The UCC’s path to unified governance has become convincingly clear this month, with at least 34 Conferences voting in favor of ratification of its amendments. Twenty-six votes were needed for ratification, said Lee Foley, the UCC’s minister for governing body relations.

The UCC's Maine Conference will vote June 23, and its Illinois South and Central Pacific Conferences will vote in the fall, said Foley, adding that the non-geographical Calvin Synod is the only Conference that has rejected the amendments.

“The Executive Council, or the General Synod, if it is in session, will declare the Constitutional amendments in force at some future date,” said Foley. “That date will be selected so that all the elements needed to implement the new structure, including final approvals by the ministry boards, are in place on that date.”

When the Constitutional amendments are declared in force, the amended Bylaws will also go into effect, officially marking the beginning of the new structure, said Foley.

“That date hasn’t been picked, but it will likely be some time shortly after the end of the 29th General Synod in Long Beach next summer,” he said.

Foley said that W. Mark Clark, the UCC’s associate general minister, will work with attorneys and the Governance Implementation Task Force, which he chairs, then will make a recommendation to the Executive Council for action.

“With the implementation of the Constitutional and Bylaws changes that are being acted on by the Conferences this year, the governance decision-making for the national setting of the church will be in the hands of a much smaller group of individuals who will serve as the members of the Boards of the Covenanted Ministries and the UCC Board,” said Clark.

“This should allow for more cohesive governance decision-making and stronger future planning,” said Clark, adding that the new Board will comprise a considerably diverse group of individuals drawn from across all settings of the church.

In 2009, following a year of deliberation, a "Proposal for Unified Governance of the National Setting of the United Church of Christ" was delivered by the Unified Governance Working Group. It received approval to proceed from the UCC’s Executive Council and the boards of the four current Covenanted Ministries.

A unified board will be made up of 52 members, decreased from the current total of 300 serving on four boards and Executive Council. The Unified Governance Working Group has said that the smaller board will “support putting mission forward, emphasize best practices of good governance, and streamline informed and integrated decision making and ministry actions within the UCC.”