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Anglicans announce it's first director
Date: April 25, 2002
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org
Web: http://www.disciples.org

Contact:  Robert Welsh, Council on Christian Unity
(317) 635-3100, rwelsh@ccu.disciples.org

02a-37

	CLEVELAND -- Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) is a
relationship among nine churches that have pledged to live
more closely together in expressing their unity in Christ
and to combat racism. Launched on Jan. 20, 2002, CUIC now
takes the historic step of appointing the Rev. Bertrice Y.
Wood of Cleveland as its first director. The appointment
also is a sign of their deepening commitment. These nine
churches, or "member communions," collectively represent
more than 22 million Protestant and Anglican Christians in
the United States.

	CUIC grew out of more than 40 years of discussion by nine
denominations who, despite differing theological views,
share a common vision of worshiping and working together as
one in the body of Jesus Christ. "Bert's appointment brings
new energy to our collective commitment to uniting around
common essentials of faith and mission," says the Rev.
Lydia Veliko, ecumenical officer for the United Church of
Christ and chair of the search committee. According to
Veliko, "She brings significant gifts in the areas of
organizational skill, and sensitivity to the needs of
individual member communions. She has won the respect of
our many ecumenical communities."

	Wood is a seasoned church executive and was the first
woman pastor of the 137-year-old, historic and
predominantly African-American Mt. Zion Congregational
United Church of Christ in Cleveland. She also was
associate to the executive vice president, United Church
Board for World Ministries, in New York and Cleveland. She
has taught at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley,
Calif., and Lancaster (Pa.) Theological Seminary. She is
the author of "Learning a Religious Tradition: Identity by
Contrast," Theological Education, volume 34, 1997, on
ecumenical formation. She is also currently vice president
at large of the National Council of the Churches, serves on
the UCC Council for Ecumenism, the Ohio Conference (UCC)
Board of Trustees, the Western Reserve Association (Ohio)
Department on Church and Ministry (UCC), the Board of
Trustees for Interreligious Partners in Action of Greater
Cleveland. She is also a member of United Black Christians,
an organization of lay and ordained African-American
persons within the UCC.       
       
	"Churches Uniting in Christ is an exciting expression of
the fullness of ecumenism; ecumenism that has a vision of
the unity of the church and the unity of the human
community," says Wood. "I am excited that the communions of
CUIC have made bold commitments to work toward not only
cooperative programs, but toward mutual recognition and
reconciliation of their ministries, and to overcoming
racism, which divides the churches and our communities. I
am grateful for the call to this ministry as these nine
communions have pledged to live in covenant with each other
while on the journey toward the 'Beloved Community.'  I
pray that we will be faithful to each other and to the
Gospel which calls us to break down the barriers that
divide the church and the human family."

	At the April 15-16 meeting of the newly established
Coordinating Council of CUIC, the Rev. Suzanne Webb,
interim pastor at Park Avenue Christian Church, New York
City and Disciples representative to the Coordinating
Council, expressed confidence in Woods' election.  She
stated, "To move into the next chapter of life together,
Churches Uniting in Christ has chosen a director with vast
experience and education in the ecumenical field, as well
as the enthusiasm to empower the networking that will be
important. We were most impressed with her probing and
listening skills as well as her excitement to get the task
forces (which are the critical pieces of CUIC) up and
moving."  

The nine member communions include the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, International Council
of Community Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), United
Church of Christ and United Methodist Church. The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America also works with CUIC
as a Partner in Mission and Dialogue.

	The Cleveland-based United Church of Christ (UCC) has 1.4
million members and almost 6,000 local congregations in the
United States and Puerto Rico. It's formation in 1957 was
first and only union of two mainline faith groups from
different roots, the Evangelical and Reformed Church and
the Congregational and Christian Churches. Inscribed on the
UCC logo is its motto, "That they may all be one."
Participating in the CUIC's "beloved community" is
consistent with UCC aims and its historic legacy. Its
national offices and officers speak to but not for its
congregations. Veliko and Wood may be reached for comment
through the UCC national office PR contact, Ron Buford, at
216-407-1470.

                                             -- end --

(Note to editor's:  A photo of  Wood is available for
download at http://www.disciples.org/dns/02a37.htm.)

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