Learning, Prayer, and Decision: Annual Meeting Day TwoInformation about ministries from Connecticut to Colombia, dramatic and inspiring worship, and decisions about weighty matters marked the second day of the Connecticut Conference's Annual Meeting in New Haven. The delegates heard reports from staff and program committees and voted four social justice resolutions. They also heard about matters which they will consider and decide on Sunday. The day began dramatically with the entrance of a great crowd of young people to be commissioned for their day of service and Christian society in the city of New Haven. Conference Chaplain the Rev. Bill Zito led the delegates in a prayer of blessing for their day.
Hannes Alholm, Chair of the Wider Church Ministry Team, introduced Jesse Glick of Church World Service, Douglas Wallace, a former missionary to Turkey, and Derek Duncan of the Common Global Mission. Regional Minister the Rev. Kent Siladi then presented a moving report of his experiences while visiting Colombia this past summer with an ecumenical US delegation. He quoted a Colombian pastor who said, "War never brings peace, only more war. In June, a pastor was taken out of his church during a prayer and killed. Why are the armed groups against churches? Because we don't participate in their activities, they attack us to force us to take sides." He reported as well the most common requests of the Colombian clergy and lay people they met on their visit: a call for prayers, and "no more arms."
Bernice Powell Jackson, the United Church of Christ's Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries, then spoke powerfully to the Conference. She declared that war does not bring peace, and reminded the delegates of Jesus' challenge to love their enemy, and to bless those that curse them. She asked who our enemies are, and if they include the civilians who are so much more likely to be killed or injured in war than soldiers. Ms. Jackson will speak again on Sunday morning. The Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin then introduced members of a delegation from the Kyung-Ki Presbytery in South Korea, which has been a partner of the Connecticut Conference for several years. Among the gifts exchanged by the partners was a small drum for the Connecticut Conference. It was part of a pair, said the delegation, but its other half would wait to be presented until the Korean peninsula was once again united. Morning worship featured a dramatic rendering of Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats, in which a child, a homeless woman, a gay AIDS patient, a poor divorced mother, and a teenager seek welcome in the church and fail to find it. The congregation early demonstrated their receptivity to the message, responding to the actors' question "Is anybody there?" with cries of "Yes! I'm here!" As the attendees spent learning time in smaller groups at a number of workshops, the Connecticut Women of the UCC met for a presentation by singer and storyteller Valerie Tutson. The Seminary Support Committee welcomed the presidents of New England's two seminaries of the United Church of Christ, Andover Newton's Benjamin Griffin and Bangor's William Imes, who both appealed to the delegates for their prayers, their help in identifying future leaders of the church, and financial support to relieve the mounting burden of seminary education on newly orained pastors. The committee continued the appeal with a comic skit which had clearly been adapted from a well-known series of children's novels. 
Capital Campaign Chairs Hugh and Kate McLean announced the theme for the proposed capital Campaign: Now for the Future. Planners have identified three main areas for new or renewed ministry:
The Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree and Board of Directors Chair the Rev. Don Ketcham presented the Laity Award to two significant leaders of the New Samaritan Corportation over its many years of service. Retiring Chief Executive Officer Betsey Reid and the Board's long-time chair Walter Smith shared the award. New Samaritan Corporation, orignally founded thanks to the efforts of the Connecticut Conference, is the largest provider of affordable housing in the state of Connecticut, and also runs a nursing facility. The delegates voted four resolutions in the late afternoon:
In further action, the delegates determined the allocation of Synod seats to its Associations, and heard Dana Sears' report about the activities of Silver Lake Conference Center. The Conference heard a challenge from Newell and Jane Curtis to identify one person in each congregation who would take the lead in helping the church prepare for response to a local or regional disaster situation. They noted the difficulty that arises from well-meaning but ill-considered aid: in one example, socks donated following the attacks of September 11, 2001, filled an entire warehouse. The Conference applauded the Niantic Community Church UCC's decision to declare itself an Open and Affirming Congregation. The delegates then welcome the Mill Plain Union Church of Waterbury, the newest congregation among the churhes of the Connecticut Conference.
The evening closed with the return of many of the youth to report on their day's activities. The hall rang with music, applause, and teen voices describing the true value of the work they that day. Thanks to them, an entire house was now completely ready for a Habitat for Humanity rehab, and another house is far closer to being prepared. The great crowd of young people also cleaned indoors and outdoors at other residences, and sorted food at the New Haven Food Bank. Sunday's agenda includes action on the budget, bylaws changes, and the election of new officers and directors for the coming year. |
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