At the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference we adopted a prudential resolution to be sent to the 32nd General Synod of the United Church of Christ. Last week a committee of General Synod 32 considered our resolution and a similar resolution sponsored by the Southern California Nevada Conference. The two resolutions were combined after the committee added their wisdom. Delegates adopted the combined resolution titled Discerning, Articulating, and Resourcing the Nature, Purpose, Composition, Covenantal Autonomy and Definition of ‘the basic unit of life and organization of the United Church of Christ’ for the Twenty-first Century. The text of the adopted resolution is available online.

This resolution opens a conversation and discernment process throughout the United Church of Christ. That process will guide work like the formation of a Manual on Local Church for the next biennium and beyond. “The General Synod of the United Church of Christ invites and encourages all settings of the United Church of Christ to pray for and participate with this discernment process locally.” As a member of the United Church of Christ you have an opportunity to share your hopes and needs with the body responsible for implementing this resolution, and with the team being formed to produce the Manual on the Local Church. Please take a few minutes to complete the online survey as a first step in your participation with the discernment process.

All of the resolutions from General Synod 32 may be read online. Be sure you open the POST-PLENARY version of each document to read the draft adopted by the General Synod delegates.