2021 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference United Church of Christ
Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25, 2021
DELEGATES: Churches with 500 members or less may have FIVE delegates. Ministers with standing in the SWC, members of the SWC Executive Board, and General Synod Delegates are Delegates in their own right.
RESOLUTIONS: In accordance with Annual Meeting Standing Rule; resolutions may be submitted to the Conference at Annual Meeting. Resolutions must be in the hands of the Executive Board, in writing, no later than Thursday, April 1, the day before the meeting of the Executive Board preceding the Annual Meeting for approval for submission at the Annual Meeting.
STANDING RULES: Please acquaint yourself with these rules for our 2021 meeting.
We’re so grateful that our 2020 Annual Meeting Coordinator, Karen Richter, said YES to returning for 2021. Her organization skills, attention to details, communication, and smiling presence are all invaluable as we put together this year’s event. We appreciate you, Karen!
Virtual Exhibit Hall: With their paid registration, vendors may request a spot on the Virtual Exhibit Hall page by clicking here. The Virtual Exhibit Hall will have a photo, blurb, and link to exhibitors’ websites.
Instead of continuing with two groups...Christ created a fresh start for everybody...bring us together...and that was the end of hostility...peace to outsiders and peace to insiders... treated as and made equals, sharing the same Spirit and having equal access to God. –Ephesians 2:14-18 (The Message)
Co-hosts: Desert Palm UCC (Tempe) and Church of the Good Shepherd (Albuquerque)
Offering for Annual Meeting will go to the RIP Medical Debt Campaign. Donate here.
REGISTRATION: Registration cost is $110 per church which covers all five delegates, and $30 per person (clergy and guests). Early pricing expires on April 10.
Need help with the registration process? Watch this step-by-step video. Or email Wende.
We’ll conduct the Annual Meeting via the Zoom platform. First time on Zoom? Watch this video.
Delegates: If you missed the orientation on Saturday, April 17, no worries! It was recorded—view it HERE. And scroll down this page to review the materials before Annual Meeting begins so that you’re prepared!
Rev. Liana Rowe will preach at the opening worship on Friday at 7 pm AZ / 8 pm NM / El Paso. Liana is retiring in 2021 after many years of dedicated service to the Southwest Conference as board officer, justice organizer, and staff member. Join the evening worship HERE.
During the closing worship on Sunday, Conference Minister Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons will preach "A Fresh Start for Everybody" on Ephesians 2:14–18. Join the Sunday morning worship HERE at 9 am AZ / 10 am NM / El Paso.
Associate Conference Minister Barb Doerrer-Peacock’s opening devotion was so popular, we’ve made it available for download HERE.
Visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall!
DELEGATES: Keep tabs on this space!
Delegates, all your need-to-know materials will begin to appear below as they become available. Click to download them, print them, whatever works for you to prepare for Annual Meeting.
Schedule (subject to change; updated 4/19)
Saturday Business Meeting Agenda
FRIDAY PANELISTS: HYBRID IN-PERSON AND ONLINE CHURCH
View the recording of the Friday morning all-panelist presentations here.
Rev. Marta Fioriti and Mandy Todd have been friends and colleagues for over a decade. Since 2019, they have been partners in ministry at Black Forest Community Church, a small but mighty United Church of Christ congregation in northern Colorado Springs. With fearlessness and creativity, melding a unique combination of innovation and tradition, Marta and Mandy are committed to creating intentional gathering spaces within the congregational setting and on their podcast Jesus Has Left the Building.
Marta has her undergraduate degree in Christian Education and a Masters of Pastoral and Spiritual Care and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry in Prophetic Leadership from Iliff School of Theology.
Mandy received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Master of Theological Studies degree focusing on sacred music. She is currently in her final year of pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Public Theology degree at Drew University.
Here are links to the two breakout sessions: Session 1 Session 2
Rev. Ian Holland began his first settled call as pastor to The First Church in Swampscott, Congregational (in the Southern New England Conference of the UCC) in November 2011. First Church is a small but vibrant community first gathered in 1849 in Swampscott, MA, a seaside town 30 minutes north of Boston (if the traffic is just right!). He serves the church with a deep abiding love for God, God’s people, and the church, and a commitment to social justice through participation in ECCO, a local interfaith community organization. He brings to his ministry an incurable curiosity about the Bible and what it might say to us today, a fading Irish accent, a sense of humor, and a background in technology and computer science.
Before he was called to ordained ministry Ian was a corporate executive and academic specializing in software design and development. He grew up in Ireland but has lived in Massachusetts for many years with his wife, son and daughter.
Ian has provided recordings to his two breakout sessions: Session 1 Session 2 Chat
Reverend Cean James is the Senior Pastor of Salt & Light, an interdenominational, intergenerational congregation worshiping and working in Southwest Philadelphia and Mt. Airy. Salt & Light represents the union of churches that have been ministering in Philadelphia for over 150 years. S&L is a 600 member congregation that is the rare combination of Pentecostal fire and social justice activism; a congregation that is vibrant in worship and active in fighting for justice.
Pastor James also serves the wider church as the Associate Conference Minister of Congregational Development for the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference, UCC. In this role Pastor James works with the churches of the conference in renewal, vitality, growth, and planting new ministries.