UCC General Synod July 5 Continued

I took notes at the meeting while I knitted on my prayer shawl which I finished at the meeting.  As I look at the UCC web much of the information  that I obtained at the meeting has been reported on the web.  But I still think there is nothing like being at the meeting and hearing the information first hand.  I hope that I can encourage someone from Christ Church to attend the meeting with me next time in 2013.  It will be held in Long Beach California.  I hope our youth and our youth minister will attend the youth events at the meeting.  They seemed to be having fun.  The participated in youth events and work projects in the community.  They rocked the Howard Johnson Hotel which was dedicated to the youth.

Ok More resolutions:

• Putting Our Money Where Our Values Are: Evaluating Church Financial Relationships  
•  Voted YES
• This resolution was brought by the Central Atlantic Conference, grew out of a single church member asking his pastor if the church had explored the practices of the bank it was using, based on the church’s faith values.  I remember voting on this resolution at the Central Atlantic Conference meeting in 2010. ( I remember saying that my financial advisor had advised me to get out of the bank and use my credit union, which I now do).
• An African American minister spoke about the situation in his church and other churches in the African American community.  The bank they were using was not making loans in that community.  They formed a  banking collective and moved the money of several churches to it so that they were able to give back to the community.
• Christ Church.  This resolution requests that members  examine faithfully the business, lending and investing practices of the financial institutions they do business with.
• The Right of LBGT Parents to Adopt and Raise Children   VOTED YES
• This resolution got to me when they spoke about the number of children in the foster care system that age out of the system before they are adopted and are considered "adults" but have no family!
• Some state do not allow LBGT parents to adopt children, fortunately New Jersey is not one of them.  This resolution is in support of the LBGT who would like to adopt and maybe to call on state legislatures to permit this.
• This gives children in the foster care system a family that can care for them and love them.
• Note: as I left the meeting to take a shuttle bus to my hotel I saw what looked to me to be a lesbian couple and their three small children.  The women were white and their three children were African American and Hispanic ages 2, 3 and maybe 4. I did not speak to them, just smiled as one of the kids wanted to run after the jacket she kept throwing into the street.
• Christ Church  We should continue to support the adoptive families within our midst and celebrate the members of our congregation who make this possible, legally and as social worker and supporter.

•  Affirming Health Care Coverage For Clergy Families   Voted Yes
• In some small churches they drop benefits for the clergy when the budget is tight.
• On woman minister spoke of having an ill child and having her health care coverage dropped and having to scramble to find health care coverage.

• Supporting International Human Rights Related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
• Voted Yes
•  This resolution seeks to raise awareness of international instances of systematic  discrimination, violence and abuse targeting persons based on their sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI), and of contexts where such abuse is not prohibited by law but rather legally,  politically, socially, and even religiously sanctioned. The resolution would commit the UCC to advocate for the fair and equal application of universal human rights principles and laws toward the protection of all persons from sexual or gender status-based abuse, discrimination or criminal prosecution.
• Three international gay people came to thank synod for passing the resolution.

• Common Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Baptism  Vote Yes
• The problem that the delegates found with this was that it advocated saying the trinity during baptism.  Some of our churches don't believe the the trinity.
• One minister said she had to conform to the baptism service advocated by her church.
• The delegates were told that this could not be changed since it was an ecumenical agreement and that UCC was the last denomination to ratify this agreement.
• It is my opinion that this agreement would not be binding on any church because UCC churches are always free to do what they want. I have not talked to the Rev about this.
• In Support of Effective and Constructive Peacemaking Between Palestinians and Israelis Through Positive Investment in Palestine  Tabled.
• This was tabled because there were other agreements that may be in conflict with this one.

These were the resolutions that were passed in the morning.  I screwed up and scheduled to leave Synod on the last day not knowing that it really ended after the 7:30 PM worship that night.  So I missed the afternoon session and last worship.  I ordered the DVD of the last worship so I will view it when it comes.  You may look at the web for the resolutions that were discussed in the afternoon.

Jeannette Brown