Departing UCC Collegium members reflect, offer gratitude to Executive Council

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

Departing UCC Collegium members reflect, offer gratitude to Executive Counc il

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> July 1, 2011

Every General Synod marks a time of transition
and the 2011 national UCC gathering in Tampa,
Fla., is an extraordinary example, said the Rev.
Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and president.

?It?s one of the things I?ve been thinking about
a lot,? Black told a gathering of about 150 at
the  post-lunch Executive Council meeting
Thursday at the Marriott Waterside Hotel. ?This
Synod is particularly rich with transition. All
transitions begin with endings, and I?m keenly aware of the endings.?

Black?s reference was to the three members of the
Collegium of Officers whose terms conclude with
General Synod 28 ? Edith A. Guffey, associate
general minister of the Office of General
Ministries; the Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte,
executive for Wider Church Ministries and
co-executive of Global Church Ministries; and the
Rev. Stephen L. Sterner, executive for Local Church Ministries.

?They have been so important to us over the
years,? said Black. ?It?s important that we
acknowledge the fact that we?re going to miss
their wisdom, leadership and courage.?

Guffey, whose overall service with the UCC spans
20 years, expressed gratitude to the church. ?I?m
certainly a different person than I was in 1991,?
she said. ?As a woman of color who has had the
voice of a layperson, I appreciate the variety of
gifts we all have. You have been a true gift to
me and my family, and I am deeply, deeply
grateful. I love, live and breathe the UCC.?

Rogers-Witte reflected on six years of Wider
Church Ministries leadership, thankful for the
?incredible privilege? and the opportunity to serve on the Executive Co uncil.

?As a former executive, I will now look forward
to sending out notes to tell you all what a great
job you are doing, serving in support of our
mission around the world and in our local
churches,? said Rogers-Witte. ?I?d like to take
everything I?ve learned in the past six years and
spread it around to all of you.?

Sterner, leading Local Church Ministries for the
past two years, joked that he wanted to say
something ?profound? about his service. ?But then
I thought, ?Why start now?? ? he said to laughter.

Sterner expressed both gratitude for the

opportunity and concern about the church?s
success in attaining its goals. ?Sometimes we?re
so excited about where we?re going, we don?t focus on getting there,?  he said.

The Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, executive for

Justice and Witness Ministries, said, ?I will
miss my colleagues deeply. Working together with
them, I have a deep mutual respect for all of
them, for going the extra mile to show we?re acting as one church.?

Candidates to succeed Guffey, Rogers-Witte and
Sterner are scheduled to speak to General Synod
28 delegates over the next four days.

W. Mark Clark ? president and chief executive
officer of CODAC Behavioral Health Services, Inc.
in Tuscon ? will address delegates at 8:45 a.m.
Monday as the candidate for associate general
minister; WCM executive candidate the Rev. Jim
Moos, senior pastor at Bismarck (N.D.) UCC, will
speak at 8 p.m. Friday; and the Rev. J. Bennett
Guess, minister and team leader of the UCC?s
Publishing, Identity and Communication
operations, will be introduced as LCM candidate and speak at 4:35 p.m. Frid ay.