A Message from Rev. Lorraine Ceniceros, Conference Minister and Synod 34!

As I write this, Synod 34, is a little over a week away! Synod host, the Indiana Kentucky Conference (IKC) has been busy preparing to welcome everyone to Synod in Indianapolis and at their annual meeting, a blessing was offered for Synod and the Church. 

For those not aware of the work done at General Synod, this is a biennial gathering where business of the church is conducted, seminars and learning sessions are provided, and new and newly affiliated congregations are celebrated—all while covenantal relationships are made, renewed, and strengthened. 

This year over twelve resolutions have been submitted to go through the process of committee work as they make their way to the floor for vote by the gathered delegates. The resolutions passed are what the General Minister and President, our Executive Ministers, and the United Church of Christ Board of Directors use to guide the work of the church. Our executive ministers cannot speak for the church. They speak to the church, and it is the delegates who vote to approve the work of the UCC. 

Business to be voted on will also include a vote on the election of Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson as the new General Minister and President, and UCC Bylaw Changes which, if passed, will move Synod to meeting every three years instead of the current two year schedule. 

This important work of the church is done by volunteer delegates representing their respective conferences and organizations, which includes the five UCC affiliated financial ministries, and various groups representing different ministries of the church and the United Church of Christ Board of Directors. I am proud to introduce to you those who will be representing and supporting the KO Conference at Synod 34.

KO Delegates are:

Rev. Kayla Bonewell serves as the Pastor of Cathedral of Hope and Church of the Open Arms, both in Oklahoma City. Kayla also serves on Committee on Ministry Section D (Discernment).

Emilee Bounds is a member of Fellowship UCC in Tulsa, Ok. 

Cypress Brannon, a member of Wichita UCC, is also a Member in Discernment on the path for ordination.  

Steven Christofferson, a member of Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City, also serves on the Conference Council.

Marcia Keesee, a member of Fellowship UCC in Tulsa, is also on the slate to be voted in as a new member of the United Church of Christ Board of Directors (UCCB).

Helena Lord is a member of Plymouth UCC in Lawrence. Helena is currently a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in biochemistry.

Other KO Presence at Synod:

Julia Gaughan, a Member in Discernment, is currently pastoring Peace UCC in Alma, KS. Julia will be elected to serve as the new Chairperson of the UCC Board of Directors.

Rev. Sheridan Irick, pastor of Partridge UCC, in Partridge, is attending as a representative of the Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI).

Dewan Keesee, member of Fellowship UCC, is attending as a visitor.

Rev. Jacob Poindexter, pastor of Wichita UCC, and his two kids, are attending as guests.

Rev. Rachael Pryor, our Associate Conference Minister, is attending Synod as a conference staff person. Rachael has also been selected to chair a Resolution Committee through its work.

Rev. Michael Vollbrecht is attending in his capacity as the West Central Region Generosity Officer.

I will be serving as an Associate Delegate. I will have a voice, but not a vote, in the resolutions and business of the church. I have also been appointed to the United Church of Christ Board of Directors as the conference minister representing the West Central Region.

The Kansas Oklahoma Conference is well presented and active in the United Church of Christ. During Synod we have our delegates and a submitter of a resolution. In the national setting we will soon have two people serving on the UCCB and another chairing the Board. One of our ministers has been called to serve with the national setting as the West Central Region Generosity Officer.  Finally, at the conference level, we are sharing two of our staff members with other conferences, at the request of the other conferences! Friends, we all should be pleased with the work our members are doing in the church at large and their wonderful representation of our conference. 

My work here at the conference continues to broaden, much like a tree and her branches. Representing the West Central Region on the United Church of Christ Board of Directors will provide an expansive view of the UCC and its work as it faces outward to the world and inward to our conferences and congregations. Serving on the Kansas Interfaith Action Board of Directors has immersed me in legislative work in Kansas—work that our pastors have long held important to move the theology and spirit of the UCC out into the state, advocating for the dignity and care of every single other. 

Like a tree’s roots, my ministry has grown into the earth. I have been led to go deeper in sharing who we are as the United Church of Christ in Kansas and Oklahoma. At this leading, I filed my intention to run for the Office of City Commissioner of Junction City. I believe if we are to make a difference in this world we can and should begin where we are. 

Recently, while I was shopping at a local store, an elderly worker in the store began a conversation with me. When she asked what I do for a living, I wanted to keep it simple so I said I was a minister in the United Church of Christ. At this point she asked me, “What do you believe?” Lots of theology flashed through my mind.  Again, trying to keep it simple, I said “I believe everybody, and every body has dignity and worth” which she accepted with a nod of her head. She went on to tell me about the grief she experienced at the death of her son eight years prior. When we parted, I thanked her for sharing her story and she responded by saying she just knew I was a good person. Folks, it was the love of Christ I shared in that grocery store.  None of us alone can change the world, but we can make a difference for the people around us and in the communities that we call home. 

As I offer my closing thought, I’m going to request you keep stretching out of your comfort zone to share the love of Christ with others. We don’t have to proselytize; we just need to be open to showing care for others. Strong healthy connections and relationships across the conference continue to be important as they allow us to care for one another, cheer each other on, celebrate, and lament together as we grow more fully into the beautiful multifaceted gem we are as a conference. Connections and relationships in the communities where you live and travel through as you go about your life are also crucial for you and for others.  Connect with someone who is different than you. Have a conversation with a person you often see but don’t know. Compliment someone in the grocery store. Show honest interest in those around you as you move through your day. May you feel a deeper connection to the Holy as you share the light of Christ with others.

Many blessings as we walk this journey of faith together,

Lorraine