St. James, as a member of the United Church of Christ, exists within a system that is fairly unique among American church denominations. While authority exists primarily in the local congregation, we also build relationships of covenant with other local congregations. At the more local level, our congregations form Associations (ours is called “Ursinus” after the 16th-Century German reformer, theologian, and author of the Heidelberg Catechism). The Associations join regionally to form Conferences. As a covenantal member of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference (PSEC) of the UCC, we join together not for hierarchical control, but for mutual support in ministry and mission. We can accomplish more for God’s church by working together than is possible as individual congregations!

One of the great sources of ministry in the long history of our PSEC (and even before it was formed) has been our camp, Mensch Mill. Many of you will have already heard that at the Fall Meeting of the PSEC on Nov. 10, a vote passed very narrowly (by 2 votes!) to put the camp up for sale. The combination of a large mortgage and poor stewardship of the camp in recent decades has led many in our Conference to question the wisdom and faithfulness of keeping the camp, when our resources may be used better elsewhere to support new ministries and missions. In addition, the sale of the “Church House” Conference facility in Collegeville was also approved for similar reasons.

At the meeting, I presented an alternative proposal, along with the Rev. Mrs. Beth Lyon of Glenside UCC. The proposal provided for a Renewal Team which would revitalize the camp and raise funds to pay off the mortgage. This proposal was also narrowly defeated, by about 10 votes! However, it was also a success in some ways. My intention for the proposal, in addition to keeping our camp, was to re-cast our conversation from being one about mistrust and frustration toward Conference Consistory, to being one about the most faithful use of our Conference-wide resources for mission and ministry. Instead of angry finger-pointing, we were able to have a mostly-civil dialogue about the diverse visions for our future held by church members who come from a variety of places: urban and rural, large churches and small, older and younger, representing many races, cultures, and communities.

It was a wonderful opportunity to practice civil discourse at a time in place where this seems to be rare. I personally was pleased with this outcome, even if the proposal failed. The dialogue and vote communicated a very clear message: that there is not consensus about our vision in the PSEC right now! I agree with many who see the potential of Mensch Mill to be a place for the renewal of our covenantal relationships, a place to educate and empower future ministers (both lay and ordained), and a place to nurture peace and justice (perhaps especially environmental justice). However, I can also understand why many of our partners feel our resources could be better used in other ways: providing seminary scholarships, supporting new congregations, providing for regional missions in the areas of housing, food, and disaster relief; just to name a few.

Since the Nov. 10 meeting, I’ve heard many times the phrase “a vote to sell is not the same thing as a sale.” It could be years before we are able to sell a property like Mensch Mill! In the meanwhile, we will continue to explore other options. But perhaps even more importantly, we’ll be working to restore healthier relationships for dialogue as we begin to work together to discern a clear new vision for the PSEC in the 21st Century. I am excited and thankful to be a part of that process, and I welcome your suggestions and perspectives at all times as a part of our work together. What does it mean to be a Christian Church in this area, at this time? May God show us the way to an answer, and may we be humble and prayerful enough to hear what our still-speaking God is calling forth for us in this new hour! -Pastor Rachael

Perhaps you feel like you’ve been hearing the word “forgiveness” a lot  lately at St. James. The Revitalization Team includes “practice forgiveness” as one of the points in our congregational covenant, which will be shared as a first draft at our Nov. 11 Congregational Meeting. This working document includes feedback from nearly 50 of our congregation’s leaders, so it’s clear that many of you feel like  forgiveness is a significant part of the life of faith. We also talk about forgiveness every time we pass the Peace of Christ during worship. Peter Steinke talks about forgiveness as something that “gives power to the future.” This doesn’t mean just any future, but one that is full of hope and healing. In forgiving another, Steinke suggests we must work through these ten steps in a gradual process:

We say…
 I have been wronged by you
 I have the right and reason to end any connection between us
 I have the right and reason to demand from you a payment or an apology
 My sense of dignity and my values require nothing less
 Nonetheless I refuse to let the wrong consume me in resentment;
 And I refuse to let the wrong come between us.
 I give no assurance that I’ll be able to forget the wrong that you’ve done;
 I demand no condition. Whether or not you accept my forgiveness or ask for it has nothing to do with my offer;
 I want to be at peace with myself and be glad in your presence.
 I want to open the door to tomorrow.

As we are nearly all engaged at all times in some process of forgiveness, I offer these steps as one way to consider the great challenge and reward of our faith.
-Pastor Rachael

What does it mean to be a “member” of the United Church of Christ? Our membership traditions are quite different from most other Christian denominations. In the UCC, the local church is independent from the denomination. Each member chooses to be a part of that church, and the membership requirements are set by the individual church. But “independent” doesn’t mean we’re not accountable to one another. The many UCC congregations in a particular region join together for mutual support because we know we can accomplish more as partners, and because God calls us to unity through Jesus Christ. In our region, the gathering of the local congregations is called the Ursinus Association, and in turn, Ursinus covenants with six other Associations to form the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference.

Conferences supply a wide variety of resources: youth activities; camps; guidance for church growth or transition (like the Revitalization program we’re participating in); spiritual support for pastors; and resources for congregations who need to find a new pastor. By covenanting together, we’re able to nurture everyone’s faith and mission; and we are held accountable to our Christian brothers and sisters across very different circumstances. As in the New Testament, the churches who have more share with those who have less. St. James experienced this when our property was damaged by a tornado, and other UCC churches supported our recovery.

This year, we are being asked to consider some critical changes in our Conference. “We” means you! Every one of us is part of the UCC in our area, and we make decisions democratically, not by hierarchy. At our Fall Meeting on Nov. 10, we will be asked to consider some major recommendations, including the sale of the Church House in Collegeville, the sale of Mensch Mill, and some changes to our bylaws. These issues will be discussed at our Fall Association Meeting on October 28, as well as at three regional conversations hosted by the Conference. Everyone from St. James is invited to attend any of the conversational meetings or the Fall Association Meeting, and we are still looking for two official delegates each to attend the Association and Conference meetings. This is an opportunity for us to speak up about what we believe is important for the future of our Conference’s ministries. For many of us, the particular concern will be the decision about selling Mensch Mill. Now is the time to get involved if you want to ensure that Mensch Mill will still be available for your children and grandchildren! Please speak with me if you have questions or if you would like to be involved in the discussion or as an official voting delegate to any of these events.

-Pastor Rachael