The Spring Session of the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ was held on May 12, 2007, at Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon. This is the first time a Conference annual meeting has been held at the summer camp and retreat center, and provided a unique opportunity to celebrate the facility's fifty years of service to the young people and congregations of Connecticut.
The keynote speaker was the Rev. Peter Sawtell, Executive Director of Eco-Justice Ministries, an independent, ecumenical agency that helps churches answer the call to care of God's creation, and develop ministries that are faithful, relevant and effective in working toward social justice and environmental responsibility. He offers this short definition of eco-justice: "Thou shalt not exploit what God has made." It is the seed for a large number of useful guidelines and strategies offered to churches wishing to preserve the integrity of God's creation.
Sawtell, an ordained UCC minister, praised Conference Minister Davida Foy Crabtree's call for a renewed focus on care for the Earth in her October, 2006, address. Noting the monumental changes in technology and social expectations that have happened in the United States since the formation of the United Church of Christ in 1957, he insisted that the adaptations necessary to mitigate the approaching environmental catastrophe are possible. Climate change cannot be avoided, he said, but human beings can do quite a lot to reduce their heavy footprint on the planet.
Sawtell called for an expansion of ethical thought, to break down the artificial barriers that separate "human" from "nature," and to consider the welfare of other species and systems when making ethical decisions. While he encouraged research and advances to reduce the harmful affects of human society -- examples include low energy light bulbs, high-mileage automobiles, and conversion of paper communication to electronic -- he stressed that technological solutions can maintain the viewpoint that the environment is merely a set of resources to be exploited by human beings, and may fail to ask the question of our just place in the world.
The day's worship, guided by Conference Preacher and Chaplain the Rev. Deborah Blood of Bloomfield, included the participation of several participants in Silver Lake's Khenuta summer conference, who led prayers, Scripture, and a touching reading of Douglas Wood's Old Turtle. Silver Lake and Conference staff members led the worshipers in songs commonly sung by summer conferees, and Dr. Crabtree presided at a communion service led without words. The congregation also created three "Ebenezers" (God has helped us), piling stones in celebration of God's gifts to the world.
Workshops included several "workshops without walls" led by Silver Lake summer staff. A large number of attendees toured the campus and learned more about the plans to build new retreat facilities and enhance the summer experience. Others learned about youth ministry, environmental justice, local church endowments, and a large number of other subjects.
Delegates, guests, and permanent staff all praised the Silver Lake staff members and volunteers who worked so hard to successfully welcome those who came to Annual Meeting. To them go the Conference's heartfelt thanks.
