Greetings Missouri Mid-South Conference!

What a privilege - and both an exciting and daunting task - to serve you on the Designated Conference Minister Search Team at this time in the life of our Conference!  Rev. Laura Mignerone, pastor at Zion UCC-Troy, has agreed to serve as vice chair of the Team and we are joined in this journey by some excellent folks from around the Conference:

Karen Watson, member of Friedens UCC, New Melle

Rev. Wayne Hoffman, member of St. John UCC, St. Charles

Lorin Cope, member of St. Paul UCC, St. Louis 

Sonya Vann, member of Christ the King UCC, Florissant

Linda Stenger, member of Zion UCC, St. Joseph  

Elaine Hudson, member of Zion UCC, Mayview

Lloyd Viehland, member of Columbia UCC, Columbia

As Wes Hurt, our Conference Moderator, noted last week there's a clear, orderly process by which this decision was made. We've been selected as the Search Team through the discernment of the Conference Council's Leadership Development Committee, who, as required by our MMSC By Laws, submitted our names to the Executive Committee of the Council, where Laura and I were appointed to lead.  Then the slate of nine, three leaders from each of the three Associations, was submitted to the full Conference Council which voted its approval on January 11.   

Last June at our Conference Annual Gathering in Springfield, the delegates from all our MMSC churches elected the Conference Council as its representative body, to conduct the business of the Conference between Conference gatherings.  As I think about that flow, I believe that our team of nine is as truly representative of YOU as we can be - in terms of the process.  Now, I want to be sure we "make good" on the promise to serve you by keeping you informed as it is appropriate in our effort to present a candidate to our Conference Council - and then to you - for the position of Designated Conference Minister for MMSC.   

Our Conference is at a very critical time in its faith journey. While we will move forward expeditiously, we will do our very best to make this an open process, sensitive to the covenants we share. We will be in regular conversations with our MMSC Visioning Team, with the General Minister and President and the Minister for Conference Relations at our national setting, with our current Conference staff, with our Conference Council and, through our deep Association connections, with our local churches for input.  Our Team will share information with you through our eConnections/eCourier several times a month to keep you in the loop.  In fact, the next note from us will clarify what we're searching for - as we define the nature of what a Designated Conference Minister is - and what it isn't - as a relatively new position in the UCC.

Intrigued?  I sure hope so!  More from us very soon.  Together, we are our Conference! 

In Christ, who makes us One,

Rev. David Mehl

member of First Congregational UCC, Webster Groves

Rev. David Mehl, Chair DCM Search Team