Headline News – 14 February 2019

Read more about the speakers and check out the schedule at: **https://celebrate.MCCchurch.org**

136 DAYS

UNTIL GENERAL CONFERENCE!

Come hear MCC’s founder, Rev. Elder Troy Perry deliver the opening sermon on Monday night. On Tuesday night, Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, presiding Bishop and founder of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries will bring the word. Wednesday will focus on a collected and individual spiritual renewal beginning with a morning plenary by Brian McLaren and an afternoon session sponsored by the Presbyterian Disaster Relief Organization focusing on Tools for Reconciliation and Resilience.

Are you registered yet? Register by the early bird deadline 31 March!

We want to see you!

Celebrating 50 years of Ministry

by the General Conference Team

We know you are aware General Conference is this July. If you cannot come to the whole conference, we have options so you can take part in some of MCC’s 50th Jubilee.

Arrive on Sunday, 30 June for the Gayla which begins at 7:15 pm. Tickets will be on sale soon starting at $50 and will include a fun reception, live entertainment, an after party dance, hors d’oeuvres, and a bar.

Starting 1 April, we will begin selling conference day passes if five days of fun is a little too much for you.

And, we know some won’t be able to come at all. They can join us from their home or church community for worship which will be live-streamed.

No matter your attendance, we’d love to see you in our conference program book! We are creating a compilation of photos of churches and communities. During an upcoming gathering or event, take a photo of your congregation and send it to [email protected].

If you want to have a custom ad in the souvenir program book, we are extending a $25 off offer to churches. Fill out the form here to secure your spot in the program book. (A digital copy will be available to everyone regardless of conference attendance.)

**Moderator Nominating Committee:** From left: Rev. Brendan Boone, Florida, USA; Rev. Gavin Ward, Sydney, Australia; Velma Garcia, Texas, USA; Stan Kimer, North Carolina, USA; and Kellie Taylor-White, Louisiana, USA.

Moderator Nominating Committee Holds Retreat

by Gavin Ward, Co-Chair, MNC

The MCC Moderator’s Nominating Committee (MNC) held a face-to-face meeting at Sanctuary in the Woods Retreat Center located in Manor, Texas, USA, from 31 January – 3 February, 2019. We came together from the USA and Australia as a team of friends and colleagues to:

Pray together,
Discuss together,
Discern together,
Do extensive work around team building and Unconscious Bias training,
Review of the applications submitted for the Moderator role,
Formulate the candidate interview questions, and
Finalize the rubric weighting system that the MNC will use as a tool to reach the final decision.

We circled each day with an overview of the previous day, started each day with a devotion and communion, and ended each day in prayer and sharing our evening meals together.

This meeting was entirely self-funded by the members of the MNC as we firmly believe that this is vital work for the future of MCC and that that meeting in person was the best way to faithfully serve MCC, our MNC charter and the quality, integrity, and success of the MNC process.

The MNC wishes to issue a heartfelt THANK YOU to the staff of Sanctuary, retired Rev. Elder Ken Martin; his spouse, Tom Cole; Rev. Jo Bell; her spouse, Cheryl Meyer; and Velma’s spouse, Darlene Hernandez. They took good care of us while we worked.

Pray for the Nominating Committees

The Moderator Nominating Committee and the Governing Board Nominating Committee continue their work on behalf of MCC’s global churches.

As they prepare for the next steps in the process to name their slate of candidates, let’s join as a community to pray for them and for MCC.

Loving God, thank you for the unique tapestry of personalities, traditions, cultures, and understandings throughout MCC. We welcome the ways you are calling and equipping us for a new season of global ministry. Guide our collective discernment as we continue in our unfinished calling and prophetic destiny to work for a world where everyone has enough, wars cease, and all creation lives in harmony.

Open us to the refreshing ways of the Spirit who empowers us to be a healing presence in a hurting world. Inspire the hearts of those on the Moderator Nominating Committee and Governing Board Nominating Committee to listen deeply to Your voice. Direct us all to Your will and not our own. Free us from our grip of tradition, our fear of change, and allow us to catch your fresh wind. Equip us as we dream together of new ways to build community, grounded in God’s radically inclusive love for all people, especially the most marginalized.

Respectful of the many names your children cry out to you, we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

by Lauren Bennett

Florida Church Protests Supreme Court Ruling Against Transgender People Serving in the Military

from MCC of the Palm Beaches Media Alert

MCC of the Palm Beaches led a street-side public demonstration 23 January 2019 to protest the 5-to-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the military ban on transgender people to proceed.

“We, as people of faith, are outraged and enraged at this treatment of our trans siblings who have served our nation with honor and dignity, and are now living under the weight of a decision that is void of honor or dignity,” declared Rev. Elder Tony Freeman, MCCPB’s Interim Senior Pastor.

Photo above, from left: Francine White, Jennifer Bujan, Judy Richman, Chris Lacharite, Rev. Charlene Buck, Rev. Elder Tony Freeman, Interim Pastor (photo courtesy of MCC of the Palm Beaches)

Black History Month Celebrates Resilience and Contributions

“…While the extended Black History Month remains insufficient to capture the fullness of the contributions of black Americans to the nation, the tradition and celebration continue to bear witness to the resilience and persistence of black Americans, thriving despite their experience of enslavement, segregation, and disfranchisement….

…Take the opportunity of Black History Month to center, reveal, and reclaim the voices and contributions of African Americans. Be a part of revealing and celebrating a fuller picture of history. Do not forget. Tell the truth.”

The excerpt above is from a reflection on Black History Month by Rev. DeWayne Davis. Rev. Davis is the Senior Pastor of All God’s Children MCC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Read the entire article at this link:
https://conta.cc/2DfmKFL

Announcements, Webinars, Registrations

MNC Updated FAQs
The Moderator Nominating Committee updated the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) following the January webinar.
https://www.mccchurch.org/moderator-nominating-committee-faqs/

2019 Reporting Forms
Monthly Assessment Form with new rate
https://www.mccchurch.org/pay-your-church-assessments/

Board Of Pensions, USA,
Form with new rate 2019 Board of Pensions Form
https://www.mccchurch.org/how-we-work/board-of-pensions/

Point Elder FAQs
Updated answers on the website:
https://www.mccchurch.org/point-elders/

MNC April Webinar
Agenda to be announced.
https://mccchurch.adobeconnect.com/mnc

English: 2 April 2019
11:00 am ET / 16:00 UTC (GMT)

Spanish: 2 April 2019
7:00 pm ET / Midnight UTC (GMT)

English: 4 April 2019
7:00 pm ET / Midnight UTC (GMT)

MNC Webinar Recording Includes Real-Time Transcript
YouTube includes a feature that opens a rolling, auto-generated English transcript of the webinar. Click the three dots above the “Subscribe” button and select “Open Transcript.” View the January 2019 MNC webinar: https://youtu.be/Wo2_d0VX5RI

Rev. Joan Saniuk Joins Network Team

by Rev. Elder Héctor Gutiérrez
MCC Network Leader Coordinator

The Office of the Moderator and the Coordinator of the Network Leaders appointed Rev. Dr. Joan Saniuk to serve as the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee Network Team Leader effective immediately.

Rev. Dr. Saniuk is the Pastor at MCC Sacred Journey, Hendersonville, NC USA, and has 30 years of MCC experience, served as Pastor, Provisional Pastor, Senior Pastor, and Program Minister.

Lent and Easter Resources Available

by Linda Brenner MCC Communications

Resources for Lent and Easter can be accessed at your convenience in a Google Drive. These resources are being collected and created by Rev. Colleen Darraugh, MCC Seasonal Resource Coordinator.

2019 Easter/Lent Worship Resources
http://bit.ly/2sHGM7c

A wide variety of material is ready for use and other documents are still being collected and created. If you are not familiar with Google Drive, we can help! Contact us at [email protected] to receive assistance.

OFLD Names Grant Program Manager

provided by the Office of Formation and Leadership Development

Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) Office of Formation and Leadership Development (OFLD) received a grant of $418,135 USD in October of 2018 as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Thriving in Ministry initiative. Marie Tasker has been selected as the part-time Program Manager to begin the steps to meet the criteria in which the grant was received. Marie brings a wealth of experience in lay leadership with MCC, training experience and a master’s degree in organizational management.

Marie can be reached at [email protected]

Clergy and Leadership Transitions

The following leadership transitions have taken place over the last several months are listed in no particular order.

**Rev. Elder Lillie Brock** has been elected as the Senior Pastor of Church of the Trinity, Sarasota, Florida, USA.

**Ben Mann** has been appointed as the Interim Pastoral Leader of MCC of the Rockies, Denver, CO, USA.

**Rev. Lisa Kelson** has been appointed as the Provisional Pastor of Holy Cross MCC, Pensacola, Florida, USA.

**Michael English** has been appointed as the Interim Pastoral Leader of MCC Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

**Rev. Scottie Shelton** has been appointed as the Gap Pastor of MCC El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA.

**Rev. Tony Spears** has been elected as the Pastor of Our Hope MCC, Athens, Georgia, USA.

Rev. Scott Grantland
has been appointed as the Provisional Pastor of Family in Christ MCC, Ft. Collins, CO, USA. (photo not available)

Global REVM Registration Opens

The next Readiness for Entering Vocational Ministry (REVM) Program will be a GLOBAL REVM and will be held 27-30 June 2019, prior to MCC’s General Conference, in Orlando, Florida, USA.

More information is available at this link: https://ofld.mccchurch.org/event-registration/revm-retreat/

Employment Opportunities

The links below list churches seeking a transitional pastor or settled pastor, in addition to national secular jobs.
Settled Pastor and Secular Employment
http://mccchurch.org/connectnow/jobs/

Top