The Congregationalist September 2022 : simplebooklet.com

Table of CONTENTS Features 4 6 10 RETIREMENT MAY NOT BE YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY RIGHT NOW 12 WE KNOW IT S OURS 13 16 When you re called to serve the concerns of others are often more important than your own Especially when it comes to thinking about your retirement MMBB looks out for your concerns We specialize in planning ahead for clergy and church staff We do all the work preparing for your future Our kind of financial expertise makes MMBB an indispensable partner for pastors and churches 110 years and counting THERE S NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW LEARN MORE MMBB org what we offer Supporting your calling is our calling Robert Eversman plays the basement organ he by Rev Dr Ashley Cook Cleere has built at his rural Wisconsin home Praise Him with Strings and Pipes by Robert Eversman Ukrainian Refugee Hub by Scott Archer Serving Those Suffering from Addiction by Jennifer Macarille Thank You to Our Supporters All About Love 68th Annual Meeting Conference 20 In the Spotlight 24 Why We Still Talk About Race 28 ON THE COVER A Fifth Century Perspective by Rev Michael Mike Fales The New Congregationalism by Justin Berkobien Departments 14 22 26 30 31 NECROLOGY NEWS NEEDS AND PRAYERS OF OUR MISSIONS ALONG THE WAY 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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From the desk of Our NACCC Executive Director By Reverend Dr Ashley Cleere Executive Director National Association of Congregational Christian Churches A Fifth Century Perspective I had the privilege of giving the Congregational Talk at the annual meeting and conference My column is an edited excerpt considering the question How do we engage in spiritual pilgrimage in today s world Inquiry into the love of God and love of neighbor provides avenues for our interior journey This path of faith is not to be traveled alone nor is the route isolated from the world s concerns As active church members we express a love of God through worship prayer tithes and offerings Bible studies and other acts of devotion In 2022 declining church membership can weigh heavy on our hearts Empty pews understandably distract us from the love of God Fear for the future may make us see numerical growth as so urgent that spiritual growth gets deemphasized or exhaust us Plymouth s Pilgrims lived according to their convictions Their spiritual pilgrimage led them to covenant with God responding to the cries of their hearts and the crises of their era Over time others followed them on that path 4 across the pond a path of resistance to a government and way of faith that countered their beliefs Thankfully or we wouldn t be here today numerical growth followed spiritual growth But remember they held fast to their priority pilgrimage with and toward God Geography physical place informs our journeys of faith our neighborliness In the 1970s as a fourth grader living in a town of 900 people in Vermont my family attended a church within walking distance from our house across the street from my elementary school After school I met my mom at church if she was helping with a dinner or sorting things for a rummage sale I would go out a different door of the school and cross another side street to attend Girl Scouts at the Baptist church My 4 H drama club gathered in the basement of an Episcopal church nearby Contemporary Congregational churches continue to demonstrate love of neighbor through programs for young people food pantries soup kitchens 12 step programs preschools basketball leagues and movie nights Where our churches are located influences how we love our neighbors People identify with our congregations even if they are not part of the regular worshipping community A church I served was across the alley from a funeral home The funeral director often called and said we have one of your members But the person would be unfamiliar to me and not on our church rolls Usually the deacons could figure out how the person was connected to the church But not always Sometimes we are neighborly without even trying to be Our Association celebrates the local church I am one of many people in this room who is a member of a congregation hundreds of miles away from where I live We Congregationalists keep longstanding commitments to our churches Taking covenant seriously may involve holding fast to binding relationships for decades and generations Our interior journey is enhanced by the specific people with whom we go to church Think of how many miles you travel to go to church how many houses of worship you pass on the way and how many different zip codes are represented in your church directory Do people Zoom in for worship from out of state How many members of your local church are locals The question arises Can a congregation live out its identity as the First Congregational Church of Xville when only some members live in Xville while others commute from Ztown Yport and Springfield We can still be the village church of a village where we don t live when we love our neighbors through ministries in our local communities Collaborations such as ecumenical Lenten series interfaith vigils and social service activities exemplify local church emphasis Your extreme generosity to global mission partners embraces an expanded definition of neighbor to include all of God s children You are present whether the crisis is in war torn Ukraine or tornado stricken Winterset Iowa In last year s Congregational lecture NACCC historian Dr Mary Biedron reflected on ecclesiastical or vicinage councils With the rise of technology these events need not be limited by geographic vicinity I participated in a council hosted by a church in Atlanta while sitting at my kitchen table in Milwaukee Local congregations are no longer defined by the towns where their cornerstones are laid Some congregations have sold their buildings and are worshipping in rented smaller settings like Heritage Congregational Church in Madison Wisconsin or in other houses of faith such as a Jewish synagogue as is the case for Pine Hill Congregational Church in Michigan Florence Congregational Church in Massachusetts sold its building and still worships there Other community groups also use the space almost every GETTING TO KNOW YOU A Listening Tour JULY 8 Saunders Memorial Congregational Church Little Deer Isle ME First Congregational Church Hancock ME Centre Street Congregational Church Machias ME JULY 10 First Congregational Church Searsport ME JULY 16 North Deering Congregational Church Portland ME Union Church of Amesbury Amesbury MA JULY 17 Community Church of Newfield Newfield ME JULY 18 Congregational Christian Council of Maine Brooksville ME JULY 31 Heritage Congregational Church Madison WI AUGUST 4 Oakwood Heights Community Church Staten Island NY AUGUST 7 Southern Ocean Congregational Church Little Egg Harbor NJ AUGUST 14 First Congregational Church Wauwatosa WI day of the week under the auspices of a nonprofit foundation that lives out Florence s historical commitment to the arts and social justice Anamesa is a virtual and home church that covers the whole country and worships in the space between heaven and earth pain and healing you and me We neighbor differently now than Plymouth s Pilgrims did in 1620 To borrow a phrase from Rev Don Olsen s communion sermon Our neighbors come in various flavors The charge to love our neighbor calls upon us to serve the incredible variety of God s people in ever more meaningful ways When geography is overtaken by our passion for our faith and love of the Congregational Way when pilgrimage is an interior journey that summons us to take risks as the Mayflower Pilgrims did amazing things happen As of July 1 2022 the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches comprises 312 congregations and 28 715 church members In July Ashley Cleere NACCC Executive Director kicked off a listening tour with the goal of visiting every NACCC church over the next three years 5

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PRAISE HIM WITH STRINGS AND PIPE Twenty Years of Innovation in Music Ministry I by Robert Eversman n 2002 I accepted the position as Director of Music Organist at Heritage Congregational Church in Madison Wisconsin This began a journey toward both personal and spiritual growth Loving praying and singing have always been central to the spirit of Heritage God s grace has allowed me to be an effective music director during a 20 year period of constant change I grew up in the Episcopal Church and have always loved its formal liturgy complete with chant incense vestments kneeling plus lots of classical choral and organ music I never imagined that I would work or worship regularly in any other setting In 1997 I moved to Mineral Point Wisconsin taught music privately and the following year began directing the music program in the local United Church of Christ a much less formal service format There were no kneelers and communion was only once a month I had never accompanied the Gloria Patri as a separate piece of music as Anglicans only say or sing those words at the end of a Psalm to express their belief in the Trinity Just two weeks into the new job I referred to the church s altar and was quickly corrected It s a communion table Five years later I began my job at Heritage and faced several challenges My predecessor concert pianist Jeffrey Arnold had already established a viable music program The choir could sing more difficult choral pieces than I had yet tackled as a director During the first week I examined every anthem in the library to find works I could play and direct well I practiced accompaniments a lot during the first several years but always felt rewarded when the results were successful Our pastor the Reverend Cindy Bacon Hammer an accomplished musician in her own right organized variety shows in which choir members also sang Though I prefer to listen to and play classical music I kept an open mind when asked to participate as an instrumentalist I accompanied a soloist singing Great Balls of Fire and improvised a slushy violin obligato for a 12 year old girl s beautiful vocal solo Once I donned a black cassock and white face mask to play the main theme from Phantom of the Opera using full organ These many collaborations were always fun and rewarding Eventually I started composing choral amens anthem Robert Eversman right coaches hand chime volunteers Bobbie Taylor Bill Haight and Joelle Sommers in an after church rehearsal at Heritage s new store front meetinghouse Photo by Larry F Sommers arrangements Psalm settings and various small pieces as needed In 2005 Pastor Cindy became chair of the NACCC committee in charge of creating and editing Hymns for a Pilgrim People published in 2006 by G I A Cindy asked if I would compose eight settings for this hymnal s Psalter To my surprise and delight Northwestern Publishing House of Milwaukee included two of these settings in their 2021 publication Christian Worship Psalter Thanks to Heritage I was growing as a musician using my gifts education and background to create beauty for others In Love With Pipes My paternal grandfather Bapa was a concert violinist Bapa and I played duets in the North Carolina church where I was baptized My mother was a classically trained singer pianist and violinist She supported my desire for violin and piano lessons She took me to church every Sunday at St Philip s Episcopal Palatine Illinois where I was exposed to the beauty of Anglican church music and joined the boys choir I was drawn to the tonal wealth of the pipe organ upon which the organist often played major works from the vast repertoire written for this instrument When I had an opportunity to assemble a small three rank pipe organ for my next church in Hoffman Estates Illinois I tackled the project with great excitement At the age of twenty two having no experience or knowledge of organ building I worked step by step under the supervision of a good friend who was a professional organ technician completing the project within a year Now at sixty three I have designed redesigned and assembled my own practice pipe organ in five different homes Robert accompanies the Heritage congregation in hymn singing on Palm Sunday at the storefront church Photo by Larry F Sommers My first instrument built in 1990 had only one set of flute pipes and fit perfectly in my onebedroom apartment This year I am finishing the pipe organ in my current home in rural Monroe Wisconsin The house was built in 1905 as a cheese factory by Swiss immigrants ceasing production in the 1960s The large basement is now home to an eighteen rank instrument The room s superb acoustics allow the organ to take on a seemingly live presence one which takes me back in time and place At forty eight I began seven years of study at the university of Wisconsin Madison School of Music completing the undergraduate repertoire entering graduate school and earning a master s degree in organ performance I also became more involved with the Association of Church Musicians and passed the exams for the Service Playing Certificate I could never have accomplished all of this without the love support and encouragement of my church family A Congregational Family Each spring I hosted a choir party at my home which was lots of fun and brought me closer to what was becoming my church family I learned to be more versatile to meet the needs of service styles to which I was not accustomed Before Heritage I had never played any gospel style music but I soon discovered that it was rather fun especially when the congregation sang with far more excitement My toughest challenge was with contemporary worship services completely opposite from the formal Anglican style I preferred My effort to make the best of it allowed me to test and improve my improvisational skills on both violin and organ while Pastor Cindy used her gifts at the piano I furthered my choral directing skills with the help of Pastor Cindy a very accomplished singer and choral director Prior to Heritage I always tried to communicate well with the pastor but it wasn t always easy to find common ground on worship style or liturgical content With a shared work ethic communication style mutual respect and a willingness to compromise Cindy and I made a great team The encouragement and support of my congregational family was palpable during my first 16 years The covenant and the people at Heritage fed my calling to join the church officially which I did and currently serve as Chair of the church s Board of Spiritual Life Pandemic Era Challenges I have experienced many changes while working at Heritage but none greater than adapting the music program throughout the pandemic The sudden need for a virtual worship environment completely changed my approach to music ministry Before the pandemic I led the music program as a service planner choral director instrumentalist librarian and organizer of an annual concert series On March 15 2020 we worshiped in person for the last time before gathering via Zoom The following October Pastor Cindy now the Reverend Dr Cynthia Bacon Hammer Robert adjusts a pipe in the basement organ he has built at his rural Wisconsin home a former cheese factory Photo by Larry F Sommers Robert plays the basement organ he has built at his rural Wisconsin home a former cheese factory Photo by Larry F Sommers retired as planned having served Heritage for 18 years In March 2021 we sold our large meetinghouse which had become a burden to our ministries For almost four months we had no physical meeting place I decided to pre record all musical selections for each service and quickly mastered the share feature on Zoom In mid July we moved into our new worship space a retail storefront next door to a Subway restaurant We returned to in person worship while retaining a virtual presence for those who did not yet Continued 6 7

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WITH STRINGS AND PIPE feel safe venturing out of their homes Coordinating both in person and Zoom formats is quite challenging Some Sundays everything works as it should other times there are either problems with the internet signal microphone placement or with mastering new equipment These were not our only challenges The wonderful choir was silenced in March 2020 In 2022 we gradually started up with fewer members wearing special choral masks that made us all look like ducks To supplement the musical offerings I started a handchime choir The UCC church in Mineral Point graciously loaned us their large set of hand chimes Continued PRAISE HIM The chimes are a success and rehearsals are fun especially when mistakes are made Two people who often accompanied on piano as I played violin or viola are no longer available Using a collection of professionally made accompaniment recordings and a stereo assembled from thrift store components I can offer a wider range of violin and viola literature This format works well but requires special preparation and rehearsal to make the parts sound balanced and unified The very large digital organ in our former meetinghouse remained with the building We were without an organ for our new storefront venue I searched Facebook eBay and Craigslist daily and found a used Rodgers instrument available FOR FREE in Guttenberg Iowa My good friend Greg Smith offered his truck the gas trailer and physical help to pick up the organ Unfortunately the instrument hadn t been played in years and had several technical problems Many of these I managed to correct with help from Sean Spindler an electronically gifted church member The instrument serves our basic needs but I am now designing and collecting choice parts to put a small portable pipe organ in our new retail space The new constant for today s world is uncertainty It is natural during hardship to focus on what is wrong but solutions materialize when the focus is on more important questions such as What is working What can be done With imagination and the desire to create beauty through sound there are no limits as to how you can reach the members of your flock Be encouraged and sing a new song Join the Conversation The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches recently launched a dedicated discussion forum exclusively for individuals of member churches This resource enables users to interact on current topics in congregational life Areas of interest have been established to heighten connectivity The Member Forum is a place to share ideas ask questions gain knowledge make suggestions provide guidance or simply to connect FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH SEEKS MINISTER SALT LAKE CITY UTAH Salt Lake City is a vibrant young city that offers a great variety of outdoor activities as well as many opportunities to enjoy music dance and theatre The city is home to colleges and universities museums good schools and hospitals and professional sports teams As we make plans to sell our The core of our ministry is worship We are seeking a Minister who is current building and move to a new home First ConAn articulate and dynamic speaker providing thought progregational Church wants to voking sermons that relate to our modern life honor our 157 year old history and the foundation that Able to provide opportunities to explore our faith outside of it has given us We hope to Sunday worship such as Bible Study and book groups build on our past and continue to be a Christian presence Able to embrace a theologically diverse congregation whose in the Salt Lake Valley We members value individual judgement on matters of belief look forward to moving in and Bible new directions free from the financial burdens and reCaring compassionate and comfortable helping members sponsibilities a large building through immediate health issues and life transitions requires Strong in pastoral leadership to help us envision new ways to engage with our community and encourage congregational participation Will you be the one to join us and guide us on our faith journey as we continue to be a welcoming faith community of love tolerance and inclusiveness Willing to work with people of other faiths and help us connect with the interfaith community Willing to work with lay leadership Able to provide vision and new ideas to help us develop a sustainable future First Congregational Church is a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Additional church information is available at naccc org For inquiries or to apply contact Ken at kwrockwell yahoo com www naccc org member forum 8 9

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UKRAINIAN REFUGEE HUB Central Congregational Church and Spring Valley Community Church Join in Mission Author Carl Medearis and Pastor Scott served together with Youth with a Mission in the early 80s in Holland and France Carl went on to be a missionary in Beirut Lebanon for ten years in the 90s Carl is one of the most connected Christian leaders to both religious and political leaders in the Middle East and has published several books dealing with Christian ministry in a Muslim setting among other topics I highly recommend all of Carl s books especially Adventures in Saying Yes By Scott Archer T he adventure began April 5th as my wife Rhonda and I met Pastor Steve and Tammie Babbitt from Spring Valley Community Church SVCC Spring Valley California for an early evening walk as we often do We had hardly begun when Pastor Steve stopped in mid stride and turned toward Rhonda and me I need your help he said Steve then summarized a meeting he had just attended with pastors and denominational leaders from the Church of the Nazarene fellowship with which SVCC is associated The topic was an opportunity to assist Ukrainian refugees coming into the US via Tijuana Mexico Steve said that he and his church would love to help and the next thing he knew he was given leadership of the entire project It quickly became apparent that the most urgent need was for overnight housing hubs where the Ukrainians could be brought from the border to get a meal hopefully a shower some rest and a ride to the airport or train station or help with other travel plans In the spirit of the book written by my good friend Carl Medearis Adventures In Saying Yes and without any clear understanding of what was ahead Rhonda and I joined with 10 Pastor Steve and Tammie by responding with a resounding Yes sensing that this was a clear opportunity to join Jesus on His mission Believing that we would be hosting refugees that very night we finished our walk and sprang into action We put out the call for donations and volunteers and headed to SVCC to clean the facility and get organized Thanks to many members at Central Congregational Church CCC we began receiving donations that night and by the next day our own Hannah Allen and SVCC s Gidgitte Dougherty had put their heads and organizational skills together to come up with the volunteer information and sign up portal that so many of you have used to get involved Also Pastor Steve and Tammie put their technical and spreadsheet skills to work to develop a detailed intake system that enabled us to keep track of our guests their luggage and their travel plans As it turned out we welcomed our first Ukrainian refugees on Wednesday evening rather than Pastor Steve left and Hannah Allen in red sending off our last group of guests Tuesday We hosted ten people that first night men women and children and we served our first bowls of borscht the main comfort food for Ukrainians that so many of us learned to make The next night we welcomed 35 guests by Friday night our occupancy was over 50 people and from then on we hosted 75 refugees or more each night for the next two and a half weeks One of the most encouraging and rewarding aspects of the entire endeavor in addition to meeting and assisting our U S Ukrainians was the number of people who stepped up to help from different churches across many denominational lines from various areas of the West Coast and even many of our near neighbors who do not attend church regularly but who had heard about the opportunity from friends or on social media In a time of such religious and political polarization it was wonderful to work in solidarity for the Glory of God and the Good of Our Neighbors as we like to say at Central Congregational Church Walter Wallenborn and translator Vera checking in guests during the middle of the night I was especially impressed by the faith and faithfulness of the Ukrainian and Russian speaking believers who mobilized to assist their brothers and sisters in Christ and their countrymen and women in general We had several translators and Sprinter drivers from Sacramento and Seattle who came for weeks at a time taking time off work so that they could work with us to support the refugees The main organization of the various hubs was led by a local Russian American young man named Mark Rybikov and his assistant Irina Leshchik We now have many new friends with names like Slav Olga Vadim Nataliya and Ilya who we look forward to meeting again here in San Diego and on road trips to Northern California and the Northwest The SVCC Refugee Hub was just one of several church sponsored hubs working to support the thousands of Ukrainian refugees making their way into the US at the Tijuana border crossing In fact the United States government had made no provision to support the refugees once they crossed into the US From the moment a Ukrainian individual or family came out of the Pedestrian West border crossing it was overwhelmingly the Church that cared for Rhonda Archer and our translator Irena checking in our first two guests them and guided them to transportation and safe havens of rest and support This particular adventure in saying yes has ended We bid a bitter sweet goodbye to our last translators Sprinter drivers and refugees on Tuesday April 26th and began the cleanup process that afternoon From Wednesday April 6th to the 26th our doors were open 24 7 Together we housed and helped 1 156 Ukrainians served thousands of bowls of borscht and other meals scheduled scores of plane train and bus trips transported hundreds of refugees to Sacramento and Seattle and other West Coast locales via Sprinter and bus washed a zillion loads of laundry and completed endless cleaning of the facilities In our hub alone 251 people were involved by way of donations volunteering or both We and our efforts were sustained by the prayers of our church family whether individuals were able to be physically or financially involved or not In addition to saying thank you to everyone who participated in this project some specific words of thanks are in order A huge thank you to Pastor Steve and Tammie and their congregation for opening their home as it were to house the Ukrainians and to give the rest of us the opportunity to join them on this adventure of faith and service Thank you to Hannah and Gidgitte for their tireless efforts in recruiting tracking and organizing the volunteers and donations Thank you to Mark and Irina previously mentioned who worked countless hours often through the night organizing volunteer drivers from the border to the various hubs securing and often transporting translators where needed and taking care of a variety of other essential elements of the overall effort And finally thank you to Pastor Phil Metzger from Calvary Chapel San Diego Phil and his team in conjunction with a team from Samaritan s Purse were the only groups officially recognized by the California Border Patrol to welcome and help process the refugees once they exited the border building onto US soil Phil and his team worked tirelessly day and night in managing the chaos at the border in their efforts to welcome protect and support the refugees This unified effort of individual Christians specific churches and even denominations working together to address the Ukrainian refugee crisis should be celebrated as a much needed testimony to the grace and love of Jesus Christ expressed through the faithfulness and unity of His people However as our efforts end on this front it should give us pause to consider the ongoing humanitarian crisis at our border and borders and camps across the world where millions of refugees and displaced persons languish in limbo in their attempt to escape religious political and cartel violence As this unexpected journey comes to an end and we get on with our daily lives where and to whom might the Spirit of Jesus be leading us to serve next To what adventure in saying yes is Jesus calling you and me today 11

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SERVING THOSE Su ering from ADDICTION 12 I Greetings am Jennifer Macarille wife of Pastor James Macarille of the 1st Congregational Church in Saugerties NY We are the co founders of Jared s Hope an initiative aimed at helping our pastors get involved and be a resource for those in our churches and communities suffering from the disease of addiction Our area has several organizations that deal with this issue We recommend and ask that as faith leaders we become familiar with those organizations in our areas such as AA Al Anon Narcotic Anonymous NA rehabs therapists shelters and food resources We ask that contact names and numbers be listed in your church I believe preparation is of great importance and it would be beneficial for our leaders to contact these facilities to ask their input and help I have been an EMT for twelve years and can tell you that no matter how much material you have or how much you prepare when a crisis arises you will wish you had a little more preparation I have transported patients in emotional crisis some trips were an hour some much longer Imagine how uncomfortable the patient was This is not something a band aid can fix Think of being alone in the back of an ambulance with a stranger during what could be the lowest part of their life And as uncomfortable as it was for the patient it was equally uncomfortable for me Several years ago our son lost his struggle with addiction We were suddenly placed in a situation where we were desperate for resolution answers and comfort We didn t know where to turn Friends and family acquaintances and church family looked at us with a deer in the headlights look afraid to bring the topic up afraid to ask how we were doing It may have been uncomfortable for them it was uncomfortable for us The addict or family members need to know that they are not forgotten They need to know they have an advocate someone to turn to They don t need you to fix it you can t they need an ear As faith leaders I am asking you to do something that may be hard do not quote scripture at them I m not asking you to put God aside but the person will be hurting angry they will be experiencing sadness and confusion They may not be ready for scripture It is enough to remind them that they have a Savior that understands them Remind them that Jesus felt heartache over Lazarus that Jesus felt anger and uncertainty in Gethsemane As Christians God never promised us an easy life This may be the hardest role in your life Love your neighbors as you love yourself Give those suffering permission to question cry and to plead Give them an ear to vent their pain and hate of this disease Share with these sufferers the love of God in a way they can accept Please contact us if you have questions if you have comments or want recommendations at jvmac2 aol com 845 338 6669 Peace and love of our Lord Christ Jesus Jen Macarile co founder Jared s Hope Y0u THANK Henry Martyn Dexter Society 1 000 and above James Benson Central Congregational Church of Lynn Richard Derham Margaret Hoats Jim Hopkins Jim Waechter Beth Wilkins Edward Beecher Society 500 999 Edith Bartley Laura Hamby Ellen Bauerle Neil Sharon Hunt Sharon Petrie Bob Suzy Stoyer Art Lee Wallach Elias Smith Connexion 250 499 Dick Mary Berger John Kay Bowman Jeff Sharon Dillon First Congregational Church of Naples Fred Fortier Gustave Goldshine Robert Constance Hellam James Henson Marianne King Michael Lambert Jim Leanna Rogers Craig Barbara Walker Alicia Clement Watson Sustaining Members 100 249 Lucy Amsbaugh Randy Nancy Asendorf William Barbara Barnes Charles Barr II Joy Baumgartner The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches wishes to thank our Editor s Round Table members who supported The Congregationalist with a contirbution of 100 00 or more in Fiscal Year 2022 April 1 2021 March 31 2022 Sharon Beringson Steven Berry Glenn Mimi Biedron Michael Polly Bodjanac Roger Janice Bowers Robert Faye Boyette Beth Brooks Marria Casner Isaiah Jin Soon Cho Reverend Dr Marilyn Danielson Jim DeLine Barbara J Dunham Graham Duryee Gregory Marcie Errico Evangelical Congregational Church Dan Carol Evans Maurice Sara Fetty First Congregational Church of Elkader First Congregational Church of Frankfort First Congregational Church of Toulon Ruth Frost Kirby Gilmore Craig Goodlock John Hagin Charles Hall Victor Cynthia Hardy Jim Ann Harris Joan Haugen Mary Hawk Clarence Jean Heerema Roger Helmer Heritage Congregational Church of Berea Peggy Jessup Grace Jonassen Norman Jacque Jones Deborah Kacpura James Dawn Keough Claudia Kniefel Ellen Knight Mary Krall Paul Laederach Will Lange Steven Langehough Jim Larson Janet Wilson Caroline Laubenheimer Phil LeHoux Glenda Barkwell Glen Lovejoy Kathleen Riska Lovejoy Thomas Janet Lovell John Karen Lukens Marcia Lynk Lloyd Cynthia Maxwell David Marsha McMurray Catherine Melendy Michigan Conference of Congregational Christian Churches Richard Kay Miller Todd Luna Moretti Paul Karen Nickels Warren Becky Noble Old Stone Congregational Church Olivet Congregational Church Ted Marlene Pendleton Piedmont University Nancianne Rathbun Tom LeeAnne Richard Alicia Paul Riedy Carolyn Rinehart Columbus Sanders Gloria Jean Skeete Bob Barbara Smith Gary Stevens Marion Stowell Union Street Brick Church Jim Cindy Walsh Joe Shaaron Walton Arnold Doris Crocker Edgar Suzanne Wheeler Mark Williams Allan Marilyn Worth Sharon Wozencraft 13

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Rev Philip O Brookes 1943 2022 The Reverend Philip O Brookes passed away on January 28 2022 in Springfield Pennsylvania He was a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Bible where he received his bachelor s degree and then a master s degree in counseling In 1997 he retired from a long career with Verizon and became pastor of the Glenolden Congregational Church for 15 years Brookes was a member of Collingdale Fire House 1 where he served on the Ambulance Board of Governors he served on Collingdale Borough Council and the Parks and Recreation Committee and was a former longtime member of Aldan Union Church He is survived by his wife Lynne E nee Haelle Brookes his children Heather Mark Edelman Robin Brookes and Scott Casey Brookes and his grandchildren SEEKING A NEW PASTOR Rye Congregational Church in the heart of Rye NH on the coast RCC is ready for fresh ideas eager to grow our membership and attract young families with youthful energy We invite a collaborative leader to become an integral part of our church family Independent Nondenominational Since 1726 We seek a pastor with strong deep knowledge of the Bible as well as a shepherding spirit someone to inspire us through a traditional worship service anchored by a compelling Bible based sermon non political but relevant to today We prefer at least 5 years pastoral experience Send resume to rccsearch22 gmail com Get to know us at ryecongregational com Claude Lawrence Dunn 1938 2022 The Reverend Claude Dunn passed away on June 28 2022 After serving in the U S Navy he worked as a communications field engineer and then founded his business NDT West After moving to Diamond Springs California he was increasingly called upon as a lay preacher eventually becoming the ordained pastor of El Dorado Community Church Congregational where he served for 21 years He also served as a guest preacher at the Congregational Church of the Valley in Chandler Arizona for a couple of years after leaving El Dorado Upon retiring he married Joyce Amlick They moved to Arroyo Grande California in the middle of the pandemic He is survived by his wife Joyce children Kathleen Dunn Deborah Dunn Yeager Matthew Dunn and sister Judy Freyder He was preceded in death by his son Michael Rev Thomas Healey 1955 2022 The Reverend Thomas Healey passed away on July 8 2022 in Wayne Michigan Tom studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield Illinois and served as pastor at First Congregational Church Clear Lake Iowa He also served as a hospice chaplain at Mercy North Iowa While in Iowa he was very involved with the Iowa Nebraska Association and its camping program He was called to First Congregational Church Wayne Michigan for a time before returning to hospice work at Karmanos Cancer Center Healey was a police officer and an engineer before following the call to ministry He is survived by his wife Karen three daughters and four grandchildren Rev Joseph Riley Penick 194 2022 The Reverend Joseph Riley Penick passed away on July 2 2022 in Frostburg Maryland He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and Frostburg State University He was a teacher at New Dominion School for 25 years and filled in as a preacher for various churches in the tri state area He also was a founder of New Directions Unlimited Youth Center In 1992 he was called to serve as full time pastor at the First Congregational Church in Frostburg and later at Trinity Reformed Church in Rockwood Pennsylvania He was also actively involved with the Congregational Christian Fellowship Church in Winchester Virginia which his wife Caroline pastors Penick did Bible Studies at Archway Station in Cumberland Maryland for many years and served as a member of the Board He was also a Board Member ot Pilgrim Theological Seminary A pastor in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches he served on the NACCC Mission Committee He is survived by wife Caroline son Gabriel Gabriel daughter Stephanie Stephen Wilt and two grandsons his mother Violet Penick and his brother Charles Penick Jr Kim 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 100 249 249 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 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 Thank You For Your Generosity All Gifts Are Tax Deductible To The Fullest Extent Allowed By Law 15

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Sketch of Rev Dr Don Olsen in the pulpit of Plymouth Congregational Church by Rev Bradley Bunn Mansfield Ohio 68th Annual Meeting Conference June 25 28 in Wichita All About Love Corinthians 13 13 and the greatest of these is love Arguably one of the best known scriptures and most commonly associated with weddings But what meaning does it hold beyond the marriage vows The 2022 Annual Meeting and Conference explored love in our relationships with God our interactions with others and how we feel about ourselves T Bringing About Reconciliation he Reverend Dr Arthur Rouner who passed away this past December was founder of the Pilgrim Center for Reconciliation and a largerthan life figure in Congregationalism He served the Congregational Church of Edina Minnesota for 32 years founding the Center after he retired World Vision invited Arthur and Molly Rouner to partner with one of their Eastern African leaders to explore what could be done to start the work of reconciliation in the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda and Burundi in 1964 Now the Center leads healing retreat programs in areas of war and conflict in six African countries and here in the U S Facilitators Reverend Dr Jim Olson the Center s president and Anna Jeide Detweiler U S Ministry Director and granddaughter of Molly and Arthur Rouner explored pathways to understanding and reconciliation during their workshops Jim and Anna offered key principles for achieving reconciliation such as leaning from the place of reconciliation with Christ being proximate to the situation at hand and understanding the issues involved They also warned that reconciliation was only possible when we join the circle rather than try to put ourselves in the center Reconciliation cannot be achieved if participants stand on the sidelines rather than taking action 16 Jim recommended assessing one s goals Are you putting all your energy into winning the argument rather than coming together in understanding He reminded the group that the church is a place to practice love Facilitate courageous and Christian conversations with love and hope Anna Detweiler Inside the circle I Love Talks n a creative departure from past conferences the Host Committee presented talks by three women Diana Butler Bass Valarie Kaur and Mihee Kim Kort who delved into love of God love of neighbor and love of self respectively Bass is an award winning author sought after speaker and preacher A commentator on contemporary religion and spirituality her bylines include the New York Times The Washington Post CNN com Atlantice com USA Today HuffPost The Christian Century and Sojourners Her latest book Freeing Jesus encourages us to rediscover what Jesus offers us as we evolve with a changing world Valerie Kaur is a civil rights leader lawyer best selling author and award winning filmmaker Believing in love as a force for justice she founded the Groundswell Movement Faithful Internet and the Yale Visual Law Project Valarie has been called a moral compass for our time The daughter of Sikh farmers she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and International Relations from Stanford University a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School She is a member of the California Bar Valerie challenged the audience to love the other to see no stranger and encouraged everyone get to know each other She maintains that deep listening is an act of surrender adding we risk being changed by what we hear Mihee Kim Kort ThM M Div and Princeton Theological Seminary alum took on the topic of love of self Mihee is a Presbyterian minister self described agitator speaker writer and slinger of hopeful stories about faith and church Her writing and commentary can be found in the New York Times TIME BBC World Service USA Today Huffington Post Christian Century On Being Sojourners Faith and Leadership Mihee says that God s love for us breaks every boundary So should our love for ourselves and each other Her acceptance of her queerness was both a challenge to her sense of who she was and an opportunity to fully love herself as she is She learned that self care and mindfulness make space for attending to God s love for us opening us up to a more expansive relationship with God through Jesus Christ Cynthia Hardy Mihee Kim Kort and Derek Martin share a moment following the presentation Members of the AMC crowd gather on the steps of Plymouth Congregational Church in Wichita following Sunday worship service NACCC WELCOMES New Churches to the Family First Congregational Church Waterbury CT Westfield Congregational Church Westfield IA Union Congregational Church Amesbury MA Chris Caserio Dennis McGuire and Gary Post represented First Congregational Church Waterbury Pilgrim Trinitarian Congregational Church Dorchester MA Second Church of Plymouth Manomet MA Mendota Heights United Church of Christ Mendota MN Scott Chase and Bob Labadini represented Union Congregational Church Amesbury C The Post COVID Church ongregational churches like most other institutions are emerging from over two years of COVID with a mix of relief confusion optimism and trepidation The big question Should they strive for a return to the past or embrace a world that s irrevocably different than before Rev Ian MacDonald and Rev Dawn Carlson embraced the future years ago with the creation of online worship services They are now co pastors of Anamesa which according to their website is a collaborative network of autonomous churches and individuals who covenant together to practice radical hospitality and inclusion according to the practices and biblical teachings of Jesus the Christ Ian encouraged workshop attendees to look at the post COVID world as an unexpected gift suggesting that God is giving us a do over He challenged churches to reimagine and redesign church as we know it and offered three steps to bringing change One Assess and celebrate Identify those things the church is holding onto that are holding the church back Be willing to tear down the old ways of doing things and identify those things upon which you can build for the future Two Dream big Start by shifting your thinking about one thing you don t like about your church Imagine what gives you joy in the church and share that joy Continued 17

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Doug and Elizaeth Wermuth members of the 2023 Annual Meeting and Conference Host Committee offered Norm Erlendson a bag of cheese curds to promote next year s event in Milwaukee Continued All About Love with your brothers and sisters as well as the community Three Commit to it Pick one or more dreams that you have for the church and commit to them Set a realistic timetable for your plans and give it space to work Invite your community to partake in your dream Consider a Sabbatical While churches focus on reinventing and reimaging themselves they also need to consider the stress of the past two years on their pastor Ministers gathered Sunday afternoon in Wichita to discuss ways churches can prepare for sabbaticals and sell their congregations on the benefits of providing these opportunities Pastoring a congregation is a 24 7 job leading to burnout and compassion fatigue Just imagine what two years of COVID have required of your minister The Alban Institute recommends three months of sabbatical after four to seven years of service to allow ministers the space to relax and rejuvenate Workshop participants reported how sabbaticals had given them time to reconnect with friends and family refresh study and explore topics of interest experience worship at other churches and reenergize They recommended that churches should create a plan for financing sabbaticals and include sabbaticals in new contracts Ministers who receive a Lily Endowment Clergy Renewal Grant must commit to staying at their present church for at least another two years A similar commitment is a reasonable expectation of churches that offer sabbaticals Rev Justin Neier Limited Time Lots of Opportunitiesl The 2022 AMC Conference served a variety of interests Gahanna Community Congregational Church described its process for cultivating a community garden Domestic and international missionaries shared updates from their missions The Growth Ministry Council guided folks in writing devotionals 18 Justin s Recipe Get your fries made ahead of time I have found steak fries to be too thick for the dish but regular fries or wrinkle fries are perfect Make as many as you would normally eat during a meal Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F Put the fries on a lined cookie sheet or oven safe plate Make sure to pile the fries as you would a plate of nachos Take your cheese curds and mix them in with the fries and on top How many is up to you but really can you have too many cheese curds Put the fries and curds in the preheated oven for about 2 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted but not runny You want the cheese to still have the form somewhat of a curd Heat your gravy on the stove chicken or beef I usually just buy a jar of the premade stuff at the grocery store Get that gravy HOT BOILING HOT I cannot stress this enough that gravy needs to be HOT Finally take the fries covered in cheese and put them in a dish like a soup bowl Then cover them with the hot scalding gravy Let stand for a few minutes and then enjoy THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS of the CONGREGATIONAL FOUNDATION Incoming Moderator Rev Art Ritter presents Rev Dr Cindy Bacon Hammer with a citation for her service as 2020 2022 moderator Rev Ian MacDonald and Rev Dawn Carlson T Recipe for Poutine he appearance of cheese curds at the AMC brought out the chef in Rev Justin Neier who offered in his humble opinion the only recipe for poutine worth making which happens to use cheese curds For those who find poutine as alien a concept as cheese curds it s a dish developed in Quebec that tops French fries with cheese curds and brown gravy As a bonus the Host Committee blessed the gathering with ample time to make up for opportunities lost during COVID breaking bread together reconnecting with old friends and making new acquaintances sharing challenges and triumphs and making plans Special thanks to Moderator Rev Cindy Bacon Hammer Host Committee Co Chairs Rev Dr Donald Olsen and Karen Malone and all the volunteers who made this year s AMC a success thanks the organizers for a memorable and meaningful Annual Meeting Conference in Wichita Plymouth Congregational Church University Congregational Church the Host Committee NACCC Staff AMC Planning Committee 19

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The NACCC celebrated the first in person Annual Meeting and Conference in two years by presenting several awards Some recognitions were a little delayed but all were appreciated T Sharon and Jeff Dillon The Reverends Van Tassell Honored with Butman Award he Reverend Sarah Terlouw on behalf of the Ministry Council prefaced the presentation of the Harry Butman Award by describing the unique courtship of recipients Wendy and Tom Van Tassell The Cliff Notes version In the summer of 1976 Wendy and Tom were both on the staff of a summer camp she was a cabin counselor and he directed recreation and games The little girls in Wendy s cabin decided to play matchmaker and asked three of the male staff if they would marry their counselor Tom jumped at the chance to participate in a mock ceremony and not long after the real thing The rest is history Over 46 years the couple s journey took them to First Congregational Church of Greenville Michigan First Congregational Church of Los Angeles California Plymouth Congregational Church in Lansing Michigan and 23 years as co pastors of First Congregational Church of Spencer Iowa They recently retired to Holland Michigan where they are members of the First Congregational Church of Saugatuck Michigan Key among their many contributions to the NACCC is the Van Tassells efforts to build the fellowship of member churches They have served many leadership roles in the organization and demonstrated their commitment to its mission Rev Terlouw said People also applauded Tom s hospice volunteering Wendy s retreat leadership both Wendy and Tom Van Tassell working with the local ministers association sharing the love of God through youth sports community choir and so much more She added The thing that stands out to me as this most lovely piece of spiritual fruit for the kingdom of God and for the NACCC is the fact that scores of young people that they have directly mentored grew up to become camp counselors youth ministers church pastors Scores hundreds of young people grew up to become laborers for the kingdom of God s love because of their nurturing Rev Terlouw pastor of First Congregational Church of Saugatuck said of Tom and Wendy are now members of her own congregation They mentor me and other burgeoning ministry leaders They continue to find unique and exciting ways to connect with their community I know I watch them like a hawk as they model God s love and God s ministry in this world I may be their pastor but I am also their student and co laborer for the Kingdom They amaze me And they continue to do stellar service to the National Association A Celebrating a Graduation Delayed fter a lengthy delay during the pandemic Rev Ed Gabrielson was honored for his graduation from the CFTS program and his ordination by the Rockland Congregational Church in Rockland Maine Ed was also given the Reverend Dr Alfred Grey Award for an outstanding paper written in conjunction with the Boston Seminar T On behalf of the Mission Outreach Ministry Council Reverend Richard Miller Todd presented the Charles Rush Award to Pastor Wilbins Maginet Pastor Maginet is working with a French speaking congregation at Ti Plaine Congregational Church of Haiti The Charles Rush Award recognizes minority individuals who are working on behalf of Christ In a changing world filled with all kinds of social and economic concerns we are impressed with individuals who stand out as spiritual leaders and see all humanity as their people wrote Rev Miller Todd presenter of the award and Chair of MOMC Many people work behind the scenes to make the AMC a success Lee Lamsinger a member of Faith Community Church in Franklin Wisconsin is in charge of video production Carrie Dahm NACCC Assistant to the Executive Director and Meeting Planner is already working on next year s event Seeking a Full Time Minister to Serve Our Church First Congregational Church is seeking a pastor called to serve a small urban city Wauwatosa has quaint village characteristics along with major medical regional corporate offices and several universities and colleges It is a city undergoing an exciting generational shift as well as demographic change We are looking for a leader who will call us to greater service and spiritual growth through dynamic preaching and walk with us to bring others to Christ We seek a pastor who will demonstrate and embrace the Congregational Way ARE YOU CALLED Judy Campbell and Art Ritter he 2022 AMC marked the last time Jeff Dillon would present his financial report as NACCC Treasurer Jeff has decided to retire from the position after serving from 2010 to 2022 Incoming Moderator Art Ritter thanked Jeff for his years of service leadership and enthusiasm for the Congregational Way He also acknowledged Jeff s partner wife Sharon for her support 20 Pastor Wilbins Maginet In the Spotlight J udy Campbell received the 2022 Board of Directors Citation honoring her outstanding leadership as an officer of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Judy served as Secretary to the Executive Committee 2010 2014 Leadership Council 2012 2019 and the Board of Directors 2014 2019 She is a lifelong member of North Congregational Church Farmington Hills Michigan serving as moderator clerk and on the board of Religious Education Stewardship Committee Design Committee for Farmington Hills Location capital campaigns and search committees and representing North Congregational as delegate to the NACCC Annual Meeting and Conference for 13 years She has also been involved in Congregational state and regional associations as well as interfaith events Are you able to love and listen in a way that invites our congregation and our community into a journey of discovery centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ Are you passionate about connecting and building relationships with people across multiple generations and backgrounds Are you able to adapt to the changing needs and cultural shifts happening in our world today Are you the person God is calling to Wauwatosa Wisconsin to help us become the congregation God has called us to be The people of First Church Tosa have celebrated over 180 years in service to God and our community sharing our Covenant As followers of Jesus Christ we commit ourselves to share in the worship and service of God to grow in the knowledge and expression of our faith to reach out with compassion to those in need to treat each other with love and understanding and to return to God a portion of God s gifts LEARN MORE ABOUT US To express your interest in this position you are invited to send a cover letter and resume to search firstchurchtosa org Visit firstchurchtosa org View our church profile at naccc org Sharon and Jeff Dillon 21

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News Needs and NACCC MISSION OUTREACH CONTACT request from our TALKING MISSIONS AT THE 2022 ANNUAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE Anna Jeide Detweiler and Rev Dr Jim Olson Pilgrim Center for Reconciliation MN Rich Todd Miller Jan Wilson Jim Higgins J erry Zwaga Amana Talala Amise and seated Amy Kennedy A Christian Ministry in the National Parks CO 22 MOMC welcomed two new members during the meeting Rev Bob Higgins St John Church Idalia CO and Amana Mbise First Congregational Church of Anchorage AK Bob and Amana have a love for God s people near and far and are eager to be part of the MOMC s work in the coming years They join Rich Miller Todd Berwick Congregational Church IA and Jerry Zwaga Community Christian Church of Citrus Springs Citrus Springs FL The newly designed A Snapshot of Our Missions was premiered at the meeting If you wish to have a copy of the brochure please contact Julie Robie Missions Coordinator at jrobie naccc org Revs Jim and Jason Owens Love Worth Sharing Haiti On Monday June 27 MOMC offered something new just for fun It was a sing along time with Music and Missionaries led by Rev Jim Owens and son Jason Owens from Love Worth Sharing Haiti Crystal Tompkins Morgan Scott Project TN NAPF HOPE PASSPORT TO MISSIONS Emmanuel visits with Amy Kennedy co director of A Christian Ministry in the National Parks MISSION AND OUTREACH MINISTRY COUNCIL MOMC was asked to provide a youth activity for the meeting so on Sunday afternoon June 26 NAPF HOPE youth spent time visiting with NACCC missionaries at their display tables Each youth was given a passport which contained information about all NACCC missionaries Once Laura Ramirez Panamerican Institute Mexico the passport was stamped by the missionaries present the kiddos could head to the MOMC table to choose a prize Emmanuel Rickards Ruiz from Pilgrim Congregational Church Pomona CA was the first to have his passport fully stamped Sincere thanks to Greg Jurewicz MOMC Alumni for making the passports Along WAY THE It is the case that when NACCC missionaries are asked how the NACCC might help them they answer Please pray And pray we did Each missionary who attended the 2022 Annual Meeting and Conference in Wichita met with the Mission and Outreach Ministry Council to share updates and needs After their time of sharing there was a laying on of hands with prayers for mission needs and personal needs FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NACCC MISSIONS OR TO DONATE PLEASE CONTACT Missions Administrator Julie Robie at 800 262 1620 or 603 642 7270 or email jrobie naccc org 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 please visit our website www naccc org and click on Missions and Outreach MEMO FROM MAINE After nearly three years on hiatus the Congregational Christian Council of Maine gathered for its traditional spring meeting hosted by Elijah Kellogg Church in Harpswell Presenter Rev Fred Fortier Moderator took this opportunity to present a Certificate of Appreciation for Years of Service to the Sebago Lake Congregational Church June Heggeman represented the church in accepting the certificate The Council also congratulated the Reverend Dr Seth Jones of Rockland Maine for completing his doctorate degree from Portland Seminary Submitted by the Reverend Dr Michael Glidden Scribe 23

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Why We Still Talk About The Reverend Michael Mike Fales M Div M Min is Director of Service Learning and Campus Ministries and Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Religion at Olivet College in Olivet Michigan He also teaches various courses in religion and a cultural immersion service learning class in central Mexico during the ILT Mike has led annual Katrina relief trips to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast since December 2005 and has co led alternative spring break trips to the Heifer Project Ranch in Arkansas He is a member of the NACCC Racial Justice Task Team RACE By Mike Fales A s a member of the NACCC Racial Justice Task Team I have spent many hours wondering out loud about how we can try to help our majority white congregations understand the needs of our brothers and sisters of color and why Black Lives Matter In recent years I have had many people who look like me say they were tired of talking about the subject I have yet to have a person of color say they thought enough had been said As Christians we are called to place the needs of others before our own I am a Michigan Congregational Summer Church Camp retired counselor and I still try to practice what we preached to our 5th 8th graders that I am third God first others second then me That message almost makes me want to be an OT prophet almost It is also healthy to remind ourselves that practicing the Golden Rule means treating and caring for others necessitates treating others the way they want or need to be treated not just treated on our own terms In my day job I am the Campus Minister and on the faculty at Olivet College in Michigan Olivet along with Piedmont College in Georgia are the two colleges that have a long history with Congregationalism and remain active in our association Olivet College was founded by Abolitionist Congregational Missionaries who preached about the evils of slavery all the way back in the 1830s It was founded in 1844 as the first college in Michigan and one of the first in the nation to admit Blacks and women on an equal basis with white men Today Olivet is a school of 1 000 students in a rural area of central Michigan but with a student population that is very diverse Currently 35 percent of our student body are students of color all living in a small white town with majority students who have mostly come from all white communities By necessity we talk about race a lot Even with our rich history we have occasionally stumbled along the way We now understand you can t expect all these students to live and learn together without taking the time to talk things through or without helping everyone to at least try to see life through a different lens without seeing things through the eyes of others One of my favorite tasks at Olivet College is taking our students to new places and helping them meet new people At least twice a year we take our students on a ten hour ride to Morgan Scott Project in the northern mountains of central Tennessee The people there look like most of us but they sure don t talk like us and they drink tea that is a whole lot sweeter than what we get up here The purpose of those trips is to introduce our students to people who are a little different than they are In the process they learn about poverty in settings other than ours in Michigan Michigan has Rust Belt poverty Morgan and Scott Counties in Tennessee have chronic poverty The only hope for most people there is to work at a prison or join the military If you want something else in your life it means having to leave your home if you want to or not We have traveled there so many times we have established an unofficial partnership When we want something we call them When they want something they call us From our first trip as Christians both sides knew it was a God thing that was meant to happen We are just agents blessed to be used to facilitate God s will Those trips to Tennessee started as just service missions projects They remain that but have become so much more Today we understand appreciate and pray for the needs of a community that is over 500 miles away from us because we have taken the time to learn who they are and have at least attempted to see things through their eyes About ten years ago I decided to take our students to Jamaica Dr Maria Davis who is our current Provost was on the faculty in the natural sciences at the time The class was titled The Culture and Environment of Jamaica I was the culture guy and Maria covered the environment I have been to Jamaica several times and know it better than most Americans When I put together the trip I planned it with a Jamaican bus driver I said I wanted to stay in hotels where Jamaicans not Americans stay We ended up staying in a town called Morant Bay which is famous to people of color as a place that had a bloody slave rebellion in the 1860s It is a place most white people have never heard of or visited We had a group of 22 students and only one was black For two weeks we stayed studied and performed service projects in an all Black community We became famous because we were so different than everyone else there People stared at us as we walked through their town We worked with a Christian organization building new homes for single mothers in an urban slum Each day when we arrived the children of the community would say The white people are coming the white people are coming I honestly believe some many of those children had never seen a white person up close They were quite fascinated with us We didn t have access to fast food in Morant Bay One day I called a pizza place in town and ordered ten pizzas Later that day the owner of that place called our hotel to say there wasn t enough cheese in all of Morant Bay that day to make ten pizzas Most of our students come from communities where they can go to Little Caesars and get ten pizzas in ten minutes How little we know about how most people in the world live During our stay we mostly ate eggs goat and chicken with bones in it Some people today don t realize chickens have bones That trip opened my eyes in so many ways Being the only white people in a town of 9 000 Black Jamaicans meant we were talked about viewed with great scrutiny laughed at and occasionally misunderstood One shopkeeper accused us of stealing from her We didn t but we only had ourselves to back up our claims That is a very helpless feeling Don t get me wrong there were many beautiful things and people along the way but I came home from that trip with a much better understanding of what people of color must deal with in their everyday lives only because of the color of their skin In recent years the number of students of color participating in our service program at Olivet College has grown dramatically As a result I have tried to find service opportunities and organizations that will be especially meaningful to them We have tried to find NGOs and Christian organizations that not only serve people of color but are managed and governed by African Americans That way our Black mostly first generation college students see people who look like themselves so they can envision being in those upperlevel management and governance positions post graduation In December we spent a week in the inner city of Philadelphia staying in a Black church and mostly serving in Black communities During our stay we took the time to worship in our host church and to get to know them Salt and Light Community Church on Chester Avenue in southwest Philadelphia is a new church in an old Presbyterian Church building Its sanctuary has a very large monitor up front a paid praise band and paid singers There was a full immersion baptism at the beginning of the service some announcements welcoming of new members there actually were some a lot of music scripture reading a 20 30 minute message and that was it No bulletin no liturgy I came out of that service feeling physically changed Like something good happened to me that morning The church was jammed During the week I found something going on at all times of the day and night in an assortment of rooms throughout the church A private Christian school uses the building during the day which kept it busy but there were also meals Bible studies something to participate in other than committee meetings That church was so alive it gave me hope for the future of organized religion I wondered what our majority white congregations could Continued 24 25

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Are You Ready to Shepherd Heritage Into the Future Why We Still Talk About RACE Heritage Congregational Christian Church has a 50 plus year legacy in Madison Wisconsin Framed by beautiful lakes and home to the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Government Madison prides itself as a green city filled with many parks an arboretum and miles of walking and biking paths Continued learn from that church if they took the time to do so In March we spent the week of Spring Break serving a new to us non profit R3SM Inc Recover Rebuild Restore Mississippi located in Hattiesburg Their executive director Mavis Creagh their Board Chair and their construction supervisor are all African Americans In the nonprofit world that is very unusual As we all come from the body of Christ there was an immediate connection with Mavis and her organization a feeling I have only had with several other missions Morgan Scott Project in Tennessee and Hosanna Industries in Pennsylvania in particular Like many similar We are currently searching for the right person to move us forward and grow our church St Jacobi Congregational Church is located in the beautiful Kettle Moraine in a suburban community just north of Milwaukee Wisconsin We have a strong foundation of hard working and diverse members united by faith in the Gospel of Christ We are seeking a part time Senior Pastor to lead our close knit and welcoming church family Learn About Us Access our Church Information Form at naccc org For Additional Information Email our Search Committee Chairman Bob Laubenheimer at sjccsearch yahoo com organizations in that part of the country R3SM Inc started with Hurricane Katrina They still do disaster relief as there is no shortage of water and wind but they want to branch out into home repair and maintenance While there we built a metal roof over an existing shingle roof for a man who had a stroke leaving him confined to a wheelchair We also rebuilt his rotted wheelchair ramp He had inherited his home from his mother We tend to think if someone owns their own home they are pretty well off More and more we are finding similar situations to this where people own a home they can t afford to keep up If your roof leaks soon you don t have a house to live in Like our NACCC sponsored missions Morgan Scott Project and Hosanna Industries R3SM Inc has plenty of room to accommodate volunteers Their headquarters is an old railroad boarding house By what I am used to their sleeping rooms and kitchen are luxurious With New Orleans and the Gulf Coast less than two hours away on a free day why not consider taking a group of Congregationalists to the deep south You could serve those in need share some great Christian fellowship and see a beautiful part of our great nation You could also like I did in March have some open and honest dialog with African Americans about their work and what is important to them What are their hopes and dreams I have come to the realization that most of our issues regarding race come from the fact that we don t take the time to talk to each other Many people who look like me seem to think they know about the issues of African Americans because they have a friend at work who is Black There is a substantial difference between an acquaintance you wave at in the hallway on your way to a meeting and a friend A friend is someone you invite into your home for coffee or a meal A friend is someone you confide in and who confides in you Making a friend takes time and effort but the rewards can be great It s relatively easy to learn to hate someone you don t know It is much harder to learn to hate someone you do know We recently sold our meeting house which had become an albatross to mission and ministry Our church family has moved into a temporary home and are excited about our future We seek a shepherd for our flock uniquely equipped to help us re start our mission and ministry willing to embrace the Congregational Way with an entrepreneurial drive towards a new mission and ministry within a small but willing congregation and unashamed to be a disciple of Jesus Christ If you are able to love and listen in a way that invites our congregation and community into a journey of discovery centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ you may be just who we are looking for We invite you to check out our profile at naccc org And visit our website at www Heritagemadison org Direct applications and questions to our office heritageoffice heritagemadison org First Congregational Church of Portland Michigan est 1843 seeks a settled pastor to help us minister to each other and the community share the love of the gospel message and continue as stewards and ambassadors for Jesus Our White Church on the Hill offers a furnished parsonage a competitive compensation package and vibrant lay support A small town conveniently located between Lansing and Grand Rapids Portland features New medical center Beautiful riverwalk network of paved trails Vibrant arts and culture scene Top colleges and universities nearby FCC Portland is a member of NACCC Minister to and spiritually support the congregation Support new and existing programs to inspire teach and enrich the life of the church Coach and encourage the congregation to apply the Word in their daily lives and in the life of the community Help develop and support the congregation s overall vision with new ideas to encourage growth Engage compassion and enhance relationships with members and the community We at the First Congregational Church believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and witness His Love to each other and the community We pledge to make our Church a place to worship and grow in faith and a haven for all people Learn more https fccportland weebly com Facebook page First Congregational Church of Portland Portland michigan org 26 27

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THE NEXT CONGREGATIONALISM The Reverend Justin Berkobien is an Associate Minister at Oneonta Congregational Church in South Pasadena California where he lives with his wife Julie and their three children He writes a weekly devotional series Let Us Hope and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary by Justin Berkobien 28 hundred years let the Lord decide What is God already doing in the lives of young people in our area and how are we being called to join in that work Now it is entirely possible that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us that we are not being called to join God at work in the lives of young people In this scenario we need not necessarily panic A church in retirement mode might get by alright for as long as there are new retirees to replace the ones that pass on But I sincerely hope the Holy Spirit provides a different answer because the prospects of the next Congregationalism are very exciting The next Congregationalism will transform individuals families and communities Unencumbered from yesterday s growth rate expectations future Congregationalists will reclaim the strength of smallness They will be content to gather in twos and threes in Jesus name A handful of college students will write worship songs and share them online with the world A network of home school moms teachers will start a Bible study for children with special needs A pair of veterans will organize a grief and loss support group A stunningly high percentage of the next Congregationalists will embrace their priesthood as believers though few will don the robe and stole The next Congregationalism will be missional and radically hospitable Attuned to the leading of the Spirit the next Congregationalists will unite across cultural and political divides and embody the gospel in every aspect of their lives Believers of disparate economic and ethnic backgrounds will gather around the Lord s table together Business norms will be replaced by kingdom values Pastors will serve as a team of unranked equals All concerned will share their faith with boldness and great joy The next Congregationalism will develop alongside not over against existing Congregationalism Unlike our founders future Congregationalists will not have endured tyranny They will not be angry or embittered The distinctions in their ecclesiology will be based only on their unique contexts They will translate the gospel into their strange young people languages and we will often wonder if they ve strayed too far from tradition but they will be like our adult children and we will be like their parents They will come to us from time to time seeking advice We will go to them constantly seeking technological assistance All of us together will celebrate Christmas Easter and birthdays Eventually our children the next Congregationalists might move in with us and take care of us as our health declines In some instances they might inherit the homes Letter EDITOR we ve taken such good care of all these years Truly successful churches are not measured by how long they can prevent their doors from closing but by how faithful they are while their doors remain open I pray we will not be so focused on ourselves that we neglect to prayerfully consider how we might join God at work in the lives of young people I pray we will not be so concerned with the threat of closing our churches that we fail to open the door for the next Congregationalism FROM THE H ow do we get young people to come to our church This is the question many Congregational church leaders like me have been asking We have been watching our congregations age and shrink for decades We have watched thousands of once thriving churches close their doors We worry we are on track to do the same Some have resorted to consumeristic methods to attract young people They install a projector in the sanctuary They launch a contemporary worship service They hire a twelve year old lead pastor One problem with this approach is that there is almost always a bigger church nearby that has more resources and can better appeal to the perceived preferences of the youthful The other problem with this approach is that it attempts to provide an answer to the wrong question We have been asking how do we get young people to come to OUR church We are asking as the hosts the property owners the old guard the defenders of the glory days when the parking lot was full We are asking as the ones who are in control and will remain in control if these hypothetical young people arrive If they happen to visit they are not likely to stick around very long Today s young people speak a different language They live in a different world Our churches are ill equipped to help them navigate the challenges of their lives They will therefore draw the quiet conclusion that we are out of touch and slip away before they can be asked to join a committee We have been asking how do we get young people to come to our church We need to ask a new question What is God already doing in the lives of young people in our area and how are we being called to join in that work This I suggest is the question we should be asking prayerfully Asking this question will help us understand the young people we claim to want in our churches Asking this question will lead us toward identifying Spirit led actions that bear fruit beyond any of our lifespans Asking this question will unlock our minds so that we can begin to imagine the next Congregationalism I realize what I am suggesting will cause discomfort but what comfortable things have led to meaningful revitalization in our churches I also realize the thought of relinquishing control is scary but if we are truly Congregational churches shouldn t we be continuously relinquishing control to Christ the head of the church I fear we have too often prevented the Lord from leading I fear we have relied too heavily on business strategies and consultants and overly confident pastors I fear many of our churches have ironically dug their own graves while fighting for their lives and I don t know about you but I m tired of fighting I m ready to surrender the life of our church to Jesus If we close our doors tomorrow or carry on another Reverend Alicia Riedy who recently resigned from Sunday ministry at the Congregational Church of Menifee California serves with an ecumenical group Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice She has ministered to immigrant detainees at the border for several years visiting detained immigrants at Adelanto ICE Processing and Detention Center in San Bernadino California Most of the women she encountered were under temporary asylum permits which means they met the criteria required for an asylum hearing One of these women is Maria who fled torture for eight years before seeking safety in the U S With two gunmen chasing her she literally ran to the U S Border Patrol When Alicia met her Maria had been in detention for seven months Since 2020 Alicia has provided us with periodic updates on Maria s progress in obtaining asylum To obtain release from Adelanto Maria needed to post a 10 000 bond The Congregational Church of Menifee personal donations and groups such as C L U E Justice and Inland Coalition for Immigration Justice made Maria s release with an ankle bracelet possible Maria found sponsorship and shelter with a local Catholic church which also provided her with trauma counseling Alicia drove Maria to the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program ISAP every two weeks for check in and took her to the Mexican consulate to obtain her birth certificate and provisional Mexican passport Maria obtained a work permit so she could find a job She attended English as a Second Language classes and volunteered at her church Her Federal court date was set for early February 2021 The court date however was a moving target eventually rescheduled for May then June 2022 On July 12 Alicia joyfully announced that Maria was granted permanent residency as an asylum recipient Alicia relayed Maria s heartfelt gratitude to all those who supported her quest One day later Alicia learned that although Maria has permission to stay in the U S she is not eligible for any public assistance health care housing etc and her work permit was not renewed In other words she cannot work to support herself and she is a barred from any public assistance A pyrrhic victory at best Her choices are to stay with no status and means of support return home to a dangerous situation or start over by applying to an asylum office MK 29

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Pastorates Recent Calls Patricia E Smith Co Pastor Berwick Congregational Church Berwick IA June 5 2022 Pastor Joseph Hackett Senior Minister First Congregational Church Toulon IL June 1 2022 Rev Guy Richie McBride First Congregational Church Crossville TN June 1 2022 Rev Dr Stephen Butler Murray Senior Minister First Congregational Church Nantucket MA May 15 2022 Installations Rev Richard Koch Community Congregational Church Kewaunee WI June 5 2022 PULPITS In Search Senior Minister First Congregational Church Anchorage AK Third Congregational Church Middletown CT Stafford Springs Congregational Church Stafford Springs CT Tinley Park Community Church Tinley Park IL First Congregational Church Spencer IA First Church in Pembroke Pembroke MA Dixfield Congregational Church Dixfield ME Congregational Church of East Sumner Sumner ME Arbor Grove Congregational Church Jackson MI First Congregational Church Portland MI First Congregational Church Royal Oak MI First Congregational Church McCook NE First Congregational Church of East Bloomfield Bloomfield NY First Congregational Church Little Valley NY Cambria Congregational Church Lockport NY Oakwood Heights Community Church Staten Island NY Gomer Congregational Church Gomer OH Trinity Congregational Church Adams WI Heritage Congregational Church Madison WI St Jacobi Congregational Church Richfield WI First Congregational Church Wauwatosa WI Interim Minister Arbor Grove Congregational Church Jackson MI Licensed Minister Second Church of Plymouth Plymouth MA Enterprise Congregational Church Enterprise OR First Congregational Church Salt Lake City UT Director of Children s Ministry First Congregational Church Ann Arbor MI Non NACCC Church Senior Minister First Congregational United Church of Christ Waterloo IA Pinedale Community United Church of Christ Pinedale WY CALENDAR 2022 Subscriptions Policy SAVE THE DATE Ongoing NACCC Online Prayer Circle Monday evenings 8pm Central on Zoom To join https www naccc org naccc prayer circle Register Now September 19 27 2022 The Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry 10am 6pm on Zoom Limited to clergy currently associated with NACCC For information https www naccc org events Save the Date June 24 27 2023 NACCC Annual Meeting and Conference Milwaukee Wisconsin For more information https www naccc org new events events Editor Marianne E King Publisher Carrie Dahm Contributing Editor Julie Robie Graphic Design Goes Studio Published quarterly by NACCC 8473 S Howell Ave Oak Creek WI 53154 0288 naccc naccc org Editorial Inquiries Marianne E King 800 262 1620 ext 1624 editor naccc org Editorial Advisory Team Rev Dawn Carlson Rev Dr Barry W Szymanski Rev Dr Michael Glidden Claudia Kniefel 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 The Congregationalist ISSN 0010 5856 Postage paid at Madison WI 537149998 Published quarterly by the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches 8473 S Howell Ave Oak Creek WI 53154 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 www naccc org thecongregationalist features the current issue plus back issues Each new issue is posted on the site when the printed issue is mailed so you typically can read the magazine 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 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 2022 The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches All rights reserved To discontinue receiving the magazine contact Tracy Bernhardt at 800 262 1620 ext 1612 or email naccc naccc org Non NACCC Church Licensed Minister Rye Congregational Church Rye NH 30 31

The Congregationalist September 2022

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