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Transitions announced

The Iowa Conference reported that Don Yunclas, who was ordained in 1955 and served churches in Washington, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Florida, died recently. He also served as associate conference minister, interim conference minister, association minister, and assistant to the conference minister in eight UCC conferences: Iowa, South Dakota, Michigan, North Dakota, Missouri, the Southwest Ohio Association, Washington-North Idaho, and Hawaii.

Conference Office moves

The Conference Office is moving but will have the same address. They are moving one floor down into other spaces within Broadview UCC, at 325 N. 125th St. in Seattle. To facilitate the move, they have given away items free to local churches. They plan to be in the new space by July 1.

For information, call 206-725-8383 or visit pncucc.org.

General Synod is in June

The 2019 PNC delegates to the 32nd General Synod of the UCC June 21 to 25 in Milwaukee, Wis., are Wendy Blight, moderator, Hillary Coleman, vice moderator, and Danette Koloi of the Samoan Congregational Christian Church #2, all three from Seattle; Tara Leininger, pastor at Metaline Falls First Congregational UCC; Jim CastroLang, pastor at Colville First Congregational UCC, and Henry Reinhardt, youth Delegate from Spokane.

Jim is connecting the Colville church with the experience and energy of Synod by using worship materials prepared for three worship times at Synod.

Sharing in the worship experiences in Milwaukee will be participants from UCC conferences across the nation, interfaith partners and friends from around the world, Jim said.

“The multi-ethnic church seeks to embody cultural, rhythmic, theological and linguistic realities of members and the human family. We rejoice in the multiplicity, which mirrors God’s face,” he said. “The worship honors languages lost in church and cultural histories, and reclaims them in a healing, decolonizing process.”

For information, visit pncucc.org or pncuccnews.org/june19pnc/synodworship.pdf.

Mike Denton takes sabbatical in summer

Conference Minister Mike Denton, one of the longest serving conference ministers in the United Church of Christ, will be on sabbatical from July 1 to August 31. It will be his second sabbatical in his 10 years serving the PNC.

In some ways, he said he feels like a newbie, awed by the mountains, oceans, deserts and plains of the region, and still learning from churches, members and pastors about “who we have been and who we are called to be.” However, his body, spirit and energy are also tired, ready for some days of rest, study and “resettling perspective and vocation.”

Minister of Vitality Courtney Stange-Tregear has been empowered by the board to do many things Mike usually does. As acting conference minister, she’ll sign checks, approve pastors’ profiles for circulation and be a resource for churches, committees and members. If there’s an emergency she will work with executive administrator Arlene Hobson, moderator Wendy Blight and bookkeeper Andy Warren, as well as camp managers Wade Zick and Mark Boyd to manage finances and facilities.

Mike will take his sabbatical in two parts, the summer and then December.

For information, call 206-725-8383 or visit pncucc.org

PNC News will be quarterly

With the decrease in funding in the budget for the PNC UCC News, editor Mary Stamp plans to produce four editions, rather than five.

The issues will be published online in September, December, February and June.

For information, call 509-535-1813, email editor@pncuccnews.org or visit pncuccnews.org.

Fall Gathering will be Oct. 18-19

The PNC Fall Gathering will be held from Friday morning to late afternoon, Saturday, Oct. 18 to 19, at Shalom UCC in Richland.

With the tentative theme, “Weaving Together to Win: Progressing from Value Statements to Concrete Action,” the scripture guiding planning is Eccl. 4:9 to 12, said Courtney Stange-Tregear, minister of church vitality, who is responsible for organizing the event.

“The Pacific Northwest Conference has been learning tools of faith-based organizing to change the world,” she said. “This programmatic event will be an opportunity to take our learning to the next step and apply it to our setting.”

A lack of affordable housing, environmental degradation, racial inequity, abuse of immigrants are some of the “big, scary problems” that have local, specific manifestations, she said.

“Weaving ourselves together, we can make real, concrete, important change in our churches and communities across the Pacific Northwest,” Courtney added inviting clergy, laity and community members to come to learn tools and strategies available to guide the PNC from learning and caring about the systemic problems that matter to taking action about the issues that matter.

For information, call 206-725-8383, email courtney@pncucc.org or visit pncucc.org.

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