Dear friends,

On World Communion Sunday, I preached at the centennial celebration of Grace United Church of Christ in Kohler. I talked about the way the Holy Spirit is reshaping the Church for the future, noting that the concept of re-formation is part of our spiritual heritage.

Grace UCC in Kohler was founded as Grace “Reformed” Church by German immigrants whose roots trace back to the 1500s, when Martin Luther and other protesting “reformers” brought forth new theological perspectives and worship modifications. The old saying is surely true – change is often what we least want and most need. Truth be told, the Holy Spirit has been transforming the Church since the days of Jesus.

One of my favorite old hymns evokes the biblical metaphor of God “reshaping” us:

“Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the potter; I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.”

If God is continually refashioning the Church, perhaps the Holy Potter toils endlessly at the spinning wheel, forever reshaping us and refusing to fire us in the kiln because God is never finished with us, nor is the Church ever complete. I imagine God sprinkling the waters of Baptism on this clay of the Church, keeping us soft and malleable.

For more than a year, we in the Wisconsin Conference UCC have engaged in conversations together, wondering about the future contours of our common life. We have acknowledged that maintaining two middle judicatory structures (a statewide Conference and four regional associations) has become burdensome. We need a nimble organizational model that better promotes connection and care.

A few weeks ago, the Conference Board of Directors unanimously endorsed a proposal that promises to lead us in exciting new directions.

Toward a wider web of connections

Two values stood out when we asked people about their wider Church connections: meaningful relationships and useful resources. Over the past decade we have made significant progress in broadening our digital connections and accelerating the sharing of resources. Thanks to Zoom, we have created several justice working groups. Additionally, we now have more than 20 Communities of Practice and several new resource networks including Supportive Ministries, Rural and Small-Town Ministries, Older Adult Ministries, worship resource conversations, Generosity webinars, and online Faith Formation, including confirmation available through the Damascus Project.  

This web of interlocking connections across the Wisconsin Conference embraces in-person and online meetings. It invites individuals to align their passions with service to the wider Church, and it offers infinite possibilities for building relationships and sharing resources.

Toward a unified Committee on Ministry

Years ago, we established a Conference-wide Commission on Ministry comprising two members from each Association Committee on Ministry. The purpose was twofold: first, to establish consistent COM protocols throughout our four Associations, and second, to move toward unified processes for Members in Discernment, Licensed Ministers, Boundary Training, Annual Review Forms and Fitness Reviews.

That work has prepared us well for a shift toward handling all COM work in a unified manner. Regional representation will continue, and the Commission has proposed creation of several smaller teams, each of which would handle a portion of our ecclesiastical work.

Toward the dissolution of Associations

UCC General Counsel Heather Kimmel has reviewed the Conference bylaws and Association governing documents and determined that the process for dissolution is straightforward. The Associations are no longer corporations, so all that is required is a simple vote to dissolve, followed by a vote of Conference-wide delegates to shift responsibility for the ecclesiastical work and vital missions and scholarship ministries of the Associations to the Conference.

We propose that the vote to dissolve the Associations take place in four breakout sessions during the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference, scheduled for June 6-7. This gathering for Association business would take the place of the traditional spring Association meetings but would not preclude regional spring programming. We anticipate robust in-person attendance at Annual Meeting 2025 and will offer Zoom options for the hour of each Association meeting.

Toward a new understanding of membership dues and OCWM

This reshaping of our wider Church life is financially neutral, assuming congregations continue their gifts to Our Church’s Wider Mission and their membership dues at similar levels moving forward. Membership dues currently are collected on a per-member basis to pay for the work of Associations. Most of these dollars are allocated three ways: to mission grants and camp scholarships, Church and Ministry, and common services provided to the Conference for staff support of Association work. These functions will be taken up directly by the Conference through OCWM funding.

Membership dues will continue. However, they will reflect core Conference operating costs such as office expenses, technology needs, and insurance. The vast majority of the Conference budget will continue to be funded by OCWM Basic Support, providing all the staffing ministry and outreach mission needed for vitality in our Conference life and beyond.

Next steps and timetable

This fall we will continue to work through the unified COM proposal, and we will create a map of the Resource Web so you can begin to appreciate the many ways we expect to increase connectivity and resource capacity. We will also work closely with the Association leadership teams to understand any concerns and all priorities they have moving forward. 

It’s important to note that Associate Conference Ministers Jane Anderson, Rachel Bauman and Michael Jones will remain deployed in the regions they now serve. Although some conferences have moved away from geographical representation, we believe this model remains key to our continued ability to support pastors and congregations.

Early in 2025, we will conduct four regional conversations, with in-person and virtual options, for those who want to learn more and share ideas. We will then gather at the Annual Meeting in June around the theme of “reshaping” the Church.

The Unified COM would commence its work by late 2025, and the dues and OCWM shift would occur in 2026. In the meantime, we will continue to expand the emerging Resource Web and dream together about various working groups and ministry hubs.

As always, we welcome your questions and thoughts anytime.

Thank you for processing a long email, and please know I welcome your thoughts.



With blessings and gratitude,