The Congregationalist September 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 8 9 10 13 14 Pastorial Ministry of Musicians ON THE COVER FCC of Elkader members erect sign The Great Crossing Song Afflicted Saints Thank You Donors Virtually speaking A Play That First Thangsgiving 20 Where There is Tension Start Paying Attention 22 A Note from Reverend Dr Irven Gammon 23 On Equality Justice WorkingTogether 26 28 29 for their Plymouth Rock My Ministry Why Do You Fear Me How We Pray Departments 4 18 19 19 24 30 31 OUR VOYAGE TOGETHER Reflections on Being a Church ALONG THE WAY NECROLOGY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 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 Reflections on Being a Church in the Next Six Months AND BEYOND O ver the last several months my thoughts have often turned to consideration of the church I have pondered the nature of being a church especially in the dramatically changing times in which we are living As is typical for me I have looked at how our predecessors in Congregationalism have considered the matter Preston Cummings in his 1854 volume A Dictionary of Congregational Usages and Principles expressed it this way CHURCH what constitutes one It was the united opinion of the early Congregationalists that any number of persons united together by a covenant either expressed or implied for the worship of God constitute a church John Robinson says And for the gathering of a church I do tell you that in what place soever whether by preaching the gospel by a true minister by a false minister by no minister or by reading and conference or by any other means of publishing it two or three faithful people do arise separating themselves from the world into the fellowship of the gospel they are a church truly gathered though never so weak p 52 According to this quotation from Robinson as cited by Cummings then a church exists when there are two or three faithful people united in a covenant relationship and seeking to worship God and to follow the gospel teachings regardless of what else is or is not true of the group That gets me thinking of how this understanding might apply to the foreseeable future for many of our member churches For example if a church must continue to meet apart physically for another year but continues to worship faithfully through the means available to it such as by means of social media is it still a church Do all the people who are members of that congregation still remain members even if many of them are not able to gather safely in person with one another What do you think I hope my ponderings might spark a thought or two for you 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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Pastoral Ministry of Musicians The Reverend Dr Peter Stickney serves as Pastor of Music and Arts for the Newfield Community Church in Newfield Maine and is Chaplain for the United Church of Christ Musicians Association by Peter Stickney can create beautiful sound We are serving the Creator by serving others and our calling is to offer sound and energy that will lift those who are present T Serve One Another he mantle of responsibility for the ministry of music is legion We are not court musicians hired for the pleasure of the church nor are we mercenary musicians in it for the do re mi Rather we are called to serve one another with the holy and sacred gift of music We recognize that our calling is to help others to bridge a dimension between this world and another realm In addition it takes faithfulness in our daily spiritual practices and music preparation to employ a sensitivity for each unique worship opportunity To quote a member of UCCMA who just retired at age 82 from making the 100 mile round trip twice a week to her church Nobody can describe what happens when you are preparing your music and all time ceases and the glory of our God settles upon you This is where it is at people We prepare to serve one another and receive amazing blessings O Just What I Needed ne of the wonderful gifts that a sacred musician can receive is in the form of thankfulness from one who has been blessed by music The simple heartfelt thank you for your music or even better the music was just what I needed is to be cherished by each and every servant This is not from a casual social polite grace but rather from the depths of a Soul to whom your rendered sacred sound has ministered In many instances mere words cannot be as powerful and healing as music In the spirit of this truth it is an honor to serve others and to offer the gift of music given from the depths of our being 6 T Planning and Giving Guidance here is a natural unfolding of the duties of a sacred musician Many of us are heavily invested in the planning of regular liturgies and other services Hopefully we are listened to and honored with our insight and knowledge of tempo pace keyality and text Further we know what ensembles and musicians will be available to participate and help create beautiful sound and leadership of our music In addition to our weekly responsibilities we are frequently called upon to plan funerals weddings memorial services and other events At this point we realize that what is most important is that the music reflects the divine and also serves the function to bring the attendees of each occasion peace in their heart and joy into their soul So many of us need to acquiesce and listen really listen to the soon to be nuptial couple s desires for their wedding Naturally we can guide and make suggestions especially when it comes to music that might be better suited for the reception However we need to listen with our entire being and be open Most challenging for many of us is to put our preferences aside when it comes to funeral music or memorial services Perhaps we need to ask questions about music preferences and bring out all the resources at our disposal to help craft a meaningful worship For some of us it means that Eagles Wings or In the Garden needs to have a removal of our attitude and be freshly recreated with our holy energy We need to realize that not everyone is uplifted by a prelude of Schmucke dich or Sheep May Safely Graze but would be ministered to by some antique hymns such as The Old Rugged Cross or Ivory Palaces Your job is to listen and honor what is requested Some of us need to get over ourselves and it isn t easy but it can done We can put the Oboe or Vox Humana stop on the melody of the Bach chorales or the early 20th century hymns in either way we O Outside of the Rehearsal or Sanctuary ur music ministry is centered on our Creator and exists so that others can partake in a deep way That being said the human caring aspect of loving one another and helping one another is powerful and needs to be carefully considered Sometimes there is a spirit led event when people simply spill the content of their hearts to you the sacred musician Many of us have had boundary training and have taken seminars etc however sometimes people just need someone to listen This can include lots of forbidden topics life confessions disclosures and some messy topics It is my practice to simply listen and I mean really listen not be shocked I confess that I am still occasionally shocked and NOT GIVE ADVICE Simply summon up as much love as you can and declare that there is absolutely nothing that our Creator cannot take care of Sometimes a recommendation for counseling is in order An offer of prayer is perhaps the most powerful tool that you can employ Naturally you have everything you need a heart voice and faith Using wisdom you might discern that letting a pastor know that you had a little chat without betraying the content would be proper This is a fine line and our calling is to the gift of music not counseling On the other hand the fact that someone confessed a trouble to you is in itself is a holy action one that should be manipulated or contrived to fit the rules Nevertheless I would urge you all to be very careful in these situations and remember that the Universe has called you to the music ministry and that is where your energy and intent need to dwell P Diligence ersonal diligence to your calling as a sacred musician includes but is not limited to your daily relationship with our Source Each of us has our own unique way to embrace the work of the day On a personal note it has been my practice to greet each day with thanksgiving prayer and meditation Simply put this is what works for me I trust that you have found the best way for your soul to engage in daily communion with our Source When you are connected to the Universe your calling and gifts will flow so much more freely and the most benevolent outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit emerge May it Be United Church of Christ Musicians Association 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 7

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THE GREAT CROSSING AFFLICTED Saints A Song by Jack Brown God owes me comfort sounds overtly self centered Somehow it is well mannered to cast doubtful aspersions on His holy character rather than admit to our own selfish disposition Follower of Jesus if Heaven is our home why are our hopes so earthbound Why do we so long for comfort in this life when we are guaranteed comfort in the life to come In his wonderful treatise on this subject The Balm of Covenant Applied to the Bleeding Wounds of the Saints the Congregational Puritan John Flavel offers us this insight Text Based on Mark 4 36 41 Tune Sung to the tune God of Grace and God of Glory CWM Rhondda In the first redemption story God s loved people crossed a sea From their bondage and oppression They were led to liberty Chorus Lord Redeemer cross us over Bless our lives and make us free Bless our lives and make us free L In the Cross our Lord redeemed us From our sin and fear we re free By the One who calmed stilled the waters Of the Sea called Galilee Chorus Later still the Pilgrims journeyed Crossing over Ocean Sea To be God s redeemed sent people Sharing Truth that sets all free Chorus Now we too are called Cross over Come and follow Come be FREE Come and be My FAITHFUL people Come and FELLOWSHIP with Me 8 The Reverend Jack Brown a retired minister Olivet Congregational Church Olivet Michigan Since 1995 Brown has created many theme hymns for the NACCC s Annual Meeting and Conference Brown says he finds it satisfying work I compose one each year and it was fun when I could attend meetings to hear them sung by the meeting attendees Two of them were subsequently included in the Hymns for a Pilgrim People Hymnal I am glad to have this hymn made available for clergy and churches to consider for use in Worship for this year s Thanksgiving or Heritage Sundays ong before COVID 19 people asked If God is good why does He allow suffering The unbelieving world voices questions like this to cast aspersions upon belief in God Our enemy in this world whispers questions like this into the ears of squishy biblical formation to weaken already tenuous faith in Christ Questions are like the fruit of a tree They are not the tree itself though we may label the tree bearing the fruit by the name of the fruit Questions are the fruit of beliefs They are asked in order to deny or affirm a conviction The tree that bears this question is the God owes good things to me in this life tree That s fine for unbelievers Those who reject the true and living God have always preferred to recast Him into a form they prefer rather than discard Him altogether That s what idolatry is It is recasting God into our preferred image as a way of giving divine license to self worship When the soul is at ease the pains of the body are next to nothing sickness can cloud all natural joys but not the joy of a pardon Nay which is yet more pluck out but the sting of sin and there is no horror in death the king of terrors and worst of all outward evils See how the pardoned believer triumphs over it O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin 1 Cor xv 55 They are words of defiance as men use to deride and scorn a boasting insulting enemy when they see him cast upon his back and 1 his sword broken over his head There is nothing quite like pain to wake you up Have you ever had a hyper four year old land square on your chest just as you fell into a deep sleep Waking up is no option when we are surprised by pain God allows pain to wake us up to our lack of selfsufficiency and desperate need for Him Pain is God s megaphone to rouse a slumbering world as C S Lewis wrote The Reverend Dr Chris Surber is pastor of Mt Hope Congregational Church Livonia Michigan He is Executive Director of Supply and Multiply Haiti By Chris Surber Pain is a finely sharpened instrument in the hand of the grace giver and it is His eternal covenant that concerns Him far more than our immediate comfort Pain and discomfort disease and death are not going to leave us in this life However God is not going to leave us in this life either Our home is across the sin darkened shores of this life Our hope is eternal Therefore the covenant of grace must needs be a complete relief and remedy to the afflicted soul 2 Afflicted Saints of God look heavenward Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God So to keep me from becoming proud I was given a thorn in my flesh a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away Each time He said My grace is all you need My power works best in weakness So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me II Corinthians 12 7 9 NLT Why does a good God allow pain and suffering Here s a better question What makes me a sinner afforded so rich a treasure as the eternal hope found in the Covenant of Grace Why are we so richly blessed in Christ 1 John Flavel The Whole Works Of Volume VI Banner of Truth 1968 97 1 Ibid 95 9

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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 James Leanna Rogers Grant Stannard Bill Lorraine Street William H Guild Charitable Trust 20 000 39 999 Haven Congregational Church Christopher Victoria Owens Roland Nancy Sutton 10 000 19 999 Bow Lake Free Will Baptist Church California Community Foundation Harry R Butman Trust Marria Casner Claude Joyce Dunn Elsie Bunker Trust Andrew Sandra Falls Plain Congregational Church Plantation Community Church 5 000 9 999 Roger Janice Bowers Tom Gisela Chelimsky Michael Vicki Chittum Richard Derham Fellowship of Northeast Congregational Christian Churches IA NE Association of Congregational Christian Churches Jim Larson Janet Wilson Lou Mattison Kirk Cindy Shirar Thompson Family Trust Rex Renda Tillerson 1 000 4 999 Augusta Community Church Congregation Martha Averill Edith Bartley Rick Barbara Bauzenberger Becks Reformed Church James Benson Bethesda Evangelical Church Sandy Buchman Robert Buckley Jim Hottleman Laura Butman Hottleman Cal West Association Kenneth Harriett Clark Ashley Cleere Jerold Dorothy Cochran Jeff Sharon Dillon First Christian Church of Wellington First Congregational Church of Allegan First Presbyterian Church of Clay Center Robert Heather Gallivan Sherry Glab Grace Evangelical Congregational Church Kevin Gromley Nancy Scott Laura Hamby Bob Higle Margaret Hoats Jim Hopkins Paul Loretta Howell Neil Sharon Hunt Mark Brenda Jurewicz Carl Gail Leypoldt Lowell Shirley Linden Lyerly Evangelical Church Timothy Susan Maguire John Mary McAliley Sylvia McCormick McGraft Memorial Congregational Church Mertie Harley Stevens Memorial Fund Missionary Ventures International Inc Grace Tyler Moe Barbara Mullen New Day Quincy Patrick Obma Olivet College Varn Liz Philbrook Donna Powers Ron Rudd Ted Robin Schacht Dottie Schimpf Alice Scott Blaine Diane Simons Benj Janice Simpson Bob Barbara Smith Karen Snow Ewald Sorensen St Luke s Reformed Church Mike Pat Stahl Brent Julie Staples Robert Suzanne Stoyer John Cindy Tamilio Jim Waechter Art Lee Wallach Robert White Beth Wilkins 500 999 AL GA Association of Congregational Christian Churches Earl Alger Ed Jami Backell Jodi Brandser James Candice Cassidy Bobbie Chapman Richard Roberta Davis Martha Fee Brian Gaskill Jim Ann Harris Randall Linda Hase John Heggeman Ron Judith Heiligenstein James Henson Loris Jacobs Mark Liane Jensen Paul Klehm Bill Sue LeFeber Fred Jodee Lord Marion Christian Church Edward Martin Mount Hope Church Chuck Chris Murphy Paul Karen Nickels Don Penny Olsen Nancianne Rathbun Jeffrey Miriam Schmidt South Haven Baptist Church Marion Stowell Don Vicki Underhill Eleanor Vernon Joe Shaaron Walton Ed Patricia White Kim Woellhof Kathleen Wolf Anita Wonder Tom Barbara Yocom 250 499 Bill Ahrens Don Anderson Arena Congregational Church Randy Nancy Asendorf Cindy Bacon Hammer William Barbara Barnes Thelma Basley Dick Mary Berger Sharon Beringson Bethlehem Christian Union Church Canfield Jenkins House of Photography Norm Marcia Christensen John Steele Cook Clifford Corinne Depew Dan Lynn Drea Evangelical Congregational Church School Sanford Linda Freud Gustave Goldshine Arthur Patricia Greeley Paul Nancy Hamilton Roger Mary Hawk Robert Constance Hellam Sue Henning Idana Presbyterian Church Andrew Kathy Irish Ken Patricia Johnson Marianne King Suky Kwak Lighthouse Fellowship Chapel Susan List Thomas Janet Lovell Marcia Lynk Bruno Mauer Richard Kay Miller Todd Gisela Myers Northern California Fellowship of Congregational Christian Churches Jo Parker David Karen Pier Ryan Mary Prendergast Donald Marilyn Rauschl Alicia Paul Riedy Jeffrey Julie Robie Cedric Lorraine Rogers Gloria Jean Skeete SonRise Bible Church Southeastern Michigan Association of Congregational Churches Star Steward Patrick Stewart Ted Ellen Stiffler Patricia Storer Carolyn Sundquist Donald Sweitzer David Teeter The Upward Twist Inc United Church of Christ Buckland Jim Cindy Walsh Edgar Suzanne Wheeler Les Phyllis Wicker 100 249 Richard Joyce Adair Phyllis Agers Sandra Allgood Doreen Applegate Dave Arnold Charles Barr II James Nancy Battle Ellen Bauerle Joy Baumgartner Beacon Congregational Church Neil Linda Bennett Donald Penny Bentley Philip Mary Biondi Bruce Melissa Block Beth Borland John Kay Bowman Cathy Brockington Beth Brooks Alfred Lorraine Brown Marguerite Burg Bynum Barbara Burnopp John Buscemi Betty Campbell Patricia Canfield Dawn Carlson John Kraft Greg Carmer Basil Linda Chadbourne Stephen Tamara Champagne Nancy Chandler Wilkinson Dorothy Chapman John Chapman Joseph Marcia Cifaldo George Clay Jon Mary Lou Clifton Curtis Terry Cole Don Sandy Cole Jean Colegrove Thomas Cornell Harold Covill Arnold Doris Crocker Phylis Croonenberghs Mark Cruth Carolyn Curley Susan Davison Jim DeLine Barbara J Dunham Frederick Dunn Doris Ebert Ron Karen Edwards Kathly Elfstrom John Jan Elger Gregory Marcie Errico Joseph Lucille Faure Etta V Feltes Maurice Sara Fetty Lorraine Finison Carl Fleming Fred Fortier Colleen Foster Rob Fredrickson Irven Brenda Gammon Charles Velta Glenn Continued 10 11

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100 249 Continued 12 Ann Goecke Doug Cynthia Gray Charles Hall Victor Cynthia Hardy Robert Harloff Clarence Jean Heerema Bill Betsy Hess Larry Katherine Howell Robert Lenora Huber Patrick Linda Hunt Ann Hutchings Rhonda Jared Mark Kathryn Jarvie Sharon Jenks Mary Jensen Patricia Jipson Mark Johnson Colby Charmaine Jones Jeremy Christa Jones Greg Jurewicz Bob Claudia Kniefel Carl Dorothy Knoch Richard Mary Koch Mary Krall Michael Lambert Sharon Landry Stephen Sara Lange Arlin Sharon Larson Caroline Laubenheimer Douglas Lobb Lewis Caryn Long Glen Lovejoy Kathleen Riska Lovejoy Elizabeth Lundy Ian Macdonald James Veronica Mann Mr Mrs Lloyd Maxwell John McElroy Andrew Hillary McHenry David Marsha McMurray Catherine Melendy Victoria James Melendy Patricia Miller Andy Marti Mollema William Mulholland Holly Myers Marianne Neufeld LEAVING A ThankY0u Bernie Alberta Nichols Warren Becky Noble Marilyn Ober Ohio Association of Congregational Christian Churches Womens Fellowship Daniel Bonnie Olson Charles Packer Alice Clifford Pence Jr Sharon Petrie David Rebecca Pniewski Jim Powell Virginia Pratt Thomas Rae Ellen Preuss Phil Peg Read Doug Carol Rearick Ruth Reindl Tom LeeAnne Richard Lynn Robertson Roslindale Congregational Church John Christine Ruppel Dudley Schadeberg Curt Kathryn Schmidt Dale Sharp Sam Lucy Shinozaki Burton Miriam Shurlow Robert Gwen Smith Robert Smith Larry Joelle Sommers John Stanczak Robert Stawski Michael Catherine Stiles Bradley Rebecca Stocking Monte Nelda Stuck William Sukeforth Barry Sue Szymanski Wilmot Sherry Taylor Sarah Timothy Terlouw The United Church Clayton Timmons Nancy Trott Jerry Rebecca Turner Christine James Walker Craig Barbara Walker Bruce Walters David Mary Walz David Sue Welcome Carol Weyand Sharla Wickman Barbara Wigley Thomas Wittkopp Allan Marilyn Worth Norman Yassany Legacy 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 Deceased VIRTUALLY Speaking I The Reverend Dr Shawn Stapleton is the Workshop Coordinator with the Center for Congregational Leadership He worked closely with the staff and leadership to execute the annual meeting this year and is hopeful that the organization will continue to find new ways to use available technology to enhance fellowship and ministry across the organization and its member churches By Shawn Stapleton n a year when the NACCC was set to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower on North American shores with a comprehensive look at our rich and complex history a modern virus and modern tools came together to create both an obstacle to and an opportunity for a historic tradition to have a very 21st century gathering COVID 19 took America by storm and forced the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches NACCC to change the way it functions Once the decision was made in April to cancel the in person gathering in Portland Maine NACCC leaders and staff immediately began figuring out how to make a virtual meeting work Business still needed to be accomplished to fulfill our charter most notably leaders needed to be elected and a budget needed to be approved How would that happen After researching several different video conferencing and conference call platforms it was determined that Zoom would best meet our needs for this event Several staff including Development and Communications Assistant Tracy Bernhardt began researching how we could best use this video conferencing software to accomplish specific tasks during the meeting especially facilitating orderly discussion and voting The biggest challenge for me was making sure the meeting platform was able to do all the things we needed it to do Bernhardt said From the sharing of meeting content and voting as well as highlighting the various speakers throughout the meeting it was our goal to present the most professional meeting experience possible Meanwhile NACCC Executive Secretary Reverend Dr Michael Chittum researched Wisconsin state statutes and consulted with attorneys and our Robert s Rules of Order experts Douglas Loux and Judy Campbell to ensure that procedurally we were satisfying the tenets of the law The NA s Bylaws do not explicitly allow a virtual meeting but neither do they disallow one Chittum said adding that he consulted the state statutes and thought he understood their intent but spoke with the attorneys including a former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin just to be sure After those discussions Chittum crafted a set of Emergency Bylaws to be passed by the Board of Directors to make a virtual meeting legal and binding From the Emergency Bylaws the Standing Rules were tweaked to be in compliance with the new meeting framework Chittum said Both the Emergency Bylaws and the Standing Rules were made available to our member churches well in advance so everyone was aware of how business was to be conducted and what business was to be conducted Once the team figured out the mechanics necessary to vote and facilitate discussion to share visual information and control the audio with so many participants they felt it was important to hold several rehearsals to work out any problems Rehearsals were key so that each speaker knew what to expect and we could work on the behind the scenes technical details to make for a seamless meeting experience Bernhardt said Chittum and others cited the fellowship at the beginning of the meeting as a real high point of the gathering Carrie Dahm meeting planner and vendor coordinator with the NACCC said she really enjoyed being able to visually connect with individuals even for the short time The experience could have a lasting positive impact on the NACCC by allowing some to attend the meeting virtually if they are not able to travel to the in person meeting To those who did not attend this year Chittum had these words The NACCC practices what we preach The NA is an Association of churches The decisions of the NA are not final until they are approved by our member churches Gathering in Spokane will give people and our member churches a chance to be involved directly in the governance of the NACCC I am hoping that it will be safe to travel next June so people can actually see each other again Shawn Stapleton Tracy Bernhardt and Carrie Dahm 13

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The Cast Narrator male or female John Alden Priscilla Mullins John and Priscilla on the Eve of That First Thanksgiving Lawrence Balleine is a 1975 CFTS graduate and past contributor to The Congregationalist Now retired he served as a pastor with Congregational and United Church of Christ congregations for over forty years A Play by Lawrence H Balleine NARRATOR Four centuries ago in the Fall of 1620 Christopher Jones and his crew transported 102 passengers aboard the MAYFLOWER to the New World After an arduous voyage across the north Atlantic they established their colony called Plymouth This story the story of the Pilgrims is deeply woven into American culture and our religious heritage The passengers aboard the MAYFLOWER consisted of both the Saints and the Strangers The Saints were from the Leyden congregation in Holland They had originated in England but with the threat of religious persecution for their beliefs they had fled to Holland where there had been much greater religious tolerance After nearly a dozen years and growing increasingly uncomfortable in their urban surroundings in Holland the Saints known as Separatists at the time saw in the New World across the Atlantic an opportunity to establish a colony where they could practice their faith in the way they felt God was leading them Unlike the Puritans who wanted to purify the Church of England the Separatists felt it was necessary to separate themselves from the established Church of England The Strangers were the other passengers They were the larger group Some of the Strangers sought to go the New World out of a sense of adventure while others saw it as a means of economic opportunity Among those on the MAYFLOWER were John Alden and Priscilla Mullins John was 21 years of age He was one of the ship s crew members and served as a cooper or barrel maker It was his job to maintain the MAYFLOWER S barrels of fresh water beer and brandy Priscilla was about 18 years of age and the daughter of William Mullins a shopkeeper She traveled to the New World with her father her mother Alice and her younger brother Joseph Priscilla s family was from among the Strangers Today we join John and Priscilla on Burial Hill on the eve of the first Thanksgiving From their conversation we learn a good amount about the MAYFLOWER voyage and the Pilgrim s first year in the New World JOHN and PRISCILLA enter and approach the chancel PRISCILLA walks approximately 5 10 feet in front of JOHN PRISCILLA Hurry up John I thought you were in good shape JOHN Catching his breath You really enjoy coming up here to the top of the hill don t you Priscilla Action John and Priscilla sit on the bench PRISCILLA I sure do It is such a peaceful location Plus you can see our entire village Pointing to the near distance Like there There s Elder Brewster s house and there s Mr Winslow s and there s your place John 14 JOHN And the harbor What a beautiful view looking out over the bay Priscilla I can see why you like coming up here pause PRISCILLA John it s really been quite a year hasn t it JOHN It sure has All of what we ve gone through The long voyage over the terrible winter upon our arrival and the many who died Priscilla it must be hard to have lost your whole family your father your mother and your younger brother PRISCILLA It was awful But the congregation put their arms around me their care has been amazing Then those who came from Leyden keep reminding me what their pastor Reverend Robinson told them as they were about to leave God has more light to break forth from his holy word They repeat these words with conviction Listening to them has helped to restore my hope JOHN Priscilla what do you think Reverend Robinson meant when he said this to those from Leyden PRISCILLA I think he was telling his people not to assume they have all the answers He knew they were going to a place filled with difficult challenges and circumstances and they needed to be open to the ways God might continue to speak to them in these new surroundings JOHN I wasn t raised in the church but if that s what Reverend Robinson meant I think that s pretty good advice PRISCILLA By the way I heard that Reverend Robinson s first name is also John pause Elder Brewster was telling me the other day that they were a part of a group called Separatists It sounds like they were and continue to be pretty free thinkers JOHN What do you mean Priscilla PRISCILLA They wanted to be able to call their own pastors and saw no need of any authority in the church other than God Only God they feel should have any say over their local congregations It was as if they were saying Who does the King of England think he is anyway claiming that he is the head of the church What they stand for takes courage and they got into trouble for such radical views That s why they had to leave England and ended up in Holland for a while before they got their chance to come here JOHN So that s why they were coming from Leyden in Holland They had to get away from the authorities in England PRISCILLA John were you ever afraid as we made our journey across the Atlantic JOHN I suppose there were times but usually I was so busy looking after things below deck I didn t think too much about the dangers we faced PRISCILLA But weren t you afraid when the main beam split JOHN Not at first I knew we had a spare beam in the hold We placed it under the broken one but we couldn t keep it in place That s when I got a little worried But then some of the Saints told us about the large iron screw that they had brought from Holland We found it among all the other items we were transporting It worked it raised the beam into its proper place PRISCILLA Were you on deck when John Howland washed overboard during one of those bad storms JOHN No I was below checking the barrels But I heard some of the crew talking about it It seems a miracle that he managed to grab hold of the topsail halyards so that a couple of the crew members could rescue him with a boat hook PRISCILLA I m sure that s a story that will be passed down from generation to generation JOHN I wouldn t doubt it PRISCILLA Hey John don t you think God works in mysterious ways JOHN What do you mean Priscilla PRISCILLA Take us for example We weren t a part of the Leyden group When we joined with them just before we set sail back in England they said that they were afraid that we would be a rowdy bunch They worried that we would not be very God fearing They wondered how we d ever get along And now we ve all become a tightly knit community JOHN Don t you think we ve had to in order to survive PRISCILLA Maybe so but I think God is working among us in a special way JOHN I remember how the folks from Leyden first referred to themselves as the Saints and called the others aboard the MAYFLOWER The Strangers Many of us crew members thought the Saints were a bunch of religious fanatics Now I realize they are just striving to live good lives that God is important to them and all they wanted was the opportunity to worship God in the way they felt God was leading them And yes I do agree We ve all become good companions Priscilla maybe that is a way God is letting new light shine forth upon us PRISCILLA That s a good way to put it John I think you are absolutely right pause JOHN Hey Priscilla you see points off in the distance way way out there and a little to our right That s where Captain Jones ordered the crew on the MAYFLOWER to drop anchor Continued 15

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John and Priscilla on the Eve of That First Thanksgiving Continued PRISCILLA Don t you remember now excited we were We assumed we d be getting right off the boat After all we d been on the MAYFLOWER for over two months straight and hadn t even changed our clothes The sea had been so rough and we spent so much of the time below the deck in those cramped quarters How we all got along as well as we did I think was remarkable JOHN Remarkable No Priscilla that was a miracle Well Captain Jones was pretty good at keeping us all in line He ran a tight ship And the leaders of the Leyden group Mr Brewster Mr Carver and Mr Bradford they all quickly earned our respect even though most of us didn t particularly like being called Strangers PRISCILLA When we didn t get off the MAYFLOWER right after we dropped anchor I began to wonder if my sea legs would ever become land legs again JOHN But now you understand don t you why it was important to find a suitable harbor This one right in front of us And to have a fresh water supply and a good protected location for our village PRISCILLA I certainly do But it was hard staying on the MAYFLOWER all those additional days And then to wait as the first houses were constructed Yet it also gave our leaders a chance to draw up that wonderful agreement our MAYFLOWER COMPACT With that we promised to work together for the 16 good of all I think that really helped us this past year especially having to go through so many trials and tribulations JOHN You are so right Priscilla I don t know how else we could have endured it all had we not depended on each other and have continued to help each other I sure hope our children and grandchildren and future generations after them will know how important it is to work together for the common good despite the differences they may have PRISCILLA And God Don t forget God John We could not have made it without God We ve certainly had to depend on God too JOHN It sounds like the Saints faith is beginning to rub off on you pause PRISCILLA You know John we re up here by our mass grave JOHN Don t remind me Priscilla We sure lost a lot of folks especially last winter I sure hope it doesn t happen again PRISCILLA Yes John I pray it will not happen again pause Didn t it amaze you that when Captain Jones and the MAYFLOWER set sail to return to England this past April that nobody went back Just the captain and his crew Well not all the crew I know a certain barrel tender who decided to stay with us JOHN You wouldn t be referring to me would you Yes Priscilla it was surprising that not one of the passengers who came over went back PRISCILLA Maybe it was because if folks made it through that first winter they thought the worst was behind them and that they could endure anything JOHN I m sure glad things improved once that winter was finally over PRISCILLA Thanks to the Wampanoag At first we didn t know what to expect We thought for sure they d ambush us and destroy us all Now thanks to Squanto and Massasoit we re on friendly terms with them JOHN Maybe that s another of those unexpected gifts of God Do you think that s another instance of what Reverend Robinson said of God having more light to break forth in unexpected ways PRISCILLA Absolutely I like the way you are beginning to think John JOHN Priscilla I suppose it s no secret that Miles Standish has a bit of a crush on you PRISCILLA I heard I m quite sure he s a nice man But he s just not my type JOHN Oh pause PRISCILLA John are you looking forward to tomorrow I hear the Wampanoag will be joining us and they re going to bring some venison It will be a nice change from all the eels and clams we ve been eating But I shouldn t complain JOHN You bet The festival of thanks that Gov Bradford has declared is a grand idea You know my appetite I too can hardly wait for tomorrow It s been a hard year but we still have much to be thankful for All the fresh food we ve been able to harvest from our gardens and from the woods and the bay has certainly been better than all the dried meat fish and fruit and the hard biscuits we had for those months on the MAYFLOWER PRISCILLA O John is that all you ever think about is eating JOHN Well you know that the best way to a man s heart is through his stomach PRISCILLA Then you ll be glad to know I m baking some of your favorite pies for tomorrow JOHN I was hoping you were PRISCILLA We better get back down to the village Folks might start talking You know how fast rumors get around in a small village like ours JOHN Yeah and I m going to go out into the woods before it gets dark and see if I can shoot some birds for tomorrow s festival PRISCILLA And I ve got to work on those pies JOHN Yes we better head down the hill PRISCILLA You know John in spite of everything that has gone on I feel God has blessed us We now have adequate food and shelter we ve learned how to work together and have become good friends And speaking of friends we ve been befriended by the nearby Naturals and we have freedom JOHN Just one more thing Priscilla I hope every year from now until kingdom comes we will have one of these celebrations like we re having tomorrow PRISCILLA I know you John You re just saying that so you can sit down and fill up on all the good food JOHN No I m being serious I remember what Elder Brewster read from the good book In all circumstances be thankful So I just think it is a good idea to have a special day to give thanks every year PRISCILLA John do you know you are beginning to sound like one of the Saints JOHN I am PRISCILLA But John why just a once a year celebration What not take some time each day to offer thanks to God JOHN Now you re talking like one of the Saints Priscilla John and Priscilla exit NARRATOR The hymn O GOD BENEATH THY GUIDING HAND written by Leonard Bacon in 1833 addresses the Pilgrim story Let s sing it together CONGREGATION sings O God Beneath Thy Guiding Hand Tune Duke Street O God beneath Thy guiding hand Our exiled fathers crossed the sea And when they trod the wintry strand With prayer and psalm they worshipped Thee Thou heards t well pleased the song the prayer The blessing came and still its pow r Shall onward through all ages bear The memory of that holy hour Laws freedom truth and faith in God Came with those exiles o er the waves And where their pilgrim feet have trod The God they trusted guards their graves And here Thy name O God of love Their children s children shall adore Till these eternal hills remove And spring adorns the earth no more NARRATOR After John and Priscilla returned to the village John did go a fowling His hunt was successful and he brought two pheasants to the gathering on the following day Priscilla made her pies and shared them at the celebration John and Priscilla s relationship continued to develop Within two years they married John and Priscilla would have eleven children 17

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THE Along WAY Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Congregationalism in America T he First Congregational Church of Elkader settled in the limestone hills of Clayton County Iowa had an inspiration for the 400th anniversary of Congregationalism in America We were looking for a special rock to commemorate Plymouth Rock where our Pilgrim heritage began in America The project began last fall when Pastor Linda Hauschild and the church organist Mary began the search for a special rock The search started at our local rock quarry where we climbed rock pile after rock pile Forget looking for pebbles we were searching for a rock that would make a statement The first search ended with three rocks that we thought might fit the bill One of the quarry workers got an end loader and moved the rocks to the front of the quarry so we could take a better look at them Upon inspection the three rocks did not satisfy our fancy We arranged with our friendly quarry man to return at a later date to continue our search We were back within the week to do more rock hunting As we searched we were always on alert for any kind of wildlife eyes that might pop up or slither out from between the rock crevasses as neither the pastor nor the organist could have escaped fast Fall 2019 Members of the congregation gather to see their Plymouth Rock the Sunday after it was installed enough Finally a rock in the back of the quarry caught our eyes The rock had beautiful blue ridges that reminded us of ocean waves and when wet the rock glistens The rock was also the right size to nicely fill the corner of our church property where we planned to place it We again asked the quarry man to bring it to the front of the quarry 18 2020 The three ton rock is staying put By Linda Hauschild so we could examine it more closely The next day we were back at the quarry to take just one more look at it and to make our final decision After seeing the rock by itself it was quickly decided this was the rock we wanted and we were not changing our minds We were told by the quarry man that the rock was a glacier rock and it weighed about three tons The rock was delivered the very same day using an end loader and placed in our church yard As Pastor Linda went to pay the bill the quarry man looked at her with a smile and said There is not bill we are donating it What a blessing A description of the rock along with the explanation and purpose of the rock was given to the congregation It was decided some type of signage would be nice to display next to the rock The congregation in turn gave input regarding scripture and lettering for the signage They wanted it to appear historic A small committee began was responsible for finding a sign maker After several months of searching we located a lady in Northwest Iowa who created the sign for us out of Corian Mounted to a red cedar post the sign commemorates our history in America for all to see The rock has caught the eyes of many people passing by and the sign explains its significance We are not moving this three ton rock again It represents our Congregational history of which we are very proud FCC Elkader sign First Congregational Church Glacier Rock Commemorating Plymouth Rock Celebrating Congregationalism in America since 1620 when the Mayflower landed Congregational traditions date back to England where independent local churches were formed free of hierarchy control by the Church of England They immigrated to Holland for eleven years then to America Matthew 18 20 Jesus said For where two or three come together in my name there am I with them Dr Wayne Clifford Cogell 1939 2020 Dr Wayne Clifford Cogell educator administrator and minister died on February 16 2020 in Springfield Missouri Dr Cogell taught philosophy at the Missouri University of Science and Technology formerly known as the University of Missouri Rolla from 1968 until his retirement in 2000 and served as the Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences at MS T from 1980 to 1996 Following his retirement Cogell continued his studies and was ordained as a minister by the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches In 1996 he became the minister at the Iberia Congregational Church in Iberia Missouri and held this position to the end of his life He is survived by his wife of 35 years Donna his sister Jan Tomczak two sons a stepdaughter and nine grandchildren Reverend Donald Merton Sinclair Donald Merton Sinclair entered eternal life on June 11 2020 in Waukesha Wisconsin at the age of 83 Ordained a Presbyterian Minister he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Alma College in Alma Michigan a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Seminary in San Anselmo California and a Doctor of Theology from University of Dubuque Seminary Dubuque Iowa Sinclair was an active and involved pastor for 50 years He was the organizing Pastor of Stoney Hills Presbyterian Church in Germantown Wisconsin where he remained for 10 years After retirement he served as an Interim for Lake Country Congregational Church Nashotah Wisconsin First Congregational Church Rochester Wisconsin and First Congregational Church Central Lake Michigan He is survived by son Jeffrey and daughter Karen E Coakley five grandchildren four great grandchildren and his twin brother Reverend Dr M James Workman Rev Dr M James Workman 94 passed away on June 9 2020 at Brooksby Village in Peabody Massachusetts Workman fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Garedelegn receiving a bronze star for valor and meritorious service in a combat zone Workman attended Michigan State College and graduated from Harvard Divinity School In 1953 he and wife Eleanor were called to the Union Congregational Church in East Bridgewater Massachusetts and served there for five years He pastored First Congregational Church in Braintree receiving two honorary degrees as Doctor of Theology and Doctor of Divinity After 33 years he retired in 1991 as Minister Emeritus He was also chaplain of the MaximumSecurity Prison for Youth in Bridgewater and the Norfolk County Jail retiring at the age of 80 In addition to his wife James is survived by his two dearly loved sons Letters EDITOR TO THE Necrology Dear Marianne I was very surprised on receiving the June issue of our magazine to see the title Gifts of the Puritan in an essay by Norm Erlendson and disappointed I don t have a degree in theology but I have been a student of Congregational history for sixty years and more I have studied Dexter and others The history is not one about PURITANS Over and over Erlendson links the words Puritan and Separatist together Wrong The Pilgrims never thought of themselves as a branch of Puritanism as this pastor alleges Page 26 The Puritans remained a part of the Anglican Church Robert Browne and William Bradford would have been offended to be linked with Puritanism The Boston Colony was so different from Plymouth Sincerely Harvey Lord WHERE CREDIT IS DUE The article CARavan of Caring in the Along the Way section of the June issue was incorrectly attributed to Bob Hellam Our apologies to the article s author Connie Hellam Connie is a retired elementary school teacher and a pastor s wife Here s where Bob enters the picture She is the current president of the Congregational Retreat Society She leads an annual retreat for the women of Church of the Oaks with plans possibly to expand the retreat to include women from all over the Nor Cal Association She Connie Hellam also teaches the weekly Women s Bible Study at her church The Along the Way section also featured an article about the 50th Anniversary of the Citrus Springs Community Congregational Church The church is located in Citrus Springs Florida 19

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WHERE THERE IS TENSION START PAYING ATTENTION By Wendy Van Tassell Photos courtesy of Theone Quattlebaum L June 8 2020 at 10 05 AM ast Tuesday morning a young man who is part of our church family private messaged me on Facebook saying I know you and Tom Van Tassell are on your way out of our community but I think you have a strong sense of care and love for it and it has always been exhibited I urge you to consider participating in the peaceful March for Justice on Thursday evening About the same time I noticed a Facebook message from another person whom I did not know She was saying that the organizers of the March for Justice for George Floyd were looking for speakers and she thought of me I asked Why me She said Because I ve known you to be eloquent and non judgmental and I thought you d be perfect to keep things calm and peaceful With the convergence of those messages I realized I was being called to do something bigger than I had ever done before It would stretch me I reached out to the organizers of the event to learn more and by the end of the day I was committed as a speaker To prepare I listened read prayed and stilled myself On Thursday morning I walked the March route with other clergy from our community We prayed over the pain of injustice done to George Floyd and so many others We prayed for the planned march for 20 our city leaders for the protesters for onlookers for law enforcement for peace for wisdom for calm I had begun to put down my thoughts on Wednesday but the actual crafting of my contribution was written on Thursday afternoon hours before the event began at 5 p m I had an incredible sense of calm I knew my family a few close friends area clergy and NACCC clergy were lifting me up in prayer My prayer was that the Spirit would give me voice and breath especially for those whose breath has been taken away Once I arrived at the event I gathered with the organizers and some of the other speakers I was told that the protesters would first gather around the prayer tent which had been set up by Spencer clergy on the corner by Grand Avenue I was asked if I would offer the opening prayer Yes of course Hundreds of people gathered at East Leach Park There was a buzz of energy and passion At about 5 20 p m demonstrators were asked to walk from the picnic pavilion to the prayer tent They circled the tent and everyone took a knee I was given a bull horn Kneeling in the hot sun I prayed for justice for peace for calm and that each one of us would leave the event with new insight for what we can do to make the world better for all people Approximately 580 people marched Many other people gathered along Wendy and Tom attend the prayer service Grand Avenue to witness the march Mayor Kevin Robinson spoke to the protesters in the parking lot by the police station then the marchers returned to East Leach where they gathered in front of the bandshell to listen to about 10 speakers I was first up Before going up on the stage I was introduced to the last speaker of the evening She said Are you nervous I said No I m actually very calm I felt grounded in the zone with a purpose to speak of a love which I know is at the core of my being Here is what I said Good evening My name is Wendy Van Tassell I am co pastor of the First Congregational Church of Spencer and I chair the Spencer Pastors Association While I speak on my own behalf I have felt great encouragement from many friends as I prepared for tonight I grew up on the south side of Chicago When I was in sixth grade I was selected to sing in a special city wide chorus in an operetta called The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi at the Ravinia Festival under the direction of Seiji Ozowa At that time my elementary school was all white but the city wide chorus afforded me a great opportunity to sing alongside black and Asian girls and boys At the first rehearsal I remember the black girl seated next to me pulled back my long red hair saying Oh you do have ears I think it made me giggle a bit Of course I do How could I sing without ears But you see she had never been close to a white person before close enough to touch one She was curious I think we all were curious about each other This was 1966 I was 11 years old Racial tensions were rising all around us I was just beginning to understand the implications of race I stand before you as a person who was born with a silver spoon in my mouth so to speak I am a woman of white privilege and cannot begin to fully comprehend what it means for my sisters and brothers of color to wake up daily to the knowledge that they constantly live with a target on their back because of the color of their skin It doesn t matter if you have not witnessed that happening in your life or it hasn t been a part of your personal experience this is the reality in this country we call the United States of America In this place where all are by law created equal we KNOW this NOT to be true This is not a new problem Even as the Pilgrims landed on American soil 400 years ago Native peoples found themselves forced into subservient positions in a land that had been theirs Domination power and control have too often been the norm The oppressed have been suffocated In the creation narrative God breathes life into man the breath of life and he becomes a living being A week ago Monday breath was wrongfully and violently taken from a man George Floyd at the hands of four policemen who as of today are now charged with his murder Relentlessly kneeling upon George Floyd s neck as he cried out the words I CAN T BREATHE Derek Chauvin continued to press upon Floyd s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds snuffing out his life while bystanders pleaded for him to stop Since then the world has erupted with cries of injustice and violence has ripped its destructive powers stripping away lives and businesses and livelihoods While I don t condone the violence done in the name of George Floyd something is desperately wrong if we are more incensed by the violence than by what precipitated it For generations and centuries people of color have endured abasement denigration and abuse They have been devalued ignored and dehumanized EVERY DAY It is time that we carefully examine our hearts and our minds Here s what I believe needs to happen WHERE THERE IS TENSION YOU AND I HAVE TO START PAYING ATTENTION Antiracism isn t comfortable just like racism isn t comfortable for black people and people of color Do you find tension growing within you over the events of the past 11 days Then pay attention Listen Learn Love Act For those of us who are white we must work to become allies for the people of color around us Perhaps you feel tension and even shame or guilt over past behaviors Pay attention to that tension and start paying close attention to how exactly you are treating others Ask for forgiveness from God and from those you have wronged and begin to act differently courageously for the love of ALL God s children whoever they may be In 1963 Dr Martin Luther King Jr wrote in a letter from a Birmingham jail these words The question is not whether we will be extremists but what kind of extremists we will be Will we be extremists for hate or for love Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice As a person of faith perhaps one of the greatest challenges Jesus placed before his followers to is to love our neighbors Jesus was constantly turning the world upside down with his thinking or maybe more accurately turning the world right side up where people would love like Wendy addresses the marchers him unconditionally fully embracing the other always striving to be kind and compassionate seeing Christ in EVERYBODY Everybody you meet is precious and loved by the ONE who created them May you and I become partners and co conspirators of love not hate peace not fear wholeness not destruction healing not violence Earlier today a few of my fellow clergy sisters and brothers walked the route for tonight s event praying for a righting of injustice and for a peaceful event to unfold in Spencer As we prayed together by the police station I was compelled to touch the ground as I prayed Holy ground is where all people are loved honored and treated as equals We have much to learn and SO MUCH TO DO Please join me LISTEN LEARN LOVE ACT It is within your power to become antiracist NO ONE should be devalued ignored or dehumanized because of the color of their skin A final thought It s interesting how life plays out When I was younger I so admired the older women around me who possessed a sage wisdom I wanted it for myself right then but that could only come with time with living with experience I am on the verge of retirement one week from today June 15 2020 May I never stop learning growing stretching May I continue to find the energy and strength to speak for justice to be kind and walk humbly with my God 21

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A Note A Irven Gammon visits the statue of Sojourner Truth The Reverend Dr Irven Gammon is director of the Fellowship of Northeast Congregational Christian Churches a regional association of 37 member congregations that is affiliated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches He was previously the pastor for Westchester Congregational Church Colchester Connecticut After a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd s in a videotaped event that was broadcast across the country the Reverend Dr Irven Gammon wrote a letter to the member churches of the Fellowship of Northeast Congregational Churches He graciously shared his thoughts with The Congregationalist Editor 22 from Irven Gammon s the Executive Director of the Fellowship of Northeast Congregational Christian Churches I write to express my disgust and profound sadness at the murder of George Floyd His death is another example in the long line of killings ill treatment and methodical discrimination that black Americans have suffered and continue to experience in our present culture Too often we have let moments like this one pass without seeking meaningful change It is no surprise that so many demonstrations have flared up in cities throughout our nation Citizens of this great country are frustrated and rightly angry at the decades of past wrongs continuing discrimination in employment housing wrongful imprisonment and personal injustices they experience every day across America It is time to engage and be heard As a resident of Northampton Massachusetts I have had the privilege to meet and connect with many people of different ethnicities religious traditions and lifestyles over the past fifteen years I know for a fact that I was unaware of my limited understanding of diversity I confess biased views when moving from Maine to Massachusetts It has been an interesting journey of experiencing beautiful and amazing people as well as moments of deep anguish when observing the inequality firsthand in our area on the streets and in the local shelters of Northampton Are each of us ready to ask difficult questions of our own hearts and minds as we consider how we connect with others I find myself reflecting on my favorite Hebrew passage from the book of Micah 6 8 What does the Lord require of you To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God This truly reflects my understanding of my Christian calling Let us take advantage of this time to listen to Americans of every race color and creed and to learn of their heartache frustration and pain We will fail to right these wrongs until we take the time to engage in conversations as individuals and as communities We must join this dialogue if we ever hope to overcome this evil that wreaks havoc pain and great suffering across this land Racism is not a problem for another time or another people this is our problem and the time is now We must work collectively to combat entrenched racism for us to overcome this toxic plague I would invite each of you to reflect pray and engage within your hearts churches and communities Equality Justice WORKING TOGETHER On By James F Mellichamp I June 2 2020 n the past several days I have been struck by two widely divergent views of our country On the one hand we have been awed by images of the astronauts gliding gracefully toward the International Space Station On the other hand we have been sickened by scenes of brutal chaos taking place in cities around our country How can we as a society be so successful in working toward the common goal of reaching outer space while at the same time so disjointed that we ve lost sight of our American ideals of equality and justice for all Piedmont College in its Mission Statement dedicates itself to the development of compassionate leaders Our Core Values speak of the importance of embracing diversity and the cultivation of ethical reasoning by our actions I am proud to be a faculty member and president of an institution where for the past 38 years I have had an opportunity to help define and support the inclusive and supportive atmosphere we have here It is no secret that students and their families recognize something unique and special in the principles we strive to uphold What we are viewing in our country now are the results of a philosophy seeking to divide and conquer rather than looking for common ground to unite us I am ashamed to see individuals and groups who are content with the ends justify any means We need compassionate leaders now more than ever leaders who value diversity in our society instead of using our differences to drive us apart We need an America that is nice again Lillian E Smith author arbiter of social justice and alumna of Piedmont College penned these words many years ago The question in crisis or ordeal is not Are you going to be an extremist The question is What kind of extremist are you going to be The answer I believe is that we need to be extremely compassionate We need to be extremely ethical We need to be extremely inclusive For me I am optimistic that we will find it possible to be these things not just on our Piedmont campus but in the wider world beyond James F Mellichamp is the 13th President of Piedmont College His career at Piedmont began in 1982 as a member of the music faculty and he has held positions as Dean of the School of Arts Sciences Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost before being named President in 2012 With a performance career spanning more than 45 years Dr Mellichamp has made prominent appearances as an organist throughout the United States Canada Europe and Asia That is my fervent prayer As the prophet Micah exhorts all of us We should act justly love mercy and walk humbly The Voyage Continues at the Quadrennial Conference Boston MA International Congregational Fellowship JULY 22 26 2021 Mark your calendar Conference begins July 22 ends with the celebration dinner July 26 Breakfast will be served to conference attendees on July 27 Accommodations at Curry College in Milton MA prior to and following the meeting can be pre arranged Updated costs and meeting details will be available in on the ICF website https www internationalcongregational fellowship org 23

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News and Needs of our Missions is published quarterly with updates pictures prayer requests and a brief list of needed items It offers a snapshot of national and international mission activity so that you can see how each mission is doing and how your donations are being used If you would like to receive an email attachment when News and Needs is published please contact Julie Robie at jrobie naccc org Current and back issues are posted on the website www naccc org under the News for You tab AND News NEEDS of OUR CONNECTING VIRTUALLY WITH THE MISSIONS E very year at the NACCC Annual Meeting and Conference the Mission and Outreach Ministry Council MOMC interviews all missionaries present at the meeting The interview lasts for 45 minutes and includes questions about the work of the mission projects for which they need support a check in to see how the missionary is doing spiritually emotionally and physically and ways in which folks can pray for them It is a time of intimacy and information gathering with the goal of building supportive reciprocal and accountable relationships This year MOMC has plans to interview every NACCC missionary in a similar but virtual way The interviews will be done with Zoom phone calls or emails Would you pray that God parts the waters of communication glitches HOSANNA INDUSTRIES Jim Sharon Powell of Happy Life Children s Home at the 2019 Annual Meeting Conference with members of the Mission and Outreach Ministry Council l r Joelle Sommers Greg Carmer Barbara Dabul Janet Wilson and Jamie Bonnema QUARTERLY REPORTS he Panamerican Institute PAI continues its goal of providing the best possible Christian and learning environment to students by finding ways for their students to continue their education online This has been difficult since not all students have equipment or internet service at home and many families have children in different classes One family even has a student in the first year class second year class and third year class PAI teachers worked on special lessons to be sent to parents cell phones via WhatsApp because students did not have time to take their books home Aware that their students needed extra time to borrow computers from friends and family and or use neighbors WiFi connection their teachers use a platform which allows work to be completed at a different pace than before the pandemic At the 2019 fall budget retreat the MOMC developed a timeline for requiring and receiving quarterly and annual reports from all NACCC missions These reports are structured to provide a clear overview of financial and program information new project proposals pictures and prayer requests October November and December 2019 reports were due in January 2020 Twenty two of 25 missions submitted their reports COVID 19 T he Mission and Outreach Ministry Council wishes to thank donors who contributed to the One Great Hour of Sharing COVID 19 disaster appeal To date funds have been disbursed for food programs Personal Protective Equipment clean water and personal health care programs as well as care for the elderly and children living in poverty both in the US and in the communities served by NACCC International Missions Multiple international missions are experiencing a comorbidity of COVID 19 Dengue Fever measles H1N1 chicken pox and malaria Please continue to pray for these missions as they navigate the very uncertain days and months to come A child washes her hands as a virus prevention 24 National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Missions and Outreach Ministry Council PO Box 288 Oak Creek WI 53154 For a complete listing of NACCC Mission Projects or to donate see our website www naccc org and click on Missions PRAISE FOR In his quarterly report Rev Matthew Oladele Christ to the Villages in Nigeria provided a picture of the thriving Cashew Farm project in Akuo Village of Kwara State This sustainability project was started in 2019 PANAMERICAN INSTITUTE T T he faith based mission of Hosanna Industries transforms cries of Hosanna into praises of Hallelujah Hosanna achieves this vision through four main valves by helping low income families renovate their homes at no cost providing trade skill training aiding in disaster relief and by offering a variety of activities geared towards creative and spiritual wellness and development In the process Hosanna renovates the lives of families the mission workers the financial supporters and the hundreds of volunteers that give generously of their time annually is requested for Rev Teodoro Stricker who is recovering from surgery Asociaci n Civil Christiana Congregational Rev Charles Nyane Word Alive Mission and Rev Matthew Oladele Christ to the Villages both recovering from malaria Health and finances for Rev Julio and Elba Santana as they approach retirement Bread of Life The family of Pastor Jaymar Doulos who passed away due to complication of heart and kidney disease Christian Mission in the Far East The search for a bilingual volunteer who loves children of all ages and will come to work in the homeschool environment Fishers of Men Finding willing and capable field mission workers to do this great work for the Lord Also for youth who stand out with regards to strong work ethic and Godly values Hosanna Industries Effective programs development to help seafarers not only when they come to the ports we serve but when they are at sea and in other ports Seafarer s Friend NEEDS OF THE MISSIONS IN BRIEF For a more detailed list please contact Julie Robie at jrobie naccc org 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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My Ministry By Elizabeth Bingham The Reverend Dr Beth Bingham grew up in Madison Wisconsin and graduated from Cornell College with a degree in English She then received a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale University and her Doctor of Ministry Degree from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary Beth began her ministry at North Shore Congregational Church in Fox Point Wisconsin as the Director of Christian Education She was a chaplain at Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee then the Assistant Minister at the Congregational Church of the Chimes Sherman Oaks California She then served as Senior Minister in Anchorage Alaska followed by 26 years as Senior Minister at Pilgrim Church in Pomona Since October 2018 Beth served the Church of the Chimes as their Senior Minister She has been active in her community and was an elected member of the Claremont California Board of Education She has served the NACCC in many capacities including the Commission of Christian Education the Division for the Ministry the Executive Committee and the Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies Beth s late husband Paul was also active in the NACCC While her stepsons are located in the East she delights in spending time with son Teddy who is an attorney in Los Angeles She loves exercising reading paddleboarding and watching baseball Dear National Association of Congregational Christian Churches H aving celebrated the 40th anniversary of my ordination last December I think it is time to give thanks where thanks is due You gave me love support opportunities and grace You nourished my faith And to think I found you in a fluke 26 Despite my degree from Yale Divinity School I never imagined working in a church I got to seminary on a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship for students who were strong candidates for the ministry but who weren t sure When I got to seminary I wasn t sure When I left I still wasn t sure But I needed a job I came to the NACCC by answering a two line ad in the Milwaukee Journal Church educator wanted North Shore Congregational Church I was hired with little experience but with a degree and some ideas left over from my high school youth group I loved the work I loved the kids I loved the church I knew Christian Education was my vocation I served on the NA Commission on Christian Education I led seminars on the value of Christian Education I was surprised when my mentor ministers Harry Clark and Doug Lobb kept encouraging me urging me nearly forcing me to consider ordination I took courses to fill in some blanks in my academic background I found a six week hospital based course in pastoral care Finally I recognized God tapping my shoulder I felt my call We weren t sure how the Vicinage Council would go There had been vocal opposition to women ministers There were a few tough questions and several grimaces but in the end I passed without a nay The ordination service was the sacred moment of my ministry Once ordained I was offered a position as a chaplain at Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee The supervisor felt it was important to have a woman on the team And while I wondered how I would be accepted by the patients I found that a listening heart was all that really mattered I continued my involvement with the NA On the Division for Ministry I could advocate for women clergy as well as for the importance of chaplaincy At our women in ministry gatherings we shared joys frustrations and most of all supportive friendship The relationships are deep and real to this day After four years as a chaplain I knew I needed what a colleague called more rejoicing I wanted to be in parish ministry though it was an unusual time There was a growing consciousness of the importance and validity of women clergy But the views of ministry as a male vocation persisted Despite a strong background in CE and pastoral care I expected the search to be long I was wrong Because in those ten years of preparation and ten years in the NACCC I was not just the woman minister I was Beth People knew me for what I had done and what I said for better or worse The nickname Pit Beth gives an idea I became the assistant minister at the Congregational Church of the Chimes in Sherman Oaks California where I was accepted without a head shaking or an eye blinking There Dr Richard Bower taught me pretty much everything I needed to know from performing ceremonies to preaching sermons to developing a taste for chocolate and champagne Then it was time I felt ready to lead a church of my own I applied to be senior minister at First Congregational Church in Anchorage Interim Minister Ben Gaskell recommended me to the search committee but added that he knew they wouldn t accept a woman He was wrong Our Alaska years were wonderful A beautiful land beautiful people and an exciting church Our son Teddy was born there and became everybody s baby Then came the challenge To be closer to family we were ready to return to California Pilgrim Congregational Church was open I knew it was a long shot Pilgrim was a very traditional church where Judy Roska was the Associate Minister It didn t seem that any large churches of any denomination had two women ministers The search committee nervously presented me as their candidate They knew there would be a least one loud voice against the call They were right I watched the video of the meeting The man was clear and strong He already had one woman minister and didn t need two With a three year old son I should be at home taking care of him I watched the congregation cringe at the harshness of his remarks Then an older German member stood and said in her heavily accented voice For centuries there have been two men in churches Why not two women Why not I was called to be the senior minister of a church where women were not allowed to be ushers We had twenty five years together as a church family We raised a million dollars to earthquake retrofit the church We wept together after 9 11 They helped us raise a child and they held my hand during the illness and death of my husband We were blessed to have each other I could have retired But I couldn t retire In a moment of pure grace and God s unexpected beckoning I answered a call to go back to where my parish ministry began the Congregational Church of the Chimes Here I am falling in love all over again just as I have with each church I have served Not that it has always been easy There have been tough moments On one evaluation I rated at the top in preaching teaching and pastoral care with the ending remark But she s no Mother Theresa In Anchorage a church refused to participate in the Interfaith Thanksgiving service we were hosting because we had a woman minister though two years later the minister apologized Even in the mid 90 s I sat through an NACCC Congregational Annual Meeting which had no women in any leadership role There have been awkward moments At a Cal West clergy meeting Dr Walt Vernon announced that dinner would be at Griffin House Not knowing the campus I just followed everyone out and ended up outside the men s room At a neighborhood worship service I introduced my new husband to a clergyman who asked Paul And you write her sermons There have been evolving moments In the early years women ministers would meet and share our frustrations our challenges our successes A quarter a century later the discussion centered around whether next year we would all go to have manicures and pedicures There have been precious moments The sweetest of all happened at the Anchorage church on a Sunday when I wasn t there I was on maternity leave Four year old Emily looked around the sanctuary Where s the minister Mommy Chris pointed to the lay minister Emily shook her head But Mommy Men can t be ministers Well they can But women can too So thank you NACCC for letting me be Beth Nothing felt better than seeing the comment float across the screen during our Facebook live streaming worship Thank you Beth for being so real With love thanks and blessings The Real Beth 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 27

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WHY Do You Fear Me By Alicia Riedy T he prophet Amos warned Israel that God was unhappy with them for neglecting the poor the defenseless the little ones of the world We are one of those little ones This country is so prosperous but underneath you are afraid that I will take what you deem to belong only to you You make assumptions about me my skin color my garments my religion my culture etc all seem to threaten you I ask you why You fixate on who owns what instead of sharing what lies before you You forget it all comes from God and belongs to God You don t think there are enough things or love or community so you are fearful that those next to you will take what you have you forget that Christ is found in community Songwriter Lorre Wyatt expresses that understanding in his song Somos El Barco We Are the Boat We are the boat We are the sea I sail in you You sail in me And the boat that we are sailing in was built by many hands And the sea that we are sailing on it touches every sand You have forgotten your call to sacrifice Why not take bread bless it break it and share it I don t expect our society to talk about giving up for others But I expect Christians to How often we fail The worship of things The fear of others The failure to sacrifice Why do you fear me when I am fearfully and wonderfully made I am a wonderful work of God Psalm 139 14 My granddaughter Cora four years old was recently told by an eight yearold child that the President is going to have her deported along with all her family because she is Mexican Cora had no idea what he meant but he was yelling at her and she was frightened and sobbing These same hateful words were said to my other four year old grandchildren when the elections were underway My Jewish grandchildren have been taunted too My grandchildren ask me Why are people afraid of me Why do I offend them Why do they not see me as God s child too As their sister brother in Christ The Reverend Alicia Riedy was born in Tijuana Baja California Mexico She entered seminary in Monterrey Mexico in 1981 and was ordained elder in 1985 She served Mexican Methodist churches in Ensenada and Playas Tijuana until becoming pastor with the United Methodist Church in Escondido Calif where she served a large English speaking congregation and a Spanish language mission of 50 congregants She is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains serving as a hospital and hospice chaplain in the State of Washington for several years She served as minister of UCC of Sun City and UCC of Moreno Valley Calif before being ordained at the Congregational Church of Menifee in 2016 where she continues as senior minister She currently serves with an ecumenical group Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice and has been trained to visit immigrant detainees This song is for them Do You Know How Beautiful You Are Song for Cora Words Music by Bill Rhoads Do you know how beautiful you are Do you know how beautiful you are Your smile is always shining brighter than the brightest star Do you know how beautiful you are Oh you are so beautiful God made you just that way To shine your light so all the world would know Oh you are so beautiful Your light will always say He watches over us and loves us so Do you know how beautiful you are Copyright 2019 Bill Rhoads 26181 Kitt Ansett Dr Sun City CA 92586 951 301 6169 28 HOW WE PRAY T By Jack Brown he following invocation was delivered by the Reverend Jack Brown while serving as guest minister at First Congregational Church of St Johns Michigan Lord teach us the joy and the blessing of praying prayers of affirmation and acclamation and adoration prayers of confession and commitment prayers of thanksgiving prayers of trust prayers of intercession for each other and others and for ourselves Lord bless us as we learn how to pray Lord like Christ help us to go about doing good And have liberal hearts generous and gracious and helpful Not only hearts but hands and shoulders and minds and words Lord you call us to follow you to be disciples to learn to be apprentices And we pray that we move from apprenticeship to journeyman status and move beyond that and be masters of our faith We need your help Lord so we pray that you will bless us Christ has taught us that we are to be seasoners like salt to be light in a dark world to be fragrance As the apostle Paul says to be living epistles To be soldiers and athletes and farmers analogies of the way we should live our faith Lord you have said in your Word that you are the vine we are the branches Lord help us to be branches that bear fruit for Christ Lord help us to follow you as you intend for us to follow Equip us and bless us and help us to find the joy of intimacy of following close at hand Lord bless us to be filled with your spirit to be Christians not just to be called Christians or call ourselves Christians but to find the joy of authentic life And to find life with you abundant life that Jesus promises Lord sometimes life is very difficult And it hurts we re sad We re frustrated We feel the pain of defeat But Lord you ve taught us in your Word that we can have joy even in our suffering And that we can demonstrate and live our faith in the face of suffering as Christ did Lord we are strangers and wanderers sometimes We want to be pilgrims pilgrims in progress moving toward your aims your destination to become mature in Christ And as we do so to be good stewards We are entrusted with the Gospel Help us to receive it and to live it to share it Lord you are our creator and sustainer and consummator You redeem us You sanctify us You help us to be fruitful in life At the same time Lord we remember we need all of your blessings because we are sinners sinner saints We still need your cleansing restoring redemptive reviving work So Lord you have saved us by your work on the cross You are saving us by your Spirit in us your Holy Spirit And that one day we look forward to that time when we will be saved all will be made right We will experience fully and wholly your Shalom So Lord bless us today by your Word and by the hymns that have been carefully and creatively composed for us to sing our faith By our hearing and responding to be all that Christ wants us and will make us to be So that when we identify ourselves as Christian we are not belying the truth that we are living as Christ has made it possible for us to live abundantly This is our prayer in Christ s name 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 29

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Recent Calls Rev Bette M Bond Senior Minister Second Congregational Church Warren ME April 12 2020 No Installations or Ordinations In Search Senior Minister 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 CALENDAR 2020 Pastorates PULPITS SAVE THE DATES Please check naccc org for updates Editor Marianne E King Publisher Carrie Dahm Contributing Editor Julie Robie Graphic Design Goes Studio 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 Baxter Congregational United Church of Christ Baxter IA 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 Preston City Congregational Church Gathered in 1698 Preston Connecticut Our Pastor is retiring after 36 years We are seeking a full time dynamic pastor with a strong faith who can nurture support and share God s Word and His love to our allaccepting congregation NACCC 8473 South Howell Avenue Oak Creek WI 53154 naccc naccc org Editorial Inquiries Marianne E King 800 262 1620 ext 1624 editor naccc org Advertising Inquiries Carrie Dahm 800 262 1620 ext 1612 cdahm naccc org Subscription Inquiries 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 To discontinue receiving the magazine contact Tracy Bernhardt at 800 262 1620 ext 1612 or email naccc naccc org The Church in the Gardens Seeking Forest Hills Queens NY full time settled pastor to provide our congregation energy to move past hurts and clarity to communicate better with one another They will remind us how relationship matters our relationship to others as siblings in Christ to God and with the community beyond our walls The pastor will work with our community to reconcile and revitalize the church We have celebrated our 100th anniversary as a loving covenant community Join with us as we recreate our beloved church for the 21st Century Editorial Advisory Team Rev Dawn Carlson Rev Dr Barry W Szymanski Rev Dr Michael Glidden Claudia Kniefel 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 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 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 Business Na me 30 Our Church Information Form is available at naccc org Visit our website at www prestoncitycongregational org Visit our profile Please go to the UCC Job Opportunities site oppsearch ucc org web default aspx 2020 The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches All rights reserved 31

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The Congregationalist September 2020

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