Author: Eli Johnson

Table of Contents

All information and additional materials for the 2019 Annual Meeting can be accessed at the Southwest Conference UCC Annual Meeting webpage

Pg. 3 / Pg. 7 / Pg.9 / Pg.10 / Pg. 12 / Pg. 15 / Pg. 17 / Pg. 20 / Pg. 21 / Pg. 23 / Pg. 27 / Pg. 28 / Pg. 30 / Pg. 31 / Pg. 32 / Pg. 33 / Pg. 34 / Pg. 36 / Pg. 37 / Pg. 39 / Pg.42 / Pg. 43 / Pg. 44 / Pg. 45	Annual Meeting Materials / Agenda - Schedule of Events / Meet First Church UCC / First Church Campus Map / Annual Meeting Minutes 2018 / Guest Speakers Bio / Friday Workshop Descriptions / Reports from Leadership & Ministries / Conference Minister Report / Conference Moderator Report / Associate Conference Minister Report / Committee on Church and Ministry “A” / Committee on Church and Ministry “B” / Youth & Outdoor Ministry Report / Widening the Welcome Team Ministry / Proposed New Conference Members / Taos UCC / Beatitudes Campus / Journey / Business Items / Nominating Slate / Board Bylaw Proposed Changes / Narrative Budget / FY 2019-2010 Full Budget / Projected Church Giving 2019– 2010 / Southwest Conference Forms & Information / Communications & Resources / Appreciation & Thank You / Scholarship Request for travel reimbursement

Meet Our Host
First Church UCC

We are an Open and Affirming congregation which extends its welcome to all people in the heart of a rapidly expanding downtown Phoenix. We are a Christian church striving to be a beacon of hope aimed at fostering open dialogue and facilitating a multi-faith intersection of thought. We embrace diversity and we stand for justice for all people.
We emulate Jesus by expressing love radically, worshiping joyfully with purpose and exposing and fighting injustices
We feel we are called to be a Christian faith community that loves unconditionally and unconventionally, worships our Creator not just with feeling and commitment in the building but in our daily lives away from the church building, particularly by working to further social justice and change. These areas have included outreach and service to the homeless (including serving meals to hundreds each Sunday), LGBTQIA youth; Sanctuary for the undocumented; welcome and advocacy for immigrants, advocating for marriage equality and being an Open and Affirming congregation; as well as participation in marches, protests, interfaith gatherings, and extra-theological discussion groups to build bridges to others of like mind with regards to promoting social justice, regardless of how those individuals and groups may differ or mirror our own spiritual bent as a UCC community.
Our Vision Narrative:
We are a diverse, progressive Christian COMMUNITY whose faith compels us to love others unconditionally as Jesus did. Valuing, respecting and serving all cultures, languages and traditions, we stand in solidarity with those without a voice. Partnering with other communities, we speak truth to power, taking risks and seeking justice for everyone.
We are a safe, sacred CENTER of spiritual nourishment and growth where all can experience God’s grace, love and peace. Our congregation’s cherished 100-year history is the foundation of our future as freethinkers. We know we do not have all the answers. We seek truth.
Aspiring to be the LIGHT of God’s shalom for the greater community, we serve as a beacon of hope. God's light refracts as a prism through each of us, uniquely manifesting the Divine.
Our Mission Statement and Vision Narrative are helping us to stay guided by God and our commonly agreed upon purpose to be a church that “walks the talk” and stands as a prism of our Creator’s love for justice and for all of us, his Creation.
What we have in common is an awareness that, if there is a God, we are not Her, and that we need to be accepted as we are, loved and cared for, provided a place of safety, a place to question and to grow. Whatever word we use, we know that we need “grace.”
Because we are “first loved” by God, we love one another

First Church UCC | Continued

First Church UCC
Site Map

2018 Annual
Meeting Minutes

Southwest Conference ~ United Church of Christ 2018 Annual Meeting / Rincon United Church of Christ, Tucson AZ April 20 – 21, 2018
Minutes of the Annual Meeting
FRIDAY
The Southwest Conference gathered on April 20, 2018 at Rincon Congregational Church UCC in Tucson, Arizona. Moderator Nancy Ackley called the meeting to order at 1:36 pm.
Following prayer and introductory remarks and introductions, the results Annual Meeting ~ Rincon UCC in Tucsonof opening ballot motions were announced. All the opening motions (approving the agenda, granting visitors voice privilege, and approving standing rules) were approved.
Nancy Ackley declared a quorum. Twenty-nine churches with 115 delegates are in attendance (144 total attendees). Actions of the Annual Meeting carry full force and effect.
Motions, by-laws changes, and resolutions were introduced. Susan Stevens Whitney of the nominating committee offered a correction to the report included in delegate materials: John Leung is nominated as Moderator Elect, term of Jim Meadows expires in 2019 rather than 2020. All delegate materials and reports should be considered part of the minutes of the Annual Meeting.
The Annual Meeting recessed until Saturday’s morning business session.
SATURDAY
Moderator Nancy Ackley called the Saturday business session to order and reminded those present that a delegate credential is required to vote on all actions presented to the Annual Meeting.
Nancy and Conference Minister Bill Lyons presented their reports.
Phil Ward (First UCC Phoenix) moved to approve the nominated slate with the changes noted above. Angel Buats (Church of the Good Shepherd Albuquerque) seconded. There were no nominations from the floor. Nominations slate was approved.
Phil Ward moved to accept the proposed budget. There were no changes or corrections; budget was approved.
A Motion on Conference by-laws changes clarifying the role of the Mission and Church Vitality Committee passed as presented.
Rebecca Glenn (Scottsdale Congregational) moved to pass the resolution on Article 5. Lori Ramsey (Church of the Beatitudes Phoenix) seconded. Nancy Ackley read the amendments coming out of the motion hearing. Those amendments are as follows: Line 82: add ‘building on the work of parish life and leadership in the Manual on Church’ Line 87: replace ‘dismissal’ with ‘dissolution of covenant’ Line 88: correction of typographical error ‘of the’
Motion passes without further amendment.
Secretary Karen Richter introduced the motion from the Executive Board on the changes to the UCC Constitution. A Yea vote on this motion has the effect of not ratifying the proposed changes. This is the recommendation of the Executive Board. Discussion alternated between those speaking for the motion and those speaking against. Delegates were reminded that a two-thirds vote is needed.
Paper balloting was requested. Karen Richter moved to approve Diana Winston and Cynthia VerDuin (visitors to the Annual Meeting, not delegates) as vote tellers. Delle McCormick (Rincon Congregational Tucson) seconded. Motion to approve tellers passed. Vote and tally commenced
Expressions of appreciation and recognition continued as votes were counted.
Results of the balloting were announced. Motion carried; changes to the United Church of Christ
constitution are not ratified by the Southwest Conference.
The Annual Meeting adjourned at 12:00 noon.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Richter, Executive Board Secretary

2018 Minutes | Continued

Guest Speakers:
Growing UCC Churches

Rhina Ramos, Plymouth UCC in Oakland California
Rev. Rhina Ramos is an ordained United Church of Christ minister leading an open and affirming Spanish speaking congregation in Oakland since 2011. Her church, Ministerio Latino, welcomes Latinx immigrants and also members of the LGBTQ community. Rhina was born in El Salvador and grew up during the civil war. Her understanding of the fight for justice was influenced by watching people rise up to fight for their human rights. Rhina graduated from Hofstra University Law School in 1995. She also obtained a Masters in Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in 2003. She practiced labor law for 5 years recuperating thousands of dollars in back pay for immigrant workers and is an experienced Community Organizer leading programs to promote educational equity, labor rights, international solidarity with El Salvador and domestic violence awareness.
presenting "Growing Progressive churches in Latino Communities"
Participants will learn about lessons learned establishing a Spanish-Speaking ministry that is open and affirming, and will engage in conversation about why it’s key to emphasize progressive Christianity.
Marjorie Wilkes Matthews, Plymouth UCC in Oakland California
Rev. Marjorie Wilkes Matthews has served as Pastor of Plymouth Church since October 2013, after serving there for four years as their Associate Pastor. She is a fifth-generation educator, descended from several generations of women who dedicated their lives to teaching and improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged children. She co-founded and co-directed the West Oakland Community School, a charter school for grades 6 – 8. In addition to being ordained in the United Church of Christ, Pastor Marjorie is trained as a spiritual director, providing support to individuals, couples, and groups seeking to deepen their relationship with God. She believes that her responsibility, as pastor and spiritual director, is to help people embrace belovedness – to grow in love for God, themselves, and others. Pastor Marjorie is a graduate of Princeton University and Pacific School of Religion. She is married to Rev. Bob Matthews.
presenting “Growing Churches Unconventionally”
Borrowing from the wisdom of Frederick Buechner, Plymouth Church embarked on a process of prayer and discernment, asking where our congregation's deep joy(s) meet our community's deep need(s). Through this process, we became known as "The Jazz and Justice Church," a growing and vital community that hosts everything from Monday Night Jazz concerts to exciting new ministries like Ministerio Latino, the Bay Area's first Spanish-speaking, LGBTQ-affirming congregation. Want to hear more about our church's journey? Want to share what your church is discerning about where your deep joys meet your community's deep needs? Please join us to hear and share stories of discernment and growth.
Jerold Garber & Christine Ng, First UCCSL
The Rev. Dr. Jerold "Jerry" Garber is a veteran of over three decades in education and public broadcasting. He retired from public television as General Manager/CEO of Idaho Public Television. He holds a bachelors in Speech Theatre, a Masters in Radio/TV/Film and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees. He founded First United Church of Christ in 2013. It is the first church in any mainline denomination to have full standing while existing only in virtual reality. He is the author of "Ministry to the Avatars: Building a Real Church in a Virtual World."
The Rev. Christine Ng has been a minister with First United Church of Christ Second Life since 2017, and ministers through that church from her home in Northern New Mexico. She also serves as a volunteer fire chaplain, spiritual director, and workshop leader. Beginning in 2018, she and her artist daughter formed a partnership to create fabric liturgical art as a business and a ministry. Prior to entering seminary, she practiced appellate law for 20 years in Florida, and taught in two Florida law schools.
co-presenting "Growing Churches in Online Community" - "There is a church with full standing in the UCC that you can attend for worship, meditation services, Taize worship, book and Bible study, themed parties, socializing with friends around the clock, 7 days a week. And you can do all that sitting at your home computer in your jammies! Here's a chance to learn about the first church in any denomination to have full standing while existing only in virtual reality."
Matt Mardis-Lecroy, Plymouth Church in Des Moines, Iowa
Matt Mardis-LeCroy has served Plymouth Church in various capacities for over 13 years. In 2014, he was installed at Plymouth’s 17th Senior Minister. An award-winning preacher and community leader, Matt holds degrees from Messiah College, Princeton Theological Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary. He is married to The Rev. Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy—also a UCC minister!—and resides with her, two adorable children and two cranky cats in Windsor Heights, Iowa.
Presenting “You Do You: Claiming Your Congregation’s Unique Identity as a Path to Renewal” - Every local church has a unique identity –some particular manifestation of the Holy Spirit, some peculiar gift entrusted to you for the sake of the world. Knowing your church’s identity, and having the courage to claim it, may be the key to congregational renewal. In this presentation, Matt Mardis-LeCroy will share tools and resources for naming and claiming your congregation’s inimitable call.
Timothy Hogan-Palazzo, St. Paul’s UCC in West Milton, PA
Pastor Timothy Hogan-Palazzo is serving the people of the rapidly growing faith community of Saint Paul’s United Church of Christ in the small borough of West Milton, Pa. Pastor Tim moved to Central Pennsylvania as a trailing spouse after attending seminary at Methodist Theological School of Ohio, just outside of Columbus, Ohio, and serving in a large downtown church focused on community missions. In Central Pennsylvania, Pastor Tim first served a United Methodist congregation in a nearby borough for 5 ½ years, that was resurrected from near closure with a worshiping congregation of 40 to an average attendance of 220 in that time. After a 10-month sabbatical for discernment, Pastor Tim discovered the welcoming United Church of Christ and was called to serve Saint Paul’s, a community of faith averaging 18 in the pews late in 2016. Saint Paul’s worships an average of 84 people a week and has family members driving from 4 surrounding counties weekly to worship and involved in church programs throughout the week. Pastor Tim loves what he does, whom he serves and loves to share his story in hopes that others too will want to discover for themselves the joy in serving unconditionally.
presenting “Enlarging the Table: Strategy for Church Growth” - Looking for a way to build a bigger table? Welcome more people through the doors of your church? Fill the pews or make for a healthy community of faith? Create a more authentic community of faith? Want to know the secret formula? The simple solution? Stop by and let’s talk about it. Join me for an open conversation. While it’s not magic, there is a three-step solution. (Disclaimer: any faith community can do it, it will require honesty about your feelings, where you are as a church and what you, as a faith community really want to do.)
Courtney Stange-Tregear, Pacific Northwest Conference
Rev. Courtney Stange-Tregear joined the Pacific Northwest Conference in 2016, in the newly created role of Minister for Church Vitality. In this capacity, she brings a holistic vision of vitality that bridges the secular and sacred, church and community. Leveraging the power of relationship to both comfort and agitate, she supports local churches, the Pacific Northwest Conference, and the wider church in leading through the challenges and opportunities created by a shifting culture. Growing up outside the church, her calling to ministry was ignited by a classical Great Books education, and further developed by world travel, community organizing, and an entrepreneurial spirit. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Congregational Development, and only half jokingly, says that her first real ministry job was as a bartender.
Presenting” Growing Vital Churches” - What if church vitality is more than just code language for increasing average worship attendance? What if pursuing vitality is both more simple and more complex than any 10 step plan to grow your church? In the Pacific Northwest Conference, Vitality Ministry has taken an integrated, holistic approach: start with listening, hear concerns, struggles, joys. Prioritize deepening relationships, build trust, and listen some more. Focus on what really matters, to our churches, our communities, and our colleagues. Vitality means life, and life can’t be forced, shouted, begged, siloed, or programmed into existence. Informed by adaptive leadership, systems thinking, and community organizing, this workshop will share the story of how the Pacific Northwest Conference has been practicing a new approach to Conference Ministry; learning how to tell our stories, learning to listen better to the stories of others, and paying attention to how this changes everything.

Guest Speakers | Continued

Guest Speakers | Continued

Friday Workshop
Descriptions

Friday’s Workshops will include guest speakers from the Thursday local church growth intensive. For details of when each workshop will be offered please see the full Annual Meeting Schedule.
Rev. Rock Fremont, Senior Pastor at Shepherd of the Hills UCC, Scottsdale AZ
presenting Reaching Into the Attic: Ancient Future Spiritual Practices
Imagine this scene. Teens silently form a line in a hallway, patiently waiting late into the night to enter a room in which they will experience an ancient spiritual discipline: contemplative prayer. When they emerge from the prayer room an hour later, many have tears in their eyes, smiles on their faces and peace in their hearts. They have just walked a labyrinth, an interactive eleven-station experience in which the participants learn to practice the presence of the Divine. Scenes like this are happening again and again in churches, camps and conferences all over North America. Spirituality is “in,” these days. Many people are searching for truth in new and unconventional ways. Emerging adults are open to the mystery of the Holy Spirit and eager to understand God in ways other than the traditional sermon. Join us to learn what you can pull from the church’s attic to increase engagement, grow your congregation, and have your say in the Ancient Future conversation!
Rev. Dr. Felix Villanueva, Conference Minister of the Southern California Nevavda UCC
Presenting: Moving the Mission of the Church through Powerful Questions
How many of us have spent time in meetings that seem to go nowhere. Every time we meet, we seem to engage in endless discussions that leave us tired, deflated, and take away our motivation to serv. In this workshop, Dr. Villanueva will share and demonstrate hands-on coaching techniques in the art of asking powerful questions. Powerful questions transform the way we do the mission of the church and help us regain our love for the work God has called us to do.
Matthew Wagner, Senior Executive at United Church Funds
Presenting: Endowment 101” on building an endowment program in a local church
Cynthia Verduin, SWC Treasurer
Presenting: 2019-2020 SWC Budget discussion
Reb. Dr. Barb Doerrer-Peacock, Associate Conference Minister of the Southwest Conference UCC
Presenting : Where Is God When My Church is NOT Growing?
Having spent most of her 30+ year ministry being shaped by the “church growth movement,” serving churches of under 100, and, almost always, successfully growing them down to a faithful remnant…Barb has grappled with this question, with great lament, many times! This workshop will explore how God is indeed present, and can be found – with power and blessing for both individuals and congregations, in the midst of certain, common transformational spaces of experience. Regardless of whether the institutional structure of “church” is increasing, diminishing, or on a plateau, these transformational spaces are fertile ground for spiritual growth and deepening.
Rev. Dr. Gilberto Collazo, President Hope Partnership
Presenting Four Questions Every Leader Should Ask: Churches that are making a difference in their context have a clear sense of their mission and purpose. These are discoveries that happen when we engage in transformational work. What are the questions we need to wrestle with to go from being a church for “us” to a church living God’s mission into the world—questions that change the focus of how we use our resources? Come and learn from stories of congregations who have named a future story that reflects God’s mission in their communities.
Hope Partnership has worked with over 1,300 congregations within many different denominational contexts to help them engage in this important transformational work.

CM | Continued

Conference Minister
Annual Report

Last April we gathered to Organize! You heard our theme as an invitation, and you lived it in ways none of us could have imagined during those annual meeting moments. Thousands of people’s lives have been transformed as a result.
Together we organized to welcome strangers pastorally. Shadow Rock, Rincon, and First Church Phoenix hosted migrants by the hundreds. Almost all of our churches contributed volunteer hours, money, and goods to their work and to the efforts of dozens of churches around Arizona. Visiting our hosting churches I saw Paul’s words incarnated before my eyes. “And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.”
We also organized to welcomed strangers prophetically. As our government’s response to the phenomenon of human migration became increasingly divisive, dehumanizing and hostile, we called for and worked toward unity and collaboration among the faith communities offering migrants hospitality. We developed interfaith and ecumenical partnerships – with Jews for Justice, and Lutheran Social Services to name two – to make the work more efficient and resource rich.
We took the Gospel to the public square. We spoke out in the press to hold ICE and Border Patrol accountable for their behavior, and to counter the narrative being shared in the press with facts happening in our border communities. We’ve joined amicus briefs filed in the federal courts supporting sanctuary cities, DREAMers, and transgender rights and cases opposing the ‘travel ban,’ transgender discrimination, and the elimination of reproductive services from publicly funded healthcare. We spoke at the Arizona statehouse and the New Mexico Roundhouse, and stood in solidarity with victims of sexual violence outside senate offices. I say ‘we’ because many of you shared those moments with me, speaking, rallying, and marching.
In 2018 I visited fewer congregations while spending more time and sharing more deeply with the church leaders and congregations who hosted me. Workshops offered to congregations included regional Called to Care training weekends, Transition Management, and Creating Cultures of Generosity weekends, along with training for search and call and support for congregation-specific matters. I would really like to visit your church in 2019 to support your mission and vision, and to thank you for supporting our shared mission.
Last year Mission and Church Vitality Committee gatherings have equipped local churches with spiritual formation, good governance and financial best practices strategies. Through these events we’ve gotten to know one another more deeply. I am in awe of your gifts, talents, and innovation, and the impact you are making in your communities. On November 1-2, 2019 the Mission and Church Vitality Committee is inviting the conference to Church of the Beatitudes for W.I.S.E. training. Our Widen the Welcome Team under the leadership of Robert Koth and Debe Knack is working with the UCC Mental Health Network to plan the event which is being co-sponsored by the Christian Church (DOC/Arizona). Author and UCC Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund will be with us. More details to come.
2018 began with a trip to Taos United Community Church for their first weekly Sunday worship service. This weekend we have the opportunity to welcome them into the Southwest Conference as a covenanted congregation. Taos UCC has grown in numbers, finances, community impact, and love over the past year.
In 2017 you changed the SWC Bylaws to make a place at the table for communities of people gathered around the presence of Christ who embrace a United Church of Christ identity and the values of the Southwest Conference. This weekend we have the opportunity to embody that vision by welcoming the first two communities into covenant with us – Beatitudes Campus and Journey/Sierra Vista.
Our Conference’s relationships with the Wider Church are growing deeper. As a result of a plenary presentation I shared at the UCC’s AM21 gathering in December, I will be co-keynoting the Hawaii Conference annual meeting in June with Rev. Dr. Don Remick. Last year I was also privileged to preach and share our immigration ministry with the Montana Annual Meeting. We seem to be doing positive things in the SWC that others are noticing.
In August the SWC invited the United Church of Christ to Faithful Witness at the Border. The experience and planning of Rev. Randy Mayer, Rev. Noel Anderson, soon-to-be-Rev. Nathan Watts, the event was powerful and transformative for not only the individuals from 15 sates representing 10 UCC conference, but for the culture of immigrant welcoming ministry throughout the United Church of Christ. A network of judicatory leaders, congregations, and individuals continues to support our border ministry efforts, and has begun their own border ministry works in their own settings. From these new relationships we have received more than $25,000 in gifts and grants from the National Setting to support our congregations’ sanctuary and hospitality ministries. Thank you Good Shepherd UCC for hosting us! Thank you, Randy, Noel, and Nathan for your organizing work!
In 2018 the Southwest Conference Executive Board, connecting to SWC’s deep roots as innovators and being an experimental conference, funded a technology initiative called ‘b1.’ The project grew out of a dream shared by the eight western region conference ministers: connecting all of our congregations and potentially all of our church members with people in our communities who share our values and passions. This weekend we are introducing b1 to you and preparing for its launch. By jumping in early financially, you will have access to this technology free for the next year.
My vision for establishing a progressive Christian presence on the campuses of Arizona State University, New Mexico State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of New Mexico took a step forward. First Congregational UCC/Flagstaff is an enthusiastic partner in this endeavor. Our Executive Board offered $25,000 to bring the part-time pastor’s position at Flagstaff Congregational UCC to full time. In exchange 1) the congregation agreed to integrate ministry to Northern Arizona University into a new ministry plan for the church, and 2) making some big decisions about how to best use their building. I am looking forward to how this initial effort unfolds.
Our camp program has taken a new direction through our partnership with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona. DUCC (pronounced ‘duck’) Camp, as Associate Conference Minister Barb Doerrer-Peacock playfully calls it, runs June 17-23. This combined SWC-DOC program is a more financially sustainable model ensuring that camp will continue in years to come for both denominations. This partnership also includes a shared staff position; our part of that shared position is funded by SWC’s Youth Reserve Fund. I am committed to SWC maintaining vital youth and outdoor ministries. Your gifts to our Sow the Seed offering for camper scholarships mean youngsters will not miss out on camp for financial reasons. Your contributions to the Youth Reserve Fund will allow us to expand other ministries for young people – like mission trips, Youth at Synod, and National Youth Event.
Rebecca Glenn and I traveled with six SWC teens to the 2018 Western Region Youth Event in Honolulu, Hawaii. This year’s earlier dates for General Synod conflict with DUCC Camp so no youth trip to Synod is planned. But we are already planning for our trip to the 2020 UCC National Youth Event to be held at Purdue University.
The proposed budget includes other reserve fund expenditures. A Spanish-speaking new church start is appearing on the horizon for Nogales. At least four congregations will be able to participate in Hope Partnership’s New Beginnings program for revitalizing churches. Again, spending reserves isn’t sustainable as program funding unless we replenish those resources with our gifts. But not spending our designated funds for their intended purposes isn’t missional. I look forward to the good fruit that we will harvest by investing significantly in starting new churches and renewing struggling congregations in 2019.
This August I am headed to Guatemala for a Spanish language immersion experience. Continuing my education at language school fulfills a promise I made to the search committee when I interviewed to be your conference minister. In our conference’s setting my speaking Spanish presents a new opportunity for sharing progressive Christianity’s message of hope and justice with our Spanish-speaking neighbors. And language school comes just in time to meet COCAM A’s 2020 requirement for 12 hours of continuing education to in order to maintain ministerial standing in the SWC.
Not everything we tried in 2018 worked out or went as planned. The accounting services memo of understanding with the National Setting will end in June. As a result, Rev. Liana Rowe began serving the SWC full time as administrative assistant for finance, and all bookkeeping services will migrate back to the conference office by July 1. Rev. Erin Tamayo resigned two weeks into her position as Minister for Migrant Hospitality. Our funder in this experiment, Lutheran Social Services, agreed that the partnership for coordinating the ‘Welcome and Reception Program’ would be better served with a different staff configuration. The LSS/SWC partnership remains strong. These experiments served us well for a time and we learned much from them.
This year I’ll ask the Executive Board and the standing committees of the SWC to begin a SOAR visioning process. We are not the same conference we were three years ago when our last listening sessions took place. The world around us has changed in profound ways. Giving intentional consideration to our strengths, opportunities, aspirations and desired results will position us to be more effecting in our ministry together as the SWC, it will help staff be more responsive to your needs, and we will use our resources more wisely.
Working with the SWC staff is a joy to me! They are dedicated, hard-working, innovative, and just, well, fun! Thank you, Eli, for keeping me organized, fielding more phone calls than anyone can imagine, answering both our inboxes, and for sharing insights and feedback that make me a better conference minister. Thank you, Barb, for asking me the questions that keep me growing, for your generous grace and optimism, for the breadth of the possibilities you see, and for the balance you bring to conference work. Thank you, Wende, for always making room in the queue, for the positive public voice of hope and joy you give to our conference, for helping me keep the smile and for sharing your creativity with the whole of the conference so generously. Thank you, Liana, for being a wonderfully ratioed gear box, for attending to the nuts and bolts of our operations – literally, for putting things in red folders even when I forget to look in the red folders – and for being a steadying influence on our work together.
When I visit our churches or talk with UCCers who have visited our conference, people continue to tell me stories that affirm we are on the right track together. I hope you will take a moment at this year’s annual meeting to ask someone to tell you a story about what’s been happening in their church. Maybe you will hear about Mike Lonergan being installed at Church of the Painted Hills, or about Drew Terry starting his ministry with Oro Valley UCC. Maybe you’ll hear how Rincon UCC opened a permanent shelter for migrants, or why Church of the Palms has a huge new tent. Maybe someone from Encanto Community Church UCC will tell you about their glorious 60th anniversary celebration, or about Iglesia Congregacional La Trinidad’s plans for their anniversary celebration in November. Desert Palm UCC members or their pastor, Rev. Tom Martinez, might tell you how they are moving to become the 11th W.I.S.E. congregation in the UCC. Maybe Rev. Len Sylvester will tell you how it feels to be a Pastor Emeritus, or Nathan Watts might tell you how it feels to be a month away from ordination. What’s your story?
A year from now (April 23-25, 2020) we will welcome one another to Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, AZ for the 2020 SWC annual meeting. Our time together will celebrate the “Stories That Transform” among us. May we continue to walk faithfully in covenant together as extravagantly welcoming and affirming followers of Christ called to embody God’s unconditional justice and love. Please keep the staff and leadership team of the SWC in your prayers as we work together to equip congregations and clergy for excellent ministry as we live into our shared mission!
Rev. Dr. William M Lyons

CM | Continued

CM | Continued

Conference Moderator
Annual Report

This year’s Annual Meeting theme, “Growing Churches” calls us to recognize that only focusing on numerical increases in membership will not achieve the results we desire. Research surveys have repeatedly shown that people are attracted to organizations (including churches) that are doing things to make a difference, that have a clarity of identity and an intentionality of purpose, and a message of welcome and inclusion that invites the stranger into community.
We all know that the Southwest Conference is a unique and special setting of the United Church of Christ! Located as we are in the epicenter of the key justice, social, economic, political and environmental issues of this time, it has been beyond gratifying to note the many ways that the congregations of the Southwest Conference have responded by putting faith into action.
Churches have worked together to feed the hungry, house and care for migrants and asylum seekers. Clergy and lay people have made their voices heard in demonstrations, resolutions, letters, sermons and speeches, songs and prayers, demanding justice and compassion for the marginalized and powerless.
The SWC Board is carefully managing the increased financial security provided by the receiving of the assets of congregations that have completed their ministries. The Board takes seriously its responsibility for using these funds in ways that will help our churches and their ministries grow. Among some of the investments that have been made this past year are:
A grant to the Flagstaff congregation to fund a bi-vocational pastor whose ministry will be divided between serving the congregation and campus ministry at Northern Arizona University;
A grant to support the formation of the Taos United Community Church in New Mexico;
Funding to share a youth ministry position with the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ;
Continued funding for an exciting prototype technology that will bring our churches closer together in the digital world. Not only connecting churches and member to one another across geographies but building coalitions of justice through stronger communication.
As I come to the end of my tenure as Moderator of the Southwest Conference, I want to thank those who have served you as members of the Board during the past year-plus. Whether deliberating on Conference, local church or National UCC issues, these individuals have been thoughtful and faithful in their work, giving each item before us their full attention, asking insightful questions and discussing each concern from many perspectives. Special recognition is due to Karen Richter’s superb work as Board Secretary and Cynthia VerDuin who has brought her considerable experience and skills to the role of Treasurer. I also am grateful to John Leung for agreeing to be Moderator-elect and for his work on the Personnel Committee.
The work of the Conference staff – Rev. Dr. Barbara Doerrer-Peacock, Eli Johnson, Rev. Liana Rowe and Wende Gonzales is beyond competent! And my respect for Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons has only grown with the opportunity I have had to share in his ministry among us.
Thank you for the privilege of this position!
Nancy Ackley Moderator, Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ

Associate Conference
Minister Report

It’s been a great privilege to continue in 2018 in the role of “acting” Associate Conference Minister, and then to be called to the settled position. I continue to be grateful for the wonderful staff and Conference folk I am able to work with on a daily basis! In the joy of that collaborative work I experience great creativity, commitment, and compassion for the work we do together as the Southwest Conference.
Spiritual Leadership Formation
In November, we as a staff went on a day retreat. We reaffirmed our purpose as a Conference staff: to assist the SW Conference clergy and churches to do excellent ministry in embodying the vision of the Conference as a whole: to be “extravagantly welcoming and affirming followers of Christ, and to embody God’s unconditional justice and love.”
I find that the theme of spiritual leadership
formation as a helpful umbrella definition for the diverse tasks this ACM position embraces. From developing new systems and partnership for creating transformational experiences for youth and at camp, to nurturing discernment of call and ministry, to creating healthy ministry trainings, and overseeing various ministerial authorizations, I do feel it all contributes to shaping the ways in which the Conference setting enables the good formation and support of our spiritual leaders of all ages in our common values of extravagant welcome, affirmation, justice and love.
Staff and Administrative Support to Committee on Church and Ministry-A
COCAM-A oversees the discernment path toward ministry, and the authorization of ministers for the United Church of Christ and the Southwest Conference. As the staff person for COCAM-A, I do the following:
Keep the ministerial files, digital and hard copy, up-to-date
Work with ministers who are transferring in or out of the Conference
Oversee and work with those seeking or maintaining authorized standing of some sort in our Conference.
Working with Members in Discernment and those considering that status.
Working with Local Church Discernment Committees for training and coaching.
Working closely with the chair of COCAM-A to create agendas, keep track of committee actions, correspondence, setting up interviews,
Being the guide for COCAM-A through fitness review processes.
Consulting with the committee and conference minister to create and uphold policy positions,
Working with the national UCC Datahub record system, and
Engaging currently the ongoing changes and conversations nationally around the Manual on Ministry, and liaising with the national office for Ministerial Excellence, Support, and Authorization.
Healthy Ministry Training: Ethical Boundaries, Bias, and Diversity Awareness
Excellent ministry must be sustained by healthy clergy and congregations. As part of maintaining healthy authorized ministry, clergy are required to keep up to date on training for awareness of ethical boundaries, bias and diversity. In 2018, we began to test a new modular format for these trainings, to replace the traditional one-day-every-five-years model. As the subject matter for these ongoing trainings have been expanding every year, I felt the need to change the format for a few reasons:
There is, simply, much more information to cover! While boundary training use to only focus on sexual boundaries, now it has expanded to include finances, time, resources, and social media in addition to interpersonal relationships and power. Shorter sessions with more options on specific topics would allow for more participatory dialog and greater opportunity to go deeper into relevant and personalized conversation.
Modules are offered at different geographic locations, times, and configurations, so to meet a wide variety of scheduling needs. We also are trying to take advantage of annual gathering times like the clergy retreat to hold the modules.
With more shorter modules, my hope is we get away from the once-in-five-year culture, and create an ongoing dialog around creating and practicing healthy ministry.
In addition to the modules for authorized active clergy, we have developed a 4-hour training session for congregations. This will contribute to creating a conference culture of healthy ministry by helping congregations understand what the ethical boundaries are for clergy and relationships within the congregation. Also underway is a module particularly for clergy entering retirement, and those in retirement who want to “brush up.” And, on the drawing board, is creating a boundary training session for church staff.
Youth and Outdoor Ministries
Exciting developments are underway in this important arena of our conference life and leadership! More specifics are included in the Youth and Outdoor Ministries annual report. My role has been to work collaboratively with Rev. Jay Deskins, the Youth and Children’s Minister for the AZ region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) whom we have co-opted to be our camp director and merge our camp and some of our youth programs. Together, we are also bringing some leadership development intention to our youth and camp programming, seeing the programming of our Conference/Regional level not just as an opportunity to create Christian-based events for youth, but also to create transformational experiences to help develop spiritual leadership.
EVERYTHING ELSE….
Not much more of what I do falls beyond those categories above. I do respond to invitations to visit congregations and attend events and services, whether directed toward me, or in Bill’s stead when he has a scheduling conflict. One of the primary reasons for creating an ACM position was to be a supportive, creative collaborative partner for the Conference Minister to assist in doing excellent ministry in this wide geography conference. Certainly, one of my delights is being able to work collaboratively with Bill, whether it is engaging a deep theoretical discussion about some issue or project, planning some course of action or brainstorming a big-picture vision, or just simply “reality-checking” each other at any given time.
I continue to be blessed by this Conference and the ways we are living out our unique call in this time and place.
Submitted by
Rev. Dr. Barbara Doerrer-Peacock
Associate Conference Minister

ACM | Continued

Committee On Church
And Ministry “A”

Committee on Church & Ministry A (COCAM A)
Report to 2018 Southwest Conference Annual Meeting
April 2018 - March 2019
Committee Members:
Rev. David Buss, Rincon Congregational UCC, Tucson, AZ
Rev. Jayne Hubbard, Black Mountain UCC, Scottsdale, AZ
Diana Winston, Scottsdale Congregational UCC, Scottsdale, AZ, Chair
Marcia Harris, First Cong. UCC, Albuquerque, NM (resigned, September 2018)
Rev. Gail Joralemon, First Congregational UCC, Albuquerque, NM
Christine Sternberg, Casas Adobes UCC, Tucson, AZ
Rev. Jay Wilcher, First Cong. UCC, Prescott, AZ
Rev. Brady Abel, United Church of Sun City, Sun City AZ
Rev. James Alexander, Church of the Palms, Sun City, AZ
Rev. Lynn Brightman, Peace UCC, El Paso, TX
Rev. Derrick Elliott, Desert Heritage UCC, Mesa, AZ
Rev. Cari Jackson, First Cong. UCC, Phoenix, AZ
Ex officio, Rev. Barb Doerrer-Peacock, Associate Conference Minister

COCAM A, when fully staffed, comprises 12 clergy and laypersons from all areas of the Conference. In addition SW Conference Staff, including the Conference Minister, meet with and advise the committee as needed. The Associate Conference minister is designated to work most closely with the committee.
The work of the Committee has been focused this year on living into the new UCC Manual on Ministry. In January, COCAM A adopted the 2018 edition of the Manual on Ministry. We have worked to find the most appropriate ways to use the Marks of Faithful and Effective Ministry as the primary criteria for fitness for ministry.
We have looked especially closely this year at new definitions outlined in the new MOM: some retired clergy may choose “Exempt Ministerial Standing” when they are ready to end any a involvement in public ministry. They then may be “exempt” from the regular accountability and oversight responsibilities such as boundary training and continuing education. The new MOM also offers a new definition of “Lay Ministerial Standing,” as well as recommends no future use of the former standings of “Commissioned” and “Licensed” Ministers after 2018. Some of these changes are proving disconcerting to clergy, especially retired clergy, in the conference. We decided to continue with one last commissioning for Gordon Street, who has been in the commissioning track of discernment for a number of years.
As a result of the leadership and creative thinking of Barb Doerrer-Peacock, the Associate Conference Minister, we approved changes in the substance and format of required clergy training. Boundary training now is divided into four modules which can be taken separately or together. Clergy will also be required to take two more modules: Awareness of Prejudice/Discrimination, and Diversity Training, both of which are under development. This training is important to help clergy serve our diverse membership and a diverse society in the most loving and welcoming way possible. The completion during of all six “Health Ministry Modules” within five-year cycles, will be required of Southwest Conference clergy to maintain their ordained ministerial standing.
In an effort to assure that members in discernment receive ongoing support and remain on track in their discernment processes we now meet annually with all MID’s. The conference staff continues to train local church discernment committees to assure that MID’s receive meaningful guidance and support from their local churches. We recognize that active involvement in the local church is critical to discerning one’s call and one’s readiness for ministry.
COCAM A adjudicated one fitness review in the past year. Fitness reviews are emotionally wrenching and time consuming for everyone involved and the committee is grateful to volunteers who served diligently and compassionately as interviewers and process guides on the Response Team.
COCAM A acted on behalf of the Southwest Conference and the wider church by taking the following actions:

COCAM A | Continued

Transfers of Ordained Ministerial Standing from the Southwest
Conference:
Matthew Baugh to the Southern California-Nevada Conference
Dalene Rogers to the Maine Conference
Lee Albertson to the Iowa Conference
Ute Molitor to the Maine Conference
II. Transfers of Ordained Ministerial Standing to the Southwest Conference:
Deris Rice from the Minnesota Conference
Michael Lonergan from the Penn NW Conference
Mitzi Eilts from Massachusetts Conference
Susan Valiquette from the Florida Conference
Jim Cunningham from the Ohio Conference
Jocelyn Emerson from Central Atlantic Conference
Julie Parmenter from Rocky Mountain Conference
III. Approved for Ordained Ministerial Partner Standing:
Abby Conley, Chalice Christian Church, Gilbert, AZ
Richard Wing, Congregational Church of the Valley
IV. Reinstatement of Ordained Ministerial Standing
Deborah Worley, United Church of Los Alamos NM
V. Actions on Members in Discernment:
Lauri Hasler, MID status terminated, without bias
Carson Hawks, received as a MID from First Cong. UCC, Phoenix
Chris Wickersham, received as a MID from First Cong. UCC, Phoenix
VI. Approved for Ecclesiastical Council; subsequently approved for ordination/ commissioning:
Nathan Watts, ordination EC 6/3/2018
Gordon Street, commissioning EC 12/16/2018
VII. Ordinations/ Commissioning:
Gordon Street, First Congregational UCC, Phoenix, AZ 4/4/2019
VIII. Licensure Granted/ Expired/ Terminated:
Emory Boepple - Expired
Esera Tavai - Terminated
IX. Granted Exempt Status:
David Cooper, First Cong. UCC, Flagstaff
Clinton Reynolds, Church of the Palms, Sun CIty
X. Approved for Lay Ministerial Standing:
Salomona Taliulu, serving EFKAS UCC, Phoenix 1/21/2019
Michael Curry, Shadow Rock UCC, Phoenix, serving the Southwest Conference UCC as Lay
Minister of Disability Awareness, Advocacy, and Education. 2/11/2019
XI. Installations:
Barbara Doerrer-Peacock, - SWC Associate Conference Minister 9/9/2018
Rock Fremont, Pastor, Shepherd of the Hills UCC, Phoenix, AZ 9/16/2018
Susan Valiquette, Associate Pastor, First Cong. UCC, Phoenix, AZ 1/13/2019
Mike Lonergan, Pastor, Church of the Painted Hills, Tucson AZ 2/3/2019
Derrick Elliott, Pastor, Desert Heritage Church, Mesa, AZ 2/10/2019
Drew Terry, Pastor, Oro Valley UCC, Oro Valley AZ 3/10/2019
XII. Granted Seeking Privilege of Call
Deborah Hill from AME to UCC 1/21/2019
XIII. Accountability: Fitness Review Outcome
Delle McCormick, Rincon Congregational UCC, Censure with Program of Growth 1/14/2019
XIV. Deaths:
Ross McGuire, of Tucson AZ 5/31/2018
William O. Smith, of Phoenix AZ 9/3/2018
Roy Eberbach, of Tucson AZ 9/28/2018
Hubert Rhymes, of Apache Junction AZ 1 2/12/2018
XIV. This year’s significant ordination anniversaries marked by SWC clergy:
10 years (2009)
Rock Fremont
Sarah TevisTownes
20 years (1999)
Inge Detweiler
25 years (1994)
Sue Joiner
Randy Mayer
30 years (1989)
Ken Heintzelman
John Herman
Jay Wilcher
Terri Young
40 years (1979)
Curt Ackley
Dosia Carlson
Susan Garet
Vernon Meyer
Stephen Wayles
50 years (1969)
George Ault
60 years (1959)
Ruthanne Cochran
Respectfully submitted,
Diana Winston, COCAM A Chair

COCAM A| Continued

COCAM A| Continued

Committee on Church
And Ministry “B”

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
BRENDON MAHONEY
DIANE THOMAS
JOHN SMITH
MIKE HOLMBERG
NORA ROBERTS
SUE JOINER
SUSAN STEVENS WHITNEY
JOYCE SCHNEIDER, SECRETARY
SHARON LITTRELL-MARSH, CHAIR
REV. BILL LYONS, CONFERENCE MINISTER
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF COMMITTEE
Committee members deliberate and authorize ministerial and church standing according to the policies and practices of the Southwest Conference and the United Church of Christ. The committee meets 6 or 7 times a year. Members give leadership to ordinations, installations and ecclesiastical councils, are able to maintain confidentiality, have a self- awareness around what is believed about the nature of church and of ministry, a capacity to assess persons’ fitness for ministry and make clear decisions, sometimes in a very difficult situation.
Committee members are appointed from throughout the Conference: from El Paso, Texas, northern and southern New Mexico as well as northern, southern and central Arizona.
SCOPE OF WORK
In 2018, members of the the committee represented COCAM B by attending ecclesiastical councils and ensuing ordinations. When new clergy were called to a conference church, members of the committee attended as possible. With the distances that separate churches in our Conference the committee attempts to be present at functions within their own state.
In the past year, the committee was pleased to work with new church starts in both New Mexico and Arizona. Committee members also aided the process of helping struggling churches close, always a sad duty. Many of the closing congregations named the Conference as primary recipient of assets from the congregation.
This committee also had the sad responsibility of intervening in several church disputes. When these arose, members of the congregations were invited to meet with the committee to represent their disparate views of the problems, then COCAM B, guided by Rev. Bill Lyons’ wisdom, made suggestions to repair the damage. The advice given was not an edict, but rather guidance to both clergy and congregation. In some instances, the advice was critical to assuring good standing of the congregation in the Southwest Conference.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sharon Littrell Marsh

Youth & Outdoor
Ministry Report

The Southwest Conference UCC Youth and Outdoor Ministry spent the first half of 2018 addressing the questions apparent from the previous year:
can the camp program become sustainable both financially and in terms of leadership, and discerning what type of other youth programming is needed and will be supported at the Conference setting.
We had three goals for Camp 2018: 1. Make the program financially viable by raising the registration fee to more accurately cover the actual cost of camp, and raise $12,000 for Sow the Seed to help with scholarships. 2. Recruit adequate youth and adult leadership, 3. Recruit enough campers to cover the cost of the present camp site and program.
One goal that was not only accomplished but surpassed was we received donations of $14,350 for the Sow the Seed Camp fund during last year! Yea! That really helped camp families offset the higher registration fees. Based on the above numbers, the other goal that was accomplished was that we were able to recruit good number of adult and youth staff leadership, to facilitate the program in healthy and less-stressed ways. However, while the deficit spending for the camp program was greatly
assisted by the higher registration fee, we still ended in a deficit of $6,100 (reduced from the $11,000 deficit estimated in previous years). The number of churches represented in camp participation also fell.
I am very grateful to Nathan Watts, who was 2018 camp director. He was a Member in Discernment for ordained ministry and assistant pastor at the Good Shepherd, Sahuarita. He brought a return to some deeper spiritual content and reflection in our programming. He was ably-assisted by Bethany Stocker, the director of Christian Education for Church of the Painted Hills. Both did a great job jumping in with both feet and starting us down the road of some needed changes.
It was clear we needed to do something different with our camp model moving forward. One of the possible ideas of previous brainstorming came to the forefront. The Arizona Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with whom we partner in our office space, and have dabbled in sharing space a few previous camp years, hired a new designated-term Regional Youth and Children’s Minister, Rev. Jay Deskins. We entered into a partnership to merge our camping and some of our youth programming with the Disciples and contracted to share some of Jay’s time as a camp director, consultant, and help with youth event planning, through his term that lasts until March of 2020.
Over the fall and winter, we had meetings with both adult and youth leaders from both denominations to craft the merger of the two camp programs. The Disciples were willing to give up their camp lease, and come to Emmanuel Pines for our June week of camp. We will continue the similar age-level groups at camp. And we worked on various arenas of concern and creativity:
Financial management and registration will be taken on by the Disciples regional office.
Storing of camp equipment was brought back “in house” to the Conference Center to minimize storage costs in Prescott.
We are building on the unique strengths each denomination brings from its camping program, and using the new merger as a time to make changes to old structures.
We spent a great deal of time developing a new concept of youth leadership development we hope will continue throughout the year: The Youth Leadership Team. At camp, the YLTs will be made up of high school youth wanting to develop using three different paths: 1. Activity Leaders (similar to Program Staff – the high-energy, up-front leading of large camper groups), 2. The Peer Leaders (similar to the Disciples Youth Council, who were leaders among their high school peers and helped lead the family group discussions and one-to-one camp morale-builders), and 3. The Camper Leaders (similar to the Counselors in training – that live in the rooms with the younger ages and are teamed with the adult counselors with group leadership, one to one nurturing of the younger kids, etc.) Each of these types of leaders use different skills and aptitudes. We intend to introduce intentional leadership training for all of these roles at camp, and we hope the YLT will eventually offer leadership throughout the year, and continue to develop their own spiritual leadership skills.
OTHER TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN 2018:
A group of 19 youth and adult chaperones from the Good Shepherd-Sahuarita, First Church-Albuquerque, Desert Palm UCC-Tempe, Black Mountain UCC-Scottsdale, and Church of the Beatitudes-Phoenix went to Washington D.C. to join the youth-led “March for our Lives” Rally. It was a powerful experience of solidarity and giving witness in a national setting.
Four youth from Desert Palm and Black Mountain went with chaperones, Bill Lyons and Rebecca Glenn to the Western Regional Youth Event in Hawai’i. It was a week of spending time in worship, service and workshops (with a little sand, sun, and surf thrown in!) with other youth from across the Western Region of the UCC.
We have plans and goals during 2019-20, with Jay’s leadership, to develop more opportunities for our youth to gather, learn, experience, travel beyond comfort zones, be stretched and put faith into practice!
Rev. Dr. Barbara Doerrer-Peacock
Associate Conference Minister

Youth & Outdoor Ministry | Continued

Widening the Welcome
Team Ministry Report

The Widening the Welcome Team Ministry is responsible for encouraging Southwest Conference churches to participate in the UCC A2A and W.I.S.E. programs. “A2A” stands for “Accessible to All”. A2A refers to congregations that have completed the Accessible to All process to make a commitment to be physically and attitudinally welcoming of people with disabilities. The A2A process defined by the A2A resource “Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body” is completed by completing the check list in the back of the A2A resource and sending this checklist to UCC Disabilities Ministries. The first step to becoming A2A is completing a Church Accessibility Audit. the last step is to complete the A2A Checklist both available on line. uccdm.org
The Widening the Welcome Team Ministry has conducted four workshops to study the A2A to prepare our members to conduct a Church Accessibility Audit in their local congregations. The Widening the Welcome Team Ministry has been a resource for four congregations. lWe are aware of one congregation that has convened a task force to explore requirements for joining the A2A program. The Desert Palm Tempe UCC conducted a thorough Church Accessibility Audit.
The 2015 General Synod adopted the resolution: Developing Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged Congregations (W.I.S.E). for Mental Health. See uccdm.org for a copy of the resolution. Research shows that one in four Americans experience some form of mental illness in a given year. Many people living with mental illness are shunned, feared and discriminated against. As a result, many people with these illnesses don’t seek treatment and they don’t share their stories with others. Consequently, they are not included in the network of care our congregations normally extend to a member who is ill.
After conducting five workshops to educate us about the W.I.S.E. program we co-hosted with the Desert Palm Tempe UCC a conference call with Dr. Sarah Griffith Lund, who coordinates the UCC’s national accessibility ministries. Taken from the Desert Palm BREEZE electronic newsletter, “Sarah’s memoir, Blessed Are the Crazy, iluminates the need for the church to talk more openly about mental health and mental illness. In addition to reading Sarah’s book, our members and friends interested in our Widening the Welcome ministry will be forming a committee to help Desert Palm become a “WISE” (welcoming, inclusive, supportive and engaging) congregation, which involves becoming more open and informed regarding mental health issues and resources.” We appreciated the opportunity to conduct a workshop at the 2018 Southwest Conference Annual Meeting. People directly involved in A2A and W.I.S.E. projects with their congregations made the presentations.
Submitted by
Debe Knaack and Robert Koth, Co-Facilitators

Taos UCC: Proposed
New Church Member

Thank you again to the Southwest Conference of the UCC for your generous grant of $20,000 per year, and for your prayers, your wise counsel, and your support. We are grateful.
We have been meeting weekly now since March at SOMOS bookstore in downtown Taos. The bookstore has worked out well, but we are gradually outgrowing the space and we are starting to look for a place to rent and additional money to pay rent. Our rent at SOMOS is $135 a month so we will be sorry to see that go.
We are averaging in worship 30-35 people a week. Our Partnership List (membership) is now at 36, and we have 23 pledging households, for a total of $35,520 in pledges for the 7/1/18—6/30/19 fiscal year.
In addition to our Sunday services, we host different Wednesday evening groups which vary from 8—18 people depending on the topic. Our next study group will be on White Privilege & White Fragility, using the book, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism, by Robin Diangelo.
We launched Taos UCC with a 3-year plan for fundraising that would seek financial help from five sources: the SWC-UCC, the Pension Boards-UCC, a national UCC new church grant, help from a neighboring local church, and local fundraising and pledging. This year, in addition to our Pension Boards Grant and the SWC-UCC grant, we will be receiving a 2 to 1 matching grant from the National UCC New Church Start program for $30,000. This means they will fund us $2 for every $1 we raise locally over the next 18 months. It is still our hope and our intention to be locally self-supporting by the end of year three when these grants end.
Our commitment to earth justice has led us to partner with Interfaith Power & Light and local environmental groups on climate care issues. We are also involved in immigration justice issues in Taos, Taos PRIDE, and this year participated in the Poor People’s Campaign.
Our commitment to immigration justice led us to declare ourselves a Sanctuary Church at our founding meeting. Our church leadership is exploring with local immigration leaders the ways we can live into that commitment. We are also now officially an Open & Affirming Church, and we remain committed to inclusive language in our worship and diverse leadership in our community.
Our latest adventure in social justice led us to create a Taos Medical Debt Relief Program with Holy Cross Hospital and two other churches. Our $500 donation from Taos UCC, combined with similar amounts from two other churches, allowed us to purchase and forgive over $80,000 of uncollectible medical debt for our neighbors in Taos, NM. Ninety people received letters just before Christmas that their medical debt to Holy Cross had been purchased and cancelled by Taos UCC, First Presbyterian, and the Taos Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
We were able to purchase and forgive so much medical debt because we bought it from Holy Cross Hospital at three cents on the dollar. This is comparable to what the hospital would receive from medical debt collection agents. The few thank-you letters we’ve received so far have been a moving reminder of how broken our healthcare system is in the United States. The opportunity to collaborate with the other two churches was a joyful reminder that even friends across the political and spiritual spectrum can still find ways to collaborate, and ways we agree we are called to live our faith.
Thank you for your support, your visits, your guidance, and your prayers. Your strong support has been essential to the birth and growth of Taos UCC.
Peace & All Good,
Rev. Pamela Shepherd

Beatitudes Campus:
Proposed Faith Community

This has been another banner year for Beatitudes Campus and our ministry in the Southwest. We have never ceased growing in our 55 year history and this year is no exception. A major milestone occurred as we broke ground on a 250 million dollar expansion which will, when completed, make us the largest single-site community in Arizona. We are proud that our UCC heritage is alive as the only open and inclusive senior living community in the Valley. We march in Pride Parades, host the Central Phoenix PFLAG meeting and soon hope to have all 450 employees trained with the skills necessary to serve our LGBTQ family.
Another exciting milestone was the UCC’s Council on Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) consecration of our 5th Diaconal Minister, Jessica Meyer – a lifelong UCC’er. Not only is our CEO, Michelle Just, a member of CHHSM’s board, but our former CEO, Peggy Mullan, continues to help facilitate the Nolau Institute strengthening CHHSM member leaders throughout the country.
We cherish our many UCC residents who gather together monthly as the UCC Lunch Bunch. The numerous UCC clergy living here further enrich the lives of our community as leaders who refuse to retire from a life of making our communities and world better for all. We celebrate such residents as our founder, Rev. Dr. Bill Nelson, former CEO, Rev. Dr. Ken Buckwald and, of course, the endlessly gifted Rev. Dr Dosia Carlson.
The announcement of our expansion is huge, but we think we have an even bigger celebration. We are proud to announce that in May, the Southwest Conference’s very own The Rev. Dr. Leroy Calbom will be awarded the Volunteer of the Year by LeadingAge Arizona – the local chapter of the national organization of communities like ours. Believing that as a community we have a responsibility to the larger community, a team of residents set out to research what our Beatitudes Community could do to lift us all to a higher level together. Surprisingly, they discovered a large, hidden community of refugees from Burma and Bhutan only blocks away from us. Most were seniors themselves and struggling to learn English with a deadline coming to do so or be returned to their countries and face certain death or imprisonment. With Leroy’s leadership, we are in our 5th year of offering English Language Assistance (ELA) classes to these remarkable brothers and sisters.
In closing, and on a personal note, I am proud to have served in the Southwest Conference for all 27 years of my ministry. From the churches I have served to Beatitudes Campus today, I have only ever been part of a gathering of people who were willing to move beyond themselves and touch the lives of others in a way that presences God’s love like words never can. Almost every one of our 450 employees would describe their work as ministry.
If you ever want to see an amazing example of the Church at work, come by and take a walk through one of the most vibrant and loving communities to be found. We look forward to continuing our long history of ministry and service with the Southwest Conference as we join the new formation of relationships as Community Member.
Respectfully Submitted also on behalf of Michelle Just, President and CEO,
Rev. David W. Ragan, Sr. Vice President of Resident Services

Journey: Proposed
Faith Community

Dear Southwest Conference,
Thank you and the Rev. Dr. William Lyons for visiting us twice and giving us guidance as we form our new community.
Since September of 2015, Journey UCC has gathered once a month to provide a place for progressive Christians to support each other in Cochise County Arizona. Attendance ranges from 7 to 14 people. Lately we have averaged 12. While our focus is Christian, attendees come from multiple faith traditions (UCC, Lutheran, Unitarian Universalist, Baha’i) and convene to bring a Christian perspective to current events. Also at each meeting we raise money for a cause that may be overlooked in our area and conclude with a postmodern worship and communion circle.
Though our numbers are few, we believe we make an important impact our wider area. When we participate in the Bisbee Pride Parade each June, we join with only two other religious institutions from the entire county. Our banner has provoked cries of joy from onlookers astonished that one can be Christian and still welcome LGBTQ sisters and brothers.
Our donations have brought financial support to underserved populations in Sierra Vista and beyond. We gave grocery store gift cards to bus drivers and cafeteria workers who would not receive pay for the time school shut down during the Red for Ed protests. We have supported several Southwest Conference activities including the March for our Lives in March of 2018 and the trans-inclusive clothing boutique hosted by Rebel and Divine, Phoenix.
We are working to educate and amplify our voice for justice by participating in border consciousness raising activities. This past August several of us attended the Faithful Witness at the Border gathering organized by the Southwest Conference and hosted by Good Shepherd UCC of Sahuarita. We have memorialized those who have died crossing the border in Cochise County by planting crosses with the School Sisters of Notre Dame and reading names at Tuesday evening vigils in Douglas. Recently, we voted to support a migrant shelter being run by a church in Tucson.
In the words of Karl Hallsten, one of our most active members, our “circle represents a highly participative community and it remains open to all who will come. It is a joyous, celebrating community on a journey together to live out progressive, Christian values.”
Submitted by,
Rev. Tina Squire

Nominating Committee:
Slate of Nominees

CLASS	CONTINUING MEMBER		NOMINEE		ASSN		CHURCH		CITY
MODERATOR
2020	John Leung				NAZ		First Congregational	Flagstaff
MODERATOR-ELECT
2021			Rev. Rock Fremont				Shepherd of the Hills	Phoenix
TREASURER
2020	Cynthia VerDuin				SAZ		Casas Adobes	Tucson
SECRETARY
2021			Rev. Michael-Ann Veziroglu		CAZ		Desert Palm	Tempe
EXECUTIVE BOARD (At-Large)
2020	Kyle Koch				SAZ		Oro Valley UCC	Oro Valley
	Rev. Sarah TevisTownes				NM/EP		Church of the Good Shepherd	Albuquerque
2021			Rev. Donna Cavedon++		NM/EP		First Christian Church	Las Cruces
			Rev. Carol Reynolds		CAZ		Scottsdale Cong. UCC	Scottsdale
			Rebecca McElfresh		SAZ		Good Shepherd UCC	Sahuarita
GENERAL SYNOD
2019	Scott Rowe				CAZ		Shadow Rock	Phoenix
	Rev. Pamela Shepherd				NNM		Taos UCC	Taos
2021			Carson Hawks		CAZ		First Church UCC	Phoenix
			Cydne Bolton		SAZ		Rincon Cong. UCC	Tucson
			Nathan Watts				First Congregational UCC	Flagstaff
COMMITTEE ON CHURCH AND MINISTRY- Section A
2020	Rev. David Buss++				SAZ		Rincon Cong. UCC	Tucson
	Christine Sternberg				SAZ		Casas Adobes UCC	Tucson
	Rev. Gail Joralemon				NNM		First Congregational	Albuquerque
	Rev. Jay Wilcher				NAZ		First Congregational UCC	Prescott
2021	Rev. Brady Abel				CAZ		United Church of Sun City	Sun City
	Rev. Jim Alexander				CAZ		Church of the Palms	Sun City
	Rev. Derrick Elliot				CAZ		Desert Heritage	Phoenix
	Rev. Lynn Brightman				SNM/EP		Peace UCC	El Paso
2022			Martha Phillips		NNM		First Congregational	Albuquerque
			Lorraine Young		NAZ		First Congregational	Flagstaff
			Mary Martin		SAZ		Good Shepherd	Sahuarita
			[vacant]
KEY:		* indicates a nominee who is filling an unexpired term				++ = second term
		ASSN = Association - This indicates where the person lives geographically in the SW Conference:
		NAZ - Northern Arizona		SAZ - Southern Arizona
		NNM-Northern New Mexico		CAZ - Central Arizona
		NM/EP - New Mexico and/or El Paso

Nominating Slate | Continued

COMMITTEE ON CHURCH AND MINISTRY- Section B
2020	Joyce Schneider				CAZ		Shadow Rock	Phoenix
	Brendan Mahoney				CAZ		First Congregational	Phoenix
			Harry Strong*		NAZ		First Congregational	Prescott
2021	Rev. Sharon Littrell				NNM		First Congregational	Albuquerque
	Nora Roberts				SNM/EP		Peace UCC	El Paso
	Susan Stevens Whitney				SAZ		Casas Adobes	Tucson
2022			Elizabeth Wright		SAZ		Good Shepherd	Sahuarita
			Rev. Jim Cunningham		CAZ		First Church	Phoenix
			Natalie Brummer		NAZ		First Congregational	Prescott
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
2020			Tina Campbell*		CAZ		Church of the Palms	Sun City
	Rev. Jim Meadows				CAZ		Church of the Beatitudes	Phoenix
	Stanley Roberts				SNM/EP		Peace UCC	El Paso
2021			Patty Lantrip		NAZ		First Congregational	Prescott
			Rev. John Angiulo		SAZ		Casas Adobes	Tucson
			Julie Parmenter		NNM		Taos UCC	Taos
PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
2020	Ron Schilling++				CAZ		Scottsdale Congregational	Scottsdale
2021	Janet Leung				NAZ		First Congregational UCC	Flagstaff
	Rev. Randy Mayer				SAZ		The Good Shepherd	Sahuarita
2022			Charity Gleason-Davis		CAZ		Beatitudes	Phoenix
ENDOWEMENT COMMITTEE
2020	Holly Herman+				CAZ		Desert Palm UCC	Tempe
2021	Rev. Gloria Smith+				CAZ		Encanto Community Church	Phoenix
	Scott Greenwood+				CAZ		Comm. Church of the Valley	Scottsdale
2022			Rev. George Ault+		NAZ		Church of the Red Rocks	Sedona
KEY:		* indicates a nominee who is filling an unexpired term				++ = second term
		ASSN = Association - This indicates where the person lives geographically in the SW Conference:
		NAZ - Northern Arizona		SAZ - Southern Arizona
		NNM-Northern New Mexico		CAZ - Central Arizona
		NM/EP - New Mexico and/or El Paso

Proposed Conference
Bylaw Amendment

2019 Board Recommended Conference Bylaw Amendment
Current Southwest Conference UCC Bylaws do not facilitate the application of SWC Travel Pool assistance for use by local church representatives who are required to participate at the Southwest Conference Mission and Church Vitality Committee Meetings. On November 15th, 2018 the Southwest Conference Executive Board enacted the following Bylaw amendment pending ratification at the next duly scheduled meeting of the Conference. The proposed amendment addresses lines 406-407 and reads as follows:
In accordance with our bylaws amendment procedure, a vote to ratify the enacted amendment will be held on Saturday April 6th in Phoenix, Arizona at First Church UCC. A 2/3 vote of the delegates of the meeting is required to ratify the amendment. Discussion and further business regarding the amendment will be held in accord with the Conference meeting Standing Rules.
Copies of the proposed bylaw amendment as well as Southwest Conference Bylaws with full markup and current Conference Travel Pool Policy are available on the Southwest Conference Annual Meeting webpage at http://www.swcucc.org/conference-office-blog/2019/3/18/proposed-bylaw-amendments-to-be-voted-on-at-annual-meeting-2019

398 / 399 / 400 / 401 / 402 / 403 / 404 / 405 / 406 / 407	C. Composition/Membership / 1. The MCVC shall be composed of one (1) delegate from every church with / standing in the Conference. The MCVC will also include the elected officers of / the Conference, and will be chaired by the Conference Moderator. Anyone / serving as a Conference representative to any of the National Bodies of the United / Church of Christ shall also be a member of the MCVC. Called staff of the / Conference will be granted voice without vote at all meetings of the MCVC. Each / local church bears responsibility for any expense incurred by its elected delegate / to attend the meetings of the MCVC; travel pool assistance may be made available / to congregations more than 150 miles from the meeting site.

Projected Church Giving
2019-2010

Church	ID Number	Basic Support	Per Capita	Travel Pool	SW Mission Fund	Sow the Seed
Beatitudes Campus		$ 5,000
Black Mountain UCC	800157
Casas Adobes Congregational	800220
Church of the Beatitudes UCC	800110	$ 4,000	$ 3,300.00
Church of the Good Shepherd	800270	$ 14,221	$ 1,700.00	$ 170.00
Church of the Painted Hills	800223	$ 4,500	$ 620.00
Church of the Palms	800185	$ 15,610	$ 2,390.00
Community Congregational UCC Tombstone	800210	$ 300	$ 125.00		$ 150.00
Congregational Church of the Valley	800158	$ 1,500	$ 560.00
Desert Garden UCC	800193		$ 2,100.00	$ 210.00
Desert Heritage	800050	$ 500	$ 710.00	$ 71.00	$ 179.00	$ 480.00
Desert Palm UCC	800205	$ 20,000	$ 2,270.00	$ 227.00	$ 1,200.00	$ 2,500.00
EFKAS	801000	$ 100	$ 170.00	$ 50.00	$ 50.00	$ 50.00
Encanto Community Church UCC	800080
First Christian Church Las Cruces	800308	$ 1,050	$ 310.00	$ 31.00
First Church Phoenix	800090	$ 15,000	$ 2,540.00	$ 254.00
First Congregational Albuquerque	800260	$ 9,000	$ 2,000.00	$ 300.00
First Congregational Flagstaff	800030	$ 1,155	$ 500.00	$ 50.00
First Congregational Prescott	800150	$ 3,950	$ 1,160.00	$ 116.00
First Samoan CCC in AZ	800130
Iglesia Congregacional La Trinidad	800330
Marshallese Ministry in Tucson	800245
Oro Valley UCC	800070	$ 371	$ 54.17
Peace UCC	800335	$ 1,230	$ 220.00	$ 22.00
Rebel and Divine	800095
Revolution UCC	800325
Rincon Congregational UCC	800240	$ 17,500	$ 2,790.00	$ 500.00	$ 1,000.00	$ 500.00
Scottsdale Congregational UCC	800160	$ 13,712	$ 1,000.00		$ 2,410.00
Shadow Rock UCC	800115
Shepherd of the Hills Congregational UCC	800120	$ 10,000	$ 2,040.00	$ 204.00	$ 300.00	$ 200.00
Sierra Vista Community UCC	800180		$ 630.00	$ 63.00
St Paul's UCC	800315	$ 2,300	$ 500.00
Sun Lakes UCC	800195	$ 3,000	$ 860.00	$ 86.00	$ 300.00
Taos UCC	801005	$ 780	$ 320.00	$ 32.00
The Church of the Red Rocks	800170	$ 15,000	$ 3,600.00	$ 360.00
The Good Shepherd UCC	800035	$ 26,000	$ 2,950.00	$ 295.00
United Church of Angel Fire	800290
United Church of Los Alamos	800310
United Church of Santa Fe	800318	$ 5,000	$ 2,720.00	$ 272.00
United Church of Sun City	800190	$ 12,504	$ 2,472.00	$ 276.00
United Churches Fellowship	800060
West Congregational UCC	800140	$ 600	$ 390.00	$ 39.00	$ 25.00	$ 25.00
Yuma UCC	800400	$ 1,210	$ 150.00	$ 15.00	$ 25.00	$ 25.00

*Figures received from church Annual Reporting Forms as of 4/1/2019

Communication &
Information

Annual Meeting materials and information are available on the Southwest Conference website. Stay up-to date by visiting http://www.swcucc.org/2019-annual-meeting/
Whether you’re a seasoned Twitter user or are brand new to social media, you can follow and contribute to the conversation about (and during) the Annual Meeting!
Follow the Southwest Conference social media accounts and join the conversations:
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The hashtags are #SWCUCC19 #onlyintheSWC #lovemySWCUCC
Tag the Southwest Conference in your photos at the events: @swcucc on all platforms.
If you are new to live-tweeting a conference, check out these helpful articles:
5 Things You Need to Know to Successfully Live-Tweet an Event
How to Tweet Your Way Through a Conference
Conference Leadership
Do you have a passion for serving in the conference or interested in knowing more about our committees and boards? Visit the Southwest Conference committee’s web page to learn more, and click the link below to indicate your interest in volunteering for a SWC committee.
VOLUNTEER NOW
SWC Annual Meeting 2019 Evaluation
Take a moment to tell us about your experience at the 2019 SWC Annual Meeting in Tucson, Arizona. Fill out this form online by visiting the SWC website Annual Meeting Page or clicking the link here
EVALUATION FORM

In Appreciation
and Recognition

SWC Officers 2018-2019
Nancy Ackley, Moderator, Good Shepherd UCC, Sahuarita, AZ
John Leung, Moderator Elect, First Congregational Flagstaff, Flagstaff, AZ
Cynthia VerDuin, Casas Adobes Congregational Church, Tucson, AZ
Karen Richter, Secretary, Shadow Rock UCC, Phoenix, AZ
The Southwest Conference, United Church of Christ, expresses it grateful appreciation to the officers named above and also to…
The Local Planning Team: James Pennington (Pastor, First Church UCC), Susan Valiquette (Local Arrangements & Associate Pastor, First Church UCC), Charity Gleason-Davis (Local Facility Arrangements), First Church UCC Volunteers, custodians, singers & band members, poster makers, ushers, coordinators, table and chair setter-uppers and tear-downers, and go-fers that make the Annual Meeting run smoothly.
Additional volunteers: Scottsdale Congregational Church for hosting guests at the Sacred Grounds jazz event, Beatitudes Campus for hosting the Friday Banquet, Church of the Palm members who volunteered to drive our transit vans, and the Tucson Marshallese Choir for singing at the Saturday worship.
Rev. Len Silvester, New Delegate Orientation Facilitator
Brendan Mahoney, Parliamentarian
All the nominees who have graciously agreed to serve the SWC in the coming years
All the presenters - thank you, thank you!
Our SPECIAL GUEST Speakers: Rev. Courtney Stange-Tregear, Rev. Rhina Ramos, Rev. Marjorie Wilkes Matthews, Rev. Matthew Mardis-Lecroy, Rev. Jerold Garber, Rev Christine Ng, Rev. Timothy Hogan-Palazzo
Our guests from UCC national settings, Insurance Board , Church Building & Loan, Arizona Faith Network, Arizona Interfaith Power & Light, Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation, Widening the Welcome, Disaster Ministries, and our ministry partners from across the southern border.
Our guests from UCC national settings, Insurance Board , Church Building & Loan, Arizona Faith Network, Arizona Interfaith Power & Light, Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation, , Widening the Welcome, Disaster Ministries, and our ministry partners from across the southern border.
All of YOU who attended the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference.
Without you there is no Conference!
Sincere apologies to anyone inadvertently missed.
Your contributions are greatly appreciated.
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!

Scholarship Request for Travel
to the SWC Annual Meeting
Name: _________________________________________________
Church: _________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________ email: _____________________
_____ _ I would like to apply for a mileage travel scholarship at the rate
of $.14 per mile up to a maximum of $225. I drove _______
miles.
OR
______ I flew to Annual Meeting and would like to apply for a travel
scholarship to offset my plane fare up to $225. My ticket
receipt is attached and totaled ______________.
Conference Delegates and eligible* Clergy with Standing may apply for travel reimbursement of up to $225 (*Pastors who have travel reimbursement in their Call Agreement are not eligible to apply for Conference travel reimbursement).
Submit this form plus any required receipts to:
Southwest Conference UCC 917 E. Sheridan St, Phoenix, AZ 85006
or email Rev. Liana Rowe at lrowe@uccswc.org

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