COMMAntary

The newsletter of the Minnesota Conference UCC

Volume 23, No. 5 | March 5, 2026

Equipping a courageous Church alive with Christ's transforming love

Photo: MPR News \ Kerem Yücel

UCC Joins Lawsuit Over Access to Immigration Detainees

Beloved of the Minnesota Conference,

The Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ has joined with the Minneapolis Synod of the ELCA and Fr. Christopher Collins, SJ, in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their continued refusal to allow clergy and other religious leaders to visit and offer pastoral care to those who are detained in the Whipple building.

Since December, a number of our clergy, along with clergy of other traditions and faiths, have sought entrance into the Whipple Building to bring prayer, comfort, and sacrament to fellow Minnesotans who are detained. Over and over again they have been denied entrance, leaving those inside bereft of spiritual solace and support. Our scriptures are clear – we are called to visit those who are imprisoned, bringing the love of God into hurting places. In this time in Minnesota, there is no more desolate, lonely and broken place than the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. In Matthew 25, Jesus makes it clear that when we abandon those in prison, we abandon Christ.

This lawsuit attends to the heart of our call to be present for those who are in pain and suffering. We proudly stand with our siblings to say that the government cannot politicize our faith; they cannot bind hope and love and mercy because of a political agenda. For millennia, people of faith have stepped into the breach, joining those awaiting or living out sentences from the state to bring the cleansing, merciful and blessed promise of God’s love. In this day, in this time, the United Church of Christ continues to proclaim, “No matter who you are, no matter where you are on your journey, you are welcome.” All are welcome into God’s love, Christ’s peace, and the healing presence of the Holy Spirit. We are unequivocally called to bring this message to those most vulnerable and isolated.

On Friday, March 13, the case will be heard in St. Paul at the Warren E. Burger Federal Building and Courthouse. The hearing will be held in the Edward J. Devitt courtroom where traditionally new citizens are naturalized. On that day we will stand in the echoes of those who joyfully claimed this country as their own. We will call for mercy on those who have been detained who also have claimed not only this country, but Minnesota, as their own. If you are an authorized minister of the Conference and would like to be in the courtroom that day, please reach out to Rebecca Voelkel (rmmvoelkel@aol.com) or Susie Hayward (shayward@creeksideucc.org).

We want you to know the Conference will not incur any costs as the lawyers, Groundwork Legal and Saul Ewing law firm, are providing services pro bono. We are deeply grateful for their support.

Siblings in Christ, we ask your prayers as this lawsuit unfolds and especially on March 13. We pray that the powers that be see their way clear to allow the presence of people of faith to minister to and pray with those who are being held in the Whipple building here in Minneapolis.

– Minnesota Conference Board & Staff

Conference News & Events

Update from the Committee to Dismantle White Supremacy

The Committee to Dismantle White Supremacy has formed several working groups this year. Ole Olsen, Jane McBride, and Associate Conference Minister Kelly Gallagher share the following about the working group for the Annual Meeting and broader Conference.

As a kid, did you ever dread getting on the bus, fearing all the seats would be taken? Or hate walking into the classroom late, with everyone staring at you? Maybe you were one of those who was ridiculed, bullied, or ignored. The three of us (Ole, Jane, and Kelly) are insiders to the Conference. We’ve been around for many years; we know lots of people, and we know how things work. Still, even we, at times, feel uncomfortable or left out when the Conference gathers. We wonder how it feels to enter this space if you’re new, or young, or don’t identify as white, or don’t speak English as a first language, or simply aren’t familiar with the terms or processes we use.

Speaking of processes, at the Annual Meeting it often feels that members of the Conference are passively receiving reports from our leaders rather than actively participating in conversations that can guide the direction of the Conference. There are many important questions facing us, as we seek to serve the world as a courageous church alive with Christ’s transforming love. We need everyone’s wisdom, energy, and involvement as we move forward.

Our working group has spent a bit of time dreaming. We realized that what we most desire is for our Conference to be a church body that co-creates, imagines, and gathers in a new, collaborative way. Here are the outcomes we are working toward, that we think will help fulfill that sense of purpose:

We shift the tone of our being together as a Conference toward embodied covenant shaped by “transforming values” -- transparency, inclusivity, collaboration, abundance, interdependence and reverence for the inherent worth of all living beings.

We align our energies and purpose, through the breaking down of “silos” among different people and groups across the Conference.

We work to ensure that everyone feels that they have a voice and belong.

The work of our committee happens through conversation. So, we have been sharing our hopes with others – Annual Meeting Planning Working Group, the Board, the Staff, and now you, the members of the Conference. We’re asking questions about the way things are. We’re asking “why?” and “what if?” a lot. We’re doing our best to listen and learn with vulnerability, and let discomfort and disorientation unleash creativity.

As we prepare for the Annual Meeting this year, we’re wondering how we can more actively practice hospitality and inclusion; how we can be more intentional about orientating newcomers; how we can make time on the agenda for us to discuss substantial issues and maybe even dabble in consensus decision-making. Friends, will you join us in this conversation, as we seek transformation together?

UCC Churches: Apply by March 15 for Up to $1,000 to Address Community Needs Related to ICE Surge

To date, 19 UCC churches have applied for emergency grants available to address community needs related to the ICE surge in Minnesota. Congregations are using the grants (available up to $1,000) to support families who are locked inside their homes for fear of arrest or deporting, asylum-seeking families, and others impacted by the cruel surge. Funds are being used to purchase groceries, infant formula, diapers, and menstrual supplies. Grants are also helping with rental assistance, legal counsel, translation services, and neighborhood mutual aid efforts.

These grants are made in partnership with the national setting of the UCC. All local churches and organizations with a UCC connection are encouraged to apply to relieve the immediate material needs of those in your circle of care.

To reduce barriers to this grant funding, we have created a simple application. APPLY BY MARCH 15

Youth Voices: Bold Faith

Speaking Truth to Power for a Just World for All

When: July 12-17, 2026

Who: Students currently enrolled in grades 9-12

Cost: $550 (with significant subsidy from the Ashley Endowment of the MN Conference (total cost is ~$1,100); cost includes airfare from MSP, lodging, meals, ground transportation, and program

Are you ready to make your voice heard? Join other high school students from the Minnesota & Wisconsin Conferences of the United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. for Youth Voices: Bold Faith, a week-long immersion in faith-based advocacy, justice, and community. Together, we’ll explore how our faith calls us to speak truth to power, stand up for what’s right, and work toward a world where all can thrive.

Participants will:

• engage with leaders making change on Capitol Hill and beyond;

• learn practical tools for organizing, advocacy, and public witness;

• engage in Youth Leadership Development;

• build deep connections with peers who share their passion for justice and hope for the world

Registration is limited to the first 30 youth who register, and we will have space for 10 adults (or 1 per congregation). All adults will need to complete a comprehensive criminal background screening and complete online training by June 12, 2026.

Participants will travel by plane from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport to Baltimore Washington International airport and then shuttle to our lodging in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Our group will stay at Friends Place on Capitol Hill and the Washington Seminar Center, only a few blocks apart and a short 10-minute walk to the U.S. capitol (and the UCC’s Washington, D.C. office). While in Washington, D.C. we will move around the city using DC Metro transit and lots of walking.

Please contact Rev. Kevin Brown, Associate Conference Minister for Faith Formation, with any questions or for more information.

Good Friday Walk Through Sites of Crucifixion in South Minneapolis

April 3, noon to 2 pm

Led by Lyndale UCC pastors Rev. T. Michael Rock and Rev. Rebecca Voelkel

The walk will begin at Say Their Names Cemetery at George Floyd Square. We will then walk or drive to the Renee Good and Alex Pretti memorial sites. We welcome all to be present in this powerful witness in whatever way you can join. There will be poetry, prayer and singing at each site as well as time for quietness and honoring the tears on this land. A part of our community has died. We are called to remember and honor this journey. This will help us prepare for Easter. Questions? Contact T. Michael Rock or Rebecca Voelkel.

Outdoor Ministry Offers "Spring Equinox: Awakening the Wild Holy Within Us: A Spring Equinox Healing Retreat:

March 20–22, Camp Onomia, Onamia, MN

Guided by Heidi Steffens, Ordained Shamanic Minister and Master Reiki Instructor

As winter softens, melts, and early breaths of spring blow across the land, the Spring Equinox invites us into a moment of balance where light meets dark, stillness meets movement, and each of us can move with the Earth toward renewal. This retreat is a time set apart for healing, sacred meditation, reflection, spiritual grounding, and inner awakening.

This Spring Equinox retreat invites you to:

Enter a spiritually rich environment that honors both Christian contemplative tradition and earth-based rhythms.
Experience guided practices shaped by Heidi’s training in shamanic and energy work
Engage in meditations and breathwork that holistically connect body, mind, and spirit
Reflect on the season’s new beginnings, release, balance, and awakening
Share the experience with a small, supportive community at a peaceful retreat setting

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Not your Predecessors PPRC! PPRC to PSC With Rev. Tara Barber

Wednesday, March 18, 6:30-8:30 pm CT via Zoom

Pastor/Parish Relations Committees have provided essential leadership in the life of a congregation. And the name has led to some confusion about the focus of their role. Come to this workshop as we explore what it means to become a Pastoral Support Committee – what it is and what it is not. We'll be talking through and naming the priorities and commitments of a well-functioning PSC. Rev. Tara Barber will share best practices from around the church and be prepared to answer your questions. Open to pastors, lay leaders, and judicatory staff. REGISTER

All Things Annual Meeting

"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’”

June 12-13, 2026 | College of St. Benedict

Keynote Speaker: Jessica Vazquez Torres

We invite you to join us in-person or via Zoom as we explore “Into the Deep”—defying division and celebrating our strength, unity, and resolve as Minnesotans and children of God.

All the hearings for the budget, compensation guidelines, and resolutions will be available via Zoom Monday – Wednesday (June 8-10) in the evenings of Annual Meeting week.
Our workshops and fellowship time will dive deep into the challenges and blessings of being church like only we can be in the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ, especially at this important moment in time.
Worship and music will be led by the The Many, an uncommon, intentionally diverse collective making music for people to sing together about peace and justice and a world where all belong! The members of The Many came together around their shared love of music and commitment to honest expressions of faith, peace-making, economic and racial justice, and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Clergy training prior to the Annual Meeting (on June 11) will be facilitated by Stephanie Perdew (boundary training) and Jessica Vasquez Torrez (anti-racism training).

Registration will open soon. More information is available on the Conference's website. LEARN MORE

Save the Date for Cultivating Generous Congregations Seminar

May 30, 9 am–4 pm

Save the date for this one day plus one Zoom follow-up seminar. The Minnesota Conference UCC and United Seminary are partnering to bring this generosity program to teams of pastor and lay leaders. Registration and more information soon to come.

News from Churches & Partners

Union Congregational UCC in St. Louis Park has a working LCD projector with a long throw lens and an extra bulb. It is 6000 lumens. The church is offering it to another congregation for a donation. Contact the church at 952-929-8566 if interested.

UCC Webinar: Leaves of Healing (Only for Some)—Trees, Churches, and Redlined Neighborhoods

Creation Justice Ministries has released a new downloadable resource for churches just in time for Earth Month. The new resource is entitled "The Canopy of Creation: Trees, Faith, and the Work of Justice." The resource invites us to consider the following truth: in many cities, tree canopy follows the same fault lines as historic redlining. Neighborhoods that were denied investment generations ago are often the same neighborhoods with fewer trees today; neighborhoods experiencing higher temperatures, poorer air quality, and greater vulnerability to flooding. Learn more about this issue and the new resource available to churches in this webinar in which we will hear from Derrick Weston, the Director of Theological Education and Formation at Creation Justice Ministries. Even if you cannot make the live event on Wednesday, March 18, at 1 pm ET/noon CT, still register, and we will send you a recording. REGISTER

Ecclesiastical Council for Christopher Duff

The Committee on Ministry will host an Ecclesiastical Council for Christopher Duff on Saturday, March 7, at 10:00 am. Delegates and guests are invited to join in person at Plymouth Congregational Church and via Zoom. This is an opportunity for our member churches to participate in the Conference’s discernment for our candidates for ordination – please consider joining in this important process. We must have a quorum for this candidate to move forward in their process. Please reach out to See Chang, COM administrative assistant at COMadmin@uccmn.org with any questions or for more information.

Employment Opportunities

The Conference maintains an up-to-date listing of authorized minister, interim minister, and other positions available in Minnesota, as well as positions with the UCC National setting. This site is frequently updated. See the current listings.

More Resources & Opportunities

STORY IDEAS: Have a story or idea to share in COMMAntary? Send an email to communications@uccmn.org. COMMAntary is published every other Thursday. Submissions are due Tuesday prior to publication at noon.

PROGRAMS & SUPPORT: Check out the wealth of resources available on the Conference's website for authorized ministers, local churches, and faith formation leaders.

EMPLOYMENT: Check out the employment opportunities page on the Conference's website for all open positions.