wfn.org | UCC top leadership process questioned at General Synod in Providence

[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 3, 1999 - The 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,
introduced 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.

According to the the Rev. David Henry, pastor of the United Church of Christ of
Annapolis, Md., who presented the item of new business, the intention is to
make the national church conform to the practice of the local churches. If the
national church intends for those two positions to be temporary, Henry said, as
indicated by attaching the adjective “acting”  to the title, then the persons
occupying those positions should more accurately be called “interim” and
therefore be prevented from succeeding themselves at the end of their two-year
terms.

“We have to think through the implication this action might have on the local
church,” he said. “We want to make it clear that the people in those two
positions are not eligible for re-election.”

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, 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 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.