Conference Minister’s New Year Message
Edith Guffey
Conference Minister
As I write this final message to you in 2020, I am tempted to spend time looking backward: especially when the past year has been as challenging as this year has been. There is so much still to process, so much to lament, so much to celebrate, so many incredible lows, and so many highs. I don’t need to give you a review of the year in KO; you can go back and read my annual report for more about what we’ve done.
But let me say this again: you have been amazing! Pastors pivoted quickly to respond the realities of COVID-19. Members of our churches continued to Be the Church, serving your communities and caring for each other, giving generously so ministry could continue during a very challenging time. Many responded to the events unfolding in the world with a new realization and commitment to be engaged in dismantling unjust racist systems. Your commitment to care for your neighbors was experienced in tangible ways as you gave generously so together we could purchase over $5M in medical debt and relieve this burden for thousands of families in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Each of you cared for your neighbors in intangible ways by forgoing traditions and making the sacrifice to stay apart for cherished and sacred worship traditions. You learned to ZOOM, wore masks and have not lost hope in the transformational power of the church to make a difference in the world. Thank you for continuing to be faithful followers of Christ especially during this very difficult year.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021
And so we look to another year when we hope with all of our hearts that at some point in 2021, we will really feel like we have turned a page. While 2020 has certainly taught us that in an instant our plans can be upended; I am still planning on retiring at the end of 2021! So like it or not, we are in a time of change and transition in the Conference, but we are in this together.
This is the beginning of a time of transition: I clearly remember the telephone call I received from Gayle Engle who was the KO Conference Minister in the late 80s. He said, “I hope you’re not letting your job get in the way of your church work!” I was working at the University of Kansas and while I enjoyed the people and the environment of being at the University, and the jobs I had at the University Enrollment Center and the Admissions office were enjoyable, they weren’t quite fulfilling enough for me. Gayle knew that I was much more engaged and excited about what I was doing with the church than what I was doing at my paid job; thus his comment. I wasn’t unhappy at KU; I was doing good work and I could have stayed there and likely could have moved up the career ladder. But when I received an invitation to apply for a position in the national offices of the UCC, I knew it was time for me to at least explore a new possibility. The rest is history. We often know when it’s time to move on.
I don’t have an offer or invitation for another position, and I still feel deeply committed to the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference and to the United Church of Christ. But I also know it is time for me to end my time serving as Conference Minister. I have pretty much done what you asked of me when I was called to serve in October of 2012; now, you need new leadership with different skills and I need a different challenge. We are both at different places in our journeys than we were eight years ago; as we should be.
Organizational transitions don’t happen overnight, so I won’t be just twiddling my thumbs in 2021; a good transition takes time. There is work for me and for you to do that I hope will prepare you to be better equipped to receive a new Conference Minister. Let’s get to it, together.
The groundwork that makes these pieces possible started last year and came together at the end of this year. 2021 will be the opportunity to implement these actions and really get them working well for your new Conference Minister. I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this transitional work for the future. And please hear me; this work is only transitional. I expect it will be changed based on the needs and desires of your new leadership. But I hope it will be a helpful place to build on.
Staff Team: I am excited about the new staff that has just come together at the end of 2020 and will be working with them to help them as they fully develop into a team.
Don Miller, the Disaster Coordinator, is our “traditional UCC member,” having attended UCC seminaries, ordained in the UCC and served UCC churches.
Jan Lange, our Registrar, has long standing ties to the UCC. She joined Evangelical UCC in Marysville when she was a junior in high school and was forced to find another denomination as there are few UCC congregations in Texas but returning to the UCC when she returned to Kansas.
Michael Vollbrecht, Communications Specialist, comes to us from the Catholic tradition, and from years exploring other paths and traditions while searching for a spiritual home. We are thankful he and so many other seekers find their way to the UCC.
Julia Gaughan, Consultant for Equity and Inclusion, grew up in an Evangelical Covenant Church, (And by the way, Julia recently began as a student at Phillips Theological Seminary in the D. Min Program, congratulations Julia!)
Fred Kandeler, our Ministry Assistant for Pastoral and Congregational Relations, comes to us from the United Methodist Church.
Erin Frazier, our Development Specialist, identifies as a spiritual-but-not-incredibly-religious Progressive Christian who identifies with the UCC Statement of Faith. There are many of those in our midst, too.
While this may appear to be a conglomeration of gifted individuals, which they are; they are more than that. They are a good snapshot, the reality and an example of the voices that have become the United Church of Christ since the merger in 1957. A blend of what has been, what is and what might be. They are just the right team for this time of transition in KO! They bring both tradition and new eyes and fresh perspectives.
WHAT’S COMING
Communication and Online Learning Opportunities: A staffing team opens up a host of possibilities. Along with creating a development and communication strategy, we hope to expand virtual learning opportunities and offer online programming throughout the year for authorized ministers and lay leaders. The goal is to support our commitment to racial justice, support congregations who want to become ONA or do more with their ONA commitments, support personal and spiritual growth and provide other resources to support congregational needs. What we don’t know is how much is too much or how you will respond. Your input and feedback will be essential. Honestly, you haven’t been all that great at providing that! I would love for that to change in 2021.
Kansas Leadership Center: I am excited about the opportunities through KLC. If you missed this announcement, go back and read it! This is an amazing opportunity for the Conference and our congregations. KLC is an incredible resource and this is an opportunity for KO to have 50 spots for 2021 for pastors and lay leaders to begin to use a tool for leadership development that has been proven to be effective in hundreds of non-profit, government and corporate organizations in Kansas and around the country.
The Conference and our congregations are facing challenges that are deeper than any one person can “fix,” no matter how gifted the pastor or the Conference Minister might be. And if we don’t get our heads around this, I guarantee you our congregations (and consequently the Conference) will die. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Common language, goals, commitment, and leadership can make a difference. KO is at a place where you can build on the work you have done over the last eight years to take full advantage of this opportunity. I am excited to be able to help you begin this journey along with a core leadership team of Bobbie Henderson, Rachel Pryor, Fred Kandeler and Michael Vollbrecht.
These are just a few extras; the ongoing work of the Conference will continue in 2021! That means the Committee on Ministry will continue to meet, authorized ministers will come and go, search committees will continue to be supported. General Synod will still happen in July of 2021. (Watch eNEWS carefully for news about Synod, since it’s virtual you can attend if you wish.) Conference Council will still be work and and a major project of organizational documentation will be underway.
At the November Conference Council Meeting the decision was made that the 2021 Annual Meeting would be mostly a virtual meeting. The decision was made early so that plans could be made early rather than waiting as we did this year and scrambling in May to put a virtual meeting in place. But that was before there was a vaccine and now that decision is likely to be discussed again as we watch carefully the process and how well the distribution of the vaccine proceeds. The Annual meeting, if it is in person, is set to be in Tulsa in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre.
While 2021 will be a year that the Conference begins a time of transition, I promise you: I won’t be twiddling my thumbs! I do hope that I will actually be able to visit congregations and see some of you other than in ZOOM squares sometime in the new year. But that really is beyond my control, and health and safety will remain my priority. I continue to be grateful for the gifts and opportunity to be with you even virtually and take comfort in knowing that together or apart we remain committed to being in ministry together. I know that will be true in 2021 as well.
New Year’s Blessings to you all.