wfn.org | 'Incredible cast' lining up for UCC General Synod 2009 in Grand Rapids

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

'Incredible cast' lining up for General Synod 2009 in Grand Rapids

> Written by J. Bennett Guess
> February - March 2009

The Grand River provides the backdrop for General Synod 27 in Grand 
Rapids. Brian Kelly photo.
'River City Saturday' a highlight for families, visitors

Building upon the record-breaking attendance and celebratory spirit 
at the 2007 General Synod in Hartford, Conn. - the UCC's 50th 
anniversary - it appears clear that planning for this year's Synod 
isn't about to shrink back to its pre-2007 days.

"We know that each Synod raises the bar of expectation a little 
higher and our experience in Hartford certainly has raised our 
anticipations to an all-time high," says Associate General Minister 
Edith Guffey, who is administrator of the biennial national 
gathering. "But people are going to find Grand Rapids [Mich.] to be 
the site of one of our best General Synods ever. We have already put 
together an incredible cast of accomplished speakers, activists and 
musicians to be presenters."

The 27th General Synod will be held June 26-30 at the DeVos 
Convention Center in downtown Grand Rapids. The theme, "Immerse 
Yourself," is fitting, Guffey says, given the host city's water-rich 
location and theological heritage.

"We will be asking each other to 'immerse yourself' in this Synod 
experience and then return home energized and refreshed for the work 
and ministry that awaits us," Guffey says. "And there's no better 
place to talk about immersion than in Grand Rapids, where water is 
abundant and our Reformed tradition is such an important part of the 
city's history."

Grand Rapids (1.3 million, metro population) is Michigan's second 
largest city. The Grand River flows prominently through a revitalized 
downtown, which boasts multiple parks, pedestrian trails, 60 
multicultural restaurants and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

Grand Rapids is home to the UCC's Formula of Agreement partner 
denomination, the Reformed Church in America, as well as the 
Christian Reformed Church. In 2010, Grand Rapids will host the 
uniting General Council of the Reformed Ecumenical Council and the 
World Alliance of Reformed Churches, of which the UCC is an active member.

Those planning to attend General Synod must register. Online 
registration and hotel information are available at <ucc.org/synod>.

As in Hartford, a day-long public celebration - called "River City 
Saturday" this year - will be held on June 27. It will showcase 
dozens of speakers and performances, including an outdoor festival 
with entertainment, food and kite-flying.

While River City Saturday's 2009 line-up doesn't include any 
candidates for U.S. President - at least none that have yet declared 
- the list does include many prominent activists, journalists, 
scientists, environmentalists, theologians and more, including:

* Eugene Robinson, columnist at The Washington Post and regular 
commentator on MSNBC.

* Jim Wallis, best-selling author, activist and leader of the 
Sojourners Community in Washington, D.C.

* Barbara Brown Taylor, best-selling author, professor and 
pastoral theologian.

* Ray Suarez, Jr., NPR reporter and senior correspondent for The 
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS.

* Krista Tippett, host of NPR's Speaking of Faith.

* Paul Winter, Grammy-award-winning saxophonist.

* Eboo Patel, founder and executive of director of the 
Interfaith Youth Corps.

* Winona LaDuke, Native American activist, author, Ms. 
Magazine's 1997 Woman of the Year, and Ralph Nader's 
vice-presidential running mate in 1996 and 2000.

* James McLurkin, roboticist at Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, inventor, researcher and teacher.

* Carolyn Parks-Bani, HIV/AIDS research fellow at the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

* Jason and DeMarco, gay couple and evangelical singing duo who 
received the 2006 Music Video of the Year award on MTV's LOGO.

* Anya Kamentz, Pulitzer-Prize-nominated finance writer of 
"Generation Debt."

* Nadira Hira, staff writer at?Fortune magazine and frequent 
commentator on Generation Y.

* Eric Alva, first American soldier injured in the Iraq War and 
LGBT rights activist.

* Da Chen, classically-trained flutist and best-selling author 
who chronicles his immigration to the United States from China.

"In addition to the impressive lineup of speaker and presenters, we 
will also have many workshops and multiple bible study 
opportunities," Guffey says, "so once again people will be asked to 
make some hard choices about which wonderful opportunity they want to 
attend next."

The five-day Synod will include daily worship services, including a 
Sunday afternoon gala worship service on June 28. (The names of Synod 
preachers have yet to be announced.) Also on June 28, delegates and 
visitors will participate in an intentional Sacred Conversation on 
Race, in keeping with the denomination's race-talk emphasis that 
first launched in April 2008.

Service projects will once again be available for adults, but this 
year's Synod will feature an expanded youth-focused service program.

> Let it be resolved

Nineteen proposed resolutions have been submitted for consideration, 
but one of the General Synod's most exciting business items will be 
the election of a new general minister and president to succeed the 
Rev. John H. Thomas, who, after 10 years, is completing his final 
term in office. A celebration of Thomas' ministry and leadership will 
take place on the evening of Sat., June 27.

Synod delegates also will consider the re-election of the Rev. 
Stephen L. Sterner as executive minister for the UCC's Local Church 
Ministries and the Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo as executive minister for 
the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries. Both have been nominated by 
their respective boards for additional four-year terms.

The General Synod could take up oft-debated issues concerning 
national church governance, including a proposal to form a single 
United Church Board out of the five autonomous governing bodies that 
currently oversee the work of the UCC's national setting. That 
proposal still awaits further consideration by the existing boards at 
their respective meetings in March.

"General Synod is our family reunion," Guffey says. "It is our 
semi-annual homecoming, a time to share in great worship, to engage 
important issues of justice, to participate in community service and 
to become reacquainted with our brothers and sisters across the 
church. There's serious deliberation, but also a lot of fun."

> Register Today

Register for General Synod at www.ucc.org/synod.

> General Synod at a glance:

> Where: DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Mich.
> When: June 26-30, 2009
> Who: Up to 5,000 delegates and visitors
> Theme: "Immerse Yourself"

Highlights: "River City Saturday," gala Sunday afternoon worship 
service, celebration of the ministry of the Rev. John Thomas, 
workshops, service projects and - cookies!

> http://www.ucc.org/synod
> http://www.visitgrandrapids.org
> http://www.devosplace.org