Special Commission on Conference Sustainability Report Summary

At the October 2009 Annual Meeting, the Connecticut Conference Board of Directors recommended the establishment of a special commission to study the sustainability of the Conference and to make recommendations that would strengthen the long term financial position of the Conference. Additionally, the charge to the committee was to focus on enhanced revenues streams and not on Conference programs or operations. This is a summary of the work of the commission. The complete report can be found online at www.ctucc.org.

The commission was comprised of fourteen members, split between clergy and laity, along with a representative from the national UCC organization. The Conference Minister and subsequent Interim Conference Ministers served as ex-officio members

The commission began its work in January 2010 and presented its report to the Board on September 18, 2010.

The challenge facing the commission was significant. Giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission is down markedly in the past ten years, declining at a faster rate the decline in church membership. While some of this is due to a difficult economy, much of what is happening reflects cultural shifts that are both pervasive and systemic. The model that worked so well a generation ago is no longer as relevant or as compelling. We are a Church in transition and that process is creating tremendous financial strain on the both the Conference and the national setting.

There are several themes that predominate the work of the commission and that permeate and transcend virtually all its recommendations.

1. Communication: The national setting and the Conference must enhance the quality, clarity and frequency of what OCWM is and why it is so important. The message is not effectively reaching those who sit in the pews.
2. Connection: Relationships are critical to the health of a Church at any level. The Conference must focus on building more substantial, enduring relationships with its local churches so that there is greater awareness of, affiliation with and attachment to what is happening outside the local church.
3. Covenant: As a community of faith we need to embrace that sense of mutual responsibility and interdependence that helps define and hold us together as a denomination. This is a concept has diminished over the years and it has impacted the commitment churches make to OCWM.

The commission also noted a number of important strengths or assets as it conducted its work. Giving to special support initiatives has remained strong as is the commitment by churches to local mission efforts. Connecticut pastors and churches who take advantage of Conference resources generally view these services and interactions as very positive. And unquestionably, Silver Lake is one of the true assets available to Connecticut churches and their members.

The commission developed a broad set of recommendations which in the aggregate provide a foundation to restore and sustain the financial health of the Conference. Some of the proposed actions can produce benefits within one to two years while others will take longer. The commission anticipates that the Board will need to develop strategies to share this information on a wider basis in the Conference and to decide which recommendations to pursue in light of the constraints of time, money and staff.

Near Term

• Assign and clarify individual responsibilities for Our Church’s Wider Mission among the Conference senior staff.
• Develop a plan whereby each church in Connecticut is visited by at least one Conference senior staff member every year to strengthen relationships with the churches in the Conference and to deliver the message of OCWM.
• Raise the visibility and recognition of current OCWM giving levels by local churches.
• Prepare and distribute an annual “open letter” to each local church that reviews the services received by that church, the commitment that church has made to OCWM and the more significant initiatives undertaken by the Conference and national church in support of the UCC mission and ministry.
• Expand the “Friends of the Conference” appeal.
• Include in the search criteria for a new Conference Minister such skills as development, financial management, strategic partnering and team building.
• Consider adjusting the sharing ratio.

Long Term

• Re-name and re-brand OCWM.
• Strengthen the case for OCWM by re-enforcing the breadth and value of the services provided by the Conference and the national church, including the need for a progressive, distinctive Christian voice.
• Develop and implement a program that focuses on stewardship and financial management for clergy.
• Encourage all clergy in the Connecticut Conference to affirm their support for OCWM and to act as visible, vocal and articulate advocates for OCWM in their local churches.
• Develop a new Strategic Plan for the Conference.
• Improve the collection, integration and use of data related to OCWM.
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with both religious and secular organizations sharing similar values that would increase the joint vitality and visibility of both parties.