Connected by 5,400 computers, United Church of Christ members launch anniversary celebration Written by J. Bennett Guess Monday, 06 November 2006
More than 5,400 different computers signed on simultaneously on Sunday, Nov. 5, for the UCC?s first-ever, multi-site, experimental webstreaming event in order to help launch the denomination's year-long 50th anniversary celebration.
The unique number of computer visits only tells part of the story, since ? in many places across the nation ? families, congregations, Associations and Conferences held group gatherings that included worship and fellowship dinners. Each group setting only counted as one computer log-in.
(This reporter watched from a FedEx Kinko's computer in downtown San Jose, Calif. The simulcast wasn't perfect and at times choppy, but there was an excitement to the sense of connection with others across the UCC, who were joined together, albeit remotely but simultaneously, to launch our celebration.)
In Penn Central Conference, planners were hoping for a 1,000 attendees at their anniversary kick-off. Other large gatherings were planned in the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana/Kentucky, and Hawaii Conferences, among dozens of other settings. At the time of log-in, a pop-up box asked viewers to register and record a general number of those present. That accounting will be reported at a later time.
Across the bottom of the screen, the names of individuals and congregations tuning in were scrolled continuously. Among them were First Congregational UCC in Rapid City, S.D.; Desert Palm UCC and Shadow Rock UCC in Arizona; and First Congregational UCC in Boise, Idaho ? among hundreds of others. Some web surfers signed in simply as "Scott" or "a web watcher from Germany."
Hosted by the Rev. Paul Sadler, pastor of Mt. Zion UCC in Cleveland, and Megan Holle, a member of Lake Oswego UCC in Oregon, the 40-minute webcast originated from the Amistad Chapel at the UCC?s Church House in Cleveland, where several hundred from across the Ohio Conference were gathered. The real-time event included teleconferencing feeds from Redeemer UCC in Sussex, Wis.; Heritage UCC in Baltimore, Md.; and Cathedral of Hope UCC in Dallas, Texas. Each of those locations also appeared to have large turnouts.
Online viewers posed questions to the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC?s general minister and president.
"We?ve been a people who have been willing to speak with evangelical courage when justice has demanded it," Thomas said, in part, in response to a question about what makes the UCC distinctive.
An online poll asked viewers to choose which metaphor best described the UCC ? a "river," a "parade" or a "big tent." "[The poll] shows we can't make up our mind," Thomas quipped, since "river" and "big tent" ran neck and neck in the polling, with "parade" not all that far behind.
Reminiscent of the Top 10 List given nightly by David Letterman, a series of reasons for celebrating the UCC culminated with an invitation to the UCC's General Synod, June 22-26, Hartford, Conn. Associate General Minister Edith A. Guffey invited UCC members from the across the nation to make an extra-effort to attend next summer.
The Rev. J. Bennett Guess News Director 216/736-2177 216/736-2223 (fax) newsroom@ucc.org