wfn.org | Hamm reelected as Disciples general minister and president

["Disciples Off. of Communication"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

Date: October 10, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Contact: Clifford L. Willis
E-mail: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

99b-68
	Cincinnati General Assembly
	October 8-12, 1999
	Cincinnati Convention Center
	Room 233
	(513) 784-6014

	CINCINNATI (DNS) -- An Indianapolis man was re-elected, Oct. 10, to a 
six-year term as the leader of the Christian Church (Disciples Christ).

	The Rev. Richard L. Hamm was overwhelmingly endorsed for a second term as 
general minister and president by the Disciples General Assembly. The 
decision-making body is meeting through Oct. 12 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

	He served from 1990 to 1993 as regional minister of the Christian Church 
(Disciples of Christ) in Tennessee. The church leader was senior minister 
of First Christian Church, Fort Wayne, Ind., from 1982 to 1990. He also 
has held pastorates in Missouri and Kansas. 

	Hamm holds a bachelor's and doctor of ministry degrees from Butler 
University and Christian Theological Seminary, both in Indianapolis. The 
Crawfordsville, Ind., native grew up in Florida, where he attended St. 
Petersburg Junior College.

	Throughout his career Hamm has served in a variety of volunteer and 
executive leadership positions. He was named "Ecumenist of the Year" in 
1993 in Tennessee and received the Model in Ministry Award in 1990 from 
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana. He also recently 
published a book, From Mainline to Front Line," which addresses the need 
for change in the Disciples of Christ.

	The Rev. Richard L. Hamm and his spouse, Melinda Ann (Mindy), have a son, 
David, and a daughter, Laura. 

	The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was founded in the early 
1800s. The denomination has nearly 900,000 members in more than 3,800 
congregations in the United States and Canada. Those churches are 
concentrated mainly in the Midwest and in Texas.

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