Two national UCC officer nominees announced

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> Two national UCC officer nominees announced

> Written by Gregg Brekke
> January 10, 2011

Search committees for the available executive minister positions in
United Church of Christ's Wider Church Ministries and Local Church
Ministries have announced nominees for these offices. Pending approval
at their respective spring board meetings, nominees will be presented
for election by delegates at the UCC's 2011 General Synod to be held
in Tampa, Fl., June 30 - July 5.

An announcement for the available associate general minister position
is expected shortly.

The Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, Wider Church Ministries, and the Rev.
Stephen Sterner, Local Church Ministries, are not seeking additional
terms for their respective executive minister positions. Edith Guffey,
current associate general minister, has served her term limits and is
ineligible for re-election.

The Wider Church Ministries executive minister search committee has
nominated the Rev. James Moos, Senior Pastor of Bismarck United Church
of Christ, to lead Wider Church Ministries, serve as one of the newest
members of the United Church of Christ five-member Collegium of
Officers, and as Co-Executive of the Common Global Ministries Board.

Jim is currently a member of the UCC Executive Council and former
chair of the Executive Council. He is a past member of the Wider
Church Ministries Board of Directors and chaired its finance and
budget committee while serving on the board.

Jim has been deeply engaged with Global Ministries in support of its
partnership with the Protestant Church in East Timor. He brings
experience in administration and finance, a commitment to the
prophetic witness of the United Church of Christ, a passion for
connecting local churches to the global body of Christ, and an
understanding of the collegial and ecumenical nature of serving as
Executive Minister of Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive of the
Common Global Ministries Board.

The WCM search committee thanked board members, staff of Wider Church
Ministries and the Common Global Ministries Board, mission personnel
and others for sharing in their process of discernment.

Wider Church Ministries search committee members are Barbara Kershner
Daniel (chair), Angela Menke Ballou, Geoffrey Black, William E. Clarke
III, Robert Craig, Shernell Edney, Patsy A. Harris, Linda McCrae,
Oliver W. Martin III, Rich Pleva, Bing Tso and Jeanne Tyler.

The Local Church Ministries Executive Minister search committee has
nominated the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, the UCC's Director of Publishing,
Identity and Communication, to serve as LCM's Executive Minister and
as a member of the United Church of Christ's five-member Collegium of 
Officers.

Prior to joining the UCC's national staff more than 10 years ago, Ben
served as a local church pastor for 12 years. While at Zion UCC in
Henderson, Ky., he led the congregation through a period of
significant growth and courageous prophetic witness, earning him
recognition with the Just Peace Award presented at the 1997 General 
Synod.

With graduate education in both religion and public administration,
Ben brings knowledge and experience in management, budgeting and
programmatic planning. Ben offers visionary, creative and
collaborative-styled leadership during a time of sweeping change for
every setting of our church, especially our local congregations.

The LCM search committee extended gratitude to board members, national
staff and others for walking with them in their discernment process.

Local Church Ministries search committee members are Carol
Williams-Swoope (chair), Diane Bennekamper, Geoffrey Black, Susannah
Davis, Tim Downs, Hal Drury, Rosa Frias, Trinaka Jamison-Finger,
Richard Kamanu, Herbert Perkins, Kevin Peterson and Sharyl Peterson.

> Contact Information
> Gregg Brekke
> News Director
> Publishing, Identity, and Communication
> Local Church Ministries/Office of General Ministries
> 700 Prospect Ave
> Cleveland,Ohio 44115
> 216-736-2177

> brekkeg@ucc.org