| | | |  | Second Congregational Church, UCC*
Hillside Street, Bennington, Vermont (802) 442-2559
"resolutely inclusive, spiritually alive, and empowered for ministry in the world." |
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Special Meeting of the Southwest Association Posted: March 2nd, 2010 @ 10:31am
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 at the United Church of Dorset and E. Rupert–
A special meeting of the Southwest Association of the Vermont Conference, UCC, was called, in accordance with our Association By-laws, by 5 ministers with standing in our association–Rev. Jim Gray (Dorset), Rev. John Weatherhogg (Grace, Rutland), Rev. Marsh Hudson-Knapp (Fair Haven), Rev. Holly Ross Noble (Benson), and Rev. Robert Noble (Castleton). The stated purpose of the meeting was to hear the recommendations of the SW Association’s Committee on Ministry in regard to the Fitness Review of the Rev. Steven Berry, former pastor of First Congregational Church, Manchester by the Ministerial Standing and Standards Committee of the Conference.
Attending from Second Congregational Church were lay delegates Eric Webster and Anita Bellin and clergy members Rev. Jerry Handspicker and Rev. Mary Lee-Clark, who is also Moderator of the SW Association. All churches in good standing in the association were entitled to send 4 voting lay delegates, and clergy with standing in the association, plus Conference Minister Rev. Lynn Bujnak, were entitled to vote as well. Many other church members and visitors were also present, including several members of the Vt. Conference Board of Directors.
At issue was, essentially, the role and authority of the various members of the covenant that exists within the UCC between local churches, associations, and conferences, in regard to the authorization and performance of those who minister on our behalf. Unlike other denominations, the U.C.C. does not have a Book of Discipline (like the United Methodists) or Book of Order (like the Presbyterians) which govern all these matters. What we do have are constitutions and by-laws in our churches, our associations, our conferences, and the United Church of Christ, and the Manual on Ministry of the UCC provides guidelines for dealing with the various kinds of ministry within the church. These various documents are sometimes in conflict with one another, and like in our own church, the “institutional memory” of decisions made does not always get communicated effectively as new people come into office. Plus, as the hymn says, “New occasions teach new duties.”
There is not room within this issue–or several issues!–of the Open Door to convey all that transpired at the meeting, though you might ask any of us who attended for our impressions. No formal, official action in regard to the Fitness Review was able to be made, other than the expression of intention to amend our association by-laws to allow our Association’s Committee on Ministry to reclaim its authority to authorize and review ministries. Pain and anger was openly expressed. Regret and admonitions about the illegality of the proposed actions were also expressed. The longing for justice, healing, and reconciliation were also clearly present. The Executive Committee of the Association will meet shortly to discuss ways forward, and the Annual Spring Meeting of the SW Association is scheduled for Sunday, April 25 at the Fair Haven United Church of Christ.
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