News

214th Annual Meeting affirms fossil fuel divestment resolution

By Tiffany Vail Associate for Communication Delegates to the 214th Annual of the Massachusetts Conference this weekend overwhelmingly affirmed a Resolution urging divestment from fossil fuel companies - a resolution the Board of Directors had earlier voted to send to the UCC General Synod, the denomination's biennial meeting. “This resolution arises from two basic realities,” said Vicki Kemper, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Amherst. “The first is that...

Five UCC conferences join MACUCC in call for divestment

Five United Church of Christ Conferences have now joined the Massachusetts Conference in its call on the denomination to divest from fossil fuel companies as part of an effort to combat climate change. The Massachusetts Conference Board of Directors in December voted to bring a Resolution urging divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies to the UCC General Synod this summer.  The Southwest, Central Atlantic and New York conferences signed on as co-sponsors and now...

Board call for fossil fuel divestment receives national attention; Southwest Conference joins effort

The recent vote by the Massachusetts Conference Board of Directors calling on the entire United Church of Christ to divest from fossil fuel companies is receiving national attention. In the cover article of the Jan. 9 issue of The Christian Century, environmental activist Bill McKibben lifted up the efforts of the Conference in his call for schools, churches and municipalities to divest.  (THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY: Playing offense: It’s time to divest from the...

Board of Directors votes to bring resolution to Synod calling for divestment from fossil fuel companies

The Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Conference voted Monday night to bring a resolution to General Synod calling on all settings of the United Church of Christ and its 1.2 million members to divest from fossil fuel companies. “Humanity is ready to take action. The UCC is ready to lead,” said Conference Minister and President The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal. “We can’t continue to profit from wrecking God’s creation – not through our pensions, not through...

MACUCC delegates to blog from General Synod

Several of the General Synod delegates from the Massachusetts Conference are planning to blog from the bi-annual denominational meeting, as a way to share their experience with folks back home. Synod takes place Friday, July 1 through Tuesday, July 5, in Tampa, Florida. Forty-seven delegates, lay and clergy, from all over the Massachusetts Conference are attending along with many members of the Conference staff. There is also a youth contingent attending the Youth@General...