Delegates, visitors and other attendees of the 34th General Synod of the United Church of Christ gave more than $4,000 in the final worship offering, which will help build a new opportunity for disabled theologians of color through the Fannie Lou Hamer Scholarship Fund. The idea for the scholarship came from the UCC Disabilities Ministries board, especially board member
In a near-unanimous vote the evening of July 3, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ declared that “the globally widening digital divide and lack of digital inclusion” is a “justice issue,” and called on all settings of the denomination to press for “increased affordability, accessibility, training and support.” Starting in 1973, four
Delegates to the General Synod 34 in Indianapolis approved a resolution July 4 calling on the United Church of Christ to study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans. The committee that considered the resolution of witness, originally submitted by the Indiana-Kentucky and Central Atlantic Conferences, recommended delegates approve a version that was amended to
Colorful quilted panels lined a large wall of the auditorium that hosted the 34th General Synod worship and plenary sessions. They offered a visual memorial to many who lost their lives to AIDS. The AIDS Memorial Quilt, part of the National AIDS Memorial, was introduced to the assembly during a Speak Out session by the
The United Church of Christ’s 34th General Synod had it all. A new leader and a historic vote. A change from biennial to triennial. And giving witness to some of the most urgent issues — trans dignity, reproductive rights, racial justice, creation care and much more — through resolutions, special speakers, prayer and action. Indianapolis
Last November I had the joy of worshipping with University UCC in Seattle for Ubuntu Sunday. Ubuntu is an African concept of the interconnectedness of community most often translated with the phrase: “I am because We are.” On this Sunday, the invitation to Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM) was offered by a parent at the
Amid smoke that looked like fog, I traveled to General Synod last week on a Greyhound bus from Cleveland to Indianapolis. As I did so, I pondered with self-conscious awareness the pull of a familiar form of wishful thinking—the hope that catastrophic events such as wildfires and their unfurling blankets of smoke will alarm people
General Synod-goers received an update Monday, July 3 on the progress of the United Churh of Christ’s Racial Equity Task Force — an initiative that was launched after the last Synod. In 2021, Synod approved a resolution that declared that racism was a “public health crisis,” based on the racial disparities that came to light during
There are several new faces on the United Church of Christ Board. The delegates of General Synod 34 elected 12 new at-large members to UCC noard, five new members to the Nominating Committee, as well as a new moderator and assistant moderator. After the elections, the Rev. June Boutwell, chair of the Nominating Committee, expressed
On the General Synod 34 stage Monday, the Rev. Velda Love asked United Church of Christ members to “Join the Movement.” The UCC’s Join the Movement campaign — which Love leads — is an initiative to build and support antiracism work. “Movements are sustained by people of faith, rooted in God’s love for humanity,” she
