Massachusetts Conference Highlights

50 Anniversary Celebration

Photos by Tiffany Vail and Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane

August/September 2007

The numbers were astounding.  Over 10,000 people attended this year’s General Synod and 50th Anniversary Celebration, making it the largest Synod gathering in the history of the UCC, and the largest convention Hartford, Connecticut, has ever seen.  Over 1,000 people volunteered to help visitors find their way around the event and the city.  Over 160,000 cookies were baked by he host city churches as tokens of hospitality. Over 100 ecumenical partners joined the celebration.  And over 900 members of the Massachusetts Conference participated in the anniversary celebration – attending the Synod meetings, workshops, exhibits, and city-wide events; listening to speakers and conversing with fellow UCC members; opening their spirits to inspiring worship; and letting their lights shine upon others.

Anti-War Organizers

Three Women Theologians for Peace

The Rev. Nancy Taylor, pastor of Old South Congregational UCC in Boston, and former Minister and President of the Conference, joined Rabbi Naamah Kelman of Jerusalem and Ingrid Mattson, Professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary.  The session presented three voices from different faith perspectives.

Sweet the Sound

The musical group founded in 2005 and directed by the musical director of Hope Church in Boston, The Rev. Matthew Myer Boulton, performed at Center Church to a standing-room only crowd.  The Sweet the Sound  musical project is dedicated to finding, making, performing, and recording American folk, gospel, blues, country, bluegrass, "old time," shape note, spirituals and other forms of American sacred music.

Recognized Leaders

Past officers and other leaders of the national

setting of the UCC were called to the plenary stage to be recognized and as a result, three former Massachusetts Conference leaders were on the stage. In addition to Post (named above), two other former Minister and Presidents of the MACUCC were brought to the stage for recognition:

Nancy S. Taylor, who was honored for her service as UCC Moderator, was MACUCC Minister and President from 2001 - 2005. She now serves as senior pastor at Old South Church UCC in Boston.

Bennie S. Whiten, who was honored for his

service as acting executive minister of the UCC’s Wider Church Ministries and his work heading the UCC Insurance Board, served the MACUCC from 1991 to 2000.

One of the presenters honoring them was the MACUCC's own Elizabeth King, pastor of the Congregational Church of South Dartmouth, UCC. King served as Assistant Moderator of this year's General Synod.

Special Honors

The UCC Council on Ecumenism presented the first Avery D. Post Ecumenical Achievement Award to the Rev. Diane C. Kessler, a prominent theologian and UCC clergywoman who recently retired after ministering for more than three decades with the Massachusetts Council of Churches. (Rev. Post, for whom the award is named, served as the UCC's fourth president. Earlier, from 1970 to 1977, he served as the MACUCC Minister and President.)