With three of the five officers on the United Church of Christ up for re-nomination in the fall of 2013, the opportunity for public comment on the leadership is now being invited as part of the re-election process.

All members of the church will have the opportunity for input until the end of September on the re-nomination of the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, general minister and president, the Rev, J. Bennett Guess, executive minister of Local Church Ministries, and the Rev. Linda Jaramillo, executive minister of Justice and Witness Ministries. Your comments will be forwarded directly to the chair of the re-nomination committee for each officer.

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, 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. You are invited to take part in that process.

The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black will complete his first term as general minister and president of the United Church of Christ in September 2013. If you would like to comment on his re-nomination, or his work and leadership, please go to his re-nomination page. Your comments will go by direct email to the Rev. Penny Lowes, current Chair of Executive Council, who is chairing the Ad-Hoc Committee Regarding Re-Election.

The Rev. J. Bennett Guess will complete the unexpired term of his predecessor, the Rev. Stephen L. Sterner, as executive minister of Local Church Ministries, in September 2013. If you would like to comment on his re-nomination, or his work and leadership, please go to his re-nomination page. Your comment will go by direct email to the Rev. Susannah Davis, who is serving as Chair for the Ad-Hoc Committee Regarding Re-election.

The Rev. Linda Jaramillo will complete her second term of office as executive minister of Justice and Witness Ministries in September 2013. If you would like to comment on her re-nomination, or her work and leadership, please go to her re-nomination page. Your comment will go by direct email to Kiley Todd-Roska, who is chairing the Ad-Hoc Committee regarding Re-Election. In the fall of 2012, the Justice and Witness Ministries Board of Directors will receive a report from its Ad Hoc Committee, and then will decide whether to re-nominate Linda to the 2013 General Synod for "call by election" to a second term.