UCC GMP hosts AGM Nominee in Q&A, talks Programmatic Priorities, all-women leadership

United Church of Christ General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, hosted two back-to-back question and answer webinars featuring the Rev. Jennifer Sowell, nominee for Associate General Minister, Love of Church.

In the webinars that were held on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30, respectively, Thompson centered the conversations around the Programmatic Priorities of the National Ministries, and how the work of the role Sowell is up for would intersect with these priorities, as laid out by the General Minister and President. 

Sowell, who is up for nomination as the next AGM, will be considered for a vote at a special meeting of General Synod 35 this Saturday, May 9 at 5:45PM, Eastern Time. If elected, it will mark the first time in the UCC’s nearly 70-year history that leadership of the church is all female. Thompson herself made history at General Synod 34 in 2023 when she became the first woman, and first Black woman to lead the denomination. 

“This would be unprecedented in the life of the United Church of Christ,” said Thompson in the webinar. 

“I remember when [Karen Georgia] was the nominee for General Minister and President, and I could not believe that it took us this long to have a woman be our GMP, given all we’ve done,” said Sowell. 

Sowell went on to say that one of the best ways to resist negative messaging and ideas in the world is to have a ‘healthy, and thriving United Church of Christ.’

“The presence of female leadership in the UCC is just one of the many ways that we are a voice of resistance to what’s going on in the world,” said Sowell. 

The first Q&A conversation focused on Strengthening the Church, Leadership Development, and Climate Action, highlighting a goal of cultivating faithful, skilled leaders to serve across the breadth of the denomination, and the church’s commitment to faith-based environmental justice, and sustainability. 

The second Q&A focused on Spiritual Formation, Reshaping the Narrative, and Decolonization, highlighting the stories and narratives of the past 70 years of the UCC, ongoing education rooted in faith, inclusivity, and theology, and the denomination’s efforts towards social change. 

The Special Meeting of the Thirty-Fifth General Synod will be on Saturday, May 9, beginning at 5:45 p.m. Eastern time. The meeting will be virtual and livestreamed via the UCC’s YouTube channel. CLICK HERE to bookmark the link.

Both interview sessions are available and can be viewed below. 

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