Synod 34 Reflections: Jacob Poindexter

The 34th General Synod was my first time attending Synod. It was also the first time for my two teenage children. There were many great moments. Maybe the most memorable, and the one that my kids were most adamant to be in the room for, was the election of Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson. Young people understand this historic moment, and we should never forget that they are watching what we do and how we do it. I have no doubt that that moment has cemented a connection to the UCC and built a sense of pride for them.

For myself, in addition to the election, I attended multiple fabulous dinners and met new friends and built networks that will continue to unfold. The Open & Affirming dinner was especially joyous and empowering to see a glimpse of what the church can be when all God’s children have space to thrive. The COREM (Council of Racial & Ethnic Ministries) dinner was eye opening to the breadth of worship and church expression that is not only possible within the UCC, but is already happening all over the country. The sermon from The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, the first Indigenous leader of any Christian denomination in Canadian history, reminded me of the power of indigenous leadership and witness that I miss from my time living in Alaska. It is a reminder for me that there is so much we do not recognize all around us all the time.

There were some dissonant moments as well. The keynote speaker, Nadia Bolz-Weber, while a good presentation, was also disappointing. Her contract required that her presentation not be streamed to those who were joining remotely. Every other aspect of General Synod was available to those joining remotely. If a keynote speaker is not willing to meet our own standards of accessibility, then they should not be invited. I understand why she required it, as she has economic incentives to control who can access her presentations. But the over-mixing of pastor and celebrity causes problems. What does it say when we limit access to people to see and hear the Witness and Word of God?

There was also a serious mistake made when the children’s program was canceled two weeks before General Synod began. Many parents with young children who had planned to attend could not. Fortunately, a new friend, Rev. Amelia Edson, from Falmouth Congregational UCC (Falmouth, Maine) stepped in and created space for young children. She and I spoke at length about how we can do better in 2025 when the KO Conference co-hosts General Synod.

Even in the mistakes and missed opportunities, there is room to build a more resilient and flourishing future. General Synod is much like our local churches. We make mistakes, or do not have the resources and energy to accomplish what we had hoped. We can see the effects of previous leadership in the uplifting, hopeful, shortsighted, or even sometimes harmful patterns created. And yet we persist in the hope the the Spirit of God is yet to reveal something new.