Settled ACM called to Northeast Region

Reason to Celebrate!  An announcement from MACUCC Board Chair, the Rev. Alan Froggatt 

On Saturday, March 7, 2009 the Conference Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of the ACM Search Committee, voted to call the Rev. Don Remick to serve as Associate Conference Minister in the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ.   

What Don will do:

As a half-time ACM, Don will serve the churches and the Committees on Ministry and the Executive Committees in the Essex and Andover Associations.  Don has also accepted a call to serve as part-time pastor of Second Congregational Church in Winchester, UCC.  Don will begin his duties as half-time ACM in the Northeast on August 1, 2009.

Don has served as the senior pastor at First Congregational Church UCC in Hanover since 1994.

The process that led to this call:

The ACM Search Committee was formed in the spring of 2008 with the task of recommending to the Conference Board of Directors three candidates to serve as ACMs.  The ACM Search Committee members are as follows:

Mr. Dile Holton, Chair

Mr. Art Clark
Mr. Jason Donnelly
Rev. Jan Gregory-Charpentier
Ms. Susan Kennedy
Rev. Nicole Lamarche
Rev. Dr. Pashington Obeng
Rev. Eleanor Richardson

Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Conference Minister & President

The committee has worked diligently since its first meeting in April 2008.  In addition to listing the openings in the national UCC list known as "Employment Opportunities," the Committee made every effort to encourage potential candidates to learn more about our openings and consider applying.  Members of the Committee personally phoned each of the 37 Conference Ministers.  The Committee corresponded with each of the historically under-represented groups within the United Church of Christ.  On several occasions the Committee provided the churches and pastors of the Massachusetts Conference with an update of its progress via email.  The Committee also contacted those pastors whose profiles were circulating in Massachusetts who had indicated an interest in a call to Conference ministry.

In December 2008 the search committee recommended Wendy Vander Hart as a full time ACM serving churches in the MBA and doing other conference-wide work, and Jill Graham as a half-time ACM serving churches in the West. 

Eighteen people expressed interest in the half-time ACM position in the Northeast and requested information.  After a careful review of all of the candidates who completed the application questions, the Committee interviewed candidates on two days.  Based on those interviews, along with the candidates' applications, profiles and comments from their references, the Committee unanimously recommended the Rev. Don Remick for the half-time position in the Northeast.

A word of thanks:

The Conference continues to be grateful to the Rev. Carol Atwood-Lyon for her commitment to serve in her current capacity until Don begins on August 1, 2009. 

This now completes the work of the ACM Search Committee.  I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to them for their dedicated work, and to everyone in the Conference who has contributed to this process by lifting them and our staff in prayer. 

W. Alan Froggatt
Chair, MACUCC Board of Directors