You’re invited to

Kobie’s

Ordination as a Minster of

Word and Sacrament

Sunday, February 12

3 pm

Wilshire Presbyterian Church

300 S. Western Ave (at 3^rd St)

LA, CA   90020

Arrive early for parking

A Feature Length Documentary by David Weissman

“Of all the cinematic explorations of the AIDS crisis, not one is more heartbreaking and inspiring than WE WERE HERE… The humility, wisdom and cumulative sorrow expressed lend the film a glow of spirituality and infuse it with grace.”

Join us for a special screening of this important story:

Wednesday, February 8th at 7:00 pm

Congregation Kol Ami

1200 N. La Brea Avenue

West Hollywood, CA

Admission is free

We Were Here is the first documentary to take a deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco. It explores how the City’s inhabitants were affected by, and how they responded to, that calamitous epidemic.

Brought to you by:

Kol Ami  ~  IKAR  ~  MCC/LA  ~  BCC  ~  WHPC

God’s Covenant of Love

In The Baptism of Elle Lyric Marvan &

our Blessing of Kobie as she

concludes her ministry with us.

Sunday, January 8 is Kobie’s last Sunday with us.

While we will miss her greatly, we rejoice that she has been called to be the pastor of Wilshire Presbyterian Church.

Her last Sunday with us will be January 8. Kobie will be preaching that Sunday as well. Then, following worship we will have a reception to thank her for her four years with us and to say goodbye.

Christmas EVE  –  8 pm

Candle light service

Traditional Music                                                                                                         Carols

We will have “homework” assignments and then come together to discuss how each of us made sense of the particular stories. Once again, we will function as a type of book Club – we’ll do snacks and coffee, etc.

All are welcome! Free Morning Java!

B-I-N-G-O!

THIS Sun. Dec. 11@ 7pm is our Christmas Fundraiser -

Legendary BINGO at Hamburger Mary’s!

Please invite friends and post on your FB page!

Table reservations are strongly recommended for groups of 8 or more.

Last year was a sell-out crowd!

If you want to be part of a church group, sign up with Shiraz Bhathena

WHPC has adopted some kids for the Holiday Toy Drive from Southern California Foster Family Adoption Agency (SCFFAA).

If you would like to help out with putting a smile on a child’s face, see Michael Hargrove.  He has the list of kids.  Our final collection will be Sunday, December 4th.

Gracious Dismissal Policy

Approved by Presbytery January 29, 2011

Refined by GMC April 4, 2011

Gracious Dismissal Policy Outline

D.1      Introduction

The 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (USA) urged that presbyteries and synods develop and make available to lower governing bodies and local congregations a process that exercises the responsibility and power “to divide, dismiss, or dissolve churches in consultation with their members” (Book of Order, G-11.0103i) with consistency, pastoral responsibility, accountability, gracious witness, openness, and transparency. Believing that trying to exercise this responsibility and power through litigation is deadly to the cause of Christ, impacting the local church, other parts of the Body of Christ and ecumenical relationships, and our witness to Christ in the world around us, it urges congregations considering leaving the denomination, presbyteries and synods to implement a process using the following principles:

Consistency: The local authority delegated to presbyteries is guided and shaped by our shared faith, service, and witness to Jesus Christ.

Pastoral Responsibility: The requirement in G-11.0103i to consult with the members of a church seeking dismissal highlights the Presbytery’s pastoral responsibility, which must not be submerged beneath other responsibilities.

Accountability: For a governing body, accountability rightly dictates fiduciary and connectional concerns, raising general issues of property (G-8.0000) and specific issues of schism within a congregation (G-8.0600). But, full accountability also requires preeminent concern with “caring for the flock.”

Gracious Witness: Scripture and the Holy Spirit require a gracious witness from us rather than a harsh legalism.

Openness and Transparency: Early, open communication and transparency about principles and process of dismissal necessarily serve truth, order, and goodness, and work against seeking civil litigation as a solution.

Commitment: The Presbytery encourages every congregation and every member to stay and renew this denomination.

Facts

° The Presbyterian Church (USA) is but one denomination within the Church (G-4.0101).

° All policies and decisions of a presbytery are subject to the authority of higher governing bodies, including the collected wisdom of the denomination as codified in the Book of Order (G-1.0400).

° Our constitution states that all church property is held in trust for “the use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church (USA)” (G-8.0201).

° A congregation must have written permission from the Presbytery before it 1) sells or encumbers any of its property, 2) leases any property for the purposes of worship, or 3) leases any property for more than 5 years (G-8.0500).

° Presbyteries have the express power (a technical term meaning they are the only ones who can take this action) to dismiss a congregation (G-11.0103i).

° Only a presbytery may dismiss a congregation (PCUS, 1976, pp. 92-99, Strong & Bagby v. Synod of Mid-South (No.1-1976)).

° Presbyteries have the authority under G-8.0000 and G-11.0103i to evaluate questions concerning church property in light of the particular circumstances presented in each instance and to exercise good judgment in accordance with Authoritative Interpretations of G-11.0103 made by the General Assembly in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

° It is the duty of every church member to follow the biblical model of conciliation and mediation rather than judicial proceedings (D-1.0103 – which says “unless after prayerful deliberation they are determined to be necessary to preserve the purity and purposes of the church”).

D.2            Statement of Values of the Presbytery of the Pacific

A. Commitment to the ministry of churches and acknowledging good will of parties in dispute:

The member churches of the Presbytery of the Pacific seek to uphold one another, respect each other’s integrity, affirm freedom of conscience, even as we acknowledge significant differences in our views on what the Bible teaches about a number of issues. We desire to encourage peace and unity while minimizing confrontation between and among our congregations and members as we seek together to find and represent the will of Christ. In all that we do, it is our prayer to strive to be a church modeled on the body of Christ, a church made up of many different parts, all of which are necessary for its mission to the world, for its building up, and for its service to God and on our organic spiritual unity found in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

In order to achieve the goals of servanthood, encouragement and support, the Presbytery has historically seen its role as being a resource. The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), (G-11.0103), challenges the Presbytery to order all resources for the mission and government of the church throughout its geographical district. It therefore has the responsibility and power to develop strategy for the mission of the church in its area consistent with (G-3.0000) and to coordinate the work of its member churches, guiding us and mobilizing our strength for the most effective witness to the broader community for which it has responsibility. As a result, the Presbytery has an abiding interest in the location and facilities of the member churches as an expression of the mission of the Presbytery.

B. Specific exposition of what “Held in trust” means to this Presbytery:

According to the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

All property held by or for a particular church, a presbytery, a synod, the General Assembly, or the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), whether legal title is lodged in a corporation, a trustee or trustees, or an unincorporated association, and whether the property is used in programs of a particular church or of a more inclusive governing body or retained for the production of income, is held in trust nevertheless for the use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). (G-8.0201)

The Trust Clause is meant to reflect the church’s organic unity as it fulfills the Great Ends of the Church, strengthening its ability to guide its member churches into their witness to the broader community. “The unity of the Church is a gift of its Lord and finds expression in its faithfulness to the mission to which Christ calls it.” (G-4.0200) As Presbyterians, we believe our unity, our true connectionalism, comes from Christ, our Chief Cornerstone and that our unity in Christ serves as an essential basis for evangelism. (John 17:20-23) It is our prayer that we would all be one in Christ, just as Christ and the Father are one. Because the trust clause is meant as a means of witness to our unity in the covenant of common mission, it is incumbent upon the Presbytery to exercise forbearance, not coercion, to act ministerially rather than adversarially to its member churches in regard to its provisions. It is also the right of a congregation to seek and to request dismissal with its property ordinarily to another reformed denomination.

Scripture calls us to seek in all humility to resolve our disagreements and avoid the harm that is done to the Gospel and Christ’s body when Christians resort to civil litigation rather than love for neighbor. We affirm these principles that will guide the Presbytery’s use of the Trust Clause:

° It will not be used to bind churches to the institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) if a church genuinely desires to depart.

° While a congregation is participating within the process of Gracious Dismissal with the Presbytery of the Pacific, the Trust Clause will not be used to threaten civil action against a congregation over issues of conscience. (G-1.0300)

° It reflects a tangible exhibition of the inter-connected relationship organically existing between the Presbytery and its congregations.

C. Commitment to dialogue and openness without the threat of punishment

The goal of this Presbytery will always be reconciliation and continued engagement in relationship for all congregations within the Presbytery without the threat of isolation, estrangement or blame. The Presbytery is to be a servant to the churches God has entrusted to it, encouraging and supporting them toward becoming healthy, growing, congregations. This is especially true for those congregations for whom the bonds of unity are stretched and ecclesiastical connections frayed over issues of conscience to the point of considering disaffiliation.

1 John 4:18 states “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

The Presbytery’s commitment to this passage in how its members dialogue with each other means that it is committed to engage either the leaders of the congregation or the congregation as a whole, as circumstances dictate, without threat of punishment. The Presbytery encourages congregations wrestling with these issues to share their concerns with Presbytery leadership and know that the response will not be hostile, but instead one of prayerful dialogue and a commitment to act in love and in the best interest of that congregation.

D.3      Outline of Process for Engagement with the Presbytery

A. Initial Contact and Dialogue

When the leadership of the Presbytery becomes aware, either through formal session action or discussion, or through informal contacts with church leaders or members, that a congregation is in serious disagreement with the denomination to the extent of considering leaving the PC(USA), a Presbytery Engagement Team (PET) will be formed by the GMC. The PET will meet with the session and jointly, or subsequently, with the congregation as a whole, as the church tries to discern God’s will for denominational affiliation. This process is meant to insure that the congregation is fully informed about the issues at hand and equipped with knowledge of this Presbytery’s process, as well as the processes and values that have guided other churches and presbyteries in their decision making. In doing so, the Presbytery hopes to creatively engage the concerns of the congregation, and enable them to make decisions based on facts and not assumptions, which could cause sub-optimal decisions to be made.

B. Prayerful discussion of differences and determination of possibility of reconciliation

The PET will attempt to “bridge the gap” with the congregation through discussion of possibilities for reconciliation and likely impacts in the case where dismissal is the course decided upon. The PET will outline the process and likely consequences of the congregation requesting dismissal from the Presbytery, and will use the following principles to guide the PET’s dialogue with the church:

° To engage either the leaders of the congregation or the congregation as a whole, as circumstances dictate, in a time of prayer and conversation aimed at understanding the issues of the session/congregation that desire that their congregation be dismissed, and also to hear from those congregation members who wish to remain within the PC(USA).

° If the team determines that progress can be made toward reconciliation through continued and constructive dialogue, the session and the team will establish a mutually agreeable time-line of talks to be held and proceed to engage in such dialogue.

° In its dialogue with the church session and/or congregation, the team will share implications for a church considering leaving the PC(USA). The PET will discuss with all minister members the likely impacts on their benefits and ordination status of the various options available to them, so they fully understand the implications of their transfer to another body, or staying as a member of the Presbytery.

° The best goal of presbytery team conversations with congregations when there is a group that desires to remain within the PC(USA) and a group that desires to be dismissed, is to discuss financial, property and other issues that will enable members of both congregations or groups to be as healthy as possible in the aftermath of separation.

If after a reasonable period of dialogue, with the duration to be determined by the GMC, the PET and the leadership of the congregation are not able to establish a process for reconciliation, the PET and the leaders of the congregation will begin the process of negotiation of the terms of dismissal, and the validation of the true desire of the members of the congregation with regards to denominational affiliation.

C. Covenantal Process

As a primary means for settling disputes, the Presbytery covenants with its members and congregations to settle property disagreements relationally, rather than through judicial proceedings in the courts of the church, or by initiating settlement in civil court, which violates I Corinthians 6:1-11. In furtherance of this goal, both the Presbytery and the congregation covenant together to:

a. refuse the temptation to love church property and assets too much. These are important ministry tools, but they are not the most important aspect of our ministry.

b. be open, honest, and transparent, speaking the truth in love;

c. exercise pastoral oversight in the spirit of I Peter 5:1-5, “…shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God…. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another….”;

d. work pastorally with any pastor, session or congregation that seeks dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA);

e. not take any preemptive action against the Presbytery, any pastor, session or congregation who considers faithfully following the Great Ends of the Church (G-1.0200) in another fellowship;

f. interpret “use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church (USA)” in G-8.0201 to mean solely whatever furthers the Great Ends of the Church (G-1.0200);

g. interpret its express power “to coordinate the work of its member churches, guiding them and mobilizing their strength for the most effective witness to the broader community for which it has responsibility” (G-11.0103b) to allow that in some cases, after careful and prayerful consideration, a congregation, with its property and any financial assets, may be dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA) without penalty.

Holding these covenants in mind, this does not abrogate provisions for judicial proceedings described in D-2.0000 and following, should those be determined to be necessary after prayerful deliberation by the Presbytery.

D.4      Process for a congregation to request dismissal

A. Negotiation of terms of dismissal

The dismissal of a church from the Presbytery may be a traumatic event in the life of the congregation and the Presbytery. The actions of the Presbytery are truly focused on both the preservation and the advancement of ministry even after a congregation is dismissed. The negotiation between the Presbytery and the particular church should reflect this understanding of joint ministry.  The PET will engage with a special committee of the congregation (SCC) to negotiate the terms of dismissal. The Presbytery strongly recommends that the congregation’s special committee be comprised of a mixture of pastoral leadership and elders, with representatives from the congregation’s finance, property, and personnel committees, and should be selected with a goal of being representative of the congregation. Every effort should be made to represent those desiring to remain with the PC(USA). This will better prepare the leadership of the church to converse with the PET and also avoid being disconnected with the broader congregation, so that any vote to request dismissal would not be divisive and lead to long term harm to the community of believers.

It is expected that once the process has reached this stage, the negotiations should be able to progress relatively quickly and be able to be completed within 60 days.

B. Terms for release

The following are the areas for negotiation between the Presbytery and the particular congregation:

Consistent with PC(USA) polity and General Assembly actions taken in Anderson v. Synod of Florida, and Strong & Bagby v. Synod of Mid-South, congregations seeking dismissal from the Presbytery may be dismissed with their property to another reformed body.

1. Policy for releasing claims to property

If a church seeking dismissal has outstanding loans to the Synod or other PC(USA) body, or loans which the Presbytery is somehow responsible for, before the actual transfer of title occurs, the loans must be paid back or transferred to another creditor as part of the loan being repaid. Since the church being dismissed will no longer be under the authority of PC(USA), the denomination body that holds the loan should not be placed in the position of being exposed to loss without having a position of oversight of the church, or having the Presbytery being able to act as a guarantor of the loan. This repayment does not have to made before the Presbytery acts on the request to dismiss, but must be made within 90 days of the Presbytery vote to dismiss. If the PET does not believe a viable plan for repayment exists, the PET shall recommend to the SCC that the process be put on hold before the congregational vote until a viable plan to repay the loan is established. Prior to the Presbytery voting on the dismissal, the SCC shall provide the PET details regarding to whom the church property shall be transferred, such that the appropriate legal documentation can be prepared. Such transfer should occur no later than 90 days of the vote taken by the Presbytery to dismiss.

2. Status of minister members of the Presbytery

If a church is dismissed by the Presbytery, one of the paramount concerns of this process is to assure that the rights and status of minister members are considered and properly handled. Ministers may choose to remain as members of the Presbytery and not transfer to the other body that the church is being dismissed to, or to request transfer along with the congregation. Such transfers may be requested concurrent with the church requesting dismissal, or may occur separately. If the transfer is not requested concurrently, the minister(s) shall be placed on inactive status. (G-11.0406c) This allows them to continue to seek calls within the PC(USA) during the period of inactive status, or request to become members at large if their call at the church ends. At the end of 3 years of inactive status, the COM will normally remove the member from the rolls of the Presbytery.  Transfers to another reformed body shall normally be approved, unless the minister member is the subject of a pending judicial or investigative action. Members under discipline of the Presbytery may not be transferred until the administrative process is complete and any required remedial actions completed. At that point the transfer may be completed, but a record of the Investigating Committee or Permanent Judicial Commission must be transmitted to the other body prior to the transfer being requested so proper disclosure of any issues can occur.

3. Status of members of the congregation being dismissed

After the  Presbytery votes to dismiss a congregation, members of the church being dismissed shall be notified by mail by the church, and the church shall inform them of the process available to them to have their membership transferred to another PC(USA) church. The church being dismissed must provide a list of members whose membership is not being transferred to the new body to the PET, so as to make sure they are invited to join another PC(USA) congregation. This list should be provided within 30 days of the vote by the Presbytery to dismiss the congregation. It is the responsibility of the Committee on Congregational Life and the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery to work with any members who choose not to be dismissed, to help them in the process of connecting to another Presbyterian church in the area or to possibly begin the process of establishing a new Presbyterian church. It is important that throughout the process that both the PET and SCC communicate well so that both the members who transfer out of PC(USA) and the members who remain are properly ministered to so that the level of divisiveness and conflict can be minimized, and that the ministry of both groups may continue.

Members of the church being dismissed who are on Presbytery committees shall have their terms of service end on the day the Presbytery votes to dismiss the congregation. The Presbytery welcomes former elder commissioners’ participation at Presbytery meetings as a way of continuing shared ministries and mission in the Presbytery of the Pacific, but such participation will be limited as visitors without voice or vote.

4. Mitigation of financial impact on mission and ministry of the Presbytery

Just as this process is designed to aid in the Presbytery’s ability to respectfully deal with the congregation’s desire to be dismissed, and to have that happen in a way that minimizes the impact on that congregation’s ministry, it is also important for the congregation to act in a way as to minimize the impact on the mission and ministry of the Presbytery.

Recognizing that the Presbytery’s ability to sustain ministry is related to its financial health, it is assumed that the congregation that is being dismissed would want to minimize the financial impact of its departure on the Presbytery. This comes in two forms: per capita giving and mission giving. The dismissal of the church shall not be conditioned on these payments being made, as they are intended to be voluntary contributions driven by this reciprocal concern for ministry.

Through the process of negotiation between the Presbytery and the congregation, the parties are encouraged to reach an agreement that will help lead to the health of both parties. An example could be seen in the following where the congregation agrees to a declining per capita and mission contribution over the span of 5 years so that the Presbytery can adequately adjust to a smaller base of per capita and mission contributions. The first year after the dismissal is granted, the contribution should be 80% of the last per capita payment the church made before its dismissal, followed by 60% the following year, followed by 40% the following year, followed by 20% the following year, and nothing in year 5. Per capita and mission contribution is not a requirement for dismissal, but rather a tangible partnership in the greater ministry of the larger church.

The congregation may want this contribution targeted at ministries that the congregation has previously supported. It may even be the case that the ministry integration is such that declining contributions would not be necessary and that the congregation may want to continue to support these ministries at the 100% level or more over a long period of time. This is completely consistent with the goal of remaining in fellowship and continuing to serve together even after the dismissal is complete, just as many PC(USA) churches work closely with non-PC(USA) churches on mission today.

C. Validation of Congregation’s desire and discernment to request dismissal

After the PET and the congregation’s SCC have met and negotiated the terms of dismissal, the next step in the process is to validate the congregation’s desire for dismissal, and to ascertain the congregation’s unity in that decision. That validation must be performed through a congregational vote.

While the quorum for congregational meetings is set by the Book of Order and by the bylaws of particular congregations, the PET should expect that at least 50% of the active members of the congregation be in attendance for a congregational meeting where the vote to accept the terms of the dismissal agreement are voted on, thereby voting to leave the PC(USA). This should be relatively easy for a smaller congregation, but impractical for a larger one, and the parties can negotiate a more practical number if 50% is deemed unreasonable. Public notice of such a called meeting of the congregation must be given at least 30 days in advance, and every action should be taken to maximize the participation of the congregation in this meeting. It is also expected that representatives of the PET would have an opportunity to address the congregation and be able to discuss specific issues that would enable the congregation to make an informed decision based on the facts of the situation and prayerful discernment. If the results of the vote to request dismissal and to accept the terms of the negotiated agreement is 75% or greater, the dismissal request is considered validated, and then will be scheduled for a vote at the next upcoming Presbytery meeting.

D. Process for the Presbytery to vote to dismiss a congregation

Once the congregation has voted to request dismissal from the Presbytery and accepted an agreement on terms of dismissal, the Presbytery will vote on accepting the terms of the negotiated agreement and the dismissal of the congregation. To do this and maintain the trust and integrity of the process, it is essential that the motion be a “thumbs up or thumbs down” vote. Renegotiation of the terms of dismissal through the use of amendments on the floor would essentially invalidate months of work between the PET and the congregation, and destroy any trust built between the Presbytery and the congregation. Therefore, the following steps shall be taken by the Presbytery to avoid this outcome:

° The vote shall be scheduled at a regular meeting of the Presbytery.

° The proposal will be presented as a whole, with the understanding that the agreement was arrived by good faith negotiations between both the PET and the congregation.

° The proposal will be preceded by a 2/3rds vote required to limit debate and amendments or tabling.

It should be assumed that after following through the steps of this process, if the Presbytery votes down the proposal, the outcome would be the initiation of civil litigation to force a separation, with all that entails, as well as a deep sense of being betrayed by the Presbytery. The ultimate prayer for this process is that the steps as outlined, taken in good faith, will help to resolve differences reasonably and civilly.

Manual on Church

Volume I

Draft 2

January 1, 2005

Perspectives and Procedures

For Association and Local Church Covenantal Partners

Perspectives and Procedures for Covenantal Partners

Entering into Covenant

At some point in its history, each of the local churches that comprise the United Church of Christ entered into Covenant with the denomination. For many whose history precedes the 1957 merger, a congregational vote to become part of the United Church of Christ, or a vote to approve the Constitution signified their entry into covenantal relationship. For those from the Evangelical and Reformed Church, a vote of their Synod signified the beginning of covenantal relationship with the United Church of Christ. Local churches that came into being after 1957 entered into covenant with the United Church of Christ after careful study, discussion and a congregational vote that led to receiving standing from an Association or Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Some local churches from the Congregational Christian tradition (schedule 1 and 2 churches) are not part of the United Church of Christ but have been admitted to or continue fellowship in a Conference or an Association. Those congregations do not hold covenantal relationship with the United Church of Christ. (Constitution, Article V, paragraph 16)

Local Church Ministries has outlined a common process to guide Associations and local churches wishing to establish covenant with the United Church of Christ. The following guidelines and chart of responsibilities are revised from Considering a New Church Covenant in the United Church of Christ: A Process for Exploring, Developing, and Affirming New Relationships.

New Church Starts, or Churches in Formation, come into being in a variety of ways:

• As a project of the Association/Conference

• As a project of ecumenical partnership

• As a satellite of an established United Church of Christ congregation

• As a self-starting group seeking affiliation with the United Church of Christ

• As an established congregation seeking affiliation with the United Church of Christ.

New Churches wishing to enter covenantal relationship with the United Church of Christ need to request and receive formal standing in an Association or Conference. The Association oversees this process of guiding Churches in Formation toward standing in the United Church of Christ.

In its formation, a New Church needs to organize its life with some official documents.  These vary by state laws, but may include such items as: 501 c 3 non-profit status, a tax exempt number, Articles of Incorporation, a Constitution and Bylaws, and Officers. For guidance in securing such documents, and for collaboration in the discernment of God’s mission for the local church, New Church Starts should work closely with the Association, or Conference acting as an Association.

Associations may find the following guidelines on establishing covenant with the United Church of Christ to have bearing on their processes for churches in formation. However, this section of the Manual on Church specifically outlines procedures to guide Associations as they work with established local churches that seek affiliation with and standing in the United Church of Christ. ¹⁵

Exploring and Establishing Covenant

A local church becomes a part of the United Church of Christ by uniting with other local churches in a covenantal relationship (Constitution, Article V, par. 17). This relationship is one characterized by trust, mutual commitment, promises and the kind of shared experiences that are rooted in commitment to God. All settings of the Church—local, Association, Conference and wider church—participate in exploring and establishing this covenantal relationship, discerning God’s will together.

Responsibility of the Local Church Exploring Covenant

By the time a local church discerns its readiness to enter covenantal relationship its members should have widespread conversation, knowledge and familiarity of the identity, history, theology, and polity of the United Church of Christ. Preparation for this step will also include active participation in the life of the United Church of Christ, in as many settings as possible.

Churches should form a Covenant Development Committee in the early stages of exploration to represent the church in its contacts with the United Church of Christ, and to ensure wide participation and knowledge throughout the congregation. This group should also plan ways to introduce their local church to the Association and make its culture, traditions, and commitments deeply known and understood.

Responsibility of the Association and Conference

In the United Church of Christ, the Association and Conference play the primary role in guiding the process whereby local churches may explore and develop covenantal relationship. The Association or Conference staff or representative committee will identify a Sponsoring Church, offer guidance in organizational matters, and network the local church with consultants from the national setting of the United Church of Christ.

Responsibility of the Sponsoring Church

The sponsoring church will provide fellowship and welcome to the local church exploring covenant. The sponsoring church will nurture shared experiences which will introduce the local church to the United Church of Christ and provide opportunities for the exploring congregation’s discernment of God’s will and its development of covenantal relationships.

Representatives of the National Setting

Representatives from the Covenanted Ministries of the United Church of Christ may play a role in this process of covenantal exploration, and may be invited to participate by the Association. In certain cases a staff member from the national setting may be involved from the beginning of the exploration, working collaboratively with the Association throughout the process of exploring and entering covenant.

Establishing Covenant: Guidelines for the Process

The process of establishing covenantal relationship between a local church and an Association of the United Church of Christ has three main stages: exploring covenantal relationship, developing covenantal relationship, and affirming covenantal relationship.

The first stage is a preliminary exploration, an introductory acquaintance that helps a local church and Association decide if there is likelihood for establishing a formal relationship. Questions to consider at this stage include: What are the affinities we sense with potential covenant partners? Why is there an interest in exploring covenant with the United Church of Christ?

If both the local church exploring covenantal relationship and the Association discern there is likelihood of covenant, they enter a second stage, and agree to develop that covenant together. As with all relationships, it will take time and a wealth of shared experiences to help this covenant fully develop.

Should the development stage conclude with a request for standing, in all likelihood the final stage will be an affirmation of covenant for both parties.

Stage One: Covenant Exploration

At this stage, a local church that seeks standing in the United Church of Christ initiates contact with the Association or Conference in which it is located. Informal discussions focus on history, polity and practice, as well as the reasons for exploration and help determine whether a formal, intensive process will follow. Since a substantial initial knowledge is needed, this phase may take from six months to a year, depending on previous knowledge and the pace of the exploration. This initial acquaintance should be comprehensive enough to provide an answer to this central question: Is it likely that a covenantal relationship will result from further exploration?

As deeply and sincerely as the United Church of Christ welcomes local churches, it also recognizes the importance of discernment between potential covenantal partners. Careful preliminary discussions should reveal God’s will for a suitable relationship. Sometimes a local church and an Association of the United Church of Christ will decide to remain ecumenical colleagues but not to continue exploring covenant, at least for the present time. When this is the discernment of either partner in exploration, the United Church of Christ affirms its solidarity in Christ with all who believe, and celebrate ecumenical unity even though exploration of covenantal partnership ends at this stage.

If the discussion reveals the likelihood of a covenantal commitment, the partners move on to further develop their relationship. The local church and Association then enter into a stage of “Covenant Development.”

Stage Two: Covenant Development

During this stage the local church and the Association enter into a formal relationship. Associations may vote to grant the local church a specific status as a “Church in Covenant Development.” This status recognizes the commitment that both the local church and the Association have made to deepen and broaden their knowledge of, and appreciation for, one another.

A Church in Covenant Development is granted voice without vote at Association and Conference meetings for the duration of this stage of establishing covenantal relationship. The local church sends representatives to the meetings as an important way to develop the local church and the denomination. Typically a full meeting of an Association takes place once a year and a Conference conducts an annual meeting, so for that reason alone this phase of the process may last one to two years. Another factor that requires planning and ample time is the need to involve many members of the Church in Covenant Development, the Sponsoring Church and the Association in this stage of developing covenant. The Church in Covenant Development will want to provide means for the Association to become involved in its congregational life in ways that will assist the discernment process.

The Church in Covenant Development and the Association will remain in this relationship until both are comfortable that ample time and effort have been devoted to discerning God’s will.

Until these final decisions are made, standing remains an option, and discernment is not concluded. Throughout this stage, a positive attitude toward standing is paired with a concern to honor the time and space for a faithful discernment process.

There are two possible outcomes of this formal period of developing covenant, each of which affirms the particular nature of the covenant developed by the local church and the Association:

Determination not to seek standing. The Church in Covenant Development, the Association, or both, separately or mutually, may discern that it is not God’s will for the Church in Covenant Development to seek standing. If this determination is made, the United Church of Christ affirms its solidarity in Christ with all who believe, and celebrates ecumenical unity even though exploration of covenantal partnership ends at this stage.

Determination to make a formal request for standing. Together the Church in Covenant Development and the Association affirm that it is God’s will for the local church to seek standing in the United Church of Christ.

Stage Three: Covenant Affirmation During this stage the Association receives the formal request from the Church in Covenant Development and acts upon it. If the request is approved, the Association formally accepts the request and grants standing in the United Church of Christ to the local church. The timing of this vote will usually be determined by the Association’s meeting schedule, but will be taken within a year of the formal request.

The Sponsoring Church will be thanked for its ministry during the discernment process and may play a role in the celebration of the covenant affirmation.

The Association, with its newly received local church, will consecrate the establishment of covenantal partnership by the worship of God and in celebration of the Church’s oneness in Christ. See the Supplemental Materials section of this manual for suggested worship materials for use in planning such a service of worship.

For the whole Manual, click here.

There’s a chart on page 27 which outlines the above process.

Presbytery Mission Trip to  New Orleans:

March 24-31, 2012!

The trip will be hands-on work helping families rebuild their homes. No experience is necessary.

The trip will also include meeting with leaders in New Orleans about the environmental and socio-economic conditions that continue to challenge the people of the city.

$750 covers meals, lodging and transportation. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Additional information: Presbytery of the Pacific

The application deadline is December 9th.

For questions please contact Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble