Honoring new General Minister and President: NCNC perspective

     NCNC was a strong presence for four days of meeting and celebration in April at the national setting of the UCC in Cleveland.  The full boards of the four covenanted ministries (Office of General Ministries, Justice and Witness Ministries, Local Church Ministries, and Wider Church Ministries), plus the Executive Council, met jointly to address the business of the church, and to honor and celebrate the installation of Geoffrey Black as General Minister and President.
     Among the 200+ gathered for the board meetings were Carol Barriger (OGM), Caitlin Kawaguchi and MacArthur Flournoy (JWM), Meredith Jackson (LCM), Mei Wang (WCM), Kevin Manz (Executive Council), plus Eppie Encabo (Council for Racial and Ethnic Ministries).  In addition to their specific ministry areas, each board also considered the status of the work on a unified governance proposal for the UCC.  A full proposal from the UGOV committee, called into being by the General Synod 27, will be brought to the fall board meetings for review and consideration, with the goal being to move the proposal forward to General Synod 28 in Tampa, FL in 2011.
     The boards met separately, then jointly on two sucessive days, including a day-long sacred conversation on race.  An evening gala banquet to celebrate Geoffrey Black and to benefit the UCC Strategic Initiatives Fund was held, with over 500 present, including members of Black’s extended family.  NCNC was highlighted as a table sponsor and therefore, a strong supporter of the Strategic Initiatives fund.  This fund, with a goal of $500,000, is to be utilized at the discretion of the General Minister and President for initiatives and programs vital to the future of the UCC. 
     A highlight of the second day’s joint boards plenary was the invitation to speak out on programs we felt exemplified the UCC core values of continuing testament, extravagant welcome, and changing lives.  Caitlin Kawaguchi was eloquent in lifting up the outdoor ministries programs, and most especially our camping ministry in Northern California Nevada.
    The weekend also featured launch of the new UCC video ad, “The Language of God” - staged to “go viral” on Friday, April 16.  The boards were joined in worship and prayer at the time the video was launched.  We were updated on the progress of the video being spread by email and social networking sites.  In addition, Ben Guess of the new PIC (Publishing, Identity and Communication) group introduced the UCC’s publication, the “Still Speaking” magazine (see www.ucc.org/magazine).  Felix Carrion offered the opportunity for all of us to opt in as individuals, just as churches opted in, to the “Still Speaking Voices” campaign (see www.ucc.org/voices).
     A high point of the time together was the service of installation for Black, held at the Federated  UCC, Chagrin Falls just outside Cleveland.  Joining for the service were numerous Conference ministers, and past presidents of the UCC, Avery Post and John Thomas.  The preached message was brought by Art Cribbs (San Marino Congregational, UCC, Southern California Nevada Conference) - but whom we can nominally and happily claim as one of our own from his days at San Francisco’s KPIX-TV.  In preaching on Romans 12:1-18 to a highly responsive congregation, Art moved us all to a great swell of support and hopefulness for the United Church of Christ.  Indeed, God was - and is - still speaking.