K-O e-NEWS  

September 13, 2012 

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference leads the United Church of Christ in innovative models of ministry. Our Interim Conference Minister, Rev. Krista Betz, has facilitated much of this innovation. On September 30, 2012, she will move to New York City in her new role with the UCC Pension Boards as Director of Ministerial Assistance. Krista's wisdom and counsel brought stability and hope to our conference, and I appreciate her gifts to us.

Your Executive Committee of the Conference Council is working with the national office of the UCC to screen candidates for our Designated Conference Minister and we hope to have that person selected soon. The candidate will then be presented at the Annual Meeting where the delegates will be able to vote a call by election for a three year term.

We have much to accomplish in the next few months. To assist in our transition, the Executive Committee is thrilled to announce that Rev. R. Kent Cormack will serve as Acting Conference Minister. He will be in the office beginning September 24. Rev. Cormack brings much experience within our conference, most recently as pastor at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Manhattan, KS. He chaired the Annual Meeting Committee in 2010, and helped mold the innovative proposal to unify the Commitees on Ministry. Kent will focus on transitioning our financial record keeping to the national office, planning for Annual Meeting, and unifying the Committee on Ministry. Please join me in an extravagant welcome to Rev. R. Kent Cormack in his new role within our conference.

I look forward to Annual Meeting and the strengthening of our partnership. Please contact me or the conference office with your questions and offers to assist in our shared ministry.

Sincerely,

Jeff Keller

President