The Congregationalist June 2020 : simplebooklet.com

Table of CONTENTS Features Congregations grow stronger with MMBB When clergy and staff feel secure about their future they can focus on and rejoice in what every church does best connecting its community to God Unbiased advice Competitive returns No cost personalized service It can be hard to talk about money MMBB is here to ease the burden by working with you and your church or faith based organization to help navigate these important conversations We work closely with pastors church leaders Flexible affordable benefit plans and other decision makers to craft customized affordable and flexible plans that benefit everyone We re experts in the financial side of ministry That s the MMBB difference Let s begin this journey together plans mmbb org 800 986 6222 The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board 2018 6 13 14 15 18 23 A Pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago ON THE COVER The Reverend Dr Robert Joy on his trek of the Camino de Santiago Changing of the Guard Two That Got Away A Canterbury Tailor REFLECTION In a Challenging Time Thanks Departments 4 12 16 19 24 30 31 OUR VOYAGE TOGETHER Not Just the Pilgrims LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ALONG THE WAY NECROLOGY NEWS AND NEEDS PASTORATES AND PULPITS CALENDAR EDITORIAL STATEMENT All content in The Congregationalist appears by the authority of the editor We reserve freedom of expression to our authors and freedom of opinion to our readers Except for service information clearly sponsored by the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches NACCC or its component parts content does not necessarily reflect policies and opinions of the NACCC Neither The Congregationalist nor the NACCC has a creed or holds positions on social or theological issues but we recognize the authority of each local church to do so for itself if and as it wishes and we encourage thoughtful and respectful discussion of our agreements and differences

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OUR Voyage TOGETHER By Michael Chittum Executive Director National Association of Congregational Christian Churches NOT JUST THE PILGRIMS T he National Association of Congregational Christian Churches has a rich legacy of ideas churches and significant individuals in our history Our focus in 2020 is rightfully on the Mayflower Plymouth Rock and the Massachusetts Bay Colony During this 400th commemoration of the landing of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts the NACCC through the good work of the Plymouth 400 Task Team has also helped us remember other leaders of Congregationalism I want to continue that pattern in my column Dr Howard Conn was one of the significant people in the story of the NACCC and Congregationalism in America He served the Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis Minnesota for 32 years before his retirement in 1976 Along with several others he was a leading voice in the establishment and development of our Association of churches In 1963 Dr Conn wrote an article for The Congregationalist titled Congregationalism s Contribution to Christian Unity The church reprinted the article in a pamphlet form which I possess In the article Dr Conn addresses the importance of having a voice of free Congregationalism involved ecumenical discussions Further he defined what he thought the contribution of Congregationalism to such discussions would be He wrote What is Congregationalism s contribution I define it this way To serve the spiritual unity of all people in Christ as they seek life s deepest meanings without credal dogma without insistence on precise organizational structure and with gracious goodwill toward those with whom they differ Such a mission assumes that the basis of our religious experience is the discovery of new dimensions to life through God s gift in Jesus Christ and that those who have shared this discovery are on their way to becoming new creatures in Him I believe Dr Conn not only captured something of the significance of Congregationalism historically but that he also points a way for us to be church in community going forward This is good news for us all Grace and Peace Michael Established in 1849 The Congregationalist has been a notable presence providing resources for local churches promoting just causes defining and shaping the Congregational Way The Congregationalist has been published continuously since 1958 by the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches ENSURE THE TRADITION CONTINUES DONATE TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHURCHES Please cut and send to The Congregationalist NACCC PO Box 288 Oak Creek WI 53154 Yes Please use my our gift to support the Congregational Way through The Congregationalist Editor s Round Table 1 000 Henry Martyn Dexter Society 500 999 Edward Beecher Society 250 499 Elias Smith Connexion 100 249 Sustaining __________ Other A check is enclosed made payable to the NACCC Please Charge my credit card Mastercard Visa Amount ____________________ Card Number_______________________________ CVV Code ____________ Expiration Date _______ _______ Name _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________________________ State ___________ Zip ________________________ Phone ________________________________ E mail Address ________________________________________________ Church ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 Thank You For Your Generosity All Gifts Are Tax Deductible To The Fullest Extent Allowed By Law

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A Pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago The Reverend Dr Rob Joy has served Grace Church of Columbiana Ohio since 2007 He has served other NACCC churches in Michigan Wisconsin and Illinois since 1992 He has a D Min from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary an M Div from Princeton Theological Seminary and a BA in Psychology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania He was a member of C F T S and served on the Congregational Church Development Division Rob is married to the Reverend Juliann Joy PCUSA and has four children Ben Nate Shannon and Anna By Rev Dr Robert Joy This past October the Reverend Dr Robert Joy completed his trek of the Camino de Santiago also known as the Way of St James a network pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela The Roman Catholic cathedral within the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Spain is thought to be the resting place of St James and was a popular Christian pilgrimage during the Middle Ages The bubonic plague triggered its decline Today it is a trek among hikers cyclists and tourists many of whom are searching for spiritual enlightenment or a meditative experience A pilgrimage begins when the pilgrim leaves home and ends when he reaches the destination There are seven routes one can take Rob chose the Primitivo He shared his email posts with The Congregationalist Editor T rekking Pole 1 The Beginning So much of pilgrimage is about being alone with God or at least seeking to be alone with God in a face to face way I saw this sign imprinted on a window in the JFK airport in NYC as I waited for my flight to board for Madrid This was the point of no return This was a commitment to my goal of seeking God s presence in a new way Would I be successful Would God give Grace for this journey and maybe a renewal of spirit Then I saw this sign Face to face It seems to me that s what all people want a close personal time with the 6 One who created us in the beginning That in itself is renewing rejuvenating energizing God is good and gives us Grace for our journeys no matter what they may be I looked forward to what I hoped God might bring May you do the same May you have joy in the journey Trekking Pole 2 Arriving in Northern Spain When I arrived in Oviedo safely I checked into my hotel and immediately went to the C mara Santa of the Cathedral of San Salvador to see the Sudarium often referred to as the other Shroud of Jesus The special service was at 6 30 pm It would be crowded I was told and dignitaries were attending so come early I asked Would the Sudarium be displayed I was assured the real one would be there not the fake one that is often on display I thought Really They fake us out With time to waste I took the 4 Euro tour pilgrim rate and was enthralled I noticed a stand to the right as I faced the Chancel area that looked like it had a large picture frame under a dark red brocade drape covering it As the area was blocked off I couldn t examine the picture frame The works of art and church antiquity were amazing In the Sacred Chamber Camara Santa front and center was the Sudarium It was under a bright light and in a small silver frame in a box Why put it under bright light like that Don t they know that s bad for Wait a minute Could that be the fake one often displayed Hmm The Spanish language service started and it was nice The covered picture frame was still there undisturbed At the end they had a time for veneration when anyone could now come forward to see the Sudarium Two deacons in dark suits and gloves went over and flipped off the brocade drape There it was The Sudarium It had been there the whole service and I suspect the entire day It was in a thicker frame than the one on display Tradition holds that the cloth covered the face of Jesus after the crucifixion Unlike the Shroud of Turin which has the image of a man s face the Sudarium is stained with blood It was amazing to see I felt privileged overwhelmed and sad The cloth had covered the face of a person who had been horribly abused and then killed by asphyxiation caused by crucifixion as evidenced by the blood and fluid after death stains The Sudarium Effect Viewing is that venerating the Sudarium has influenced me in deep ways I am still processing I have more compassion for the sacrifice of Jesus even if it was not he who wore the cloth I feel in a deeper way the reality of his torturous death The Sudarium at Oviedo The Bridge of Zorrina s House Trekking Pole 3 Bridges that Last Salas is the best preserved medieval villages in that part of Northern Spain On my way to Salas which is near the end of that portion of the journey I found this bridge The Bridge of Zorrina s House Maybe she lived nearby It was built in the 16th Century Could the Ohio Department of Transportation build one that would last as long Do we build lasting bridges in our lives With our families Or is there one person who does that in your family More can build lasting bridges why not you At work In our church In our community Think about it Then get to work building lasting bridges Trekking Pole 4 Waymarks On the Camino waymarks yellow arrows or shells point the way to go usually It can be quite cloudy And hard to see I had to search out waymarks like Where s Waldo Notice the waymark on a downspout The waymarks can be quite confusing as well It is easy to feel lost in life Sometimes people are waymarks for us and God always is if we are looking Trekking Pole 5 Finding Our Limits There is a galvanized cross above the Saline Reservoir It reads unless my Latin is as nonexistent as my Spanish Christus Vivit Christus Regnat Christus Imperat Christ Is Alive Christ Is Sovereign Christ Is Lord We all need to remember our strength comes from the Lord always The Apostle Paul had his thorn in the flesh that limited him in significant ways 2 Corinthians 12 7 9 God did not take that thorn away whatever it was but told him My strength is made perfect in weakness Since being in the high mountains I ve discovered my limit I can do only about 12 miles of extreme up and down before the body says Stop we are done for the day The problem is the next three legs are longer 16 25 15 and 18 75 miles in the high mountains So taxis for those three days are in order I ll continue trekking on the Primitivo when I get to Lugo I can t wait to see how many new folks I ll meet because I was in town all day not on the Camino Maybe God had his hand in this The strength of God is perfected in our weakness Christus Vivit Christus Regnat Christus Imperat Continued 7

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Rob Joy in the mountains Highest elevations along the journey Trekking Pole 6 Respecting the Climb At dinner tonight I sat near several very fit hikers They looked more like alpinists the ones who climb mountains with pitons and ice axes They said today s leg Tuesday September 24 was very hard They had a respect for the Primitivo the ruggedness of it the eternal miles of it the elevation changes My first five stages had 20 244 feet of elevation change 3 8 miles My last stages should I complete them will have 12 122 feet of elevation change 2 2 miles The ups and downs are equally as hard and they don t stop one said Thinking about it it s the same thing with the ups and downs of life We all have experienced severe stress that can deal a hard blow such as getting a divorce getting fired or demoted at work etc We take a hit But the good stresses such as getting married getting a promotion etc also hit almost as hard researchers say All these elevation changes in life take some adjustment As biological creatures we seek a stasis a balance or stability But we don t often experience times of even stability God can help us be even even when we are not Yet we still need to respect the elevation changes and the stresses they bring There are many changes in life but God is unchanging and steadfast and will be with us through the ups and the downs Trekking Pole 7 The Wall I am in Lugo a city much older than 2000 years There is a wall that surrounds the old city built by the Romans or really more likely built by Celtic slaves after Rome took the city in 13 BCE The wall is 20 feet to 40 feet thick It is 30 to 40 feet high and two kilometers in circumference There are 71 defensive towers and 10 gates It has never been breached It seems indestructible Yet the mightiest power in the world at that time abandoned it in about 500 CE when the Roman Empire was falling apart Walls can outlive their purpose China had a wall There was the Maginot Line in WWI The residents of Jericho had their wall too As an effort to be protective walls have their limitations Ultimately they fail or become obsolete The wall of Jericho failed not because of its design and not because of the aggressiveness of the attackers It failed because its residents were not following the Living God A case could be made that Rome fell for the same reason They weren t active in building God s Kingdom only their own little kingdom Today there is a lot of talk about building walls to protect our country to protect our communities our families We should be careful if we love to build walls because God has been in the business of breaking down walls and barriers for a very long time and is not likely to stop anytime soon Only build a wall if you are building God s Kingdom by doing so While we should definitely build whatever God is telling us to build Kingdom work is usually bridge building not wall building Never allow fear to be your guide in making decisions Faith in a God who loves us is our guide Peace and joy on the journey Rob CONTINUED A Pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago Rob in the ancient city of Lugo A wall of the old city Trekking Pole 8 Uniting of the Ways I have been in on and around the Camino Primitivo for 17 days now Nothing surpasses it for rugged beauty But there are other Caminos other ways to get to Santiago Eunan a retired cop from Dublin has been on three the Camino Frances French Way the Camino Norte on the north seacoast of Spain and now the Primitivo He says each is different and has its own vibe The Frances is very peaceful going mostly over gentle rolling farmland The Norte is beautiful but a mad scramble of mostly younger fitness hikers The Primitivo s vibe is survival he said You must figure out how to make it to the next stage and next day with enough food and water there are often vast stretches with nothing besides the difficulty of the hike itself But in Melide the French joins the Primitivo In Arzua the Norte joins with them in one common route until Santiago Others finally join in Santiago the Portuguese and the English among others All routes are joined at Santiago Ephesians 1 10 says As a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth RSV No matter how fractured disjointed or broken this world is in Turrets offered a defense the end all things will be reconciled and brought together in Christ All things means just that Can you imagine people who think and believe very differently brought together in Christ Not just in a spiritual sense but in actual reality How can this happen I don t understand it all but it is through the sacrifice of Christ Only God can do this Someday there won t be war or starvation or a dog eat dog world Then in Christ will be fulfilled what we pray for every Sunday Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven So take a deep breath and exhale It s all going to be ok May you find Peace and Joy on the journey Rob The final stretch of the Primativo Continued An observer watches the pilgrims progress 8 9

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Journey s end the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela The Trekking Pole 9 There and Back Again The End of an Unexpected Journey On Thursday October 3 at 3 01 p m after a 19 kilometer 11 9 mile hike I completed my Camino Primitivo journey by walking into the plaza of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela just as hundreds of thousands maybe millions of pilgrims have done before There was no great rush of joy or flood of emotion just relief that I had finally made it It may have been odd there was no rush of emotion but I think there are two mistakes when doing a pilgrimage to expect too much out of it and to expect too little I was somewhere in between I was glad I was joyous But I was 10 not overwhelmingly so I was mostly relieved No more walking No more trying to find waymarks I took some pictures said a silent prayer of thanks and headed out of the square to try to find my accommodations This pilgrimage challenged me more than I thought it would in ways I thought it might in ways I hoped it would and in ways I never expected It physically exhausted me day after day and I pushed through the waves of fatigue and made it to my next stopping point It was humbling to find my limits even pushing past them several times and finally deciding after some days of doing it I should not push it that far or farther anymore So I completed the Camino with several of the high and longer stages unwalked Still having walked completely from Lugo to Santiago I did the required amount to get the coveted Camino Primitivo label on my Compostela the certificate of completion awarded to pilgrims from the beginning The minimum is 100 kilometers the distance from the Cathedral in Lugo to the Cathedral in Santiago I walked 213 kilometers all told which is also 133 miles Along the way I saw amazing vistas mountain ranges going in wave after wave until fading in the distance I looked down on early morning clouds covering country towns and valleys I saw a relatively rare Iberian wolf run across the road I met wonderful people for the most part The Spanish people are resourceful hardworking love their families dote over their children have the cleanest communities and the biggest hearts I shall miss them Camino friends were made But I would lose them every few days as they would go on as I stayed where I was every 3rd day But that was my choice Yet I shall miss the international group of saints I met along the way Emilio Spain Marta Spain Lydia Spain Noortje Netherlands Eunan Ireland Matt and Christine San Francisco Paula and Neil Ireland Bindu India residing in Houston Eduardo The Azores Mike and Colin Toronto Ontario Barb London Ontario Horatio and his mother Romania and Paulo Brazil among a number of others I should very much like to connect with them again sometime but doubt that will happen So I wish every blessing upon each one of them I am very grateful for a church that loves me enough to send me on this crazy sojourn No one I spoke with ever knew of a church funding a pastor to go on a pilgrimage They told me that my church must appreciate me very CONTINUED A Pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago much This has been the adventure of a lifetime I can never repay them for giving me this opportunity Unexpectedly after arriving on Oviedo on September 14th I had the rare opportunity during the benediction of the service commemorating the Victory of the Cross at the Cathedral to view venerate the Sudarium It is out for public viewing only three times a year Good Friday of course September 14th and September 21st The Sudarium is the rough cloth used to cover the face of the deceased Christ while he was yet on the cross and when he was taken down from the cross laid on the ground about an hour and finally to the tomb a time period of several hours the modern forensics investigators say I believe among all the thousands of Christian relics out there faked manufactured lost and substituted a very few have survived and are the real deal From what I can determine after looking at all the evidence reading several books about the forensics results the extensive historical documentation of where the Sudarium was for 2000 years and who had it it makes the most sense out of all the possibilities that this one is the real deal I am still making sense of the emotions I felt seeing it from 30 feet away Kind of makes Jesus as real and as close to you as your right hand It was much more overwhelming for me than walking into the plaza in Santiago Seeing the Sudarium at the beginning of my pilgrimage made it all worthwhile and the rest of it endurable Memories of it fueled me as I walked the many kilometers Memories of it will be with me until I go to see the One to whom it belongs In that moment to come I wished I would have it with me so I could say Ah here I believe this belongs to You The world is both bigger and smaller than when I left I am changed but I am still working out what that means In the end I found what I was looking for to somehow encounter God in some way face to face I saw God in the stain patterns on a rough rectangle of cloth about 21 by 30 inches carefully preserved and protected by loving hands for two millennia I also saw God in the faces of the people I met on and off the Camino as the living breathing Body of Christ Both humble me One fellow I met on the Camino was a simple unpretentious wood working craftsman He had a little workstation out in the country by the side of the Way just out of the pilgrim city of Arzua He made canes and walking sticks with carvings on them He made little desk knick knacks carved with shell designs and crosses I bought a shell with a cross etched on it and colored with a blue ballpoint pen I asked him to put his name on the back Me he asked Si por favor I responded So he did FRANCISCO he wrote in caps I will remember him as well and say a prayer for him when the Spirit reminds me Face to face indeed May you find Peace and Joy on your Journey Rob P S This will be the last Trekking Pole I hope you have enjoyed the journey Olivet Congregational Church in Olivet Michigan seeks a full time pastor to lead a theologically diverse congregation Candidates must have a strong affinity for service and outreach to the community We are seeking a pastor with a strong faith compassion and good communication skills who can lead us on the next phase of our Christian journey Major responsibilities include leading worship services community outreach and a strong emphasis on visitation of members and shut ins Regular office hours are expected olivetcongregational org Founded 1844 on Olivet College Campus Interested candidates may view our complete profile and apply on line at www naccc org Olivet Congregational Church Search committee PO Box 368 Olivet MI 49076 11

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TO THE Letters EDITOR The Peabody Stories is a new thing in The Congregationalist They are interesting stories certainly but uplifting and edifying Not sure I m skeptical Almost every congregation has its unique personalities some more unique than others but it doesn t seem right or wise to make fun of our church members in our denominational magazine If Pastor Nierer wants to use his story telling skills to write a series of books similar to the Mitford series highlighting the joys of interpersonal relationships within a church body he is certainly free to do so It could be profitable for him and might even be entirely appropriate coming from an individual rather than the official magazine of a particular church fellowship Grove Armstrong The Congregationalist In the article Honestly Be Honest in the March 2020 issue the Reverend Dr James P Nichols asks many questions to which I would propose to answer just two First so yesterday s beliefs used to be true but no longer are Answer Yes At one time Christians like St Paul did not allow a woman to speak at church gatherings let alone Senior Pastor South Paris Maine First Congregational Church of South Paris is seeking a senior pastor A member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches this active caring congregation situated in a small town in Oxford County has an average worship attendance of approximately 175 persons and an active membership of 275 A profile of the congregation and a candidate application form is available on the church s website Deadline June 30th http southpariscongregational com be pastors and leaders When I was growing up my church believed tattoos were of the devil as were movies and dancing Nor did they allow divorced persons to participate fully in the life of the church There has always been a part of the Christian community who have been pacifists and many argue that for the first 300 years of the faith Christians believed it was wrong to serve in the military God s truth may be unchangeable but our flawed time bound perceptions of it surely does Of course our beliefs about what is good and right and true change Second Do you prefer to remain open in order to avoid commitment and or accountability Answer No or at least as close as I can tell I wish that Nichols could entertain the possibility that maybe just maybe those of us who don t see the faith as he does are at least as honest as he is and as deeply committed to following Jesus It seems to me that an honest Christ follower is one who admits their severely limited grasp of just what biblical truth is but also persists in following the way of love True enough our certainty dare not be founded in individual whim or popular opinion but neither can it be based on the Bible Certainty better yet life comes only as much as I wish it were otherwise from the living everchanging always baffling Spirit that manifests itself only and always in love Ralph DiBiasio Snyder Dear Marianne King Recognition as noted on page 21 of our current edition March 2020 is a very important activity Thank you for its inclusion Item The Joseph Jones Russell Sermon Query For those who do not know Joseph Jones Russell Joe to his friends was the first editor of the reconstituted Congregationalist at or about the time that the NACCC was coming into existence I don t remember the exact year At age 94 my memory is getting poor But Joe took on the task of putting together a new magazine for continuing Congregationalists after the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST people actually Presbyterians in polity had abandoned both task and title Joe has gone to heaven but it is well that he be recognized in any way Sincerely Harvey Lord Note My records indicate that Joseph Jones Russell was editor from 1958 until 1962 following a period during which the magazine was out of print Over the last few years I ve learned that The Congregationalist was on shaky ground from its inception in 1848 until Joseph Russell and the NACCC took charge of it Both he and the Association deserve our gratitude Marianne Changing of the Guard at Congregational Library Archives Margaret Bendroth C hanging of the Guard at Congregational Library Archives This spring marks an end and a beginning at the Congregational Library Archives in Boston Dr Margaret Bendroth who has served as executive director of the Library since 2004 will retire and Dr Stephen Butler Murray will come in to lead the organization into its future Special thanks to chairperson Mark Gabrielson and other members of the search committee for their faithful service Dr Bendroth s 16 years as executive director are highlighted by the Library s transformation from the era of the card catalog to the electronic age national recognition of its collections and programs through major grants and award winning publications insuring its financial and institutional strength and the expansion and renovation of its historic facilities at 14 Beacon Street in Boston It s been such a privilege to lead this organization Dr Bendroth says especially because of the all the wonderful dedicated people who have come alongside I m grateful to the board and search committee for the gift of their time and talents leading to such a promising outcome with a new executive director Dr Stephen Butler Murray comes to his position at the Library following years of experience in academic administration most recently as president of Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit as well as having pastored churches in Massachusetts New York and Michigan With degrees from Bucknell University B A Endicott College M B A Yale University M Div and Union Theological Seminary in New York City Ph D he has deep roots in New England having worked at Suffolk University Endicott College and Harvard University Dr Murray has published numerous books and articles in the fields of historical and systematic theology ethics and interfaith dialogue I am honored to serve the Library after the extraordinary leadership of Peggy Bendroth Dr Butler says I thank the board and staff for their welcome and am delighted to serve as the next executive director This is one of the most important repositories and resources for religious social and intellectual history in the United States a welcoming center for academic historians and lay researchers alike I cannot wait to undertake the responsibility of growing this remarkable institution and bringing its resources to the wider public As Dr Bendroth affirms The Congregational Library is a strong organization in a great place With an energetic new executive director visionary leadership on the board and beautifully renovated and expanded facilities the CLA has a great future and 2020 is going to be a signal year in our long history Stephen Butler Murray 12 13

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Two That Got Away A favorite clich about fishermen is that they like to talk about the one that got away This short article is about two powerful Christians who got away from Congregationalism and then went on to do great things for the Lord Both their stories include a rainstorm that had unexpected results One famous incident in Congregational history was the Haystack Prayer Meeting In 1806 a group of young men who were students at Williams College were members of a prayer group they called The Brethren They had gathered outdoors in a grove of trees for prayer when a sudden thunderstorm drove them to seek shelter in a haystack There a conversation began in which one of them suggested that they ought to go preach the Gospel in Asia This was almost a revolutionary idea in Congregationalism at that time but eventually those men all became ordained as Congregational ministers and persuaded Congregational churches to organize the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions In 1812 several of the Congregationalist missionaries from the Haystack group were on their way to India On board ship however two of them after a long time of wrestling with their consciences became Baptists The better known of the two was Adoniram Judson who completed the journey and ended up settling in Burma where he would live and serve for the rest of his life His children would all be born in 14 By Robert Hellam Burma and he would outlive two wives there At one point he would be imprisoned for twelve months facing torture in Burma s most notorious prison Friends back home organized a Baptist missionary society to support Judson and others a society that later participated in the formation of the American Baptist Convention Judson learned the Burmese language and founded a Baptist church in Burma also winning converts as a traveling evangelist He translated the Bible into Burmese and rendered parts of Scripture into Thai and other languages In addition he compiled the very first Burmese English dictionary He founded schools and trained Burmese preachers Even now Baptist churches in Burma or Myanmar celebrate Judson Day every July In 1850 Judson became very ill and a sea voyage was prescribed to improve his health However he died aboard ship and the Lord took him home at age 61 There were almost no native Christians in Burma when Judson arrived there At the end of his life there were about 210 000 Charles Spurgeon was raised in a Congregationalist home but he was really no more than a nominal Christian until one day when he was fifteen years old Walking through London on the way to an appointment one Sunday he was suddenly caught in a strong downpour To get out of the rain he ducked into a Primitive Methodist chapel In the pulpit that Sunday was an inexperienced layman who could do little more than repeat his text over and over Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Isaiah 45 22 Seeing the uncomfortable young man the preacher focused his attention on Spurgeon and told him that he needed to give himself completely to Jesus Spurgeon took the remark to heart Baptized in 1850 Spurgeon joined a Baptist church Four years later he accepted his first call to be the pastor of a Baptist church Although he never attended university or seminary Spurgeon was said to have a photographic memory which enabled him to educate himself in Scripture and theology and to master Hebrew and Greek He rejected ordination and always insisted on being called Mr rather than Reverend Eventually he was the famous pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for many years which could hold up to to six thousand worshipers and included a school for preachers and an organization for the distribution of Christian literature People called him the Prince of Preachers Despite recurrent bouts of depression Spurgeon served the Lord for over forty years He founded an orphanage and wrote many books one of them a hymnal that included some hymns that he had written Some of Spurgeon s books are still in circulation today He edited a monthly magazine called The Sword and the Trowel and his personal library had over ten thousand volumes He was an opponent of slavery which resulted in many letters denouncing him and a drop in the sales of his published sermons Even so Spurgeon declared that he would rather receive a murderer into his church than a man stealer Both men are justifiably seen as heroes in Baptist circles It is right that their adoptive parents are proud of these two accomplished sons But Congregationalists can take satisfaction from knowing that we their birth parents were the first to nurture them A Canterbury TAILOR By Robert Hellam John Winslow s gravestone J ames Chilton was a tailor in Canterbury Kent England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Like a number of other Englishmen of his time he became dissatisfied with the Church of England finding it insufficiently reformed and embraced the Congregational Way He and his family moved along with their church the congregation led by Pastor John Robinson to Leiden in the Netherlands escaping persecution from the British government Later they were among the passengers on the Mayflower enduring the hardships of two and a half months at sea on the way to what the Pilgrims thought of as their new Promised Land James was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact in November 1620 but he never set foot on American soil The oldest of all the passengers he died aboard the ship leaving behind his wife Susanna his thirteen year old daughter Mary and other children who were still in Leiden According to tradition Mary had the distinction of being the first female among the Mayflower passengers to step off the boat onto Plymouth Rock Mary was one of those heroic teenage girls who kept the colony going tending to the sick and cooking the meals and working tirelessly at other necessary chores during that first hard winter when about half of the settlers died Mary s mother was one of those who died that winter leaving Mary alone with no other family in New England Her siblings had not accompanied their parents on the journey to the New World Later in about 1627 Mary was married to John Winslow brother of Governor Edward Winslow John was not a Mayflower passenger arriving on a later ship One disappointing detail I learned from reading John s will was that on his death in 1674 he bequeathed his Negro girl Jane to his widow How sad that the stain of slavery disfigured America so early The main reason I find the Chiltons and Winslows so interesting and was so very disappointed about that The Reverend Dr Robert Hellam is senior pastor at Church of the Oaks in Del Rey Oaks California In addition he served as a chaplain captain with the California State Military Reserve from 2011 through 2015 with prior active duty as an enlisted man in the U S Navy Bob earned his BA in English and his teaching credential from San Jos State University his Master of Divinity degree from Western Seminary and the Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Theological Seminary Bob is a member of the Monterey Bay Colony of the Society of Mayflower Descendants the Nims Family Association the Plapp Family Association and American Legion Post 591 He lives in Seaside California with his wife Connie detail in John s will is that James and Mary and John were my ancestors I am also descended from another of James s daughters Isabella who did not come from Leiden to Plymouth Colony until about 1629 subsequent ancestors one descended from Mary and the other from her sister married each other a few generations later I had the pleasure of talking to the young actor portraying John Winslow at Plimoth Plantation back in 2011 when my wife Connie and I attended the Boston Seminar He was out working in his yard on a nice sunny afternoon and we struck up a conversation The actor stayed completely in character so of course I was unable to explain our connection to him merely commenting that we were distant relatives We had a very enjoyable talk that lasted about a quarter of an hour and he embodied my ancestor so convincingly that it was a little bit spooky to be in Boston a few days later and see the real John Winslow s gravestone 15

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THE Along WAY Irene Maxcy is Chair of the Missions Board at Second Congregational Church of Warren Maine Citrus Springs Community Congregational Christian Church 50 Years of Service Submitted by Deacon David Unzworth The Citrus Springs community was developed by the Deltona Corporation in the late 1960s In the spring of 1970 a group of residents decided to form a church Initially they met in the community s rec center and continued holding services in that facility for over nine years During this period the group was supported by local Presbyterian Baptist and Methodist congregations which even paid the pastor s salary By 1977 the congregation was growing and there was interest in building their own church A building fund was established and on November 12 1978 the congregation voted to build a sanctuary The developer of the community donated the land and on July 29 1979 construction began The church was originally called The First Community Church of Citrus Springs Then on September 4 1982 the congregation voted to adopt the name Community Congregational Christian Church and become affiliated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Throughout the years the congregation has benefited from its relationship with the NACCC There was help during the building phase and financial assistance with repairs following a hurricane We make every effort to support the NACCC and its ministries It s the Congregational Way North Congregational Church Hosts World Sabbath Sunday O n March 1 2020 North Congregational Church of Farmington Hills Michigan hosted the 21st Annual World Sabbath worship The World Sabbath program is organized by the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit The Council brings people of many faiths together to work toward a harmonious community based on their highest and best values The Council teaches understanding which leads to deep respectful relationships among individuals and congregations of different faiths as well as those who do not have a religious affiliation The World Sabbath interfaith service grew out of concerns raised by wars that had been raging around the world in Serbia Kosovo Ireland and the Middle East The World Sabbath consists of offerings of prayer by presenters from many beliefs and of a Children of Peace procession This year over 200 people attended the service at North Church Clergy and faith leaders from over 15 different faith based organizations helped organize and conduct the event The program included worship in many traditions Jewish sounding of the Shofar music Muslim call to prayer Christian choral music Hindu dance Zoroastrian prayer and music Baha i music and youth choir Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints music and youth choir Jain dance Interfaith Quaker song prayer for peace Children of Peace choir Hero in 2019 She leads Diversity Specialists a training group that promotes cross cultural understanding between clinicians and patients She is also the founder and CEO of Zaman International a metropolitan Detroitbased nonprofit that provides crisis assistance and vocational training to marginalized women with children It was an uplifting event promoting peace and understanding to all who attended For more information contact www WorldSabbath org or www NorthCongregationalChurch org Submitted by the Reverend Dr Mary E Biedron The World Sabbath Peace Award was presented to Najah Bazzy an esteemed healthcare consultant interfaith leader professor and CNN Children s Clothing Exchange Two Churches Serving Together By Irene Maxcy The heart of small town Warren Maine lies on the banks of the St George River which runs right through our Main Street On Main Street you can find the post office library St George River Cafe and two churches within walking distance of one another Second Congregational Church of Warren SCCW and Warren Baptist Church WBC Even though we are of different denominations we like to call ourselves sister churches We share a summer service in the park Vacation Bible School and alternate between churches for Thanksgiving eve services But the tie that brings us together week after week is the Old Brick School Community Center located directly behind WBC The Old Brick School was once a high school middle school and primary school at different times throughout its history At auction in 2014 the WBC bought the school by then in need of extensive repair With the help of many volunteers and much fundraising the Old Brick School is now a community center and houses the Bread for the Journey food pantry and the Children s Clothing Exchange The WBC oversees the food pantry with the help of volunteers from SCCW and members of our church keep the racks full and manage the Children s Clothing Exchange Both ministries moved into the Old Brick School in 2017 The Children s Clothing Exchange started out as community outreach offering good used infant clothes to anyone in need In 2013 it was resurrected as the Clothes Closet with the help of our then minister the Reverend Andy Stinson For nearly four years on the first Saturday of the month volunteers unpacked totes of children s clothing and spread them out on tables according to size From 9 am until noontime anyone who wanted good used clothing for their children could shop in our Fellowship Room free of charge We then had to pack up the clothes and store the totes in a single closet hence the name Clothes Closet Needless to say it was labor intensive and that s without mentioning the time spent sorting and sizing the donations Why we didn t give up on this ministry I m not sure Perhaps it was faith that someday the Clothes Closet would have a permanent home Or maybe it was a baby s smile a toddler finding a book he could keep or a school age girl filling a bag with clothes of her own choosing Whatever the reason we persevered Long before our move to the Old Brick School Rev Andy led a visioning session with all the volunteers and our Clothes Closet manager Susan Lombardo who has volunteered her time from the beginning We were amazed at how similar our hopes and dreams were for the Clothes Closet s future The following came out of that visioning session 1 First and foremost the Clothes Closet will always be God centered 2 We will extend hospitality to all who come through our door no matter their circumstances 3 A permanent home for the Clothes Closet came up time and time again 4 At some time in the future the Clothes Closet will become the Clothes Closet and More and generate income for other mission projects 5 Our entire church community will share their individual gifts making the Clothes Closet a resource for the wider community 6 The Clothes Closet will be a place where parents and their children can come and feel cared about a place of hope 7 The Clothes Closet will be multifaceted providing outreach to parents and children needing services but not knowing where to find them Have we reached all these goals Not at all but since April 2013 we have been true to our mission to provide quality used children s clothing while extending an expression of love hope and caring With the move to the Old Brick School the name was changed to Children s Clothing Exchange in hopes of encouraging all economic levels to participate in this ministry The dedication over the years has been astounding to watch and the hours devoted cannot be counted The amount of clothes given away is beyond measure This is just as true for the Bread for the Journey food pantry In their case it is food but the dedication is equal The two rooms housing the food pantry and the children s clothing stand side by side just as do our two churches God s work is not only done inside the four walls of our churches but inside this Old Brick School with each and every person we encounter This is the work we are called to do week after week faithfully and together Staffer at Food Pantry Worshippers gather for World Sabbath worship at North Congregational Church 16 17

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CONTINUED THE Along WAY Necrology2020 CARavan of Caring In this time of self sheltering the dynamic of church has changed dramatically Even with the more advanced technology of Zoom and on line services the intimacy of gathering in the house of the Lord has been missing in the lives of the members As with all churches but even more so with small churches such as ours Church of the Oaks people are used to getting together throughout the week to attend Sunday School Mid week Bible Study Women s Bible Study Men s Prayer Breakfast and Women s Guild meetings For many single members especially those with relatives in other locations the church is their family So it is in this time of isolation that they are acutely aware of their solitude That solitude is made more intense by the uncertainty of how the disease of COVID 19 will affect them God is good as the pastor always says during worship service and it occurred to some of the members of the church that the word needed to go out to these solitary members and to the community in general that God is indeed good and loves them Spearheaded by Pat Knox several of the ladies from our Women s Bible Study decided to decorate their cars with balloons and signs that said just that So with cars decorated and notifying the members of the church that they were headed their way the ladies traveled from Prunedale to five other cities on the Monterey Peninsula On the road the caravan of God s love was met with lots of thumbs up shouts of God bless you and honks of appreciation Everyone whom they visited was happy to see some of their church family in person if only in their cars My heart was warmed and my spirit was lifted as I saw my friends led by God that morning Jackie has recovered from COVID 19 sages mes arried e of lov Cars c Gail waves to the CARavan Virginia and Pat wave hello I was reminded of the words of that beautiful hymn Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above When we asunder part It gives us inward pain But we shall still be joined in heart And hope to meet again The church of Christ is the people and the strength of the church is the love that binds them together Though this period of time has separated us for a while we will meet again in the house of the Lord to worship Him and give thanks for His abiding love and protection Submitted by Bob Hellam 18 Reverend Jerry Chase Reverend Jerry Chase passed away in Dubuque Iowa on February 5 2020 at age 70 In 1988 Jerry completed the Licensed Local Pastor School at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and received his Bachelor s in Religious Studies from the University of Dubuque in 2002 He went on to receive his Master of Divinity Degree from University of Dubuque Theological Seminary While in seminary Jerry served as student pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Hazleton Iowa and Grace United Methodist Church in Oelwein Iowa He was ordained at the First Congregational Church in Elkader Iowa in 2006 and served there until his retirement He is survived by his wife Julie Woodyard his daughter son and stepson as well as 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild two sisters and two brothers Reverend Kathryn Alene Rust Reverend Kathryn Rust passed away on February 13 2020 at age 73 Active in NACCC leadership for a time Rust served on the Division for Ministry 2002 2006 the Program Committee 2006 2007 and the Communication Services Committee 2007 2009 She attended Lakeland College for her bachelor s degree and received her Master s in Divinity at Garrett Theological Seminary Evanston Illinois She served as associate minister at First Congregational Church in Wauwatosa Wisconsin and minister at First Congregational Church in Mukwonago Wisconsin Rust became an interim pastor for the United Church of Christ serving churches in Wisconsin Illinois Iowa and Florida She is survived by two sisters and a brother Reverend Charles Pittman Reverend Charles Pittman passed away on January 20 2020 at age 89 Rev Pittman graduated from the University of West Virginia and was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene He moved to Michigan and pastored Nazarene churches He also taught high school English history and biology Rev Pittman was a long time member of First Congregational Church of Wayne and after receiving his minister s license from the church in 1999 became the Parish Associate Rev Pittman is survived by his wife Elaine daughter Glenda two grandchildren his stepson Christopher and two step grandchildren Thomas E Lootens Thomas E Lootens died in Ypsilanti Michigan on February 21 2020 at age 95 Lootens attended the University of Michigan in the Naval ROTC program and studied mechanical industrial engineering His naval tour of duty ended August 1946 While in the Reserves he was called up to serve two years in the Korean War He sold insurance for most of his career working until he was age 90 A long time member of the First Congregational Church of Royal Oak Michigan he attended numerous annual meetings of the National Association of Congregational Churches Over the years he held several leadership positions including Building Loan Team of CCD 1986 1990 Financial Services Committee 1996 2009 and Financial Stewardship 1995 1996 He is survived by two sons a daughter four grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren He was preceded in death by his wife Enid his parents two sisters and a brother Mildred Catherine Gardner Mildred Gardner passed away March 27 2020 at age 93 She found great pleasure and purpose in her many years as a member and delegate of the Cal West Association the National Association of Congregational Churches and the International Congregational Fellowship which she attended with her second husband Lloyd Whitney Gardner For many years she was tasked with publishing the Cal West Congregationalist quarterly newsletter Gardner served on the NACCC Nominating Committee for two terms 1997 1999 and 2001 2003 She also generously funded the CFTS Gardner Scholarship Gardner remained a hard working and faithful member of the First Congregational Church of Anaheim where she held the role of church Historian for many years Gardner earned her Nursing Degree at the University of Wisconsin She married Ellis Hoverson Flint and they moved west eventually settling in California She and her husband lived in Whittier California where they raised four children Gardner ended her nursing career at Whittier Hospital She is survived by her sister four children and many nieces nephews grandchildren and great grandchildren 19

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REFLECTIONS in a Challenging Time At the time I began planning the June issue of this magazine coronavirus was an oddly regal name for an illness cropping up halfway around the world The virus turned out to be a despot and by March we were amid a full blown pandemic Churches like businesses schools government agencies and so many other organizations scrambled to serve their congregations while accommodating the new normal The following are reflections and prayers that offered a moment of grace in an anxietyridden time Editor H The Saddest Week i Friends I just opened up my laptop to hear the latest news I must be a glutton for punishment One of the big headlines Prepare for the Saddest Week I didn t read on too long because I knew this was another fear generating article on the virus I did feel a nudge by the Holy Spirit The word nudge has been in my head for a few days I ve been reading Leonard Sweet s book Nudge and it s got me nudging already Is this really the saddest week Yesterday we celebrated the coming of the humble king into t he great city On Thursday we reflect on his final intimate meal Friday will be a day of sorrows but we know the best is yet to come I thought of Good Friday and it came to me that instead of feeling like it s a time of great sorrows I am grateful that Jesus willingly died for us For me this is not the saddest week but a week of hope Shalom Reverend Dr Michael Wayne Glidden Minister North Deering Congregational Church Portland Maine Reflection Behold You desire truth in the inward parts And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psalms 51 6 7 W e are in our second week of a New Lifestyle This morning I woke up to six inches of fresh fluffy wet snow Yup and it s March 24th In the Grand State of Maine we call this a Sugar Snow it is the grand finale for our sugar maples to infuse more sap up their trunks Sometimes in our devotional life we can become blind or numb to our personal shortcomings Sitting in my prayer chair I am humbly reminded that I need to allow our Creator to help me to be cleansed to the depths of my Soul and open my high heart to light and love I seek to be set free from fear anxiety and the challenge of living at this time on Gaia In my mind s eye I go outside and lie down in this wonderful fluffy abundance poor man s cotton candy mindfully allowing what Spirit quietly brings to be transformed and released into new energy Out with the inward worry and in with LIGHT Next I simply breathe good fresh Maine air into the newly exercised void Voila Transformation The Divine works in a most wonderful way I am grateful for the Psalmist s words and rich symbolism and for our abundance of beautiful white snow Perhaps I will go out and make a snow angel or maybe a yummy batch of snow ice cream Prayer Powerful Force of the Universal Universes thank You for ultimately setting us free from our burdens fears and troubles when we ask and yield to You Reverend Dr Peter Stickney Pastor of Music and Arts and Kantor for the Newfield Community Church in Newfield Maine O ur dear God we dare to ask for a miracle Our prayers may not seem realistic in the eyes of the world but we know You to be the One Who still does miracles May not one more person in the whole world be infected by the coronavirus May not one more person in the whole world die as a result of that virus Please comfort those who have lost family and friends and please give wisdom and a cooperative spirit to all our political and church leaders In Jesus Name Amen Blessings Reverend Robert Hellam pastor Church of the Oaks in Del Rey Oaks California W Almost Rubbing Elbows hen St Paul was in prison he wrote to the congregation in Ephesus He begged them his actual word to live in all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love This time is a wonderful time to practice what St Paul preached be humble be gentle be patient When these simple words are preached on a Sunday morning to members sitting in pews in heated or air conditioned comfort the message is so very easy to listen to However we are now no longer in a laboratory of ideas but in reality almost rubbing elbows with those we live with And neither patience nor humility nor gentleness may be abundant We are in the real world My own reality is that I live with my wife Sue Two times a week for a full eight hour day Sue and I take care of two wonderfully alive but bored to death grandchildren ages eight and ten Those days wear us out Many parents now are at home and are with their children 24 7 Wow Kudos to you who are still smiling during the pandemic While St Paul was in prison he worried about his future He was lonely Yet as he prayed he announced There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all As time marches on what we will remember is the love we showed to all What others will remember about us is the love we showed to them Make that love real Amen Stay safe stay home so we can all be together again Were Not Ten Made Clean Luke 17 11 19 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee As he entered a village ten lepers approached him Keeping their distance they called out saying Jesus Master have mercy on us When he saw them he said to them Go and show yourselves to the priests And as they went they were made clean Then one of them when he saw that he was healed turned back praising God with a loud voice He prostrated himself at Jesus feet and thanked him And he was a Samaritan Then Jesus asked Were not ten made clean But the other nine where are they Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner Then he said to him Get up and go on your way your faith has made you well T he Church of Saint Mary Melide Spain goes back at least to the later Medieval Age 1300 1400 It is interesting in that it had a specialized ministry The story has it that the priests ran a nearby house for lepers what was known as a leprosarium Only lepers could stay there For many lepers after they discovered they had leprosy back then there were several skin conditions which may have been mistaken for leprosy they almost always left their families and were sequestered in a new community of lepers kind of their new family It was a very difficult thing to do and very heartbreaking as you might imagine But if you didn t want any members of your family to get leprosy that was what you did Things are different today But back then many faced that decision The leprosarium was also sad because it was as close as any lepers could get to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela built to house the relics of St James And the Cathedral was 34 miles away They would never see worship in the great Cathedral Any worship the community of lepers had was almost always among themselves Not in the local cathedral even not in the little church nearby Only rarely was there even a guest preacher Francis of Assisi visited and preached to a colony of lepers later in his career but that behavior was rare among clergy No video tape or livestreaming of a service in which to vicariously take part They were mostly on their own Continued Reverend Dr Barry W Szymanksi Pastoral Care Minister First Congregational Church Wauwatosa Wisconsin Iglesia de Santa Maria Melide Church of Saint Mary Melide Spain 20 21

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in a Challenging Time We find ourselves in a similar circumstance In this COVID 19 shelter in place self quarantine we all might feel a bit like we are the lepers that we are unclean but I assure you they had it much worse It is certainly true if we did not stay apart that contagion would spread and make many more Americans ill some seriously ill and the hospitals would be more than overwhelmed There is something crucial to remember While we can t do church in the same building and I believe any who do are being very irresponsible we can always still worship Nothing can take that freedom from us nor dampen the desire or remove the need God needs to receive our worship We need to give it We need to keep our relationship with God active and vital It will make a very positive difference in the coming days and weeks One way we can keep worshipping is that if you are able to do so to send in a gift to the church by mail or online see church website Another way is that at 10 45 a m every Sunday morning knowing others are doing the same thing at the same time we can read the liturgy I will send out and continue with the brief sermon and benediction I am still working on trying to get something online via several avenues and everybody thinks I need to use their favorite avenue but to keep from getting so frustrated I throw the 22 entire computer out the window I am limiting my efforts to keep from getting to that point Well this week I at least learned how to save a document in a PDF format and send that I guess I am behind the curve but I didn t know there was a curve to get behind I will try to figure out how to do a sound file but not sure where to look Notice these ten lepers when they saw Jesus kept their distance They had to practice social distancing according to the laws and customs of the time to keep from spreading the disease They don t ask for healing just mercy and are healed anyway Then only one returns to praise God and thank Jesus That ratio is 9 to 1 The thankfulness ratio is not very good I know it is hard to stay out of social contact with friends and sometimes family But I want you to think of this be thankful for the nine folks at least you did not infect by regularly staying put Be thankful they will not get sick from you and that you will not get sick from them Sometimes we don t need tremendous amazing and showy miracles of healing from God Sometimes it is the small and simple things that make all the difference in the life of another or in your own life Right now that small and simple thing is staying put And oh yeah WASH YOUR HANDS Amen Things to think about 1 Is your church the type of church that would support a leprosarium 2 Draw 10 stick figures and another for Jesus Circle one of the stick figures One is not very many compared to the other nine is it Ninety percent did NOT think of returning their praise to God for the miracle Why are people so ungrateful Have you ever been ungrateful Confess that to God and others if they are with you 3 Thank each person with you for who they are or for what they do for you or others 4 What are you most thankful for right now By the Reverend Dr Robert Joy CONTINUED REFLECTIONS Thanks T he National Association of Congregational Christian Churches wishes to thank our Editor s Round Table members who supported The Congregationalist with a contribution of 100 or more in Fiscal Year 2020 April 1 2019 March 31 2020 Henry Martyn Dexter Society 1 000 and above Richard Derham Sylvia McCormick Beth Wilkins Edward Beecher Society 500 999 Edith Bartley Claude Joyce Dunn James Henson Robert Suzanne Stoyer Art Lee Wallach Elias Smith Connexion 250 499 Dick Mary Berger Jeff Sharon Dillon First Congregational Church of Naples Laura Hamby Robert Constance Hellam Barbara Mullen Preston City Congregational Church Alicia Paul Riedy Ed Patricia White Sustaining Members 100 249 Phyllis Agers Dave Arnold Randy Nancy Asendorf William Barbara Barnes Charles Barr II James Nancy Battle Sustaining Members Continued Neil Linda Bennett Donald Penny Bentley Sharon Beringson Philip Mary Biondi Roger Janice Bowers John Kay Bowman Cathy Brockington Beth Brooks Marguerite Burg John Buscemi Betty Campbell Marria Casner Bobbie Chapman Michael Vicki Chittum Norm Marcia Christensen George Clay Jerold Dorothy Cochran Curtis Terry Cole Don Sandy Cole Jean Colegrove John Steele Cook Thomas Cornell Harold Covill Mark Cruth Carolyn Curley Frederick Dunn Gregory Marcie Errico Evangelical Congregational Church First Congregational Church of Elkader First Congregational Church of Toulon Fred Fortier Colleen Foster Sherry Glab Ann Goecke Arthur Patricia Greeley Paul Nancy Hamilton Robert Harloff Jim Ann Harris Randall Linda Hase Roger Mary Hawk Clarence Jean Heerema Larry Katherine Howell Sustaining Members Continued Andrew Kathy Irish Mark Liane Jensen Patricia Jipson Greg Jurewicz Marianne King Bob Claudia Kniefel Richard Mary Koch Michael Lambert Lowell Shirley Linden Lewis Caryn Long Fred Jodee Lord Thomas Janet Lovell Marcia Lynk Edward Martin Bruno Mauer Mr Mrs Lloyd Maxwell John McElroy David Marsha McMurray Victoria James Melendy Patricia Miller Mohegan Congregational Church Andy Marti Mollema William Mulholland Marianne Neufeld Bernie Alberta Nichols Daniel Bonnie Olson Jo Parker Sharon Petrie Varn Liz Philbrook Virginia Pratt Donald Marilyn Rauschl Phil Peg Read Doug Carol Rearick Ruth Reindl Tom LeeAnne Richard Dottie Schimpf Bob Barbara Smith Larry Joelle Sommers Brent Julie Staples Robert Stawski William Sukeforth Barry Sue Szymanski Clayton Timmons Craig Barbara Walker Jim Cindy Walsh Bruce Walters Joe Shaaron Walton Edgar Suzanne Wheeler Les Phyllis Wicker Thomas Wittkopp Norman Yassany Deceased 23

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AND News NEEDS of OUR MORGAN SCOTT PROJECT MAINE SEACOAST MISSION Deer Lodge Tennessee M aine Seacoast Mission is using telemedicine to meet the need for basic health care for island residents Director of Island Health Sharon Daley RN meets with islanders on Sharo the Sunbeam and in their homes and keeps in touch between Sunbeam trips via phone and the internet The Sunbeam is equipped with state of the art telemedicine facilities including a specialized examination camera and other diagnostic devices so that islanders can have virtual office visits with doctors on the mainland Telemedicine is increasingly important for its role in mental health allowing adults and children to connect with psychiatrists for evaluations and medication reviews A growing number of island residents use the equipment to meet with mental health and substance abuse counselors y RN n Dale C rystal Tompkins Executive Director for Morgan Scott Project in Deer Lodge Tennessee is grateful for the calls and emails from NACCC churches and individuals checking to see if the mission was hit by recent tornadoes Thankfully the mission was not damaged Crystal immediately reached out to Cookville Tennessee one of the hardest hit areas She will be following the situation in upcoming weeks and let the Mission and Outreach Ministry Council know of any needs PLANNING A MISSION TRIP T here is a good chance that for years to come we will not look at toilet paper the same again Here today gone tomorrow Many missionaries world wide feel that way about their connections with churches and individuals Here today with visits promises made frequent emails financial support Gone tomorrow when the mountain top experience fades and the romance of mission relationship is replaced with the reality of the commitment that coming alongside some of the most vulnerable of God s people can be hard dangerous and costly This is what can and often does happen but it doesn t have to be that way Here are a few things which can be done to strengthen and maintain the mission relationship Pray The most frequent request from NACCC missionaries is to pray for them And they pray for us We receive emails from them asking specifically how they can pray for the NACCC its churches and individuals I 24 Mission and Outreach Ministry Council NACCC PO Box 288 Oak Creek WI 53154 NEEDS OF THE MISSIONS IN BRIEF Promise carefully If a promise is made to them please keep it They depend on fulfilled promises Prepare The NACC office receives questions about mission trip opportunities Which missions can house people Which missions can accommodate family groups Is it safe to travel to a certain mission When is the best time of year to visit How much will it cost What should we plan to pack What do we need to know about the culture to be respectful For a snapshot of ways to be prepared the book The Volunteer Mission Experience is available from the NA office for 4 00 It contains some great information 1 How can NACCC missionaries pray for you or your church 2 If your church has been on a mission trip have promises been kept If not what can be done to fix that 3 What can your church do to maintain and strengthen mission relationships FIELD INTERVIEW FORM f you are planning a trip to an NACCC mission would you please let us know The Mission and Outreach Ministry Council has a Field Interview Form to use for mission visits If you would take one with you on your trip fill it out with the missionary and take some pictures it would be a great help Thank you For more information about any of these missions or to make a donation to any of the noted projects please contact Missions Administrator Julie Robie at 1 800 262 1620 ext 1618 or jrobie naccc org For a complete listing of NACCC Mission Projects please visit the website www naccc org and click on Missions Two new churches added to the ministry of Word Alive Mission Ghana For a more detailed list please contact Julie Robie at jrobie naccc org The Bell Well a new well soon to be dug for the Mission School of Hope supported by the Grace Church of Columbiana OH is requested for The impact of Covid 19 worldwide and on the already stretched medical resources available to NACCC missions and the people for whom they provide services Worldwide political unrest which deeply affects many NACCC missions regarding their safety and ability to receive funding Worldwide weather related disasters Argentina Asociacion Civil Cristiana Congregational child sponsorship tools and medicine for the clinic Cameroon Mission School of Hope mosquito nets fish farm supplies Colorado A Christian Ministry in the National Parks worship books student sponsorship Florida Bread of Life supplies for ministry to the homeless Ghana Word Alive Mission child sponsorship and school desks Haiti Love Worth Sharing bedrolls Honduras Ministerio Vida Hospital medical and dental supplies India Indian Community Fellowship sewing machines food for the children computers Kenya Happy Life Children s Home sponsorships building funds Kenya Pilgrim s Presence mosquito netting personal hygiene items for women and Bibles in Pokot Language Mexico Fishers of Men supplies for medical crusades Mexico Panamerican Institute student sponsorships 30 lab coats for students sizes 12 14 funding for facilities Myanmar Congregational Church of Myanmar child sponsorship support for teachers Nigeria Christ to the Villages funding for Cashew Tree Farm Pennsylvania Hosanna Industries tools building materials classroom activity supplies Philippines NACC child support kitchen utensils kitchen appliances equipment Tennessee Morgan Scott Project gas vouchers home repair funds books and tuition for students 25

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Gifts of the Puritan A merica s fundamental values have their roots in Puritanism The Mayflower Pilgrims and the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans migrated to America with a godly dream They believed that God was leading them to a new land of promise that would one day be a city upon a hill One hundred and fifty years later their Congregationalist descendants were leaders in the glorious cause that brought about the birth of America as an independent nation They saw the hand of Providence in America s creation They saw Providence guiding America s destiny It is no accident that the American Revolution began in New England New England was Puritan during America s formative years Puritanism shaped America s character The gifts of the Puritans have much to do with personal liberty and democratic self government even though they sinned against those principles many times But they planted others watered and The Reverend Norm Erlendson has pastored Congregational churches in the NACCC since 1990 He is currently pastor of the historic Road Church First Congregational Stonington Connecticut founded in 1674 He holds a master s degree in History from the University of Washington and a master s degree in Christian Theology and Ethics from New College Berkeley California He has a special interest in the history and theology of New England Congregationalism and issues related to the church and social justice He and his wife Barbara are living happily in Pawcatuck Connecticut By Norm Erlendson Providence allowed those seeds to grow America has become a mighty stream fed by many tributaries Puritanism was the earliest and most fully developed stream of religious ethical social and political thought How providential it was for America s future that the little band of religious rebels and outsiders we know as the Pilgrims who sailed to America on the Mayflower who arrived in New England first who founded Plymouth Plantation and who saw the hand of Providence in their arrival there were Separatists the branch of Puritanism in which democratic tendencies were most pronounced Plymouth s first settlers were a ragtag band of strangers seeking economic opportunity The other half of the Mayflower passengers were self described saints fleeing persecution and seeking religious freedom Plymouth Colony was never the success its investors hoped it would be Plymouth s colonists were able to survive but not thrive Its lifespan as a Colony was a mere 72 years When the Bay Colony s Charter was renegotiated in 1691 little Plymouth was folded into the new political arrangement as a county seat It quickly faded into obscurity But in the 19th century Plymouth began to experience a remarkable comeback gaining recognition as the cradle of the American way of life the place where the ideas that define America first arrived on these shores Plymouth s new birth brought her greater fame and greater influence than she ever had as a small and struggling colony Plymouth s growing importance was boosted immensely by the discovery and publication in 1856 of Governor William Bradford s journalistic history Of Plymouth Plantation covering the years 1620 1647 His sense of divine purpose is evident on every page He wrote of temporal things with an eye on what role Plymouth might play in God s greater purposes in the world Governor Bradford s hope was that Plymouth as one small candle may light a thousand so the light kindled here has shown unto many yea in some sort to our whole nation We have noted these things so that you might see their worth and not negligently lose what your fathers have obtained with so much hardship The gifts of the Puritans are like tiny points of light long obscured and neglected by other concerns But they were ideas with a future and they were first lit in Plymouth 400 years ago THE GIFT OF PERSONAL LIBERTY In England participation in the Anglican Church was not a personal choice it was a fact of life from birth and after that a legal obligation Englishmen were not at liberty to decide ecclesiastical matters for themselves They had no voice or vote The Puritans certainly voiced their scriptural objections to the traditional practices in the Anglican Church but to no effect Most Puritans remained in the Church of England because they were good Englishmen and there was no viable alternative They also believed their national church was redeemable They were willing to Tarry for the Magistrate and pray that those at the top would one day purge away her papist corruptions But a radical sect within Puritanism refused to wait Their enemies identified them as Separatists They believed the Anglican Church was not a true church of Christ and participation in it would put their souls at risk So they separated from it and that decision put their lives at risk Their cry was Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Robert Browne was the first to stake out the Separatist position using the New Testament church as his ideal model He wrote a series of fiery tracts the most famous of which was A Treatise of Reformation Without Tarrying for Any and of the Wickedness of those Preachers which will not Reform til the Magistrate Command Them 1582 Browne had no faith in top down reform He found no example in the New Testament of Bishops ruling over parishes or larger districts True reform could only come through the efforts of the saints themselves Separatist preaching was a message of empowerment to the common folk It opened their eyes to the personal liberty they had in Christ if only they would use it Many were emboldened to break with mother church Separatist preachers and tracts described her as the whore of Babylon and they heaped scorn on the bishops of Babylon saying they not only refused to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves but were shutting its doors in the faces of those who would The theocratic state regarded Separatists as treasonous Separatists were harassed Separatist ministers were hanged But fines imprisonments or executions did not deter these saints from remaining true to their convictions Persecution only hardened their resolve Puritan Separatists brought this resolute spirit of stand alone independence and personal liberty in matters of religion with them to America THE GIFT OF DEMOCRATIC SELF GOVERNANCE Robert Browne rejected all ecclesiastical authority beyond the local congregation He argued that the New Testament church existed only as local congregations Christ was the true head of every local church and Christ had vested all authority in the saints who comprised the membership of each church A foundational text was Matthew 18 18 20 Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven Separatists urged believers to declare their independence from the Anglican magistrates and exercise the authority Continued 26 27

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of binding and loosing that Christ conferred upon them They were taught to covenant together and form churches of their own They were also taught that Christ authorized them to elect their own spiritual leaders so that every local church was independent and complete in Christ The principle of democratic self government was central to the spirit of Separatism THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT Puritan Separatists had been covenanting together and gathering house churches forty years prior to the sailing of the Mayflower It was only a small step for them under the right circumstances to create a democratic civil government on the same basis Those circumstances arose and became urgent for the Mayflower passengers when storms drove them 200 miles north of their Virginia destination To make matters worse their provisions were nearly exhausted many passengers were sick and the seas to the south were treacherous The captain decided that New England was where they would have to disembark The settlers legal authority to establish a plantation was not valid in New 28 England The strangers grumbled they were not bound by the existing agreement After a day of deliberations a new agreement was drafted in which they consented to covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid and by virtue hereof to enact constitute and frame such just and equal laws ordinances acts constitutions and offices from time to time as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony unto which we promise all due submission and obedience That agreement signed on November 11 1620 is known today as the Mayflower Compact It holds first place among historic American documents because it is the earliest example of a social contract creating a civil government in America by the consent of the people The Compact was composed on the model of a church covenant William Bradford probably had a hand in writing it He had been present at the formation of separatist congregations in Scrooby and Leyden The Rev John Robinson who had been Bradford s pastor in both locations was CONTINUED Gifts of the Puritan most likely the source of the Compact s ideas Robinson also instructed those in his congregation who were migrating to America how to form a congregation and a body politic on the biblical model and to pledge obedience to the leaders they would choose in the new world He was confident that under new religious and civic leaders God would continue to bless them with more light and truth THE MEETINGHOUSE The New England meetinghouse proved to be another Puritan gift that nurtured and strengthened the practice of democratic self government Puritans were sticklers for biblical accuracy The people are the church not the building they insisted They made that point by referring to the building where the church gathered for worship as its meetinghouse But that designation fulfilled another purpose as well The meetinghouse was built and owned by the town Every town had one It was centrally located On the Lord s day and Lecture days it was used for church services On other days it was where all public meetings civic business and elections took place The meetinghouse was an invention of the American Puritans English Puritans met in Anglican cathedrals and ornate houses of worship Separatist Puritans met secretly in houses In America the Puritans were free to design and build their own places of worship They had no precedents in scripture or experience to follow so the design of their meetinghouses became an expression of Puritan religious and civic convictions If there was a guiding principle to their design it was that the meetinghouse was to be as unlike Catholic or Anglican church architecture as possible The same design was adopted throughout New England The style was plain and austere in the extreme There were no liturgical adornments no crosses the windows were clear and a simple movable communion table was placed in front of the pulpit Meetinghouses were about as mundane and democratic in appearance as a public building could look And that architectural statement expressed the Puritan belief that there should be no distinction between secular and sacred places The whole earth is the Lord s and the fullness thereof The Puritan meetinghouse most likely made its first appearance in Plymouth and spread throughout New England where it became a laboratory for local democratic governance CONCLUSION Today Plymouth Massachusetts occupies a special place in American popular culture It is the destination of about 1 5 million visitors from around the world every year Jamestown Virginia has the distinction of being the first permanent settlement in North America but Plymouth is celebrated as America s Hometown And it s first settlers were the much admired Pilgrim Fathers and Mothers They have become larger than life heroes of the Christian Faith and are numbered among that esteemed company of America s First Founders We should not attribute to the Pilgrims or Puritans beliefs that they did not hold They were products of their authoritarian theocratic intolerant era But they also occupied a time of transition to a more enlightened age when pinpoints of new light in the form of new discoveries new knowledge and new ideas about God the world and mankind s place in it were gaining traction The Pilgrims and Puritans aspired to restore the church of the apostolic age through a careful reading of the scriptures But in looking back they brought to light a polity of personal empowerment and the democratic process that held great promise for the future And for these gifts of the Puritans Americans everywhere are proud to identify Plymouth as their hometown The small church with a BIG heart is located in the geographical center of Cape Coral a fastgrowing community of nearly 200 000 in beautiful south west west Florida that offers cultural events sports beaches and unlimited activities for all ages We are a Congregational church diverse but united in our love for Christ and others faithful committed and confident in our future We seek a part time pastor to walk beside us as we go forward Our Church Information Form is available at naccc org We welcome your inquiries First Congregational ChurCh Cape Coral Florida 29

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In Search Senior Minister Recent Calls Rev Bette M Bond Senior Minister Second Congregational Church Warren ME April 12 2020 No Installations or Ordinations Celebrating Over 215 Years of Service to the Lord SHANDON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Shandon Ohio Seeking a Full time Senior Minister Gathered in 1803 We are interested in finding a compassionate leader of strong faith and morals who communicates well For more information go to naccc org Click on the Open Pulpits tab Or contact us at shandonccsearch gmail com 30 Amelia Christian Church Clayton NC Arbor Grove Congregational Church Jackson MI Crystal Congregational Church Crystal MI First Congregational Church Cape Coral FL First Congregational Church Interlachen FL First Congregational Church Naples FL First Congregational Church Yarmouth Port MA First Congregational Church Hudson MI First Congregational Church Wayne MI First Congregational Church East Bloomfield NY First Union Congregational Church Quincy IL Olivet Congregational Church Olivet MI Shandon Congregational Church Shandon OH Stafford Springs Congregational Church Stafford Springs CT St Jacobi Congregational Church Richfield WI Tinley Park Community Church Tinley Park IL Westchester Congregational Church Colchester CT Associate Minister First Congregational Church Mansfield OH Interim Minister First Congregational Church Spencer IA Intentional Transitional Minister First Congregational Church Salt Lake City UT Heritage Congregational Church Madison WI Non NACCC Church Senior Minister Congregational Church of East Sumner East Sumner ME Corona de Mar Congregational Church UCC Corona de Mar CA First Congregational Church UCC Whitman MA First Congregational Church United Church of Christ Springfield VT Monadnock Congregational Church Colebrook NH Wading River Congregational Church Wading River NY 2020 Pastorates PULPITS CALENDAR SAVE THE DATES JUNE 26 2020 Quiet Day CANCELLED McKernan Hospitality Center South Portland Maine JULY 22 28 2020 International Congregational Fellowship Quadrennial Conference Curry College Milton Massachusetts Please check naccc org for updates NACCC Advertising Inquiries Editorial Inquiries Subscription Inquiries Marianne E King 800 262 1620 ext 1624 editor naccc org Publisher Carrie Dahm Contributing Editor Julie Robie Graphic Design Goes Studio Editorial Advisory Team Rev Dawn Carlson Rev Dr Barry W Szymanski Randy Asendorf Rev Dr Michael Glidden Claudia Kniefel Subscriptions Policy JUNE 27 30 2020 66th Annual Meeting Conference CANCELLED of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Portland Maine 8473 South Howell Avenue Oak Creek WI 53154 naccc naccc org Editor Marianne E King Carrie Dahm 800 262 1620 ext 1612 cdahm naccc org Tracy Bernhardt 800 262 1620 ext 1615 naccc naccc org Articles and editorials in The Congregationalist are by the authority of the editor and do not necessarily reflect policies and opinions of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches The NACCC reserves freedom of expression to its authors as well as freedom of opinion to its readers Copy deadline for each issue is noted in the previous issue s Calendar section Letters to the Editor are welcome All letters may be edited for clarity and length We regret we cannot publish or respond to all letters The NACCC reserves the right to refuse any advertisement One subscription is provided free of charge to each individual requestor who is a member of a church in fellowship with the National Association One complimentary Newcomer Copy will be sent to any person one time only upon request by a church in fellowship with the National Association A subscription to The Congregationalist is provided free of charge to each church in fellowship with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and one to each accredited theological seminary on the magazine s mailing list Single copies may be purchased from the National Association office for 3 75 plus 3 20 to cover shipping and handling We seek and gratefully accept voluntary donations to help keep this magazine in print Donations are tax deductible except for the first 15 of donation per subscription received by the taxpayer per year The Congregationalist ISSN 0010 5856 Postage paid at Madison WI 53714 9998 Published quarterly by the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches 8473 S Howell Ave Oak Creek WI 53201 0288 Periodicals postage paid at Madison WI and additional mailings offices POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Congregationalist 8473 S Howell Ave Oak Creek WI 53201 0288 The Congregationalist Online Our Web site congregationalist org features PDF files of the current issue plus back issues and a searchable index of all articles Each new issue is posted on the Web when the printed version is mailed so you can read it online days or even weeks before the printed copy reaches your mailbox Enjoy SUBSCRIBING CANCELING MOVING Email us at naccc naccc org To discontinue receiving the magazine contact Tracy Bernhardt at 800 262 1620 ext 1612 or email naccc naccc org 2020 The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches All rights reserved The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Mission Statement To nurture fellowship among Congregational Christian Churches and to support ministries of the local church in its community and to the world all in the name of Christ 31

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The Congregationalist June 2020

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