Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In April 2006, the Executive Council of the United Church of Christ put in place a new discernment process to be used when an Officer of the Church is eligible for re-nomination. Under the old process, used from 2000 to 2005, an open national search was conducted each time an Officer's term neared expiration. Under the new process, in cases where an Officer is eligible for re-election, the governing body responsible for nomination engages in the discernment process described below. You are invited to take part in that process by using this web page.

Ms. Edith A. Guffey will complete her second term of office as Associate General Minister in September 2007. In the fall of 2006, the Executive Council – the body responsible for the Associate General Minister nomination – will receive a report from its Ad Hoc Committee Regarding Re-Election. The Executive Council must then decide whether to re-nominate Edith to the 2007 General Synod for "call by election" to a third term. The Ad Hoc Committee has sought comments directly, by mail and e-mail, from leaders of the Executive Council, the leaders of all groups with a seat on the Executive Council, the Cabinet of the Council of Conference Ministers, selected moderators of the Conferences of the United Church of Christ, leaders of the Board of Directors of the Office of General Ministries, a cross-section of the staff of the Office of General Ministries, and the other four members of the Collegium of Officers. Edith will also be interviewed by the Committee.

In addition, anyone may use this web page to comment on Edith's work and leadership. If you would like to do so, please fill in the fields below, type your comment, and click on the "Submit" button. Your comment will go by e-mail directly to Mr. Mike Fales, a United Church of Christ member in Olivet, Michigan, who is chairing the Ad-Hoc Committee Regarding Re-Election. The Committee includes Mr. Aaron Gould, Westbrook, Maine; the Rev. Graylan Hagler, Washington, D.C.; the Rev. Jane Heckles, Altadena, California; the Rev. Robert Lee, Burlington, Vermont; Mr. Peter Lin, Olympia, Wash.; and Ms. Esther Rendon, Beverly, Massachusetts.

The Ad Hoc Committee is working rapidly toward bringing a recommendation to the Fall 2006 meeting of the Executive Council, to be held October 13-15 at the Church House in Cleveland. The deadline for comments via this web page is September 20, 2006.

Grace and peace,

Sharon MacArthur
El Cerrito, California
Chairperson, Executive Council

The Associate General Minister is Edith A. Guffey. Before joining the national setting of the church in 1991, Edith was an administrator at the University of Kansas. She is a graduate of Baker University, Baldwin, Kan., and holds a master's degree from the University of Kansas. An African American, Edith is a member of Federated UCC in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. In the new structure of the UCC's national setting, the Associate General Minister is responsible for administration of the Office of General Ministries.