wfn.org | United Church of Christ national leaders election debate

[George Conklin <gconklin@wfn.org>]

United Church of Christ
Office of Communication
700 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
contact: Barbara Powell
phone: 216-736-2222
   email: powellb@ucc.org
   http://www.ucc.org

By Michelle Carter

Providence: July 1, 1999 - e candidacy of two of the top candidates for the
leadership of the restructured United Church of Christ was thrown into question
at the opening session of General Synod 22 Thursday night.

The Central Atlantic Conference, acting on a mandate from its annual meeting,
sponsored a motion to substitute the word “interim” for “acting” in the
position titles for General Minister and President and Executive Minister of
Local Church Ministries.  Elections for those positions are scheduled for
Monday.

The resolution was introduced as “new business” by the Rev. David Henry, pastor
of the United Church of Christ of Annapolis, Md. Henry says the proposal is
designed to force the national church to conform to the practice of local
churches. 

In local churches, a temporary pastor is usually called an “interim” and is not
eligible for consideration as the congregation searches for a permanent
replacement. But the two “acting” executives, if elected by Synod, would be
eligible for re-election in 2001.

The conflict dates back to March, when boards of UCC agencies failed to
nominate candidates for General Minister and President and Executive Minister
of Local Church Ministries--two key positions in the church’s leadership.
Fearing that the UCC could not afford to begin the new century with caretaker
leadership, Executive Council authorized a search for candidates for the two
posts with the word “acting” in their title.

As “acting” officers, the nominees could be considered by General Synod in 2001
for reelection to a normal term. The church therefore would not be deprived of
leadership at a critical moment in its history, Executive Council reasoned.

But some delegates believe the positions are essentially “temporary” and
therefore should be limited to a two-year term. “We have to think through the
implication this action might have on the local church,” Henry said. “We want
to make it clear that the people in those two positions are not eligible for
re-election.”

But if Synod adopts the Central Atlantic resolution, the two nominees say they
will withdraw their names.

However, earlier Thursday, the candidates for those positions — the Rev. John
Thomas and the Rev. Jose A. “Joe” Malayang — both indicated that they would
withdraw if such a change was made in their position titles.

During the “Conversations with the Nominees” Soundings meeting on Thursday
afternoon, July 1, Thomas acknowledged that the General Synod “has the right
and responsibility to determine the persons called to these positions and the
terms under which they will serve. ... But [in applying] I also felt very
strongly that, in two years, both the Synod and I would have a chance to check
in with each other and consider the possibility of my continuing. ... If the
Synod makes this decision, I will withdraw my candidacy out of personal and
family considerations.”

Malayang saw the issue in terms of the original job description for which he
applied. “When you publish a position, that becomes the position that people
apply for,” he said. “I think it would be an act of injustice to change the
rules near the end of the process.

“Would I withdraw? Probably — out of a sense of fairness and justice.”

In discussing the motion, Henry acknowledged that the entire issue would be
moot if the adjective “acting” had been left off the position title as it was
for the other three leadership candidates who were affirmed in March. When the
remaining two positions were not affirmed, it was decided to make those
positions “acting” since a shortened  search process resulted in the
nominations of Thomas and Malayang.

The resolution has been referred to the Synod Committee discussing restructure
issues, and will probably come to the plenary floor for discussion and a vote.

Two other items were introduced as new business Thursday night:

        * Mt. Sinai Congregational UCC of New York introduced a resolution
against the apparel industry partnership’s workplace code of conduct in an
effort to halt the global expansion of child labor, poverty wages and sweatshop
conditions.

The Central Atlantic Conference urged the Synod to spend UCC public relations
funds to enhance the name recognition of the UCC for the purpose of membership
growth and new starts at the local church level.

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