The Congregationalist Sept 2019 : 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 5 6 10 14 20 20 22 26 29 Open Letter from Craig Memorial Congregational Church ON THE COVER NACCC s 65th Annual Meeting Plymouth Landing What s in a Name Where Your Treasure Is NACCC s 65th Annual Meeting Recognition is Due Connect With Cleveland Mrs Peabody and the Funeral Beans The Heart of Our Heritage Departments Missions Bearing the Burdens of the World Why Serve 4 8 18 29 30 30 31 OUR VOYAGE TOGETHER A Covenant People ALONG THE WAY NEWS AND NEEDS NECROLOGY PASTORATES AND PULPITS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 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 Open letter from CRAIG MEMORIAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Rev Andrew and Hillary McHenry A COVENANT PEOPLE I am inspired by looking ahead to the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim s arrival in America and by being mindful of John Tamilio s 2019 Congregational Lecture at our Annual Meeting Thus I choose to use my column this year to bring to the fore different expressions of Congregationalism in America John identified three treasures of Congregationalism covenant faith and service in his Congregational Lecture The Heart of Our Heritage and Our Future Treasure I am glad that he emphasized these three and that he began with covenant for that is a defining part of who we are Within Congregational churches the covenant is the basis of being a church John Robinson often referred to as the pastor to the Pilgrims as quoted by William Barton in his 1916 book The Law of Congregational Usage wrote A church is a company of faithful holy people with their seed called by the Word of God into a public covenant with Christ and among themselves for mutual fellowship in the use of all means of God s glory and their salvation Preston Cummings in his 1854 book A Dictionary of Congregational Usages and Principles quotes Thomas Goodwin as writing The church covenant is no more with us than this an agreement and resolution professed with promise to walk in all those ways pertaining to this fellowship so far as July 9 2019 they shall be revealed to them in the gospel Thus briefly and indefinitely and implicitly and in such like words and no other do we apply ourselves to men s consciences not obtruding upon them the mention of any one particular before or in admission leaving their spirits free to the entertainment of the light that shines or shall shine on them and us out of the world A covenant brings us together and holds us together but does not demand that we must walk in lock step with others This is a treasure indeed To all our friends and supporters in and around the Congregational way W e are so grateful for all the support that has been extended to Craig Memorial Congregational Church in the wake of the Camp Fire of November 8 2018 The generosity that has been shown to us is overwhelming From the immediate hours after our evacuation I was hearing from people all across the country who wanted to help The many cards and expressions of support also encouraged us along the way Praise the Lord the prayers are being answered No one from our church perished in the fire and we re all moving forward Many of our members have relocated to be near family and friends but others have stayed through Most of our members lost their homes but many did not and many others also have longstanding commitments to the community My wife and I stayed with friends in Chico in a guest bedroom until our new home in Thermalito became available We were donated temporary office space from Butte Bible Fellowship in Chico and worship space at the Sycamore Glen Retirement Community We resumed worshiping on November 18th and have been doing so on a weekly basis ever since And since the start of June we ve been officially back in Paradise now sharing space with a local Lutheran church that survived the fire It s a mutual arrangement that should serve us both well until we can get a building of our own Gifts from sister churches enabled us to close the church s budget gap and also to provide ssistance to members who were adversely affected by the fire I received many extremely grateful phone calls expressing thanks and I felt like the mailman who had simply delivered the letter The kindness came from our Congregational brethren all across the country So once again THANK YOU for all of your kindness and support We will not forget it I m hopeful that we will be as generous when the tables are turned and the needs and opportunities are elsewhere And either way the ties of national fellowship are among the blessings that we can count as imperishable cf Matthew 6 19 21 II Corinthians 15 42 God bless each one of you Pastor Andrew McHenry Craig Memorial Congregational Church P O Box 1386 Paradise California 95967 www craigchurch com 4 Thank You 5

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PLYMOUTH LANDING What s in a Name T By Will Lange he year 2020 will mark the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth New England During the next two years we will be hearing seeing and reading about the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth You will not always see or hear the word Congregational ists You will be told about the New England Churches that is most correctly and fully Congregational Churches Puritans Separatists maybe even Brownists They saw themselves as THE CHURCH in that place No need for a denominational name Today many neglect our Way identity and name A church might be known as the First Parish Church or the Church of Christ a name centuries later adopted by a new frontier reform movement If you are in England or Wales you would be an Independent or dissenter or Puritan more often than a Congregationalist Again in Britain when people refer to Church they mean the government state church which we know as Anglican or Episcopal The Congregationalists and other protestants worshiped in Chapels because only the government church could be called a church If you were introducing yourself in India you would probably get that blank stare when you said Congregationalist But if you said LMS for London Missionary Society they would likely know very well from where you were coming Our numbers are small now but our 6 influence is great Some commentators say scratch an American and you will find a Congregationalist Remember at the time of our War for Independence Congregationalists were by far the largest religious group estimated at one third to one half of American church members Our way has revealed the worth of every person and the contribution they make What a gift 400th ANNIVERSARY INSERTS Available on our NACCC Web site and the ICF Web site The NACCC Plymouth 400 Task Team has applied a great deal of time and creativity to develop a suite of resources member churches can use to commemorate this important event The Task Team has developed profiles of 107 Congregationalists that are intended to celebrate and educate The Pilgrims were refugees and sojourners seeking a place to worship God in a pure church Way casting off the additions made over the many centuries since Jesus began his ministry Their quest was life giving and it was so important it caused them to risk their lives and the lives of their families crossing the ocean settling in what they saw as a wilderness carving out a place to live and worshipping as they thought would best please God and fill their souls They had heard Good News and sought if for themselves and those they loved And the world too What has God done with these people risking so much to gather in his name covenant with God and each other to live as his sons and daughters You will read of women and men who grew in faith and life as Christians in the Congregational churches they gathered Some will be those who many will know of as Congregationalists Some will cause you to exclaim Oh I didn t know she or he was a Congregationalist Others will be less known but grew in life and faith in a Congregational church and did something significant enough that someone wrote it down Actually they are much like you Sharing in the Good News and love of God that spiritually motivated these early Congregationalists adds you to this great company of Saints If you choose to begin weekly using Members of the Plymouth 400 Task Team front Rev Will Lange back l r Larry Sommers Rev Wendy Van Tassell Rev Tom Van Tassell not pictured Rev Norm Erlendson Rev Ian Macdonald Dr Tom Richard Rev Phyllis Merritt Mary McAliley and Rev Dr Michael Chittum the profiles on November 3 2019 you will spiritually join many others across our nation The 107 inserts will carry you to the 400th anniversary of the First Thanksgiving in 2020 Here s how you can do it You choose the inserts put four a month in your church monthly newsletter or insert one into each Sunday bulletin and add some of your own If you do create additional inserts we would like to receive a copy Send it to wlange48 aol com God is with us on this journey We are not alone thanks be to God 7

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THE Along WAY FCC of Lake Odessa Welcomes Dr Danielson T he First Congregational Church of Lake Odessa Michigan welcomed the Reverend Dr Marilyn Danielson as Senior Pastor Danielson served at First Congregational Church of Portland Michigan for twenty years and was retired for one year before accepting the call to the Lake Odessa Church She resides in Portland with her husband Warren Between them they have five grown children and 10 grandchildren Danielson received her M Div in Pastoral Counseling and her D Min in Spiritual Growth at Ashland Theological Seminary Ashland Ohio She also graduated from the Pastors The First Congregational Church of Yarmouth Yarmouth Port MA Following Christ We Proclaim the Gospel Teach God s Word And Serve with Love We are searching for a full time Senior Pastor to guide us on our Christian journey sharing God s Word and His love with our church and the local communities More information about our church may be found on our website www fccyarmouth org as well as on our Church Information Form at www naccc org 8 Rev Dr Marilyn Danielson of Excellence program sponsored by the Lilly Foundation Danielson will serve as lead pastor with Pastor Mark Jarvie serving as associate as he prepares for retirement The church is small but the heart is HUGE The smaller church appeals to me I m kind of a bumpkin at heart said Danielson She looks forward to being involved in the community which has its own fair complete with a parade perfect for a preacher who enjoys clowning Noted Danielson God drew us together As always His timing is always perfect timing Danielson formally began to fulfill her call at Lake Odessa on June 3 2019 A Diamond Jubilee LongTime Organist Honored O n Sunday October 28 2018 during the 10 45 a m worship service Grace Church observed Judy Bott the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of their Queen of the Organ Judy Bott who has been playing the 1938 Kilgen organ in the sanctuary since 1958 There was a lunch reception after worship In her now over 60 years at the organ Judy remembers many changes in society and the church There have been many special music programs and times when she mentored younger music directors She stayed at Grace for so long she said because of the people When her husband Karl was very ill some years ago the church was very supportive It has been her pleasure to play in a congregation long enough to see children at whose baptisms she played become parents who became grandparents She laments that in our culture today there are so many kid s activities sports and distractions on Sunday Back then Sundays were a day for worship and family She sees how church music has changed over the decades from very formal service chorales to less formal hymns to contemporary and praise music During all these changes Judy has played her way through them and continues to do so YOU HAVE A The Congregationalist celebrates the voices of Congregationalism unique in our thinking and unified by our heritage 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 250 499 Elias Smith Connexion 500 999 Edward Beecher Society 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 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank You For Your Generosity All Gifts Are Tax Deductible To The Fullest Extent Allowed By Law 9

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Where your treasure is NACCC S 65TH ANNUAL MEETING The Reverend Dr Brett Younger For where your treasure is there your heart will be also A Matthew 6 21 diverse agenda of speakers and workshop facilitators explored the concept of treasure at the 65th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches NACCC The 237 men and women who met in Cleveland Ohio explored Jesus teaching that earthly treasure is fleeting while God s love through Christ is everlasting The June event was hosted by the Ohio Association of Congregational Churches led by the Reverend Dr Patrick Hunt of Heritage Congregational Church in Berea Ohio A total 103 NACCC member churches sent an official delegate to participate in the business meeting of the association welcoming five new churches into the NACCC family voting on a slate of new officers board and council members and doing other work of the national association They also had the privilege of hearing speakers Reverend Dr John Tamilio III and Reverend Dr Brett Younger The Reverend John Tamilio III Ph D delivered this year s Congregational Lecture The Heart of Our Heritage and Our Future Treasure Tamilio is pastor of the Congregational Church of Canton Ohio and visiting Associate Professor of Philosophy at Salem State University His remarks were rooted in Matthew 6 21 focusing on the treasures inherent in the Congregational heritage He chose to focus on the treasures of covenant faith and service brought to Massachusetts Bay by the Pilgrims and practiced today by NACCC member churches We wish we had enough space in this magazine to publish Dr Tamilio s lecture in its entirety but are pleased to offer an abridged version in this issue It s not about judgement It s not about wrath It s about love God s unbounded love Rev Dr John Tamilio III The 2019 Bible Lecturer was the Reverend Brett Younger Ph D senior minister of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn New York Younger built his lecture on the conference theme but chose to delve into the Gospel of Mark He guided his audience to some of the treasures that are to be found when one reads and studies the gospel with an open heart and an inquisitive mind Younger cautioned that we are tempted to think we know it all while God might intend for us to dig deeper into the Gospels for a richer understanding We need to live like tourists to our faith wide eyed slack jawed surprised said Younger Younger pointed to the Pharisees whom he refers to as cocky rigid know it alls as evidence In Mark s gospel Jesus heals the withered hand of a man on the Sabbath The Pharisees accuse him of breaking God s law but Jesus sees that behind their strict adherence to the law is a hardness of heart The Pharisees know God s law but their hearts and minds are closed to Jesus message of God s love and mercy According to Younger Jesus invites us to become people who think new thoughts to think like Jesus How would our lives be different if we lived in a way that was best for the whole world Younger asked He said that in summoning people to follow him Jesus calls together a new community that crosses social economic and ethnic boundaries Younger said that one of Mark s intentions is to make clear who Jesus is At Jesus crucifixion the centurion declares Truly this man was the Son of God In Mark 10 45 Jesus is revealed as the Servant of God or as Younger paraphrased it the servant of all who gave his life as ransom for many He said that like Jesus we all should serve We all need to find ways to roll up our sleeves and do God s work Younger said the Gospel of Mark was written for us hungry souls desperate to taste God s faith He encouraged his audience to live their faith and cautioned that doing nothing about what we believe will finally break our hearts Envy those who live with passion said Younger He urged Christians to talk about their faith even when they would rather be silent The earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at Chapter 16 verses 1 through 8 the risen Jesus reveals himself to Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James and Salome The women flee from the tomb because they are afraid and say nothing to anyone Verses 9 through 20 were added later by others Many scholars have offered theories as to why the original Gospel of Mark didn t include Jesus appearance to his apostles and ascension to heaven but Younger suggests it ended as Mark intended He thinks of the Gospel of Mark as a prologue and Easter a beginning The rest of the story is still to be written said Younger The gospel is unfinished business Christ is still with us working in our lives Every day is the gift of a life made new by God s grace said Younger CFTS graduates Joel Boyd and Joy Matos adding that Jesus death was not the end of the story Jesus is God s hope for eternity CFTS Graduates Two Fellows Joel Kenneth Boyd and Joy Matos graduated from the CFTS Program on June 25 before the assembly at the 65th Annual Meeting Joel Boyd served his seminary internship as the Licensed Interim Pastor at St Jacobi Congregational Church in Richfield He received his Master of Divinity Degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland Michigan Last year he was hired as senior minister by First Congregational Church in Marshfield Massachusetts In addition to his graduation he was awarded the Alfred Gray Award for demonstrating exceptional scholarship and perception of the Congregational spirit in the CFTS Directed Study in Congregational History and Polity Joy Matos was born and raised in New York City After studying business for two years at New York University Joy transferred to Central Bible College to pursue her calling Joy moved to Massachusetts in 1985 and to Quincy in 2009 She has raised a family and has served a number of churches in various leadership capacities Joy was ordained in 2012 and earned an MBA from Bentley University and a Master of Theological Studies from Boston University School of Theology where she also earned a Certificate in Religion and Conflict Transformation Matos was presented the John Claxton Award for the quality of her personal participation in CFTS and NACCC programs and exhibiting academic competency CFTS enriches the student s seminary experience with education in the Congregational way Students admitted to CFTS are required to attend three academic seminars on topics unique to ministry in a Congregational church and complete a directed polity study with submission of a major research paper in Congregationalism Additionally students are required to engage in supervised ministry internships practicing the skills of ministry under the direction of a field supervisor and in cooperation with the field requirements of the student s seminary Special Honors The Reverend Dr Chris Surber was awarded the J J Russell Award by the Vitality Ministry Council This Chris Surber preaching award is was serving his ministry in given every other Haiti this past year for the best June and unable to attend sermon submitted by the 65th an ordained active Annual Meeting pastor of an NACCC church with under 400 members The sermon must deal with some aspect of the relationship of classical Congregationalism to contemporary American life and emphasize the continuing viability and relevance of the Congregational way Surber is the Executive Director and co founder along with his wife Christina of Supply Continued 10 11

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The Pastoral Call Continued NACCC S 65TH ANNUAL MEETING and Multiply a ministry in Montrouis Haiti His degrees are from Liberty University Liberty Theological Seminary and Temple Baptist Seminary B S M A R M Div D Min In addition to direct pastoral and missionary work he is Adjunct Professor of Ministry for Global University and Nations University The Harry Butman Award is presented to a minister who has at least 10 years of service in an NACCC church and is personally committed to Congregationalism This year two ministers joined the select group of individuals who have been honored with the award The Reverend Terry Bobzien is known as a pastor s pastor a man who has lived a life devoted to the Congregational way Bobzien was most recently minister at First Congregational Church in Pittsford Michigan He attended the University of Dubuque Theology Seminary the Associated Mennonite Biblical Rev Dr Martin Hall and Seminary in Elkhart Indiana and Rev Terry Bobzien is a CFTS graduate earning his Master of Divinity Degree at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit Michigan Bobzien is active in the NACCC and the Central Michigan Association of Congregational Christian Churches and Ministers The Reverend Dr Martin Hall Harry R Butman Award recipient was cited for being committed to and living the Congregational way in his preaching teaching and administration Hall received his bachelor s degree from the College of Wooster his Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary He is senior minister at North Shore Church Fox Point Wisconsin Prior to that he served with churches in West Bloomfield Michigan Clarkston Michigan and Fall River Massachusetts He is active in the NACCC and the Wisconsin Congregational Association Board of Directors Citation The Board of Directors Citation was presented to the 12 Reverend Dr Mark P Jensen for his outstanding service to NACCC Over the years he has served on the Missionary Society Executive Committee Youth Commission Division for Ministry Program Committee was Co chair in Wendover Massachusetts 1976 and Detroit Michigan 2016 Dean of Ministers Convocation and a member of the committee to revise the bylaws He is active in the International Congregational Fellowship the Washington Gladden Society and a supporter of this magazine A participant in many NACCC Annual Meetings Jensen was moderator of the 1999 Annual Meeting in Hartford Connecticut and has been a keynote speaker Congregational Lecturer and workshop presenter He has been active in mission work and a leader in the pursuit of racial and social justice Rev Dr Mark Jensen Jensen retired from North Congregational Church in Farmington Hills Michigan in 2010 after more than 30 years of service as Senior Minister Jensen is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and Colgate Rochester Divinity School and received his Doctor of Divinity Degree from Olivet College Watch videos of key presentations at the 65th Annual Meeting Conference on the Now Trending page of the NACCC website https www naccc org now trending html O The Rev Michael Glidden D Min is Supply Minister at North Deering Meeting House in Portland Maine He has been pastoring since 1993 Rev Glidden earned his Master of Divinity Degree in 1995 from Bangor Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 2002 He was ordained in 2000 Mike lives in South Portland with his wife Rhonda by Dr Michael Wayne Glidden ver a year ago another pastor shared with me that he hated his job I couldn t figure out what job he was referring to After a few minutes and a little probing I realized that this job was being a pastor Hearing these words I nearly fell out of my seat How could this be How could anyone hate the call to pastor I realized right then the problem is easy to see the ministry is not a job but a call from the Lord Help me out friends I need some feedback from other pastors Is this a trend now Is the ministry now considered to be a professional career I ve heard many speak of the call as a 9 to 5 job keep office hours and when the clock strikes 5 pm the shift is over God forbid that the phone rings in the middle of the night I must be living in a dreamland or maybe I ve been watching The Matrix or Coraline too many times When I was in seminary I got a chance to look at some interesting pastors who had a calling You ve heard of them Baxter Edwards Calvin and Wesley This litany of passionate ministers can go on Who would you add When I read The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter I realized that I would never come close to that man s demanding dedication to the call Even good Wesleyans could argue that John Wesley probably did more ministry than all of the circuit riders in the colonies I believe that there was a common denominator to all of these fine men of God they were called by the Holy Spirit To be called by the Holy Spirit is to be chosen by God for a divine task or appointment They have a personal summons from their Creator The scripture that helped me to clarify my call came from the Book of Isaiah It was this chapter that sent a chill up my spine in the year 1991 as I was contemplating my life and what Jesus was asking of me It was in Chapter 6 beginning with verse 8 that I somehow saw myself being called The phrase whom shall I send and the response Here I am kept me up many nights as I sought to understand why God was choosing me I thought that He was crazy and I wanted to be Jonah for a little while Where could I escape The verb go felt like a personal commissioning to me as the Holy Spirit began to tug on my heart I felt inadequate to attend seminary but my excuses would be insufficient I will go And I did and with a touch of humor my apartment at Bangor Theological Seminary was where my mentor Rev Robert Young lived while a student there What a confirmation Dear colleagues I d like to hear about your call to the work of God SEEKING PART TIME PASTOR First Congregational Church Berwyn Illinois We are UCC affiliated Bible based theologically open and diverse Located 10 miles west of downtown Chicago we are celebrating our 125th year of serving the community with a traditional Sunday service Responsibilities conduct Sunday worship lead our congregation minister to the church members and friends Collaborate with the lay leadership to nurture and energize the daily life of the church and its ministries Qualifications bachelor s degree from accredited college or university Graduate degree from accredited theological seminary preferred Evidence of successful church community involvement with all ages Ability to be Berwyn centric in your ministry Familiar with successful strategies for growing church engagement and membership among all age groups with an emphasis on local younger generations Demonstrate passion for reaching out to and working with all as a spiritual leader and Contact Richard Vavra richard vavra88 gmail com 1 708 785 0035 13

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ThankY0u RECOGNITION IS DUE T DONORS FOR SUPPORTING OUR MISSION he National Association of Congregational Christian Churches wishes to thank all individual foundation corporation association and non member church donors who supported our mission with a contribution of 100 or more in Fiscal Year 2019 April 1 2018 March 31 2019 40 000 William H Guild Charitable Trust Lois Heilmann Estate Bill Lorraine Street 20 000 39 999 Claude Joyce Dunn Jewelette McDaniel Christopher Victoria Owens Roland Nancy Sutton 10 000 19 999 California Community FoundationHarry R Butman Trust Marria Casner Marion P Goodale Trust Hegardt Foundation Plantation Community Church James Leanna Rogers Carolyn Sundquist 5 000 9 999 Rick Barbara Bauzenberger Roger Janice Bowers Elsie Bunker Trust Richard Derham Andrew Sandra Falls T H Johansen Family Foundation James Larson Janet Wilson Ted Schacht Women s Association of Church of the Chimes 1 000 4 999 AL GA Association of Congregational Christian Churches Peggy Anderson Augusta Community Church Congregation Martha Averill Edith Bartley Becks Reformed Church James Benson Bethesda Evangelical Church Bunyan Meeting Church Thomas Gisela Chelimsky Michael Vicki Chittum Kenneth Harriett Clark Ashley Cleere Jerold Dorothy Cochran Jeff Sharon Dillon Paul Delight Dodyk Fellowship of Northeast Congregational Christian Churches First Christian Church of Wellington First Presbyterian Church of Clay Center Robert Heather Gallivan Sherry Glab Grace Evangelical Congregational Church Kevin Gromley Nancy Scott Laura Hamby Margaret Hoats Jim Hopkins Paul Loretta Howell Idana Presbyterian Church Ted Mary Kellner Carl Gail Leypoldt Lowell Shirley Linden Lyerly Evangelical Church Ruth Lyons Lou Mattison Bill Theresa McComb John Starlene McFerrin Clancy Midwest Association of Congregational Christian Churches Grace Tyler Moe Donald Barbara Mullen Chuck Chris Murphy Patrick Obma Varn Liz Philbrook Dottie Schimpf Alice Scott Kirk Cindy Shirar Blaine Diane Simons Sisters of St Dominic Bob Barbara Smith Karen Snow Ewald T Sorensen St Luke s Reformed Church Mike Pat Stahl Mertie Harley Stevens Memorial Fund John Cindy Tamilio Trinity Great Swamp United Church of Christ Jim Waechter Art Lee Wallach Robert White Edward Yu 500 999 Earl Alger Randy Nancy Asendorf Ed Jami Backell Melvin Badtke Biola Congregational Church Jodi Brandser Canfield Jenkins House of Photography Dawn Carlson John Kraft James Candice Cassidy Martha J Fee Brian Gaskill Sue Green Randall Linda Hase John Heggeman Ron Judith Heiligenstein James Henson Neil Sharon Hunt Patrick Linda Hunt Loris Jacobs Bill Sue LeFeber Marcia Lynk Timothy Susan Maguire Edward Martin Catherine Melendy Richard Kathrine Miller Todd Mount Hope Church Don Penny Olsen Jo Parker Jeanne Peterson Nancianne Rathbun Herbert Riell Gloria Jean Skeete South Haven Baptist Church David Carol Stoepker Marion Stowell Robert Suzanne Stoyer Barry Sue Szymanski Wilmot Sherry Taylor Eleanor Vernon James Walsh Joe Shaaron Walton David Mary Walz Alicia Watson Kathleen Wolf Holland Anita Wonder Tom Barbara Yocom 250 499 Bill Ahrens Don Anderson Arena Congregational Church Cindy Bacon Hammer William Barbara Barnes Thelma Basley Bethlehem Christian Union Church Robert Buckley Deena Byers Cal West Association Bobbie Chapman George Clay Joseph Patricia DeBelak Clifford Corinne Depew Dan Lynn Drea Richard Pamela Dropek First Congregational Church of Bunker Hill Carl Fleming Rob Fredrickson Gloria Gilson Gustave Goldshine Richard Graeme Arthur Patricia Greeley Charles Hall Marty Hall Paul Nancy Hamilton Roger Mary Hawk Robert Constance Hellam Ann Hutchings Sharon Jenks Ken Patricia Johnson Colby Charmaine Jones Greg Jurewicz Will Lange Paul Nancy LeCain Susan List Fred Jodee Lord Glen Lovejoy Kathleen Riska Lovejoy Ian Macdonald Bruno Mauer John Mary McAliley Gisela Myers David Nasgowitz NY NJ Meeting of Congregational Christian Churches Paul Karen Nickels Northern California Fellowship of Congregational Christian Churches Charles Packer David Karen Pier Tom LeeAnne Richard Ron Rudd Louise Smith Southeastern Michigan Association of Congregational Churches Brent Julie Staples Star Steward Donald Sweitzer United Church of Christ Buckland Ed Patricia White Sharla Wickman Allan Marilyn Worth 100 249 Richard Joyce Adair David Lynn Barber Charles Barr II Rebekah Barsch Kent Deborah Bassford Joy Baumgartner Bevin Susan Bebermeyer Donald Penny Bentley Sharon Beringson Thomas Bettridge Philip Mary Biondi Charles Blackman George Michelle Blair Bruce Melissa Block Dean Cindy Boram Beth Borland Bow Lake Free Will Baptist Church Bonney Brandt Margery Briggs Eric Dorothy Britcher Cathy Brockington Alfred Lorraine Brown Chris Beryl Bryan Betty Campbell Basil Linda Chadbourne Stephen Champagne Dorothy Chapman Norm Marcia Christensen Joseph Marcia Cifaldo Robert Amber Clark Jon Mary Lou Clifton John Steele Cook Harold Covill Howard Sally Cripps Arnold Doris Crocker Crystal Congregational Church Robert Mary Davis Susan Davison Joe Sandy Dudek Barbara J Dunham John Elger Evangelical Congregational Church School John Jill Evans Grace Faison Joseph Lucille Faure Etta V Feltes Maurice Sara Fetty Thomas Ruth Fiedler Lorraine Finison First Congregational Church of St Johnsbury Center Garry Fisher Phyllis Forster Harvey Connie Frigon Steve Debby Fulton Continued 14 15

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ThankY0u Irven Brenda Gammon Continued Sarah Terlouw Charles Velta Glenn Ian Graham James Graves Doug Cynthia Gray Greenville Congregational Church of Norwich Max Terasa Hanson Carlton Hardy Robert Harloff Glen Sue Harris Jim Ann Harris Cynthia Heather Clarence Jean Heerema Dave Ann Herrick Bill Betsy Hess Kennie O Neal Hodo Andrew Kathy Irish Phillip Jacobs Cynthia James Mary Jensen Claude Johnson Maryann William Jonas Mark Brenda Jurewicz Bob Claudia Kniefel Carl Dorothy Knoch Mary Krall Suky Kwak Stephen Sara Lange Arlin Sharon Larson Caroline Laubenheimer Richard Joni Liles Douglas Christine Lobb Lewis Long III Thomas Enid Lootens Thomas Janet Lovell James Veronica Mann Sue Greg Mathews Donald Judith Mayberry Andrew Hillary McHenry Nancy McNulty Kay Meriwether George Merriman Holly Myers John Harriet Navarre 16 Warren Noble Marilyn Ober Joseph Parshall Maggi Payne Steve Denise Pearson Alice Clifford Pence Jr Ted Marlene Pendleton Jim Sharon Petrie Russell Cindy Petrie David Rebecca Pniewski Ryan Mary Prendergast John Jacqueline Ramos Donald Marilyn Rauschl Phil Peg Read Alicia Paul Riedy Robert Carolyn Rinehart Karolyn Ritchey Lynn Robertson Richard Robinson Cedric Lorraine Rogers Lois Rosebrooks Roslindale Congregational Church John Christine Ruppel Curt Kathryn Schmidt Roberta Scott Dale Sharp Sam Lucy Shinozaki William Judith Shirley John Denise Showman Benj Janice Simpson Larry Joelle Sommers Howard Dorothy Sousley Lisa Stackpole Patrick Stewart Ted Ellen Stiffler Michael Catherine Stiles Patricia Storer Monte Nelda Stuck John Martha Swanson David Teeter The United Church Carolyn Thompson Jerry Rebecca Turner Don Vicki Underhill William Van Lue Pamela Deane Viets George Doris Vogel Craig Barbara Walker Edgar Suzanne Wheeler Les Phyllis Wicker Jack Yvonne Woodring Sharon Wozencraft Legacy Leaving a T he 1620 Legacy Society serves to honor and recognize our friends who have included or have made arrangements to include a planned gift in their estate plans to the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches or the Congregational Foundation These dedicated and generous donors are committed to supporting our continued growth and development William H Ahrens Onnalee Ahrens Jean Anderson Charles W Barr II John Baxter Black Charles A Blackman Elsie Bunker Carol Burton Jennette Harry Butman Bobbie Chapman Mildred Gibbens Sherry Glab Hubert Goodale Marion Goodale William H Guild Bonnie Haas R Ron Heiligenstein Lois A Heilmann James A Hopkins Claudia Kniefel Katherine Macdonald LeeAnne Thomas Richard Alfred Rowe Jr Virgil Shipley Grant A Stannard Julie Johnson Staples Mertie Stevens Nancy Roland Sutton Jr Casey vanderBent Anna Vogt Lee Art Wallach Charles G Wharton Connect with ClevelandEnjoy the High Points G reetings saints of the Congregational Way Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor 1 2 NRSV What an amazing conference in Cleveland in June The gathered saints were brimming with excitement over the steps we re taking within the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches to better equip our member churches for ministry and administration within their local settings That s where I come in I was hired by the NACCC to help coordinate these resources through the creation of a video library you will be able to access anywhere you have an internet connection by pointing your browser to www centerforcongregationalleadership org These resources will address such topics as Searching for a pastor Organizing and carrying out a capital campaign Building insurance and liability Ministry to specialized groups youth seniors people with special accommodation needs etc By Shawn Stapleton By the time you read this we should have the Bible Lectures and Congregational Lecture posted on the NACCC website www naccc org I hope to have a completed pastoral search video by fall I m anticipating that this will be the first in a series of videos on the pastoral search process allowing viewers to view short concise discussions on specific facets of the process We believe this will be the most effective way of communicating this information Plus we are planning a series of brief videos to introduce you to our missionaries and others who you and your congregation may not have yet had the opportunity to meet All of these videos can be accessed individually but can be especially powerful to watch during a board meeting congregational meeting or various times of fellowship They are all designed to give you information you need to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ more effectively to the people of your community In addition we want to hear from you If your church hosts a special presentation or other event have someone video record it and let me The Reverend Dr Shawn Stapleton is the Workshop Coordinator for the NACCC and is working with the Center for Congregational Leadership to develop a resource library for congregations around the United States He lives in St Petersburg Florida and serves the Community Congregational Christian Church in Citrus Springs Florida Shawn can be reached by phone call or text message at 727 403 3663 or by email at sstapleton naccc org know I will gladly take a look and if it s something that will edify other fellowships within our association we will put it in the library All of our fellowships have great things going on and I m hoping that through this effort we will be better able to share with one another Please be sure to watch for information as the library is built up with resources over the coming months Please also alert your Year Round Delegates to watch for updates to share with you and your congregations Don t miss out on these amazing resources we will soon send your way Deceased 17

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AND News NEEDS Dr Stricker with l r Joelle Sommers Jamie Bonnema Janet Wilson Greg Carmer Barbara Dabul of OUR 65TH ANNUAL MEETING CONFERENCE T he NACCC s Mission and Outreach Ministry Council MOMC invited the Reverend Dr Harding Stricker of the Asociacion Civil Christiana Congregational Argentina as international invited guest at the 2019 Annual Meeting and Conference June 22 25 2019 in Cleveland Ohio Fourteen missionaries were in attendance Katie Dejournette Hosanna Industries Pennsylvania Amy Kennedy A Christian Ministry in the National Parks Colorado Geoffrey Lipale Pilgrim s Presence Kenya Rev Philip and Mrs Sheila Malakar Indian Community Fellowship India Rev Jim Owens Love Worth Sharing Haiti Rev Jim and Mrs Sharon Powell Happy Life Children s Home Kenya Laura Rameriz Panamerican Institute Mexico Rev Charles Sagay Mission School of Hope Cameroon Rev Julio Santana Bread of Life Christian Mission Florida Rev Dr Harding Stricker Asociacion Civil Christiana Congregational Argentina Crystal Tompkins Morgan Scott Project Tennessee and Ashleigh Weis Fishers of Men Mexico First Congregational Church Of Rochester A rural agricultural town near Cape Cod SEEKING A FULL TIME PASTOR Our Mission Statement Our mission at First Congregational Church of Rochester is to be intentional followers of Jesus Christ who love unconditionally serve selflessly and worship joyfully 18 Mission and Outreach Ministry Council NACCC PO Box 288 Oak Creek WI 53154 LOOKING FORWARD A load of cashew tree seedlings represented a wheelbarrow full of answered prayers at Christ to the Villages Nigeria The Brazilian cashew tree farm will provide an ongoing source of income in the remote villages of central Nigeria M Janet Wilson of MOMC presented Laura Ramirez Santos president of the Panamerican Institute of Tijuana with the 2019 Charles Rush Award for working toward worthwhile social and personal goals MOMC invited the Reverend Julio Santana of Bread of Life Mission Florida as its national missionary at the Annual Meeting Conference For more information about any of these missions or to make a donation to any of the above 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 Rev Charles Sagay Mission School of Hope in Cameroon took to the dance floor during the conference s dinner cruise on Lake Erie The Missionary Alumni Society sponsored the cost of the cruise for the missionaries Ashleigh Weis Fishers of Men Mexico had her presentation written down in her purple journal But as she was preparing to speak she felt the Holy Spirit say You know what you are going to say put the journal down Her heartfelt report to the general assembly chronicled her journey with Fishers of Men which has led to her current position of Board President FAREWELL AND WELCOME T he MOMC said goodbye to Joelle Sommers as she finished her term and welcomed Julie Johnson Staples as the new member Other MOMC members are Jamie Bonnema Barbara Dabul Greg Carmer and Janet Wilson OMC will hold its Fall Retreat at Hosanna Industries in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where members will discuss the budget for 2020 2021 spend time visiting the local mission and perhaps help with a mission project is needed Rev Dr Jaime Julian Honduras asks for prayers for the multiple cases of Dengue Fever he is treating at the clinic 19

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Mrs Peabody THE FUNERAL BEANS and C hurch conflict is one of those things I never understood but unfortunately it happens time and time again And when you are dealing with someone like Mrs Peabody conflict can happen quite often too often During one such time a church conflict was almost created because of a can of beans a can of green beans 20 The Reverend Justin J Nierer is the lead pastor of Sandstone Congregational Church in Jackson Michigan He absolutely loves being a Congregationalist adores the NACCC and enjoys spending time with his wife Seneca and their sixyear old son Wesley He can be reached any time via email at theoutreachguy hotmail com by Justin Nierer Now to be completely fair to our lovely lady this was no common can of green beans It was one of those wholesale sized cans that you can only buy at certain club member stores Needless to say it was huge and could probably feed 20 30 people or one really hungry green bean loving person for a week It was a normal church board meeting the minutes were voted on we were moving through the agenda rather quickly I actually thought I might make it home at a decent time but that was before Mrs Peabody came storming into the room She stole my funeral beans That was all she said that was all she exclaimed There was not a hello there was no pause to see if she was interrupting All there was was Mrs Peabody red faced as if having just run a marathon barging into our meeting and saying not once not twice but three times and with increasing volume She stole my funeral beans Did you not hear me She stole my funeral beans Now Dear Reader there needs to be a point of clarification Mrs Peabody was in charge of our funeral dinners and had been for many years You might be saying to yourself how nice this was what a great ministry she was providing and to be honest it was But that s not the reason she did them What is in large supply at funerals and funeral dinners Think about it There could be just might be a lot of gossip lots and lots of stories about the deceased their family their friends the juicer the story that better as far as our main character was concerned She was a gossip addict and yes she wrote them all down in a notebook alongside the number of people to expect how many actually showed up little tidbits of information etc Now you might be saying to yourself Justin I don t believe it you are going too far it s too much And yet I will say that I had the rare privilege to find and read the sacred notebook one day when she forgot it at the church and didn t realize it for an hour I was amazed it took her that long to realize she didn t have it in her possession I would have thought she had it in a suitcase and handcuffed to her wrist like in the old spy movie At the top of each page was the name the date of death and what followed on the page was well to put it lightly extraordinary Aside from the menu it was an amazing collection of details names stories a few included what the person was wearing in the casket and one even mentioned how long the widower spent talking to a certain church volunteer 12 minutes three separate times throughout the dinner J Edgar Hoover would have been impressed Like I said it was extraordinary Getting back to the meeting There was Mrs Peabody huffing and puffing and glaring at all of us expecting us to understand this insane interruption She took a few deep breaths and proceeded to say the following I have Harvey Williams funeral dinner in three days and when I went to get my green beans from the church pantry they were gone Sally stole my funeral beans and she knew they were funeral beans They were on the funeral dinner shelf and she still took them for that women s potluck she had the other day Sally Dear Reader was a dear sweet saint of the church that I believe would have never hurt a fly literally I think Sally would catch the fly and set it free to be with its fly friends Sally was also the treasurer of our women s ministry and had recently organized a women s event that involved a ham and green bean dinner Hence I was 100 sure that those green beans were the ones in question In our church pantry there were two shelves of which our beloved Mrs Peabody claimed ownership On them was coffee lemonade mix instant potatoes if she liked you before you passed you got the real thing I wish I was joking and a few other items she always kept on hand for the dinners Yes on this shelf would have been at least one or two large cans of green beans This is why Dear Reader she called them funeral beans since they did in fact touch the funeral dinner shelf I want Sally to confess and I want her to apologize publicly to me steamed Mrs Peabody Now I had always suspected Mrs Peabody didn t like Sally I think it was because Sally was a good person with a heart of gold Mrs Peabody didn t like good people because she didn t enjoy good people In her estimation good people weren t entertaining enough and they and their reputations surely didn t create enjoyable funeral dinners At the time of this event Dr Henry Wright was on our church board He loved to tell people that his wife finally found Mr Right and just had to marry him He was a local veterinarian and at least eighty years old at the time yet still went in to help if needed and still had his favorite patients he would take care of when necessary He was a quiet soul never said much but when you conversed with him you knew he was a man of high intelligence and integrity It was after the apology remark that Dr Wright spoke Dearest Mrs Peabody just so I understand are we talking about one or two cans Henry she never used titles and no she never called me Pastor it was one large can of green beans she exclaimed Well then Henry replied had it been two cans I could see how you could be so upset but since it was just one let me buy you a new one I will even do it tonight and put it back on the shelf first thing tomorrow morning Now did you see what he did there He didn t scold her for being irrational or extremely petty even though she was He knew it wasn t about the beans but the fact that Sally used them He took Sally out of the equation and focused on the beans the inanimate object that put into Mrs Peabody s hands could have created something much worse than green bean casserole For all the rational people in the room and for the rational people reading this story that would make a lot of sense Mrs Peabody looked at everyone looked at Dr Wright and looked at everyone again and said fine but she better not ever do it again and you better get the right ones With that and with a twinkle in his eyes Dr Henry Wright answered Well if I buy them wouldn t that make them the WRIGHT ONES no matter what The wonderful doctor started to laugh so hard at his own joke that he had a hard time catching his breath for about a minute or two The character that is Mrs Peabody didn t stay to laugh along she simply turned and stalked out of the room In conclusion I will say that I wish every church conflict was resolved so easily and I wish every church had a wise sage like Dr Henry Wright in its membership Alas that is rarely the case But I will mention this there are too many conflicts that are started over something as petty as a can of green beans and that My Dear Friends isn t of Christ There might be little things in your church you don t like and that s perfectly normal I ask you to look past those things and look at the people look at the hearts look at your church through the eyes of Christ and I promise you you won t even notice the large can of green beans that s missing 21

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THE HEART OF OUR HERITAGE and OUR FUTURE TREASURE The Rev John Tamilio III Ph D is pastor of the Congregational Church of Canton Massachusetts He is also a visiting Associate Professor of Philosophy at Salem State University his undergraduate alma mater Dr Tamilio holds graduate degrees from Northern University Andover Newton Seminary and Boston University He has conducted post doctoral research at Harvard University as part of its Ministry in the Vicinity Program His first book Blind Painting Poems was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Letters in 2003 He is a frequent contributor to The Congregationalist by the Rev Dr John Tamilio III Ph D Editor s note Dr Tamilio delivered the Congregational Lecture at the 65th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches in Cleveland Ohio on Saturday June 22 2019 The following is an abridged version of his speech In keeping with the theme of the Annual Meeting and Conference my lecture will draw on Matthew 6 21 For where your treasure is there your heart will be also T his is the theme of my church s recent capital campaign so I have been reflecting on this verse quite a bit lately Anyone who has taken a course in Congregational polity or has cracked open a history book knows the story of our heritage It is a rich narrative It is the story of the seventeenth century Pilgrims and Puritans who sailed across the Atlantic to settle in the New World They did this to escape religious persecution to worship God as they chose We are heirs of these brave men and women Along with the historic details associated with the 65 day journey that brought those 102 souls to these shores in November 1620 they also brought an Ecclesiology with them that is as alive today as it was 400 years ago Most Congregationalists are not biblical literalists but we sure hold fast to the normative theological principles that we inherited from those passengers on the Mayflower You do not have to go any further than the NACCC s website to see what those principles are 1 Christ alone is the head of the church 2 All church members are spiritually equal and called to the work of ministry 3 Every local church is autonomous and complete 4 Each local church is called into wider associations of fellowship 5 Believers are bound to one another in voluntary covenant 6 Every Christian possesses full liberty of conscience in interpreting the Gospel 7 The Bible is fully sufficient as our guide in matters of faith and practice and will inspire individuals and direct the church with fresh light and truth for every generation Some of these points are embraced by our congregations more than others Every local church is autonomous and complete typically tops the list We are autonomous We do not have a Vatican or a Pope we do not answer to a higher earthly power so no one is going to tell us what to do I have heard that refrain throughout my twenty years of ministry Interestingly enough Congregationalists are among the first to shy away from the question What does your church or denomination believe Arthur A Rouner Jr acknowledges this in his book The Congregational Way of Life In answering the question what is the Congregational way What do we stand for he says Most of us would stand flat footed red faced and without an answer Were we pressed so hard that we had to answer some of us would probably retort Well we re the free church We are the church with no ecclesiastical controls no bishops to tell us what to do just local churches ordering our own affairs and doing 1 and believing what we think right Those of us who are confident in answering this question will say that we are not told what we must believe or we will point to autonomy We honor our heritage best when we learn from it and build upon it not when we become unyielding slaves to it Let us look back at our past with an eye on the horizon asking how the heart of our heritage can lead to future treasures T here are many treasures that we could focus upon but I want to highlight three of them Covenant Faith Service COVENANT One of the fundamental principles of the NACCC is that Believers are bound to one another in voluntary covenant We exist in covenant with one another That term often gets overlooked deafened by the Autonomy rallying cry A covenant is a relationship of reciprocal love support and care In a covenant your best interests are my best interests and mine are yours When you rejoice I rejoice When you grieve I grieve We are inextricably bound together with one another and Jesus Christ This isn t the way the world thinks We are contractual not covenantal We coexist within the bounds of legal agreements to protect ourselves from each other Covenants are different because covenants always include God We are social beings We were made to be in relationship with one another To be made in the image of God means that we are to reflect God s life together as a Trinity As Father Son and Holy Spirit or Creator Redeemer and Sustainer God exists as a community of persons united in perfect covenantal love People in our communities are hungry for such relationships relationships built on love and trust and forgiveness not ones based on exploitation and suspicion and guilt People want to be loved for who they are not judged for who they are not This is a fundamental aspect of who we are and what we can offer to a world that is starving for such a theology However when we focus solely on autonomy and short shrift the message of covenant our message sounds as if there is a clear division between us and them FAITH Congregationalism isn t just about covenant otherwise the Church would amount to little more than a friendly social organization The covenant we share is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ One of the unique characteristics of the NACCC is that as a larger body we do not take stands on sociopolitical issues In true Congregational form we let individual churches make such proclamations if they wish but the National organization does not Our focus is and needs to remain theological offering people spiritual edification not political talking points As much as people are tired of hearing the Church weigh in on both sides of the political aisle they are famished for spiritual food I believe that churches of the NACCC are in a unique position to fill this void We have an opportunity to present the core doctrines of the Christian faith to people in a way that offers hope and love and life We have answers to those pervasive philosophical questions Why are we here and What is the meaning of life If we do not present the tenets of the Christian faith in a hardnosed exclusionary way we have a feast to offer the multitudes Even though the beliefs and practices of the Pilgrims and Puritans were rigid they believed that God is a God of love too as the First Letter of John declares When we think of our religious forebears images of Jonathan Edwards and his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God come to mind But what about John Robinson the famous pastor of the English Separatists We often quote from his Farewell Sermon that sent the Mayflower on its way the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy word 2 Read Robinson s book New Essays or Observations Divine and Moral published eight years after his Farewell Sermon In the second essay he writes God reveals his gracious love and mercy in and unto his church here upon earth which he therefore hath chosen and taken near unto himself that in it might be seen the riches of his glorious grace 3 Continued 22 23

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Christians Service is in our blood our spiritual DNA There is a world of people looking to give of themselves in this way They want the work of their hands to be connected to their hearts and their spirits THE HEART OF OUR HERITAGE and OUR FUTURE TREASURE Continued The message we have to offer people who are spiritually hungry is that God is a God of love who seeks to know us personally as any lover longs to know his or her beloved God did not create us out of need because of some divine lack He created us in order to share his life and love with us The very essence of the Trinity God as a community of persons who coexist in a relationship of perfect reciprocal love is a model of the relationship that should unite us not only to one another who are created in the Image of God the Imago Dei it is also a model of the relationship we are to share with God If people are spiritual but not religious maybe it is because the mainline church is not providing them with the spirituality they need That spirituality can come from many places but as far as the Church goes it is clearly stating the doctrines of the faith in a way that applies to people s lives Our Puritan forebears saw no division between people s ecclesial lives and their public lives That is what it means to be spiritual Maybe that s why in part that the church in the square also served as the town meeting house All that they did publicly was guided by their faith But what we face today is something different people no longer attend church because they either aren t being fed they think the church is no longer relevant it doesn t fit their busy schedules or all of the above The scheduling problem can be resolved with alternative service times and some churches in the NACCC and beyond have done that But what about the other two 24 People are hungry for God in their lives and we can give that to them without all the political hubbub We have to proclaim what we believe boldly God reveals his gracious love and mercy in and unto his church here upon earth Rev Robinson wrote almost 400 years ago First God offers us love and mercy This is the message we need to disseminate 24 7 365 This is the meal people want For God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus The One who loves us unconditionally and offers us the gift of salvation John 3 16 As Paul wrote it is not something we earned It is a gift so that no one may boast Ephesians 2 8 9 All we need to do is accept it And accepting it is simple You don t need an advanced degree in theology As Paul told the Romans if we declare with our mouths that Jesus is the Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead then we will be saved 10 9 That salvation is not just the life that we will inherit when we shuffle off this mortal coil It is the life together the shalom that God intended for us to live now Many of the broken dread walking through our doors They feel as if they will be judged because they are not perfect They are riddled with fear guilt regret shame you name it The church doesn t need to beat people up most do a good job of that themselves How different would our churches look on Sunday morning if this was the message we sent throughout our communities It s not about judgment It s not about wrath It s about love the boundless love of God The second part of that quote is equally interesting God s love and mercy are given to the church People often say I believe in Jesus but I do not need to go to church to be a Christian They are wrong You have to go to church to be a Christian because at the heart of our faith is a call to be part of God s community When people complain that Christians are hypocrites you know they act all righteous on Sunday but the rest of the week they are sinners like everyone else they re right Christians don t go to Church because they feel it makes them righteous If we do then we re going for the wrong reason We go in part because we are broken and we know it We go because we know that God calls us as a people not as individuals to worship and serve him SERVICE We are called to worship and pray but we are also called to put our faith into action We are called to feed the hungry give clothing to the naked and to visit the sick and imprisoned We are called to be the servant church Diakonia the biblical term for service to others is not about doing good deeds for the sake of being compassionate altruistic or nice It is about serving others especially those on the margins of society because in doing so we minister to Christ This is who we are It is what we are It is a fundamental part of our identity We re not social workers We re not philanthropists We are Congregational F or where your treasure is there your heart will be also Our hearts are rooted deep in this rich Congregational heritage It is one that has always espoused covenantal connectedness Although our churches are autonomous we are united in a relationship of reciprocal love support and care People are hungry for that especially in a world that promotes a sense of isolated individualism We are also a people of faith Our churches run the gamut We are liberal conservative and everything in between We come together because of our common faith In an age of spiritual confusion an age in which people try to find meaning in vapid secular self help offerings people are hungry to latch on to something substantive to hear the story that is ours We not only proclaim that God is real but that God loves us so much that he came to us in Jesus Christ to free us from ourselves to forgive our sins and to offer us new life Lastly our faith and worship remind us that we are a servant church It is about allowing the living God to work through us as we serve Jesus Christ in the service of others We have a great deal to offer a world that is slowly coming to realize that social media is empty that reality TV isn t real that trying to fill your life with stuff brings little more than compounded debt When those in search of meaning cry out There s got to be more to life we in the NACCC can say Indeed there is Come through our doors and meet the living Christ Come be fed by the Word See how it connects to your life Come be part of a family who will love you for who you are not judge you for who you are not Come and truly see that the more you give of yourself to others the more you will receive For a complete transcript of Dr Tamilio s presentation go online to www cc cantonma org multimedia archive congregational lecture 1 Arthur A Rouner Jr The Congregational Way of Life Mount Morris Hammond Publishing Company 1972 38 2 John Robinson Farewell Sermon July 1620 available online at Pilgrim Hall Museum Accessed March 13 2019 3 John Robinson New Essays 1628 available online at Pilgrim Hall Museum Accessed March 13 2019 First Congregational Church Wayne Michigan SEEKING FULL TIME SENIOR PASTOR Our pastor is retiring from full time senior ministry and we are looking for a new guide to lead us on our Christian journey deepening our love of Christ and serving with open minds open hearts and open hands See our Church Information Form at www naccc org Visit our Church Website at www fccow com Arbor Grove Congregational Church 2621 McCain Road Jackson Michigan Since Arbor Grove Congregational Church was founded in 1950 there have been four pastors The Pastoral Search Commi ee is actively seeking applications Caring for our from interested Community candidates For more information regarding this position candidates may apply online at www naccc org or contact Laura Wright at NACCC 800 262 1620 ext 1614 lwright naccc org or contact us at AGCCSearch gmail com www arborgrovechurch org 25

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MISSIONS Bearing the Burdens of the World The Reverend Dr Chris Surber D Min is pastor of Mt Hope Congregational Church and executive Director and co founder with his wife Christina of Supply and Multiply a ministry in Montrouis Haiti He also is Adjunct Professor of Ministry for Global University and Nations University by Chris Surber A child I know by name waits at a rickety table under a braided palm branch shelter for the feeding clinic He hopes the missionaries won t cancel it today as they did last week because they could not drive to his community The roads were blocked with burning tires because of government instability he does not understand He appears patient as he waits for the food He isn t He does not have the energy to complain He is hungry really hungry Haiti is the part of the world to which I can speak most intelligently about poverty and suffering but it is hardly unique I know Missionaries in Burkina Faso Rwanda and other parts of the world report similar stories Fellow followers of Jesus all over the world suffer conditions of poverty that are so bleak as to be soul crushing There are many kinds of global persecution that are worthy of addressing However for the sake of clarity I am going to focus on our collective responsibility to fellow followers of Jesus who carry the cruel yoke of extreme poverty around the world We are a part of a global brotherhood of souls and the Christian life is inherently a life of sharing and bearing Here are just two passages of Scripture and a few thoughts as to how the Lord is calling us to life on mission as bearers and sharers of the love and life of God found in Christ Bear One Another s Burdens In Galatians 6 2 the Apostle Paul says Bear one another s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ ESV The application of Christian virtue is not found in a vacuum of human application At the very least it simply can never be quantified or verified if that virtue no matter how well intentioned is not tested within the context of real human interaction In other words no monk in a hut on a hill alone with his sacred texts and personal prayerful holiness ever did anything worth doing Christ does not call us to personal piety devoid of practical human concern Commenting on this idea Marva Dawn wrote That is another reason why we so much need each other in Christian community to remind one another of the source of our motivation to encourage a deeper reliance on the Lord s empowerment 1 for all of our slaving When we bear the burdens of others we find out our own motivations whether they be true or false because love hoarded is not love It is self gratitude When we bear the burdens of other followers of Jesus we enter into lived communion We embody the message that is embodied in the bread and wine of the Lord s Supper We become one another s incarnation We become one another s preacher We become living witnesses to the immediate power of the gospel Bushnell says The power is to be personal and will therefore lie in the facts of the personal life These facts therefore are preeminently the good news that composes the gospel requiring heralds to go abroad and publish it 2 The Great Commission bids us go The Great Commandment tells us the manner of our behavior in the going Passages like Galatians 6 2 inform our pilgrimage in this world We are not only going to those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ Our call is to go also to those who have heard yet presently bear burdens alone Pastor Surber in Haitian Creole at the Pentecostal Church of Montrouis Haiti Share One Another s Needs And all who believed were together and had all things in common And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need Acts 2 2 44 45 ESV For me this has been the hardest lesson to learn I grew up poor by American standards Clearance rack Pro Wings and handme downs were most certainly not my attire of choice They were just what I was given to wear As I matured into a young man I worked hard and made a life for myself I took pride in providing for myself No I was full of pride because of my false belief that I alone had provided for myself I had pulled myself up by my bootstraps but I forgot to praise God for the bootstraps the strength to pull and His blessing upon the pulling Some of our brothers and sisters around the world do not have the bootstraps and they do not know anyone else that has any to lend That is where we come in This passage speaks specifically to one local congregation that held all things in common Our Congregational identity might incline us to see this kind of Christian community as inherently local As such any inference we might draw as to our obligation or inclination to do likewise would likely be to interpret and apply these practices locally There is a local application in our community churches However our Congregational identity does not give us a pass on our inherent connection with the global Body of Christ The Kingdom of God is for believers everywhere We are Christian only but we are not the only Christians Christ is the light of our local fellowships but In a much more exalted sense is 3 Christ the light of the world The light of Jesus shining at home casts light into a global portal Moreover if their identity is complete in Christ and our identity is completely Christian we not an obligation to extend the circle of our concern for burden bearing and need sharing to the global Body of Christ Does the command of Christ to bear the burdens and share the needs of fellow followers of Jesus not extend to every corner of the globe Are we not bound to do our part not only to bring the story of Christ to the world so that they may find life in Him but also to bring the story of Christ to life in us that in bearing their burdens and sharing their needs they would find Him alive through us A child neither you nor I know by name sits at a rickety table under a rickety shelter waiting for you and me to care about his hunger his lack of education his sickness and the myriad ways he and his Church community are oppressed by the demons of poverty Will we be global burden bearers and need sharers If he you and I are one in Christ as best I can discover from Scripture and experiencing the love of God in Christ his burdens are mine to bear His needs are mine to share What shall we do When shall we do it How long will he sit at that rickety table waiting on you and me 1 Marva Dawn Truly the Community Eerdmans Grand Rapids MI 1992 page 185 2 Horace Bushnell The Vicarious Sacrifice The Regina Press New York Reprint Edition 1975 page 530 3 R B Kuiper The Glorious Body of Christ The Banner of Truth Trust Carlisle PA 1967 page 265 Kim Quint member of Mt Hope CC with a little boy in Montrouis 26 27

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Necrology Get your swag on 2019 by Cinda Walton Celebrate your Pilgrim heritage Wear Faith 400 imprinted apparel Tees Fleece Jackets Hoodies and more Shop at https naccc apparel itemorder com 28 WHY SERVE The Reverend Richard Lindvall 1946 2019 The Reverend Richard Lindvall of Michigan City Indiana passed away on April 4 2019 at age 73 Most recently Lindvall served as pastor at Tinley Park Community Church He was Intern Interim at Ontario Congregational Church Oneida Ill 1968 71 and pastored Northland Congregational Church Rockford Mich 1972 77 First Congregational Church of McCook Neb 1977 86 Bethany Union Church Chicago Ill 1986 93 and Tinley Park Community Church Tinley Park Ill 1996 2018 He also served as Institutional Chaplain at the University of Chicago Medical Center in the mid 1990s Lindvall loved traveling and made a trip to Sweden to meet some of his relatives He also enjoyed spending time with his family and joining them for canoeing trips Lindvall was born on February 20 1946 in Chicago to Martin and Alma Lindvall He is preceded in death by his parents his wife Sharon and his son Luke He is survived by his daughter Dottie Larry Karasiewicz and his two grandchildren Memorial donations may be given to Tinley Park Community Church 7939 167th St Tinley Park IL 60477 or to the Parkinson s Foundation 1359 Broadway Ste 1509 New York NY 10018 Why serve as an officer member of a committee or special event planner with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches My reasons for serving over some forty plus years are the same reasons for choosing to be a member of an NACCC Congregational church We being the lay persons and ministers are equal Each has one vote in what takes place in our church We fellowship together in our churches and in our Associations for fellowship to support one another for opportunities to learn together without a hierarchical system telling us what to believe or how to function Each church is autonomous self governed Our Associations when in fellowship are built on the idea that lay persons and ministers share in the events as equals and if this is to continue both must participate Each person has their own skills and talents God gave them to us They can only grow and be effective if we participate Our minister s special talent is the sharing of God s Word studying and teaching helping us to better understand God s Word helping each of us to make our own decisions as to what we believe or do not believe A major feature of Congregationalism is that the individuals at our gatherings do not have to think exactly alike We are to respect one another and all may worship together when we respect one another We each have only one person to whom we are responsible our Heavenly Father God We have the freedom to speak and commune to God directly and listen for his reply At times a minister may help us to find our connection to God but it is not required that a minister be the go between each of us and God We have bare bone beliefs that bind us together in Faith Fellowship and Freedom These are a belief in God that his son Jesus lived among us and died and we would truly know of God and his great love when Jesus died for us We believe in the Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost We believe the Bible when studied gives us the knowledge needed to believe Children of God brothers and sisters both lay persons and ministers if we wish this Freedom to continue if we wish to continue a Fellowship as Congregationalists and want Faith to be our guide in our lives we need to share our gifts given to us by the one God of us all Let us continue to meet in Fellowship both lay persons and ministers This is not just your minister s responsibility but the responsibility of us all Cinda Walton is a member of First Congregational Church of Pittsford Pittsford Michigan 29

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Recent Calls The Little Brown Church Nashua Iowa has called Rev Drew McHolm as Senior Minister March 10 2019 Atkinson Congregational Church Atkinson Ill has called Rev Dustin A Largent as Senior Minister April 21 2019 United Church of Marco Island Marco Island Fla has called Rev Kathy Sprague as Associate Minister May 5 2019 North Manchester Congregational Christian Church North Manchester Ind has called Pastor Andrew Burch as Associate Pastor of Family Ministry May 1 2019 Duluth Congregational Church Duluth Minn has called Rev Cherie Daniel as Senior Minister May 1 2019 People s Congregational Church Bayport Minn has called Rev Toya Richards as Senior Minister May 20 2019 First Congregational Church Terre Haute Ind has called Revs James Hugh Elliot and Kathryn Ann Jenkins Elliot as Co Senior Ministers June 1 2019 First Congregational Church Lake Odessa Mich has called Rev Dr Marilyn Danielson as Senior Minister June 3 2019 First Congregational Church Roscommon Mich Has called Rev Brad Williams as Senior Minister July 1 2019 Cheney Congregational Church Cheney Wash has called Matthew K Goodale as Senior Minister July 7 2019 Installations Rev Andrew Delmar Stinson First Congregational Church Fall River Mass May 19 2019 In Search Updated 07 10 2019 Senior Minister Arbor Grove Congregational Church Jackson Mich Crystal Congregational Church Crystal Mich First Congregational Church Interlachen Fla First Congregational Church Rochester Mass First Congregational Church Yarmouth Port Mass First Congregational Church Hudson Mich First Congregational Church Wayne Mich Flatbush Tompkins Congregational Church Brooklyn N Y Founders Congregational Church Harwinton Conn Gahanna Community Congregational Church Gahanna Ohio McGraft Memorial Congregational Church Muskegon Mich Pilgrim Congregational Church Pomona Calif Second Congregational Church Warren Maine St Jacobi Congregational Church Richfield Wis Tinley Park Community Church Tinley Park Ill Third Congregational Church Middletown Conn Westchester Congregational Church Colchester Conn Associate Minister First Congregational Church Mansfield Ohio Non NACCC Church Senior Minister First Congregational Church United Church of Christ Springfield Vt SEPTEMBER 30 OCTOBER 2 2019 Fall Silent Retreat in Memory and Honor of the Rev Donald Mullen Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center Plymouth Indiana Rev Dr Charles Packer ChaplainDirector Congregational Retreat Society Contact Dear Editor As an almost lifelong Congregationalist and as a minister of over forty years standing I am committed to and have no complaints about the Congregational Way I do however have a complaint about a trend that I have been observing in our fellowship during the past twenty years or so references to ordinations and installations being carried out with the concurrence of vicinage councils I have seen many such references in The Congregationalist and elsewhere Call me a contrarian grammarian if you will but the use of the word vicinage in this regard is an egregious act of violence against the English language The presumption seems to be that vicinage is an ecclesiastical term It is not and I stand in rebellion against this increasingly common error in usage Vicinage is an anachronism that means exactly the same thing as vicinity Would a Congregational church inviting its sister churches to gather for the examination of an ordinand refer to the event as a vicinity council That would be ludicrous So is the use of the word vicinage in this regard Vicinage is a geographical term It has nothing whatsoever to do with church affairs Indeed I have even heard it mispronounced 30 vickinage as though it has to do with vicars something of which Congregationalists have none but of which Episcopalians have many A vicar in Anglican parlance is a pastor of a mission parish or chapel In Congregationalism the word vicinage came to be used long ago in reference to the formation of ecclesiastical councils which consist of representatives of Congregational churches of the vicinage of the vicinity If a church wishes to hold a council of delegates from other churches to advise it whether for an ordination an installation or an internal matter the proper term is ecclesiastical council If the council is held to examine a person who is a candidate for ordination it would be equally proper to call it an ordination council But a vicinage council No This grammatical impropriety needs to go As is said nowadays Give it a rest or better yet a decent burial Editor Marianne E King Publisher Carrie Dahm Contributing Editor Linda Miller Graphic Design Goes Studio Editorial Advisory Team Rev Dawn Carlson Rev Dr Barry W Szymanski Randy Asendorf Rev Dr Michael Glidden Miriam Bryant Subscriptions Policy 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 SAVE THE DATES APRIL 20 23 2020 Minister s Convocation JUNE 27 30 2020 66th Annual Meeting Conference of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Portland Maine JULY 22 28 2020 International Congregational Fellowship Quadrennial Conference Curry College Milton Massachusetts TO THE Letters EDITOR CALENDAR 2019 Pastorates PULPITS 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 NACCC Advertising Inquiries Carrie Dahm 800 262 1620 ext 1612 cdahm naccc org POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Congregationalist 8473 S Howell Ave Oak Creek WI 53201 0288 Editorial Inquiries Subscription Inquiries 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 8473 South Howell Avenue Oak Creek WI 53154 naccc naccc org Marianne E King 800 262 1620 ext 1624 editor 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 SUBSCRIBING CANCELING MOVING Email us at naccc naccc org 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 Sincerely Rev Douglas Warren Drown Minister Saunders Memorial Congregational Church NACCC Little Deer Isle Maine North Sedgwick Baptist Church ABC Sedgwick Maine 2019 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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