Three long-term conference ministers will retire this year.

Krueger

Weible

Worcester

Vargas

The Board of the Division of Overseas Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has elected the Rev. David A. Vargas as Acting President following the resignation of the Rev. Patricia M. Tucker. He began Jan. 1, 2003, and will serve until the selection and confirmation of a new president.

Vargas has served since July 1, 1989, as the Executive of the Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Common Global Ministries Board, a common witness of the UCC's Wider Church Ministries and the Disciples' Division of Overseas Ministries. Prior to 1989, he served for six years as the Disciples' Executive Secretary of the Department of Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout these years, he has been responsible for relationships and programs with church-related partners in 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to these responsibilities, he was appointed Vice President of the Disciples' Division of Overseas Ministries on April 18, 1999, and has served in that capacity with distinction.

Lintner

The Rev. Jay Lintner, former director of the UCC's Office for Church in Society in Washington, D.C., died Jan. 29, after an extended battle with cancer. He was 67. For more than 30 years, Lintner was a champion of civil rights and social justice. He ran the predecessor office to the UCC's Public Life and Social Policy Ministry for 10 years prior to restructure in 2000.

As director, he oversaw the UCC's public policy advocacy on social and political issues, which earned the denomination a reputation for leadership in ecumenical efforts to affect legislation. He galvanized the national religious community in the struggle for campaign finance reform.

Lintner also worked for the Office for Church in Society in other capacities from 1977 to 1985. He served the UCC's Washington-North Idaho Conference from 1969 to 1977, and was associate minister for the ecumenical United Ministries program from 1972 to 1977.

As an author and editor, Lintner produced "Peace Futuring," "Empowering the Church in Society," "Rights of the Elderly," "The United Church of Christ Social Policy" and "Just Peace Theology and the Gulf War," among other publications. He was instrumental in the development of "A Just Peace Church," a book produced by a UCC peace theology group.

Carr

Chaplain (Major General) Richard Carr, UCC minister and retired U.S. Air Force Chief of Chaplains, died Nov. 9, 2002. He was 76.

Carr was known throughout his life for his economic and social justice work. In the mid-1950s, his civil rights work in Los Angeles helped him develop the early Air Force programs in race relations that were the basis of today's well-established human relations programs. While Chief of Chaplains, Carr and his wife, Jeanne, led marriage enrichment programs within the Air Force. Under his leadership, an Office for Family Matters was established in the Pentagon, marking the beginning of family support centers at Air Force bases throughout the world.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1982, Carr traveled the globe, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans, serving as an advisor and consultant to nonprofit humanitarian agencies. In 1995, he helped found the Global Development Center, now known as the Global Community Center, and organized the World Vision office in Washington, D.C. He served on boards of many nonprofit agencies dedicated to famine relief and development.

Pastoral changes and obituaries are reported by Local Church Ministries and run as space permits