The Twenty-third General Synod will be held July 13-17, 2001, in Kansas City, Missouri. The first day of General Synod, Friday, July 13, (Yes, that’s right! It’s a Friday, the 13th, but we don’t have triskaidekaphobia!) The United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries will host a luncheon at which we will honor our past, celebrate the present, and look toward the future of Disabilities Ministries. Be sure to sign up for our luncheon, at a cost of $14.50 per person, when you receive your General Synod materials.
Disabilities Ministries is offering the workshop, “Disability Issues: Ecumenically and Locally-It’s about Time-Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” on Saturday, July 14, at 3:45 pm. at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. A panel from UCCDM will lead a discussion of how practices to address issues of physical disability, mental illness, and cognitive disorders can be strengthened ecumenically between the UCC and Disciples, and implemented locally within congregations. Come and join us there. Anyone needing information about the workshop should contact David Denham at 713.861.6670 or revbaseball@aol.com.
This year, UCCDM will be presenting awards, one of which is an award named after the first national staff person to hold the position Consultant in Disabilities, the Rev. Virginia Kreyer. Virginia, ordained in the UCC, has been a pioneer in the disability movement. In the 1970s, she organized a committee to address disability issues in the New York Conference.
At the 1977 General Synod, the body passed a resolution calling upon the wider church to establish the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities (now the UCC Disabilities Ministries). Virginia was called upon to develop this group and to serve as its consultant. She served in that capacity through the 1995 General Synod.
Virginia has blazed a trail in the UCC, which has opened pathways for other persons with disabilities in the denomination. The UCC is deeply indebted to her. This award recognizes her lasting contributions, and she will be the first recipient of the Virginia Kreyer Award. It will be awarded in the future to others who make such lasting, pioneering contributions on behalf of persons with disabilities in the life of the UCC.
Virginia is retired and lives on Long Island. Her skills and gifts as a clergyperson (who has a disability) tell us that disability is no obstacle to serving God. We look forward to the opportunity to honor this remarkable person. This award, and the other awards, will be presented by UCCDM at the UCC Local Church Ministries dinner on July 14.
There will be a UCCDM presence through an exceptional and compelling art exhibit offered by our Mental Illness Network (MIN). The artworks come from the National Alliance for Research for Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD). Also, stop by and visit us at our booth space in the exhibit hall.
Prior to General Synod, July 10-12, the first general meeting of MIN members will be held in Hartsburg, Missouri. To obtain information and register for this event, contact Bob Dell at 414 E. Pleasant Ave.; Sandwich IL 60548, or <bob.dell@ecunet.org>.
The UCCDM has much to celebrate, many reasons to rejoice. Within the structure of the wider church, it is part of and coordinated within the covenanted ministry, Local Church Ministries, as well as being part of and seated within the other covenanted Ministries, the Office of General Ministry, Wider Church Ministries, and justice and Witness Ministries.
General Synod will occur within the joint communities of the UCC and our partner denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We will be meeting together for common time, for worship, and for workshops. The local Disciples of Christ, Kansas/Oklahoma, and Missouri Conferences accessibility committee is at work on the behalf of persons with disabilities. The General Synod registration form offers a place to indicate a need for their assistance.
Registration materials are available from the UCC Web site home page at <www.ucc.org> and from General Synod Registration; Office of Associate General Minister; United Church of Christ; 700 Prospect Avenue E; Cleveland OH 44115-1 100. Come and participate in this exciting event and opportunity.
Please stay an extra day), following General Synod, for the annual meeting of the UCCDM on July 18. We will be meeting at the Marriott Downtown from 10 am. To 3 p.m. A lunch will be provided. All are welcome as we make plans for this growing ministry. If you plan to attend, contact Peg Slater at 216.736.3838 to confirm.
From the UCC DM Newsletter Archive
