In Response to Charlottesville

Our nation fought two wars, one civil the other global, to defeat the unmeasurable harm perpetrated by adherents to National Socialism (Nazis) and White Supremacy (KKK). The values they represent stand in direct contradiction to the values espoused by our nation, written into our foundational documents and defended by those who pledged themselves to “liberty and justice for all.” We have, since those wars, worked to increase our capacity for the care and inclusivity of all people who are created by God with equal worth and value.  
The events in Charlottesville this weekend were an affront to those values and that progress. So, too, was the response of the President of the United States who is charged with articulating and defending those values against groups like the Nazi’s and the KKK. We crossed the line from politics to issues of faith early on in this administration but this week that crystallized in a way that demands our attention.

There is no way anyone can be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ and not speak to these events. If you are challenged to find words, below are statements from the UCC Collegium of Officers and the Pennsylvania Council of Churches that might help. I am wondering, too if it is not time for a Conference wide conversation – particularly for authorized leaders and pastors-- about how to lead and what to say in our ministry contexts. If you think so, let me know.

- Rev. William P. Worley, Conference Minister

UCC Pastoral Letter condemns racist violence in Charlottesville, demands equality for all

As a response to the violent clashes between white supremacists and counter demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., that left a woman dead and 19 injured, the national leadership of the United Church of Christ issued this Pastoral Letter: 

Dear Members, Friends, Clergy, and Leaders of and within the United Church of Christ,

The Officers of the United Church of Christ and the Council of Conference Ministers have both composed a Pastoral Letter and a set of liturgical pieces. We share the letter with you now, and invite you to read the letter in your service of worship, add it to your website or social media pages, or print it in your newsletter or bulletin. Please feel free to incorporate any or all of the liturgical pieces in this week’s worship. 
For the liturgical pieces, click here.

Pastoral Letter

Last weekend, a group of white supremacists came to Charlottesville, Virginia, and incited violence to protest the removal of a Confederate monument. Although protest is the bedrock of our nation’s democracy, coming in riot gear proves that they intended to do more than simply protest.

We, the Council of Conference Ministers and Officers of the United Church of Christ, strongly condemn the acts of violent hatred expressed by these white supremacists, Neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klan members. Their white robes and burning crosses were replaced with polo shirts, khakis, and tiki torches, while their lynching was replaced with a speeding car barreling through a group of peaceful protesters with the intention of harming and killing others, which it did. Their vitriolic hatred is the same.

We confess that the events of Charlottesville are systemic and communal expressions of white privilege and racism that continues to pervade our nation’s spiritual ethos. And if we only condemn the acts of August 12, 2017, without condemning the roots of racism, which perpetuate discrimination in our American schools, justice system, business, and healthcare systems, then we have sinned as well. We must work toward the Kin-dom of Heaven here on earth now for the sake of a just world for all.

We do this by committing to follow the ways of Jesus, who stood with the oppressed, spoke out against political and religious powers, and courageously embodied a just world for all as he sought to create it. Today, we must follow the ways of Jesus in addressing the hatred of white supremacists and racists among us.

Our local UCC churches must be true solidarity partners with those who march in the streets.  Our UCC churches are encouraged to move from the sanctuary and walk alongside other clergy and community leaders who seek to resist, agitate, inform, and comfort. We must resist hatred and violence. We must also agitate ourselves, and our neighbors to acknowledge any racism within or among us. We must inform ourselves, and our neighbors what our sacred stories reveal to us of a just world for all. We must lament and grieve with those who are injured or murdered during violent confrontations with those who mean us harm. And we must comfort those who have been discriminated against with the transformative love of God.

As we go forward, let us model the legacy of activism through our sacred call given to us by our UCC ancestors: May we be prophetic truth-tellers like our Congregational Christian forebears, who marched in public squares demanding equality for all. May we serve others, and remain faithful witnesses like our Evangelical and Reformed forebears, who tended to the needs of the forgotten. And may we be courageous like our non-UCC forebears, who left their spiritual home and joined the UCC in order to fully live out who God created them to be. 

In the days to come, may God's truth, mission, and courage be our guide to embodying the Kin-dom of Heaven here on earth.

 
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
--Margaret Mead, anthropologist, 1901-1978
 
 
A Statement on the Events in Charlottesville, VA
and Addressing Ideologies of Hate
For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.
-- Esther 4:14 (NRSV)
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches mourns the violence, bloodshed, and death that occurred during the “Unite the Right” rally on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, VA. We condemn the beliefs that led to this rally and the resulting act of domestic terrorism—white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and other racist ideologies and hatred based on differences—and we call for an end to the intimidation and violence directed at people of color, religious minorities, and those who stand in solidarity with them.
We pray for the healing of individuals, families, and the Charlottesville community as it aches with pain following this horrendous act of violence. We pray for peace for the family of Heather Heyer, and for the swift and complete recovery of those who were injured physically. We pray also for transformation of the hearts and minds of those who would do violence to their fellow human beings simply because they are different.
As Christians, we profess the belief that all human beings are created in the image of God. Many of the groups that participated in the rally in Charlottesville—including the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and others—see their fellow human beings of different races and creeds as inferior or less than human, and seek to make the United States a white-only nation. These beliefs, espoused by persons who also claim the mantle of Christianity, are antithetical to scripture and our understanding of a loving God that pronounced all of creation good. They fly in the face of our understanding of Jesus, who welcomed all persons regardless of their place in society. We believe that God calls us to love our neighbor—all neighbors—love our enemies, and treat others as we wish to be treated, with dignity and respect.
While the hateful actions by those participating in the “Unite the Right” rally resulted in death, injury, anxiety, fear, and grief for the families and friends of the victims, they seek also to destroy the very soul of our society by dividing and marginalizing persons based on the faulty human constructs of racism and other forms of hatred based on differences.
This is not a time for Christians to stand idly by. Silence is complicity. We call on our congregations to address racism and other prejudices that marginalize and create fear among our neighbors who belong to racial minorities, other faith traditions, and other populations that are targeted for being different. We call on all Christians to challenge the ideologies that create marginalization and fear. We call on elected officials at every level of government to publicly condemn white supremacy, racism, xenophobia and related ideologies, and to stand against the organizations that seek to advance these ideologies and attempt to give them mainstream credibility. We also call on them to embrace the principles upon which our country was founded, recognizing the dignity and value of every human soul. These values have led to some of our nation’s finer moments, such as ending slavery, women’s suffrage, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These actions reflect our understanding that America is a place where every human being is honored for who they are—children of a loving God, created in God’s image.
As a statement from Faith in Public Life declares:
We are reminded of God’s call in the Hebrew Scriptures: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” One cannot serve God and embrace hate and inequality. One cannot be American and be silent when others would tear our values asunder.
 

Liz Bidgood Enders
The Rev. Elizabeth Bidgood Enders, President
Board of Directors, Pennsylvania Council of Churches                                                              

SAVE THE DATE

2017 Fall Meeting
November 18, 2017
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
@ 
First UCC, Schuylkill Haven

Do YOU Have a Passion for Environmental Justice ?
 

Brooks Berndt, UCC Environmental Justice Minister, is hoping to find a PSEC representative with a passion for Environmental Justice to serve on the UCC Council for Climate Justice (UCCC for CJ). Currently, 29 conferences are represented on this relatively new council that has the purpose of raising awareness about climate issues and bringing people together for action. The UCCC for CJ has monthly video calls that typically take the form of a webinar.

More about the group can be found here:
http://www.ucc.org/the_ucc_council_for_climate_justice.

If you are interested, please be in touch with Rev. Bill Worley, Conference Minister (worley@psec.org) as soon as possible.

Invest in the future of the United Church of Christ
Pennsylvania Southeast Conference (PSEC).

The PSEC New Church Start Fund

  Birth of six new vital spiritual communities

More information will be forthcoming on how the funds in the PSEC New Church Start Fund
will be utilized.             For a flyer, click here.

 UCC History, Polity and Theology Class Offered Fall, 2017 for Privilege of Call, Ordination, Commissioning, and Licensing
Deadline to register is August 30th
 
 The Center for Progressive Renewal is offering a fall semester online UCC History, Polity and Theology class beginning on September 6th and ending December 6th.  The class has met the polity requirements of most Committees on Ministry in the UCC. It can be taken either for academic credit or simply to fulfill the polity requirement of Committees on Ministry. It has been accepted for credit in eight seminaries, including Union (NYC), Vanderbilt, Candler, Columbia, Eden, and Lancaster. It is included in the catalogs of both Union Theological Seminary and Lancaster Theological Seminary.
 
It is a rigorous, engaging class that is offered asynchronistically so it is convenient for those who are bi-vocational, have full schedules, or odd sleep habits! It is designed to meet the needs of students with different learning styles and varying levels of formal education. 
 
The facilitators for the class are fully engaged and available throughout the class to the students. Tim Downs  and his team have been teaching this course for online for the last six years, and it has evolved and adapted to the changes in the UCC and the changing needs of those seeking authorization for ministry. 
 
Certificates of Completion are issued for all students who successfully complete the requirements for the class. Letters with a grade and summary assessment of the student's performance in the class for Committees on Ministry are available upon request. However, students taking the class for credit need to make special arrangements with Tim and their seminaries. Any questions about can be directed to Tim Downs, the lead facilitator, at timothy.c.downs@gmail.com. The cost of the class is $629 and the
deadline for registration is August 30th.
Register at 
https://qd994.infusionsoft.com/app/manageCart/showManageOrder

We are gathering pictures!  Do you have some to share?

In our continued efforts to promote ourselves,
we are looking for photos depicting your church, your Association, our Conference.  Photos of events,  of worship, the outside of churches, youth events, people working together to change the world!

If you have pictures that you are willing to share please:
1. Make sure any individual within the picture is willing to have it shared and used for PSEC promotional purposes. (Please make sure any individual within the photo acknowledges they will not receive compensation for the use of the photo.)
2. Forward the photo to Sue at the conference office at susan@psec.org 

We are our churches and our associations!  Let's show the world!

The Thirtieth General Synod called on the congregations of the United Church of Christ to mark the Sunday preceding September 21 (which the United Nation recognizes as the “International Day of Prayer for Peace”) as Just Peace Sunday.

Observe Just Peace Sunday on September 17, 2017

Just Peace is not a destination, but a path requiring awareness and constant vigilance to resolve existing and developing conflict in ourselves, our families, our communities, our institutions, and our world. This path requires non-violence when possible and even when impossible to engage in love and restraint. Just Peace envisions a renewed, vibrant, diverse, and sustainable world free of violence.  

Just Peace is grounded in God's activity in creation; God’s covenant patience and provision in the wilderness; in the reconciling activity of Jesus Christ; in the presence of the Holy Spirit; and in the community of reconciliation. Shalom is the vision that pulls all creation toward a time when weapons are made into ploughs and all creatures lie down together without fear; where all have their own vine, fig tree, and dwell secure from want. As Christians, we offer this conviction to the world: Peace is possible!

For church resources, click here.

SAVE THE DATE

Continuing Education Classes
Apply by October 16th

New Testament with Greg Carey    3 Credit Hours ($525)

Two Sections:

• NT101 will be held Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30-10:40 am, Oct. 25 – Feb. 2, 2018
• NT101W H will be held Fridays from 6:30-9:30 pm, Oct. 27 - Feb. 2, 2018 (Hybrid course combines classroom learning with online components)

This course provides a theological introduction to the literature of the New Testament and earliest Christianity. Students will become acquainted with this literature’s emergence in its historical and cultural contexts, the overall shape of the New Testament canon, distinctive traits of representative documents, significant debates in the interpretation of these texts, and the diversity of early Christian literature. Students will cultivate skills in public biblical interpretation through exposure to matters of text and translation, historical development and social context, literary and social scientific approaches to interpretation, thematic and theological models of interpretation, and dialogue with other interpreters, including interpreters from other global, ecclesiastical, and historical contexts.

Christianity and the Arts with Julia O’Brien   3 Credit Hours ($525)

Two Sections:

• IS220 will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30-10:40 am, Oct 25 – Feb. 2, 2018
• IS220W H will be held on Fridays from 6:30-9:30 pm, Oct. 27 - Feb. 2, 2018 (Hybrid course combines classroom learning with online components)

This course will examine the role that selective art forms do (and can) play in helping Christian individuals and communities interpret, illustrate, express, and create meaning. Paying special attention to the spoken word, visual arts, and movement, students will not only learn the theoretical and historical dimensions of art but also create and experience art.

Writing as a Spiritual Practice with Gail Burnaford   1.5 Credit Hours ($263)

SD124W H will be held on Saturdays from 9:00-Noon, NOTE END DATE IS IN DECEMBER Oct. 28 – Dec. 9, 2017 (Hybrid course combines classroom learning with online components)
Annie Dillard, in her book The Writing Life, reflects on the discovery and illumination that happens when we write "lines of words" on a page.  In this in-person and online course, we will explore how imagination, revealed in words and lines of words, can deepen faith and spiritual experience.
 

Click here for more information!

'Reaching New People"
September 15-16, 2017

 

***NOTE***
                                               ONLY 11 - eight person tables and  6 - 4 person tables left

With fewer and fewer people simply walking into our churches, the question becomes how does the church meaningfully connect with people outside its walls? In this weekend workshop, congregational teams (pastor + church leaders) will learn how to reach new people by effectively aligning themselves with their mission field.

JOIN PSEC's .....
 

Join together with fellow members of PSEC to share, discuss and interpret books authored by our colleagues.
 

Book club will meet one morning a month, every other month,
beginning in September.

Join us for one or join us for all!

Location:  Trinity UCC, 60 N. Hanover St., Pottstown
Times:  9:30 am - 12:00 noon

September 28, 2017 - "Gift & Promise" by Peter Schmiechen


Click here for a flyer on these events.

Boundary Training Dates in October 
Sponsored by PNEC
 

The Penn Northeast Conference is offering two boundary training events.  Remember boundary training is required every three years.

October 4, 2017  
Rev. Diane Wheatley, Presenter
@ St. John’s UCC, 183 S. Broad St., Nazareth
Fee:  $20.00

 OR

October 5, 2017
Rev. Diane Wheatley, Presenter
@ Faith UCC, 21 Faith Dr., Hazleton
Fee: $20.00 
 

For a flyer and registration information, click here.

Installation

August 27 - Rev. Mark L. Stryjak Installation at Brownback's UCC,
Spring City - 3:00 pm.

Additional Events to Assist you in Your Ministry
 

Moravian Seminary's - Crossroads Summer Book Club

This summer’s selections include four very different books with great facilitators to guide us. We highly recommend finishing each book before the discussion night but we understand that life happens.  Even if you just started reading it, show up anyway and listen to what others have to say. Sign up for the series or per night.

One event remaining: Tuesday, August 15, 7-9pm

The Morning They Came For Us: Dispatches From Syria by Janine di Giovanni
Facilitator: Rev. Dr. Deborah Appler, Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, Moravian Theological Seminary
$10 per night

Click here for more information or to register.

Sept. 17 - Where Struggle, Faith and Grace Collide
Midnight Jesus - Meet the Author, Jamie Blaine
Sunday, September 17  @ 1:00 - 3:00 pm
@ Pleasantville UCC
3424 Limeklin Pike, Chalfont

For a flyer, click here.