National Ministries expand office space to host staff, meetings, research

When the United Church of Christ Board and the Council of Conference Ministers gathered for their March meetings last week, they met in a bright, multipurpose space with wide windows overlooking downtown Cleveland.

The unique space was acquired for the work of the National Ministries of the UCC at the beginning of the year.

It’s been four years since the National Ministries sold its previous home, the nine-story Church House building at 700 Prospect Ave., to instead lease one floor and several specialized basement spaces at 1300 E. 9th St. The move in 2022 aimed to “carefully steward our precious missional resources” and adjust to a hybrid work environment, as then-General Minister and President, the Rev. John Dorhauer, explained at the time.

As the staff has settled into the space at 1300, current General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, said that the National Ministries were investing a significant amount of funds in renting nearby hotel space or public spaces for larger meeting needs, such as those of the UCC Board and the full National Ministries staff.

Thompson noted that, in addition to these space rentals impacting the budget, “the office spaces have not been enough to meet the needs of housing the staff we have working from Cleveland.”

When the opportunity arose to acquire some additional office space on the 12th floor – which includes larger offices, a large communal space, and a kitchen area – Thompson led the charge toward expanding the National Ministries’ offices.

At the start of 2026, nine Love of Service staff moved into this newly-built office space, including Thompson, which allowed for realignment of staff office usage on the 11th floor as well.  

The new large meeting space will also be available to some external groups, which could offer revenue to offset the related cost of the large space, Thompson said.

Space to invite historical research

One UCC staff member using some of the expanded office space is Ed Cade, UCC associate for historical preservation and archivist. While much of his work takes place in the UCC Archives located in the basement, he’s excited that the new space includes areas for researchers interested in reviewing the archival records of the denomination.

Cade has been working to make the Archive’s collections more accessible by publishing online finding aids that document the contents within various collections, including papers of past UCC offices and leaders. He encourages researchers to visit and review files in-person.

As the 70^th anniversary of the church approaches in 2027, Cade also has high hopes for researchers who might use the Archives for efforts toward updating and expanding on the written history of the church.

“The church has a rich history in social justice, and these are really important files for us to generate knowledge of and interest in,” Cade said.

And a new historical project has arisen with the expanded office space – Cade has been tasked with creating a visual display of the UCC’s history along a long wall that greets visitors as they arrive on the 12th floor. The plan is to have this ready later this year, he said.

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.