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Minister and President candidate to be presented;

Election of Rev. Dr. Jim Antal to be held at Annual Meeting

by Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane, Editor

June/July 2006

The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, currently an Ohio pastor with experience in leading vital churches and providing a public voice on peace and justice issues, has been nominated to serve as the next Massachusetts Conference Minister & President. Antal will be presented for election at the 207th Annual Meeting of the Conference, June 9 – 10, at Mount Holyoke College.

At their meeting on March 25th, the Conference Board of Directors unanimously accepted the Minister and President Search Committee’s recommendation of Dr. Antal, who has served as the Senior Minister of Plymouth Church, UCC, in Shaker Heights, Ohio, since 1996.

According to The Rev. Jill D. Graham, Chair of the Search Committee, Dr. Antal brings to his ministry a strong Christian faith, commitment to the United Church of Christ, experience in vital congregational ministry, a passion for prophetic witness and justice, and a deep personal spirituality. Jim’s mentors have included Henri Nouwen and the recently deceased William Sloan Coffin, Jr.

“While at Plymouth Church, Dr. Antal led the congregation in a sustained period of growth and transformation, initiating small group ministries which engage 100 members, taking on the task of hosting Head Start and homeless families, and voting overwhelmingly to become an Open and Affirming congregation,” Graham said.  “Under Dr. Antal’s leadership, Plymouth Church also had its first ever capital campaign, raising $1.35 million. In addition, while in Shaker Heights, Dr. Antal provided occasional columns for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in reference to many of the major issues of our times.”

Antal is no stranger to Massachusetts, having served as the Senior Minister of the Newton Highlands Congregational Church from 1986 to 1995. While at the Newton church, he served as President of the Newton Clergy Association, leading the 100+ rabbis, priests and ministers of Newton to respond to many issues, including a potential school strike, issues of sex education in the schools, and anti-Semitic threats. At that time, he wrote a regular religion column in The Newton Graphic and was a member of the Board of the City Mission Society of Boston.

“My wife Cindy and I have always considered Massachusetts our home,” said Antal. “Having worked 20 years in Massachusetts – in the far west, central, north, east, and Boston area – the thought of traveling throughout the state has great appeal.”

Antal has also served as the Executive Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Nyack, New York, and as Chaplain at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA.

The candidate received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University, his Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School, where he won an award for his work in promoting the Jewish-Christian dialog. Dr. Antal is married to Cindy Shannon. They have two sons.

“I considered this role because I believe that the message of the UCC is of crucial importance to today's social, religious and political climate,” he said.  “Because the Massachusetts Conference has often been a leader in this witness, when this position became available I entered a time of prayer and discernment.  My experience leading a national peace organization as well as small, medium and large congregations gave me confidence that I could do the job.

“I look forward to the many opportunities this position offers,” Antal explained.  “To learn from and work with many of the finest churches, pastors and lay leaders in our denomination; to contribute in some fashion to developing the next generation of church leaders – both ordained and lay; to champion the importance of both prophetic

witness and spiritual depth; and to make a difference in a context that matters.

“In my life and ministry, hope and challenge have always been connected.  While this is a challenging time for the Massachusetts Conference, it is also a time of great hope.  I suspect we have much to teach each other about church vitality and how it is driven by evangelical courage,” he said.

Antal continues.  “Should the Annual Meeting confirm me as your next Minister & President, I hope we proceed with humility, aware of our own imperfections and full of both joy and humor. I try to bring to every junction an assumption of abundance rather than scarcity.  This is especially important when it comes to financial support,” Antal said. 

“I hope we can continue to show an ‘extravagant welcome’ to all, including those who disagree with us.  Such a welcome is a deep mark of Christ’s presence among us.   I hope we can promote ecumenical passion as a radical act of hope in a world torn by stereotypes and division.  Our zeal for unity in diversity signals our belief that the Kingdom is meant for all.

“I hope we will find ways to engage more and more churches in our call to nurture multi-racial, multi-cultural, and cross-class communities.

“And I hope that everything we do will be done with an eye towards future generations, and that we can appeal to youth through the example of our joy in faith and service and through active, nonjudgmental listening and inclusion,” Antal said.

Board of Directors Chair Nancy J. Lawrence adds: “We look forward  to an exciting and celebratory Annual Meeting as Dr. Antal is welcomed back to the Massachusetts Conference. Dr. Antal is already an outstanding leader in the United Church of Christ, and we believe he will bring that same outstanding leadership and faith to the Massachusetts Conference. We are grateful for the work of the Minister and President Search Committee.”

“We appreciate your prayers as we experience both the joys and pain of change,” says Graham, “and we pray we have listened well to God’s still speaking voice as we attempt to live out a faithful discipleship.”