 from
the Minister & President
Join us for the UCC’s
50th Anniversary Celebration
June, 2004
By Nancy S. Taylor
I would like to invite every church
in the Conference to send representatives to a grand event: the
50th Anniversary Celebration of the United Church of Christ! On
June 25, 2007 the United Church of Christ will have achieved
the ripe age of 50. While our roots go back many centuries,
we are also a young church, having been formed in 1957 by the
merger
of two denominations (formerly four): The Evangelical and Reformed
Church and the Congregational Christian Church. We will celebrate
a half century of this marvelous, bold, risky experiment in
Christian unity. The celebration will occur during the June
21-25, 2007
General Synod (1), which
will be held in Hartford, Connecticut.
At a recent Day of Covenant gathering (a series of annual
events, held around the Conference, during which I meet
with clergy
for conversation and relationship-building), one of our pastors
lamented
aloud: “I will probably never get to attend a General
Synod of the United Church of Christ.” “Not so!” I
declared. I then told him that the 2007 General Synod is
not only a very special occasion, but also will be very accessible
for us in Massachusetts. I invited him to attend - along
with
members of his congregation.
I warmly and enthusiastically extend the same invitation
to each church and every pastor. It is my fervent hope
that every UCC
congregation in Massachusetts will send people to the 2007
General Synod. It will be held in a location that is geographically
near
and accessible for our Massachusetts congregations. Please
put this date on your church and personal calendars. Will
you start
now to raise/save money to send your pastor and members
of your congregation to Hartford in June of 2007? While
the
UCC Bylaws
allow for only a limited number of delegates to General
Synod, there is no limit to the numbers of visitors!
Having
experienced about seven General Synods (as a visitor, as
a delegate, and as the Moderator of the 2001 General
Synod), I believe that it is not possible to gain a true
appreciation
of this unique denomination until you have experienced
this biannual meeting. General Synod is an extraordinary
opportunity
to experience
the United Church of Christ in its multiplicity and diversity.
General Synod is large (around 4000 people) and varied
(representing racial and ethnic diversities that many
of our congregations
aspire to, but do not experience). General Synod is alive
with worship, fellowship and attention to the pressing
theological and ethical issues of our times. It is exciting
to meet together
as one large, diverse covenanted family of Christians.
If
you enjoyed or heard about the 200th Anniversary Celebration
of the Massachusetts Conference, held in the Worcester
Centrum in 1999, imagine what it will be like in Hartford
when representatives
from the entire UCC gather for our denominational birthday
party!
To attend General Synod is to begin to appreciate
the joy, complexity, challenge, and thrill of being a people
who
seek to be a living
answer to the prayer of Jesus, “That they may
all be one.” (John
17.11)
It is my fervent hope that our family of congregations
in Massachusetts will be a significant presence at
General Synod
June 21-25, 2007
in Hartford, Connecticut. I pray that you and representatives
from your congregation will be there! There is nothing
quite like it.
(1) “General Synod is
the representative body of the United Church of Christ and
is composed
of delegates chosen by the Conferences,
voting members of the Boards of Directors of Covenanted
Ministries …and
ex officio delegates.” (from the Constitution
of the United Church of Christ). The General Synod
is empowered to
carry on
the work of the United Church of Christ.
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