November 5, 2015

 

 

 

Grace and Peace to our sisters and brothers in Christ!

 

Relying on the Holy's Spirit's guidance, the Conference Council, on October 31, 2015, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of the Conference Minister Search Team, unanimously voted to recommend to the Conference to extend a call to the Reverend Doctor Geneva (Ginny) Brown Daniel for the position of Conference Minister of the Missouri Mid-South Conference!

 

Ginny brings sixteen years of pastoral experience in two UCC churches - the first in Maryland and then in Houston, Texas. She served as Moderator of the South Central Conference while serving the Houston congregation, and previously served on the Board of the Mid Atlantic Conference, and was Moderator of their Annual Meeting. Ginny is highly sensitive to the needs of pastors, local congregations and conference settings. She embodies a wide array of skills that we believe will serve our Conference's future. She is an excellent preacher and writer, a skilled conflict manager, a trained leader in stewardship, church development and growth. Ginny brings expertise in adaptive leadership, public relations, systems theory and administration. She is warm, engaging, courageous, inclusive and deeply spiritual. The Search Team and the Conference Council are drawn to Ginny's clarity of vision, her pastor's heart and her enthusiasm for the creative energies present in our Conference. For these reasons, and many more, we believe that she is well suited to leadership at the Conference level, and specifically to come among us as we imagine the future possibilities for the Missouri Mid-South Conference.

 

The previously-called Special Conference Meeting of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ, will be held at Columbia United Church of Christ, in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, November 14, 2015. Registration will begin at 9:15 a.m. The Special Meeting will convene promptly at 9:30 am. Rev. Dr. Brown Daniel will lead a brief worship service and preach, followed by a presentation of the candidate, questions from delegates of the candidate, Search Team and Conference Council, and then a ballet vote to extend a call.

 

Only registered, elected delegates and authorized ministers will be able to vote on the motion to call Rev. Dr. Brown Daniel, so it is essential that all delegates from local churches and authorized ministers be registered. However, all are encouraged to attend and to register for both the Special Conference Meeting in the morning and the afternoon Conference Annual Planning Gathering (CAPE) following lunch. You may find registration materials on our Conference website - the deadline for registration is Friday, November 6. We hope that both morning and afternoon events will be well attended!

The MMSC website now provides you with Ginny's professional profile, background check, letters of reference and her written response to the Search Team's questions about why she wants to be our Conference Minister. Other materials will be presented at the morning All- Conference Meeting.

 

The Search Team and Conference Council have scheduled opportunities to gather and greet Ginny across  the Conference prior to the Saturday, November 14 Conference Meeting and Planning Event:

 

Tuesday, November 10 - St. Peter's Evangelical UCC, Ferguson, 7:00-8:30 pm

Wednesday, November 11 - Friedens UCC, Warrenton, 3:00-5:00 pm

Thursday, November 12 - Salem UCC, Higginsville (Lafayette Cluster), 10:00-11:30 am

 

Thursday, November 12 - St Mark's UCC, Kansas City, 2:00-4:00 pm

 

Friday, November 13 - Columbia UCC, Columbia, 2:00-4:00 pm

 

These "meet and greet" opportunities will enable you to engage Ginny prior to the Worship, Presentation and Vote on Saturday.

 

In addition, a brief video presentation will be available soon at the Conference website. Created and developed by Sonya Vann and the Search Team, this video will offer a greeting and reflections by Ginny Brown Daniel, words of affirmation by members of the Search Team and several of Ginny's reference people and others. You won't want to miss this "almost ready for Hollywood" piece - which we hope will be seen widely across the Conference in advance of Saturday's gathering in Columbia. Watch for it next week! Share it with everyone!

 

We are extremely excited and hopeful about this new chapter in the life of our Conference and are very confident in the "match" we believe that God is bringing forth in the ministry of Reverend Doctor Ginny Brown Daniel. Come, and be part of the significant moment in our Conference's life - and its continuing path of service in Christ's name!

 

Yours in Christ and in Covenant,

 

Mrs. Laura Dierberg Ayers                                                       Mr. Lorin Cope

Mrs. Joyce Bathke                                                                    Rev. Wayne Hoffman

Rev. Steve Buchholz                                                                Ms. Elaine Hudson

Mr. Mark Ferbet                                                                        Rev. David Mehl

Rev. Alan Gatewood                                                                 Rev. Laura Mignerone

Ms. Cheryl Howard                                                                   Mrs. Linda Stenger

Mr. Wes Hurt                                                                             Mrs. Sonya Vann

Rev. Phiwa Langeni                                                                  Mr. Lloyd Viehland

Rev. David Mehl                                                                        Mrs. Karen Watson

Rev. Laura Mignerone

Rev. Bruce Moeller

Ms. Cindy Nuelle

Rev. Chase Peeples

Mr. Carl Philips

Mrs. Judi Privitt

Mr. David Rauch

Mrs. Betsy Reznicek

Mr. Bill Seymour

Rev. Donna Smith-Pupillo

Mrs. Linda Stenger

Mrs. Rhonda Stockglausner

Rev. Ken Ulmer

Mr. Jeff Weyrauch