2nd Dispatches from 35th UCC General Synod
A Day 2 Recap
Holy Covenant,
Day two of General Synod wrapped up yesterday.
My day began with the third plenary session, which featured a State of the Church address from our General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson. In her message, she spoke about the current realities of the United Church of Christ, lifting up both the challenges we face as an denomination and the places where God’s Spirit is still moving powerfully among us. She reminded us of the importance of holding the tension of being clear about our struggles while also looking beyond them to see how our ministries are transforming lives in local churches, communities, and across the world.
Rev. Thompson also addressed the rise and danger of Christian Nationalism, calling it what it is: an oxymoron. She was honest saying that there is nothing inherently Christian about nationalism, particularly the kind we see growing here in the United States. Christianity, at its heart, calls us to love people beyond borders and nation. She also nuanced patriotism, a healthy love of one’s country, as not being the same as nationalism. I’m paraphrasing her, but she said in her message
we can love our neighbors and our country without denying the dignity, worth, and belovedness of those outside our borders or those don’t fit into the story its white-Eurocentric history.
Our keynote speaker during the plenary session was Rev. Jennifer Butler, a faith-based activist and author with a long history of public witness on issues of justice. She’s perhaps best known as the founder of Faith in Public Life, a network of diverse and influential faith leaders working together for a just, inclusive, and equitable society. Rev. Butler also recently led faith outreach for the Harris-Walz campaign ahead of the 2024 election.
In her address, she reminded us that “Scripture is a handbook for resisting tyranny.” Her message called us to reclaim the Bible as a tool not for exclusion, but for liberation. That it is a sacred resource for building a more just world rooted in love, equity, and accountability to one another.
You can watch both Rev. Thompson’s and Rev. Butler’s full speeches in the video linked below from yesterday’s plenary session.
https://vimeo.com/1100848364/efbd841392?share=copy
Later in the day, I had the opportunity to attend a meet-and-greet with Rev. Shari Prestemon, who is currently serving as Acting Associate General Minister and Co-Executive of Global Ministries. She’s now been nominated to serve a full term as Associate General Minister for the UCC’s Wider Church Ministries. This vital ministry supports congregations and church settings in developing global partnerships across the world grounded in our values: open and affirming, multiracial and multicultural, accessible to all, and rooted in justice.
I did ask a question of her at the session that went something like this:
“Over the last year, particularly in the last six months, I’ve heard and read so many articles saying, ‘This is a Bonhoeffer moment’. What would you say is the Bonhoeffer moment for the wider Church or what is one moral dilemma that demands a decisive response from the wider Church right now?”
After yesterday I am mindful of how gatherings like General Synod ground us in the larger story of who we are as the United Church of Christ. In the midst of great challenge and constant change, we continue to be a people called to love boldly, speak truthfully, and show up faithfully, for one another and for the world. I’m grateful to be here, in the hope that each of us and our church will have opportunity to bear witness to that call of Christ in real time.
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