Dick Harter:  Saying 'Yes' to Sustaining Pastoral Excellence 

Harter has been a member of the First Church in Cambridge, MA, for fifty years.  A man for whom faith is deeply important, Harter has been involved in his own church and with the Massachusetts Conference, and has seen the Pastoral Excellence Program (PEP) develop from its beginnings more than ten years ago.  "I'm impressed with what has happened over the years," Harter said.  "Communities of Practice for clergy, support for new church ministers, are programs that I have had a chance to observe, and I believe that they work and make a difference." 

The Pastoral Excellence Program has been funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and now, to ensure the continuation of the program, the Massachusetts Conference has launched the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Endowment Campaign.  Dick Harter observed, "I believe that this program is extremely important, and I want to encourage others to support it." 

Acting on that commitment, Dick and Gay Harter made a $200,000 commitment toward the campaign.  The grant is designed to encourage the generosity of others.  $50,000 of the grant was made directly to the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program.  Another $75,000 is designated for matching large contributions of $25,000 or more.  Another $75,000 is reserved for matching contributions of at least $1,000 or more.  Harter said, "I'm quite confident [all of the matching funds] will be used, because several other large gifts have already come in, and support for the program is growing."  Dick and Gay Harter also gave $75,000 to the national setting of the UCC, earmarked for leadership development.