A letter to the Churches, Associations, Clergy and lay leaders of the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ

May 9, 2007
From: Jim Antal, Conference Minister & President

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In the space of the past two weeks I have been blessed to join you in every part of the Conference through four days of Covenant and two Association meetings. I am so grateful for the commitment, engagement, questioning and enthusiasm that is evident throughout our Conference. As I keep you all in my prayers, please keep me in yours.

This communication updates my April 19 letter to the churches. I write it with the benefit of having met with so many of you these past two weeks, and having just completed the May meeting of the Conference Board of Directors. Please read through all the points.

1. New half-time Associate Conference Minister position in the West:
Several people have expressed an interest in the half-time Associate Conference Minister position serving in the west on an interim or acting basis. If you are interested in this position and believe your gifts are well suited for this work, and if you have not yet contacted Willie Sordillo, please email him (sordillow@macucc.org) no later than May 10.

2. Coordination of Interim Ministers:
Dale Hempen replace Mike Penn-Strah as the Associate Conference Minister who coordinates the needs of the churches in the Conference with the Interim Ministers.

3. Evangelism, Vitality and New Church Starts:
Since writing to you on April 19 Paul Nickerson has indicated to me that while he continues to be committed and called to his work in evangelism, vitality and new church starts, he does not feel that he has the gifts to do the work of a regionally deployed Associate Conference Minister. Paul will continue to serve the Conference on a half-time basis drawing upon his gifts in the area of evangelism, vitality and new church starts.

4. New half-time Associate Conference Minister position in the Northeast:
I am now announcing plans to appoint a half-time Associate Conference Minister on an interim or acting basis to work with the 55 churches of the two northeast Associations, along with their Committees on Ministry and their governance bodies. This appointment is consistent with past practice regarding filling vacancies on an interim or acting basis. If you are interested in the position and believe your gifts are suited to this work, please contact my assistant, Willie Sordillo (sordillow@macucc.org) as soon as possible, but no later than May 23, 2007.

Here is an updated chart representing these transitions.

As I said in my email of April 19, I look forward to finding ways to strengthen the financial expression of covenant within the Conference. As we do, we can build upon the incredible strengths of this Conference and this staff so that the vitality of our churches can be enhanced and the covenant among us embraced.

I look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting in Hartford on June 22. I encourage all of you to read and prayerfully consider the report from the Board of Directors that will be distributed in early June in preparation for our Annual Meeting.

Faithfully yours,

Jim

April 19, 2007

From: Jim Antal, Conference Minister & President,

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In this time of Eastertide, I pray that, like the disciples, you and your congregation are experiencing Jesus’ presence in a new a powerful way.

Seven weeks ago we learned that Mike Penn-Strah had accepted a call to become an Associate Conference Minister in Connecticut (where his wife, Sara, is a minister).  Since then, I’ve been focused on developing a response. 

Several important factors have guided this response.  First of all, this vacancy comes in the context of a larger, Conference-wide transition that is informed by our just-completed Conference-wide listening process.  On the one hand, our response to this vacancy needs to be consistent with and responsive to the feedback we’ve received from that process.  On the other hand, our response should not preempt whatever plan is voted on at our September 29 Annual Meeting.

Secondly, I want to acknowledge the superb quality of our Conference staff.  I think we have the right people on the bus (to quote Jim Collins’ Good to Great).  This is confirmed by churches and pastors as I travel throughout the Conference.  For some time we have asked a great deal of our Associate Conference Ministers, and they have responded with devotion, creativity and enthusiasm.  In responding to this vacancy, we need to be sure that we compensate them fairly, allow them to take their sabbaticals and keep them on board.

Thirdly, we need to at least maintain the current level of regionally deployed Associate Conference Ministers.  The listening process, and other feedback we have received, underscores the importance of this commitment.

Finally, while this response takes seriously the limitations of our current financial resources, it allows for a robust future should funding increase, and it actively engages strategies to increase that funding.

The following transitional plan has been thoroughly discussed by and has the support of the Associate Conference Ministers and the Conference Board of Directors.  We are beginning this transition now so that we have sufficient time for churches, pastors, lay leaders and staff to learn from Mike while they engage these new roles.  Mike’s work with the Central Association Committee on Ministry and Governance will go to Peter Wells, who will continue to serve the churches in the Core Sector of the Central Association.  Mike’s work with the Essex and Andover Associations’ Committees on Ministry, governance, and with their 57 churches will go to Paul Nickerson.  Paul will continue to work conference-wide on evangelism and vitality, but at a reduced level (from his current level of 66% to 40% of his time).  Paul’s work coordinating and resourcing Mission and Justice will go to Peter, but at a reduced level (from his current level of 34% to 25%).  While Peter will continue to work with the Committees on Ministry and governance bodies in the four western associations, we will appoint a half-time Interim or Acting Associate Conference Minister to join Peter in working with the churches in the west.  Here is a chart representing these transitions.

REGIONAL DEPLOYMENT OF STAFF

As we implement the above transitional response to the current vacancy, I want you to know that our other Associate Conference Ministers are also involved in transitional work.  Andy Gustafson’s work is shifting from being an interpreter of stewardship to being a director of development.  Susan Dickerman is implementing the next phase of our Pastoral Excellence Program (among many other things).  Tom Clough is working with Andy and myself to develop strategies for increasing OCWM.  Dale Hempen is looking into how our settlement process can improve as it seeks to assure that the right pastor finds her or his way to the right pulpit.  And Dawn Hammond is coordinating a major update of our database program.

Consistent with past practice regarding filling vacancies on an interim or acting basis, I plan to appoint a half-time Associate Conference Minister to work with Peter Wells serving the churches of the four western associations.  If you are interested in the position and believe your gifts are suited to this work, please contact my assistant, Willie Sordillo (sordillow@macucc.org) as soon as possible.

As you can see, while this response takes into consideration what we heard during the listening process it does not preempt whatever plan is voted by the Conference on September 29.  This response keeps our staff on board, while allowing for fair compensation and sabbatical planning.  This response deploys the same number of full time equivalent Associate Conference Ministers as are currently regionally deployed.

And this response is fiscally responsible – it stays within our current budget. 

On this last point, my clear hope is that beginning this year, we will find ways to strengthen the financial expression of covenant within the Conference.  As we do, we can build upon the incredible strengths of this Conference and this staff so that the vitality of our churches can be enhanced and the covenant among us embraced.

I look forward to engaging you in a variety of settings.  I will see pastors at the upcoming Days of Covenant, pastors and lay leaders at several upcoming Association meetings, and I hope to see all of you at our Annual Meeting in Hartford on June 22.  I encourage all of you to read and prayerfully consider the report from the Board of Directors that will be distributed in early June in preparation for our Annual Meeting.

Faithfully yours,

Jim