POTOMAC ASSOCIATION UCC Polity Institute June 9, 2006 10:00 am to 4 pm June 10, 2006 all day until the end of the evening business session
Location: Central Atlantic Conference UCC Annual Meeting University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware Friday sessions in Room 123 Clayton Hall Bring a lunch, we will only take a short break for lunch
This Institute is part of a sequence of four Institutes that will be offered each year in History, Polity, Theology and Ministry of the UCC by the Potomac Association, following the guidelines prepared by History, Theology and Polity teachers on the essentials of a basic one semester course. (see the Essentials list at). They will all meet from 10 am to 4 pm on a Saturday, with the exception of the Polity Institute which will meet on Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and require Saturday attendance at the CAC Annual meeting at the University of Delaware. (Click here for more information about the annual meeting and registration materials.) The Institute format is designed to serve the needs of persons who cannot enroll in a regular semester length seminary course to cover this material.
Participants seeking formal evaluation will be sent the syllabus approximately one month in advance. The complete syllabus will also be available at the Potomac Association website. Participants are expected to do reading and other types of assignments before coming to the Institute. Observer participants (those not seeking evaluation) are also encouraged to do the advanced reading and assignments.
Assignments:
All required reading assignments may be downloaded from this website or from other websites available on the worldwide web. Other practical field assignments may be made requiring interviews, site visits, or attendance at meetings. Additional reading related to the topics covered is encouraged, but not required. These UCC Institutes are enrichment opportunities for all members of the UCC who want to learn more about the history, polity, theology and ministry of the UCC.
Instructors:
Barbara Brown Zikmund, retired UCC historian/minister who has written extensively about the United Church of Christ.
Arthur Waidmann, retired UCC minister who presently chairs the Church and Ministry Committee of the Potomac Association of the UCC.
Goals for the Institute: (from the Essentials document) Participants will obtain knowledge of
* Constituent parts of the United Church of Christ?i.e., local church, conferences and associations, national setting, General Synod (Constitution and Bylaws) * Past and present structure of the United Church of Christ ("covenantal polity") * Patterns of accountability and autonomy in the various settings of the church
(The highlighted articles can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this software on your computer, you can download a free version at www.adobe.com.)
4. Visit the websites of three conferences. One from Group A = ILLINOIS, CONNECTICUT, or OHIO and one from Group B = SOUTHWEST, KANSAS OKLAHOMA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEVADA. Also go to the website of CENTRAL ATLANTIC. How is group A different from group B?
5. Interview two ordained pastors in the UCC (face to face or over the phone) Choose clergy who have been involved in some UCC national setting event or structure - attending General Synod, serving on a national board or special task group. Ask him or her to reflect about UCC polity and how it has changed over the past ten years and to comment on the strengths and the weaknesses of UCC polity. Be prepared to make a five minute report sharing insights you have gained about UCC polity.
6. Write out one page outlining three strengths and three weaknesses of UCC Polity.
7. Visithttp://www.UCC.org > UCC related links (at the bottom left)> scroll down to become familiar with the various ecumenical and UCC related organizations. Select two or three related organizations or sub-groups and be prepared to make a five minute report about those groups.
8. CASE STUDY "Marriage Equality" (we will spend one hour of our Institute on this case)
Read "talking points" on the issue of Marriage Equality By Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer, Executive Health and Wholeness Advocacy Office, Minister for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Ministries HIV/AIDS and Global Health Ministries, United Church of Christ - Wider Church Ministries http://www.uccpasadena.org/talkingpoints.html
9. Look at the Resolutions coming before the Central Atlantic Conference Annual Meeting. There are four posted on the CACUCC website.
Summary of Pre-Institute Assignments: 1. Read basic information about polity and what polity is. 2. Read two major essays about "covenant" polity and how it works. 3. Read the Constitution and By Laws of the UCC and several articles about how the various settings of the UCC relate to each other. 4. Read the websites of three UCC Conferences, including CAC. 5. Interview two UCC clergy or lay leaders who have attended General Synod or been involved in the national setting structures in some way. Be prepared to report on what you have learned. 6. Write a one page statement about the strengths and weaknesses of UCC polity 7. Visit the UCC website and explore related organizations, sub-groups etc. Come to the institute prepared to explain/introduce several groups. 8. Prepare for a "case study" discussion on the General Synod action on Marriage Equality. Review the actions of General Synod, the pronouncement on equality in marriage, talking points supporting its passage, statements by General Minister and President John H. Thomas, and reactions against this action. How is this issue shaping UCC polity? 9. Look at the four resolutions that will be on the agenda for the CAC Annual meeting.
Here is a pdf version of this syllabus if you would prefer to print it out in that format. Polity Syllabus
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