Transitions announced

Martha Baldwin is the new conference treasurer, succeeding Kathy Youde, who died in November.  

Bruce Harrington in Seattle and Jerry Leggett in Hawaii are retiring.

Everett UCC gains recognition

Everett UCC was among six winners out of 150 UCC churches entering the “Imagine What’s Possible” contest for imagining a possibility and working to make the dream possible.  It’s story in the September PNC News at pncuccnews/sept10pnc/091410everettucc.html will be shared at General Synod on July 2 in Tampa, Fla.  Everett went from no pastor, no money, poor communication and a broken spirit into a vital, growing and serving congregation that connects to the PNC.

Lecture planned for May 15

John Thatamanil, assistant professor of theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, will give a lecture on “Eucharist Upstairs, Yoga Downstairs: Multiple Religious Participation as Problem and Promise,” at 7 p.m., Sunday, May 15, at University Congregational UCC in Seattle.  For information, call 206-524-6255 ext. 3447 or email lectureseries@universityucc.org.

Earth Ministry encourages Lenten Carbon Fast

Earth Ministry, a partner with the Environment Justice Center at Pilgrim Firs has encourages a Lenten Carbon Fast.  It has provided a Caring for Creation: Prayer and Action Guide that encourages considering how much carbon dioxide one is putting into the environment and how that changes the climate of God’s creation.  Most greenhouse gases are from burning fossil fuels for generating electricity and transportation.  Guides for each week of Lent are available at earthministry.org or by calling 206-632-2426.

PNC begins Stringfellow Society

Kevin Raymond, an attorney who attends Plymouth Congregational UCC in Seattle, said members of the conference who work in the legal field—attorneys, legal assistants, paralegals and law students—held their first quarterly gathering on April 8. 

His goal is to establish a chapter of the Stringfellow Society in the region.

“The society will help us explore ways we can better connect our faith and our work,” said Raymond.

The Stringfellow Society will be a fellowship that reads and discusses books, hears from speakers, and provides mutual support among legal professionals who are people of faith.

Don Clark, a national UCC attorney, was guest speaker for the first meeting.  He shared his story and discussed the book, My People Is the Enemy, by William Stringfellow, an Anglican lawyer who moved to Harlem to offer free legal services to the African-American and Hispanic communities during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Stringfellow made the connection of faith and his legal work a ministry.

“We talk in the UCC about the priesthood of all believers, which means we are all called to ministry.  We do not need to be ordained,” said Raymond.  “Where our faith intersects with our work is where we find our ministry.” 

He encourages architects, engineers, teachers, doctors, homemakers and others to consider similar collegial fellowships.

For information, call 206-351-5717  or email kraymond@comcast.net.

 

Copyright Pacific Northwest Conference News © April 2011