowship dues request to each congregation of $2.00 per member. They set a budget for the Missionary Society of Connecticut of $5,284,341. They set a budget for the Trustees of the Fund for Ministers of $747,115. They elected new officers, Directors, and delegates to the 2001 General Synod of the United Church of Christ.

The meeting also took a signficant step in the ongoing work of shaping the Conference for faithful, effective ministry in the current time. On the recommendation of the Board, and with significant discussion by the delegates, the gathering voted by well over the required two-thirds majority to suspend Article IV of the Conference by-laws. This section concerns the administrative and program workings of the regional structure. The suspension allows the Board, staff, and Conference to experiment with different formats for ministry which may allow the strengths that some Regions have discovered to become available to all the Church.

Ricardo Esquivia of JUSTAPAZ, the Mennonite Church in Colombia's peace and justice ministry, and Bonnie Klassen, a Canadian Mennonite who has worked with Mr. Esquivia for several years, returned for the second keynote address in the late morning. Mr. Esquivia demonstrated again his ability to use stories to effectively describe both the difficult and dangerous reality of his country, as well as its potential. As he encouraged the delegates to seek non-military, constructive aid for Colombia, he also warned that charity has its dangers. He told the story of a fire in the forest which the animals gathered to fight. The elephant ran to the river, filled his trunk, and returned to deluge the fire with gallons of water. The hummingbird also flew to the river, and flew back to place just a drop of water on the fire.

"Get out of the way," said the elephant.

"You do what you can do, I'll do what I can," said the hummingbird.

The ecumenical partnership celebrated by the delegates throughout the weekend will be a great step in learning how, together, Americans and Colombians can build peace, justice, and well-being in Colombia.

Conference Minister Davida Foy Crabtree and the delegates honored Moderator Gordon Rankin, who had led the meeting throughout with great planning, presence, and humor. The annual Amenities Resolution commended the many people, ranging from the special guests from Korea and Colombia to the musicians, hosts, planners, and display providers who had made the Meeting a great success.

In the afternoon Conference Preacher the Rev. Jared Rardin declared, "If the Shoe Fits, Go Barefoot!" Conference Minister the Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree celebrated Holy Communion for the worshipers in front of the rainbow colored drapes and beneath the crowned orb of the United Church of Christ. Jazz pianist Joe Utterback, Director of Music for the First Congregational Church of Stratford, led the congregation into prayer with music that seemed simply magical. The celebrants entered and exited to the steadily rising growl of drums, played by the Naugatuck Congregational Church's Djembe Drum Choir.

With worship complete, the delegates returned to their own congregations, lives, and homes, renewed by the weekend's gifts and having participated in the continuing renewal of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ.