As a new pastor in a church in Amish country, I did not expect to be welcomed by all. I was female, single and, as we say in my home state of Maine, “from away.” When I walked down the street in my town or other nearby locations wearing my pastoral collar, men in black
In the week leading up to Election Day, the United Church of Christ General Minister and President Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson has released the following call to denounce harmful comments spoken by participants at a New York City political rally for former President Donald Trump, and she offers a prayer for “our hearts, minds, and
American anthropologist Margaret Mead once observed, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citzens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This idea was tested out when New Spirit United of Church of Christ in Savage, Minnesota decided to ambitiously pursue a ministry of environmental justice through
The current and four former General Ministers and Presidents of the United Church of Christ have a united message to share: vote faithfully and with love. The group of UCC leaders collaborated to create a video addressing the pressing importance of voting with a lens of faith values as part of the UCC’s Our Faith
United Church of Christ General Minister and President, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, joined 19 other Christian faith leaders in a letter to both the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump election campaigns expressing deep concern for the ongoing injustice and violation of human rights in Israel/Palestine. The letter, sent Oct. 15, notes that these conditions
Amid harmful anti-trans and nonbinary legislation and political messaging, Bridgeport United Church of Christ set out to send a message of inclusivity. The Portland, Oregon church hosted a Blessed Are the Drag Queens brunch and fundraiser on Oct. 19, designed to draw attention to spreading love and acceptance. The well-attended event offered a brunch buffet,
A just world for all includes an equal voice in the ballot box. Perhaps you remember the problem of gerrymandering from your high school civics class. Gerrymandering happens when one political party draws electoral maps that seek to dilute the voting power of another political party. And because political power and racism have always been
This Reformation Sunday, leaders from the United Church of Christ will participate in a global celebration from the Cayman Islands. All are invited to join the Oct. 27 special worship of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), which will be livestreamed from Grand Cayman at 4 p.m. EST. The UCC delegation to the event,
On Election Day, Nov. 5, join the Rev. Karen Georgia A. Thompson together with United Church of Christ leaders from across the nation for a nonpartisan Election Day Prayer Vigil and Convening. The event will be held from 4-6 p.m. ET via Zoom. The vigil — part of the UCC’s Our Faith, Our Vote campaign
Marching through the streets of New York City the day Roe V. Wade overturned became my birthplace in a deeper commitment toward reproductive justice. In the sea of 60,000 who marched, my most poignant memory is of the youth expressing their anger at religion. Seeing a clergy colleague and myself, they would share their stories
