Annual Meeting 2004

Clergy and local church delegates of the Connecticut Conference met at Suffield High School in Suffield, Connecticut, for the 137th Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference, United Church of Christ, on October 15th and 16th. The Hartford Association was a welcoming and helpful host, and the delegates exulted in song ranging from the driving energy of praise music through the comfort of more traditional hymns to the moving reflectiveness of the Taizé chants that made up closing worship. The singing surrounded and supported the learning of difficult challenges and consideration of important issues which made up a great part of the time, and it confirmed the new learnings attendees found in workshops and display areas.

Conference Minister Davida Foy Crabtree spoke powerfully in her address on Friday night about "the tension of living between the period and the comma," of the need to continually discern how God is speaking to us in our place and time. She reminded the gathering of the covenantal unity of the United Church of Christ, leading the assembly in the reading of the preamble to the UCC's Constitution and the Connecticut Conference's own Mission Statement. "When the demands of the Gospel put us at odds with one another, we remain committed to our unity even though we differ," she said. "This is one of the gifts of the United Church of Christ."

She also spoke of the severe test Conference, national, and international ministries now face, as giving from local congregations to these extended settings of the church has declined in recent years. She told of how these ministries can mean life itself to their recipients, and called upon delegates and pastors to return to their churches and call for a renewed effort to support this vital work.

Click here to read the complete text of the address.

On Saturday, Dr. Crabtree introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Park Jong-Wha of Seoul, Korea, as a man of great learning and vision. Dr. Park proceeded to justify her effusive welcome and more. He spoke of the tragedy of the division of the Korean peninsula, and of the years of mutual demonizing that have so often prevented real discussions toward peace. He spoke of reunification of the two nations not as a goal in itself, but as a means toward the ultimate goal of peace among a people of common heritage. One way of achieving unification is through war, he said, but we utterly reject war and the renewal of the sufferings of the Korean War. He called upon the North Korean government to end its nuclear program, and the US government to support that with food and oil deliveries. He further called for the US to drop its stated policy of a nuclear first strike, and for all on the peninsula to commit to a nuclear-free region.

Click here to read the complete text of Dr. Park's address.

The delegates approved two resolutions. The first, "A Resolution In Support Of The Civil Right Of Legal Marriage For Same-sex Couples," had been deferred to this Annual Meeting from the gathering in 2003, and the body engaged in serious and thorough debate again this year. The assembly approved two amendments to the original text, and then voted the final resolution by a decisive margin. Moderator the Rev. David Spollett of Fairfield guided the discussion throughout with sensitiviy, fairness, and good humor, and the body applauded him with its heartfelt thanks.

The second measure, "A Resolution Encouraging Civil Dialogue Regarding Opposing Views on Issues Concerning Sexuality and Marriage," called for a continuation of the discussions held in the Conference since the 2003 Annual Meeting, and it passed overwhelmingly.

Treasurer Martin Ewing answered the question "Are we in the pink or in the red?" with this answer: "Both." He noted the decline in local church contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support and the correponding efforts of Conference staff to reduce expenses without sacrificing ministries. He and Finance Committee Chair Jeff Hemmings added their voices to Dr. Crabtree's in asking delegates and clergy to encourage their churches to renew their commitment to Our Church's Wider Mission.

A highlight of the weekend was the preview of a new video produced by the Conference called "Ministry in Phrases," which describes the work performed around the state and beyond. The delegates' response was so enthusiastic that Conference staff have committed to producing copies for each church as soon as those arrangements can be made. Initially, copies can be borrowed from the Ruth Dudley Resource Center as early as October 19.

Having approved an OCWM goal of $2,406,519 for 2005 and a budget of $5,174,074, having chosen officers and directors for the coming years, and having approved changes in the Bylaws to make the Conference's ministry more flexible and responsive, the delegates joined in a moving worship service of silence, song, Scripture, chant, and the sharing in the sacrament of bread and cup. They then returned to their homes and their churches. They had learned, they had worshiped, they had prayed, they had decided, they had sung, and they had heard:

That God Is Still Speaking.

Annual Reports

Staff and officers reports have been printed in the October, 2004 edition of ConnTact, which can be downloaded here (PDF).

Serving as a Delegate in the United Church of Christ

In response to some questions and requests, Conference Minister Davida Foy Crabtree has provided this brief description of the responsibilities of a delegate to the Conference's Annual Meeting. [Serving as a Delegate, PDF]

Informational Mailings

The third mailing to local church delegates is the official Call to the Meeting, including proposed revisions to the Bylaws of the Conference and proposed 2005 budgets.

Third mailing pieces may be downloaded here.

The second mailing to local church delegates contained information about events, workshops, rules, hospitality, and directions. It also contains the registration forms and information. Further mailings will include the proposed budget. Important! This file contains a corrected map of the area.

Download the second mailing here. (PDF, 1.4 MB)

Downloading Documents

Annual Meeting documents may be available here in HTML, PDF, or both formats. HTML documents will display in your web browser in the same layout as other web pages of this site. PDF documents are better suited to printing for later reference, as they duplicate the original faithfully on a variety of computer systems.

PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader for display and for printing; it is a free download from Adobe's web site.

Click here to obtain Acrobat Reader.

Additional Materials

Third Mailing: September, 2004

Second Mailing: September, 2004

First Mailing: July, 2004