Gala weekend brings joy, prayer and new dreams July - August 2000
Andrew Young addresses the nearly 1,000 attendees at the Saturday evening banquet. Photos by Brynne Shaw and W. Evan Golder
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| The four days of June 22-25, 2000, represented an historic turning point for the national setting of the United Church of Christ: a looking back with gratitude at where we have been, a looking forward with hope to what we might be, an appreciation of the faith and commitment of those who have lighted our path and shown us the way, and a celebration of the 43rd anniversary of this beloved denomination.
The Sunday afternoon service of worship and Holy Communion—including the installation of the Collegium of five new officers—took place in the very setting of the birth of the church in 1957, in the Music Hall of the Cleveland Convention Center. Now, as the hymns of faith echo in our memories, in Cleveland there are offices to rearrange, boxes to unpack, new phone numbers to learn and new colleagues to meet. In churches across the UCC there are events to plan, meetings to attend, joys to celebrate, members' faith to nurture. Through it all, wherever we are, there is one constant: the same God to be worshiped and served. Praise be to God!
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Installed as new UCC officers during the Celebration 2000 weekend were (l. to r.) the Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minsister and President; Edith A. Guffey, Associate General Minister; the Rev. José A. Malayang, Executive Minister, Local Church Ministries; Bernice Powell Jackson, Executive Minister, Justice and Witness Ministries; and Dale L. Bishop, Executive Minister, Wider Church Ministries. Photos by Brynne Shaw and W. Evan Golder
| Where do I find church school materials? Or information about capital punishment?
Since July 1, UCC members may be asking questions such as these. On that date, nine instrumentalities of the "old" national UCC setting changed into a new national structure with four Covenanted Ministries: Office of General Ministries, Local Church Ministries, Wider Church Ministries and Justice and Witness Ministries.
In the new structure, the Pension Boards become an Affiliated Ministry and United Church Foundation becomes an Associated Ministry of the Executive Council.
The "map" below shows where to find various program areas. For the most part, the "ministry team" names within each Covenanted Ministry describe which program areas are located there. For example, information about church school materials can be found in the Worship and Education Ministry Team of Local Church Ministries (LCM). Information about efforts to end capital punishment can be found in the Human Rights, Justice for Women, and Transformation Ministry Team of Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM).
However, some ministries are harder to find. One is HIV/AIDS and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns, now located in the Wellness Empowerment and Advocacy Ministry Team of WCM. Another is the local church aspect of women's concerns, including "Common Lot," and men's ministries. Both are located in the Worship and Education Ministry Team of LCM.
To get the phone numbers and names associated with particular programs, members have three options: go to the UCC web site www.ucc.org/directory/staff.htm, look in the new UCC Desk Calendar and Plan Book (due out in October), or phone the UCC's national central switchboard (216-736-2100).
UCC Covenated Ministries
Local Church Ministries
Worship and Education
Evangelism
Parish Life and Leadership
Stewardship and Church Finances
Publications, Resource, Production and Distribution
Wider Church Ministries
Wellness Empowerment and Advocacy
Mission Education and Volunteer Services
Partner Relations/Common Global Missions Board
Global Ministries and Local Churches/Common Global Missions Board
Office of General Ministries
Proclamation, Identity and Communication
Covenantal Relationships
Financial Development
Common Services
Justice and Witness Ministries
Economic Justice
Racial Justice
Human Rights, Justice for Women and Transformation
Public Life and Social Policy
Affiliated Ministry
The Pension Boards
Associated Ministry of the Executive Council
The United Church Foundation
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