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by Tiffany Vail, Associate for Communication and Communication Technologies
August/September 2007
For Jill Graham, her new ministerial callings – as part-time Associate Conference Minister and part-time pastor of the First Congregational Church in Sheffield – are truly a dream come true.
“If I could have tailor-made a position for myself, it would have been a half-time Conference position and a half-time parish position,” she said.
Graham has served as the Pastor at the First Congregational Church in North Adams for 14 years, and during that time has been very active in the wider Conference setting – serving as Moderator, as Chair of the Minister and President Search Committee and the Mission Partnership Committee, and as a facilitator for the Walking in the Way conflict transformation program, for a new clergy group, and for boundary awareness training sessions.
“All the various ministries I’ve done with the Conference over the last decade combined with almost 15 years as the pastor in North Adams seemed in some ways to have been preparing me for this new combination of positions,” Graham said. “I’ve found that the local church I’m serving benefits from my involvement in the Conference, and I think I bring the real-ness of parish work to the Conference setting, so there’s always been a great connection.”
“Also, serving the Conference and the parish fits perfectly with our Conference’s mission statement – nurturing local church vitality and the covenant among our churches – this is what these two positions are doing. This is living out the Conference mission, and I find that very exciting.”
Graham’s references say this about her:
“Rev. Jill Graham is one of the leading pastors in the Massachu-setts Conference of the United Church of Christ.... She facilitates with skill, conveys confidence in people in ways that unleash in them their own willingness to contribute, honors confidences and builds community.... Jill is not afraid to speak the truth with love, to take some risks for the sake of the gospel, to advocate for the weak and powerless. She brings the good news of Jesus Christ to a congregation with dedication, enthusiasm, talent, skill, and experience. The way she lives her faith is contagious and inspiring. She also has a ready laugh and is just a whole lot of fun to be around.... She is a strong advocate for the poor, oppressed and marginalized, locally and globally.... Jill is a well-educated scholar of the Bible and is able to translate its teaching through excellent, inspiring sermons.... Jill Graham is a wise, mature, creative, caring pastor, who would be a great gift to any congregation.”
In her profile, Jill comments: “my life and ministry revolve around: living out God’s extravagant welcome in Jesus Christ.... building a sense of covenant community that is intergenerational, spirited, future- focused, and fun.... encouraging and affirming gifts for ministry among God’s people of every age.... establishing a strong bond with youth.... discerning the Spirit’s leading through adaptive change.... celebrating difference as a bonus, not a barrier.... and enjoying a good laugh as often as possible.”
Graham was thrilled to find a combination of positions that would allow her to stay in Berkshire County, where her family is located. She grew up in Great Barrington and after seminary served as pastor of Housatonic Congregational Church. She has served two terms on the Berkshire Association Church and Ministry Committee, and is also a member of the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Clergy Association, is on the Board of the Berkshire Food Project, the Human Rights and Relations Task Team, and the annual MLK Day Interfaith Worship Service planning group.
Graham has a son, Graham-Michael Frank, born in 1986. Her special interests and hobbies include “reading gourmet cooking magazines and practicing on friends, gardening, spending time with family and friends, reading, and walking.”
Last but not least, she is an ardent fan of the Boston Red Sox.