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Taylor calls on churches to teach about, support, UCC
July-August, 2002
In her first Annual Meeting address as Minister and President, Nancy S. Taylor called on church members to learn and teach others about the heritage and faith of the United Church of Christ.
Conference Minister and President Nancy. S. Taylor makes a point during Annual Meeting. “We are losing a clear sense of who we are, of our heritage and history. I estimate that 75 percent of the people in our pews do not know they are in a United Church of Christ congregation,” she said. “I do not claim that the UCC possesses the whole truth. I do claim, however, that ours is a unique and precious expression of the Gospel.”
“If you believe this, we need your help,” Taylor said. “We need your help in taking the time to revisit and rediscover our heritage and faith, to study, learn, teach each other, and inform those who are coming into our churches of the particular gifts and graces of the tradition they are joining.”
Taylor also called on churches to support the institutions of the United Church of Christ.
“Our forebears founded the first colleges and universities on this soil,” she said. “Thankfully, we now have a different appreciation for the separation of church and state. Nevertheless, we are failing in our support for our own institutions that are dedicated to teaching the faith, guarding and guiding it, educating our future clergy, and carrying out our mission.”
Taylor specifically referred not only to the UCC seminaries in New England, but to Our Church’s Wider Mission.
Read the full text of Taylor's address.
Visit our Special Annual Meeting Section for more, including: a photo gallery, complete text of the resolutions as voted, reports of the Minister & President and Board of Directors and detailed information on the land sale.
> Comment on this article through our Discussion Forum “The United Church of Christ cannot and will not survive without our support. Last year, the delegates to Annual Meeting voted enthusiastically and overwhelmingly to increase Fellowship Dues,” Taylor said. “But today, a year later, the report on Fellowship Dues and on Basic Support is, frankly, dismal.”
Taylor said that, on average, members of Conference congregations give about one percent of their incomes to the church, and the majority of churches do not run stewardship campaigns.
But, Taylor said, that can change. Per capita income in Massachusetts is among the highest in any state in the nation, while charitable giving in the state is among the poorest.
“Our ancestors, those Protesters, who fought so hard, sacrificed so much, and uprooted themselves for the opportunity to live freely and responsibly before God, have bequeathed these great institutions to us. Many of us have been living off of their generosity, and the endowments to which they gave generously. We must now assume the burden and privilege of their continued support.”
“Christian stewardship is much more than a means to support the institutions of the church and to be in mission,” Taylor said. “It is also – fundamentally, personally – an expression of one’s Christian discipleship. Deep in my soul, I believe that each Christian needs to give joyfully and sacrificially. I also believe that if matters of money and practices of Christian stewardship are a dark secret in the life of a local congregation, there is a problem… a problem that can and must be addressed.”
