The Poor People’s & Low Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington and to the Polls will convene on June 29, 2024. The Christian Church is an anchoring organization. Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President, participated in a press conference on April 29, 2024. You can view the conference on Facebook. The assembly will “call on candidates for public office” to “endorse a moral public policy agenda that includes policies that lift from the bottom.” RSVP and learn more here.

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In July 2023, the General Assembly gathered and passed Resolution 2343: “Amendments to the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).” This historic vote represented an affirmative response to our continued call to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world by adjusting how we engage and become a more connected church.

The Implementation Team, which includes leaders from every expression of the Church gathered in Indianapolis, Indiana in January to continue this work. This team, led by Rev. Belva Brown Jordan, immediate past Moderator, is committed to serve and construct a plan to implement the approved changes.

There is joyful anticipation throughout the church for the fruition of GA-2343 and how it will benefit our ministry together:
– Congregations will be more connected to one another through the General Assembly as well as to the Regions and the General Board.
– Congregations will have a greater voice in shaping the present and future of the church.
– The General Church and General Board will increase their communication with our congregations.

This is an exciting time for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as we endeavor to be the church we say we are.

Implementation Team Members: Hiatt Allen (General Youth Council, KY), Oscar Banks (President, National Convocation in Florida), Jeff Champeau (DCEF Board Chair, OK), Bill Spangler Dunning (Regional Minister, VA), Yvonne Gilmore (Vice-President & Chief of Staff, IL), Cindy Kim-Hengst (Moderator Elect, IL), Clyde Hunt (Moderator, TN), Eli Rolón Jeong (Associate Regional Minister, IL), Belva Brown Jordan (Chair of the Implementation Team, Former Moderator, CA), Terri Hord Owens (General Minister & President, IN), Evangelina Perez (Obra Hispana Former Board Chair, TX), Tamara Rodenberg (HELM President, VA), Allison Ruari (Design Alignment Team, OR), Diane Watkins (Governance Committee Member, KS), Christal Williams (Regional Minister, IN).

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Rev. Bruce Barkhauer, Minister for Faith and Giving and Executive Director of the Center for Faith and Giving (CFG), has shared his intention to retire from the CFG. Bruce’s intended date of retirement is August 31, 2024.
Bruce has served in this role since the inception of the CFG in 2010. Under his leadership, the CFG has worked to fulfill its mission “to create a culture of generosity across the life of the whole church.” Bruce has effectively engaged the church at large in conversations around generosity and helped us think more broadly about stewardship.

He writes:

To the Church I so deeply love,

I want to thank you for the great privilege I have had to serve as Executive Director of the Center for Faith and Giving. This work has been a real joy and the most fulfilling in my service to the church. My travels have provided me with the opportunity to see the church in ways I never imagined it existed. That has been part of the gift – to witness faithfulness, vibrancy, hospitality, and deep commitment to the gospel being lived “out loud” in so many fresh ways across cultures and geography. Our people are indeed generous.

I cherish the rich relationships that have been forged across all expressions of the church, and I have great hope for our future because of the quality of leadership I have seen in congregations, regions, and general ministries. There are people in every place bearing faithful witness to our “Disciple” way of responding to the grace, call, and provision of God.

For all of us, I pray that we will learn to better know our “why” for ministry and grow in our ability to clearly articulate “why it matters.” This changes everything. If this becomes our focus, we no longer have to think about asking for money to pay the bills but instead can invite people into finding their own place in living the vision God has given us and making it a reality.

We cannot do this work without others, and I am grateful to many people, but especially to my wife, Laura, who has been my encourager, my accountability partner, and who has allowed me to follow this strange and wondrous calling – even when it often took me far from home. It has been an amazing journey.

There comes a time to pass the mantel of leadership on to those most ready and gifted to receive it – and this is my time to engage in that sacred act. I will retire at the end of this summer with a full heart. Keep the Center for Faith and Giving and the Board of Stewards in your prayers as they call the next Minister for Faith and Giving.

With much gratitude,
Bruce

A Search Committee has begun their work and will soon be posting the position as they anticipate calling the next Minister of Faith and Giving and Executive Director of the CFG.
“We have so appreciated the ways Bruce has invested himself in inviting us into a faithful understanding of stewardship, and we are looking forward to the ways this ministry will continue to grow and impact the church under new leadership,” said Rev. Jill Cameron Michel, CFG Search Committee Chair.
“We are so grateful for Bruce’s leadership in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),” said Rev. Tanya J. Tyler, Chair of the Board of Stewards for the CFG. “His enthusiasm and dedication to the CFG is inspiring. We wish him well in his retirement and the next adventure God has in store for him.”

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The Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is among 22 church-based denominational leaders who penned a letter to President Biden urging a ceasefire and demilitarization of the crisis in the Middle East. The letter was coordinated by Churches for Middle East Peace, of which the Disciples are founding members.

The leaders wrote, “We, the heads of churches, denominations, and church-based organizations in the United States, write with utmost urgency after over 100 days of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Too many people have suffered. Too many lives have been lost. We urge you to exhibit strong U.S. leadership and immediately call for a comprehensive permanent ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and lasting peace.

The time for a comprehensive ceasefire is now. Every day of continued violence not only increases the death toll in Gaza and the cost to civilians but also fosters further hatred toward Israel and the United States and irreparably damages the moral standing of the United States in the broader Middle East.”

Several signatories of the letter, including Rev. Hord Owens, were in Washington, DC where they delivered the letter during meetings with staff at the State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and with Ambassador Rashad Hussain, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024.

Click here for the letter to President Biden

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The Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, are among 22 church-based denominational leaders in a letter to President Biden. The letter was coordinated by Churches for Middle East Peace, of which the Disciples and UCC are founding members.

The leaders write, “The time for a comprehensive ceasefire is now. Every day of continued violence not only increases the death toll in Gaza and the cost to civilians but also fosters further hatred toward Israel and the United States and irreparably damages the moral standing of the United States in the broader Middle East.” Several signatories of the letter, including Rev. Hord Owens, were in Washington, DC where they delivered the letter during meetings with staff at the State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and with Ambassador Rashad Hussain, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom on Tuesday, Feb. 13. A full copy of the letter is below.

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On January 21, 2024, Rev. Dr. Linda Barkman was named the Disciple of the Year of the Pacific Southwest Region (PSWR). Last fall, PSWR’s Church in Society Committee approved a Camile Christian Church Grant application prepared by Rev. Dr. Barkman (and others) for a major social justice outreach into the California prisons. In 2022, through a Camile CC Grant, she coordinated some 975 Christmas packets for Women; through a 2023 Camile CC Grant, she expanded that into the Men’s prisons as well with 3,600 Christmas packets.

Rev. Dr. Barkman has three books published on prison ministries and more forthcoming. Having spent 30 years incarcerated, she set the California record for the most parole grants (11) and Governors’ vetoes (10). She is candid about her conviction based upon not stopping the man she was with from killing her daughter. While incarcerated, she served as a chaplain to the women in the prison psychiatric unit, completed advanced degree work, and is now First Christian Church in Fullerton’s Social Justice Pastor-at-Large and an active member of the PSWR’s Church in Society Committee. Her vision for social justice is exemplary, and she is making California history through her outreaches in our prisons.

Actively continuing to serve Jesus Christ through her many ministries, she demonstrates redemptive, ongoing love in her life.

Rev. Dr. Linda Barkman responded, “I think who deserves the award more is all of you of [the] PSWR and you of First Christian Church Fullerton in particular. Cause what you do, you saw an ex-convict and you said, ‘We accept you. We like you! We’ll support you. We’ll ordain you, and now we’ll give you money,’ so you can do what’s in your heart, which is just love your brothers and sisters in prison. Thank you so much. I am honored but be honored yourselves. You are amazing. Thank you.”

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The Standing Rules of the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada require that the Governance Committee of the General Board “. . . shall review The Design and other governance documents for suggested changes and modifications.” The Covenant Project began in 2019 as part of the work of the Governance Committee of the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. During their fall retreat, they committed to the work of aligning The Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with God’s design for the church and to claim the power and potential of covenant. This led to a period of review and a series of rich consultations with church leaders and town hall meetings followed by drafts presented to the Administrative Committee and the General Board. Revisions were integrated and resolution GA-2343, titled “Amendments to The Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),” was presented and adopted at General Assembly 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.

In light of the adoption of GA-2343, Rev. Dr. Belva Brown Jordan, immediate past Moderator, was invited to serve as the Chair of the Implementation Team, and she has graciously accepted the invitation. Rev. Dr. Brown Jordan recently completed her tenure as Interim Executive Director of Disciples Seminary Foundation and her service as Moderator from 2019 to 2023. She has faithfully served the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with excellence throughout her career. 

The Implementation Team will work to present a plan to the General Board and the General Assembly to actualize the changes proposed in resolution GA-2343, “Amendments to The Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).” In following the process outlined in Resolution GA-2343, an Implementation Team will be appointed by the duly elected Moderator of the General Assembly and affirmed by the Administrative Committee. The implementation team will report its progress to the General Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting. This implementation team has been named and was unanimously approved by the Administrative Committee on October 28, 2023.

As outlined in GA-2343, the two focus areas of responsibility will be the General Assembly and the General Board. In developing the plan, as part of their work, the Implementation Team will also enlist the help of individuals to serve on task groups.

The Covenant Project work began and was rooted in prayer. The process has also been undergirded by study of scripture as reflected in the Covenant Curriculum provided for congregations and regions to utilize to engage scripture in the process.

Please continue to pray for our whole church and the Implementation Team. As their work is authorized by the Governance Committee of the General Board, may it be guided and blessed by God’s covenant of love which binds us to God and to one another.

With thanksgiving and Advent anticipation,

Clyde E. Hunt, Jr.
Moderator
General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 
in the United States and Canada

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Angelique previously served as the Regional Director of the Communications Ministry in The Christian Church (DOC) in Illinois and Wisconsin (and Michigan). She is a Disciple from Illinois. She authored the book, “The Phygital Church: Using Social Ministry to Make Disciples,” to assist congregations with being intentional about ministry in the digital space.

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Paul Allen is currently the pastor of First Christian Church, Huntsville, Alabama, having previously served congregations in North Carolina and Manhattan, Kansas

Paul is a graduate of Barton College and Lexington Theological Seminary and has regional ministry in his genes.  Both Paul’s parents served in Disciples congregations and regional ministry. He is married to Patti who is a Registered Nurse. Their daughter Abby is a junior at Auburn University and their son Joe is a junior in high school.

As the newest region in the church, the Northern Lights Region is excited to welcome Paul to leadership as we continue to live into who God is calling us to become, supporting pastors and congregations as we strive to faithfully answer God’s call to ministry as we do together that which we cannot do apart.

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The second edition of The Disciples: A Struggle for Reformation by noted Disciples historian D. Duane Cummins debuted at July’s General Assembly in Louisville. Updating the book first published in 2009, the second edition includes the initial term of General Minister and President Teresa Hord Owens, and how congregations tackled the brutal challenge of 21st century COVID.

The Disciples is published by Chalice Press, the denominational publisher for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Though a mere 14 years passed between editions, Cummins observed a change within the denomination: A new sense of confidence he attributes to the COVID pandemic.

“Disciples clearly saw the reality of a challenge and addressed it with creative imagination and hope—and found they were clearly able to reconfigure the familiar into new patterns. They could boldly transcend the existing world,” Cummins says. “When I compare the many interviews conducted for the 2009 edition, I recall a sense of fear about the survival of the church, lamentation about dwindling resources and declining membership. But at the Louisville Assembly in 2023, I did not hear a single person mention the word ‘survival.’  The tone and mood of people in the several conversations of which I was a participant was a sense of confidence, determination, and hopefulness about our church.”

Other significant changes Cummins noted are the “rich gift” of growing ethnic diversity within the Disciples’ membership and leadership and the technological transformation across the church. He also acknowledges a discouraging statistic: The denomination lost over 300,000 total members between 2009 and 2023—half of the total membership.

Cummins embodies the overlap of denominational knowledge and academic expertise. He has been a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University since 2002. In addition to serving as Moderator, he has also led Disciples institutions Bethany College and the Division of Higher Education (now Higher Education and Leadership Ministries), and served as interim president of both Brite Divinity School at TCU and the Disciples of Christ History Society.

It may be easy to think history only matters to the historians, but Cummins believes that being a faithful leader requires an understanding of a movement’s history.

“Possessing an accurate and current history of our church is an absolute essential to effectively engage our generational responsibility of refining, renewing and enriching the mission and ministry of Disciples in our time,” Cummins says. “That responsibility requires turning to Disciples history. An old mentor of mine, historian Daniel Boorstin, said it plainly: ‘Planning for the future without a sense of history is like planting cut flowers.’”

“History gives a sense of continuity to Disciples, a consciousness of generational unity. It delivers us from the provinciality of the present—expanding our view of the church. One generation alone is rarely enough to achieve significant change. Each generation is equipped with a new language, a new perspective, new insights to sharpen, reaffirm and reinforce the mission and ministry of the church.

Beyond the knowledge needed to lead, understanding a denomination’s history creates a shared identity linking the different parts of the church — laity and clergy, congregations and regional and general ministries, and higher education institutions.

“Disciples’ history teaches us that our mission and ministry is built through a generational partnership, a generational pooling of learning,” Cummins continues. “Disciples are a community of memory, and it is the debate between past and future that forms and guides our life as a church.  Understanding our history is critical to that debate.”

Disciples aren’t alone in facing challenges as the first quarter of the 21^st century concludes. Christian denominations of all stripes face declining participation and contracting resources. But Cummins finds hope for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the defining tenets of Disciples theology: unity and covenant.

“I believe Disciples have the right mission and the right message at exactly the right time. In this era of unrestrained polarization and tribalism, the plea heard round the globe is bring us together. It is a call for unity.  Christian ‘unity’ is Disciples middle name!  It is the cause most distinctive about Disciples, our reason for existing.

“Complimenting this identity statement of unity, Disciples are also a people living together in covenant to form the church, binding ourselves to each other in truth and love.  Covenant is rooted in awareness, because covenant makes people look beyond themselves, setting aside their self-awareness—enabling them to encompass an awareness of others.  With our long heritage of the ideal of unity and with our commitment to living together in covenant, Disciples have a powerful message for the world—a message to be demonstrated, a message to be shared.

“Coupling the newly empowered sense of confidence and our heritage of the noble ideal of unity, made visible by our life in covenant— this gives me solid hope for the Disciples among the world’s humanity.

The second edition of The Disciples is available on ChalicePress.com or wherever you order books. When you order directly from Chalice, you provide twice as much support for the ministry your denominational publishing home.

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Just days ago, the fragile peace in the Middle East was shattered, with an unexpected, brutal assault from Gaza by Hamas on the State of Israel.  In response, Israel declared war, and began to retaliate with foreseeable force.  On the day of the assault, and in the days following, thousands of people have been killed, including civilians on both sides of the border now counted among the dead, and hundreds of Israeli men, women and children have been taken hostage by Hamas forces, likely to be used as human shields to lessen Israel’s continued retaliation in the Gaza Strip.

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA began its annual Christian Unity Gathering in the days following the initial attack, with the NCC’s governing board meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, October 11-12.  After praying for peace in Israel and Palestine, and in the wider Middle East region, the governing board called upon both Israelis and Palestinians to cease hostilities.  We did so confident in the fact that the land is considered holy by Jews, Christians, and Muslims; with the knowledge that the Israelites of old were our forebears in the faith; and in solidarity with the Christian Churches of the Holy Land, whose adherents comprise a significant percentage of the Palestinian community.

While we condemn the Hamas attack and recognize Israel’s right to protect its people, we affirm the value of all human life.  We therefore call upon Israel, with its overwhelming firepower, to temper its response in the name of human decency.  The innocence of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians cannot be ignored.  While Israel’s response against Hamas is understandable, its anticipated retaliation in Gaza, from which Palestinian civilians cannot flee due to the closed border, must not match, or exceed the brutality of Hamas’ assault.  This includes both military action and the shutdown of critical infrastructure.  In turn, Hamas must release all hostages immediately.

Finally, we call upon all international actors to take actions that will lead to an end of the conflict, including the assurance of humanitarian assistance.  In particular, we call upon the United States and the Biden Administration, even though in support of Israel in the current crisis, to not allow the conflict to deflect from a consideration of root causes of the enmity between Israelis and Palestinians.  This is not the time for such consideration.  Nevertheless, care must be taken not to enable the kind of extreme force that would preclude this consideration in the future.

We end this statement with a prayer for God’s comfort for all those directly impacted by this conflict, and for the eternal memory of those who have lost their lives.

###

Serving as a leading voice of witness to the living Christ in the public square since 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) brings together 37 member communions and more than 30 million Christians in a common commitment to God’s love and promise of unity.

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Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) continues to grieve the devastating loss of life in Israel/Palestine.  As the numbers of those killed and injured climb, we ask people of faith to remain committed to praying and working toward an immediate end to the violence. Yet, cessation of conflict will not automatically bring justice. Without attention to the core systemic issues of the war and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory, there will be no real peace. At a time when the rush by governments will be for more military responses, CMEP prays for the de-escalation of violence to prevail. We urge an escalation of diplomatic efforts by the United States, through the United Nations, and other regional bodies. Too many people are already grieving the loss of loved ones. 

CMEP calls for an immediate end to all violence and calls for restraint from all parties. CMEP is deeply concerned by the prospect of an Israeli protracted military offensive and possible ground invasion into Gaza that could result in considerably more deaths and destruction and a broader regional war. Half of the 2.2 million people of Gaza are children.  

CMEP abhors reports from the Israeli government that they have shut off power, water, and fuel to the people of Gaza. These actions constitute collective punishment, and international law designates such actions as illegal and unconscionable. The lack of water, electricity, fuel, and access to medical supplies will have a disastrous impact on millions of civilians in Gaza, especially those who need immediate medical attention. We urge the resumption of power, water, and gas for the people of Gaza. CMEP calls for the protection of access to humanitarian aid and the cessation of conflict so that emergency medical care can be offered.

The call from Israeli Prime Minister Netanayhu telling Gazan residents “to leave” is completely unrealistic given that all border crossings in and out of Gaza are closed, and leaving is not an option for the more than two million people living there. CMEP calls on Hamas to do no harm and to release all hostages held in captivity. CMEP continues to hold in prayer the families of those held hostage and the families of all who have been wounded or lost their lives already in the violence of the past few days. CMEP calls on the international community and the United States to stop supporting further militarization and pursue every alternative means to protect all Israeli and Palestinian civilians. 

The United States has long failed to serve as a constructive partner in helping to secure a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine. During heightened tension, CMEP implores the U.S. government to refrain from steps that only exacerbate the violence and increase the risk of expanding war into the broader region. Core issues of the conflict must be addressed, including but not limited to: ceasing the expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories; ending impunity given to settlers when they attack Palestinians, their homes, their lands, and religious sites; reversing de facto annexation of Palestinian land; ending the blockade of Gaza while ensuring the legitimate security needs of Israelis; ensuring freedom of access and movement for Palestinians. These are among numerous other issues that the United States and many in the international community have not held Israel accountable for decades. 

While mourning the tragic events happening in Gaza and Israel, CMEP remains committed to prayer and the belief that peace is possible even in these devastating times.

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Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens is the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. She is the first person of color and second woman to lead the denomination. Since her election in 2017, Rev. Hord Owens has led the denomination with a passion for spiritual formation grounded in Biblical scholarship and a commitment to justice. 

Rev. Hord Owens is actively committed to the Disciples’ priority of being an anti-racist church, being a movement for wholeness, welcoming all to the Lord’s table as God has welcomed us.  Her exhortation to the church is “Let’s be the church we say we are. It is in being who we say we are that we actively bear witness to God’s limitless love for all.”  In addition to collaborative service with the ministries that comprise Disciples Justice Ministries, she has been active in leadership in the Poor People’s Campaign, and other ecumenical and interfaith collaboratives.  In keeping with the Disciples’ historic commitment to Christian unity, she serves in leadership at the National Council of Churches as the Treasurer of the Governing Board and a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee.

Rev. Hord Owens earned her bachelor’s degree in Government with a minor in Afro- American Studies from Harvard University. Hord Owens’ resume includes more than 20 years in corporate America leading diverse teams in data management in health care and other industries before she entered seminary. 

A graduate of University of Chicago Divinity School, Rev. Hord Owens served 15 years as the Dean of Students at her alma matter, shepherding a varied student body in both background and theology.  In addition to her service at University of Chicago, Rev. Hord Owens was the pastor of First Christian Church of Downers Grove, Illinois, where she continued their long legacy of community partnership. Under Rev. Hord Owens’ leadership, FCCDG is now an open and affirming, anti-racism, pro-reconciliation congregation. FCCDG also nests an independent Hispanic congregation, Fe Y Esperanza, with whom they share in a variety of ministries throughout the year. 

Hord Owens is widely sought after as a preacher, speaker and workshop facilitator. Her ministry and intellectual interests include a theology of reconciliation, cultural intelligence, developing inclusive and multi-cultural congregations, and the mentoring of young adults. 

Rev. Hord Owens is married to Walter Owens, Jr., and are the proud parents of an adult son, W. Mitchell Owens, III and daughter-in-law Adri Owens and new grandparents to Zachary.

Messages from the GMP

Playlist of video messages, including the “Imagine With Me” series

Connect with the GMP

Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens looks forward to opportunities to connect with members of the Church. If you would like to request her presence for a worship service, a recorded message for your church anniversary, participation in a workshop or other event, please click on the button below to submit a request form. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Shannon Pope, Exec. Asst. to the General Minister & President at spope@disciples.org. We look forward to connecting you with your GMP.

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Louisville, KY – The General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) convened in Louisville, Kentucky, from July 29 to August 1, 2023, and proudly announces the re-election of Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens to a second term as General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. She is the first African American and second woman to lead the denomination – and the first African American woman to lead a mainline Christian denomination.  

The Administrative Committee of the General Board, following the procedures and requirements outlined in The Design for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Standing Rules of the General Board, officially nominated Rev. Teresa Hord Owens for re-election. Subsequently, the General Board voted to forward her name for consideration.

On Tuesday, August 1, Owens was installed and charged with continuing her ministry of visionary love, spiritual leadership, prophetic imagination, and ecumenical service. In her sermon during closing worship, she invited the General Assembly to “imagine new ways of being church and to stay at the table no matter what we face. Our commitment to staying at the table is grounded in our covenant relationship with God and with one another.”

Rev. Owens is regarded in the ecumenical world as “head of communion” and as the chief representative of the church in national and world ecumenical councils. In keeping with the Disciples’ historic commitment to Christian unity, she serves in leadership at the National Council of Churches as the Treasurer of the Governing Board and as a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee. Her ecumenical and interfaith collaborations also include the Faith Table, an interfaith social justice coalition. 

Prior to being elected to serve as General Minister and President in 2017 she served as the dean of students for 12 years at the University of Chicago Divinity School, pastor of First Christian Church of Downers Grove in Illinois, and more than 20 years in corporate America leading diverse teams in data management. 

Rev. Teresa Hord Owens’ re-election to the esteemed position of General Minister and President is a testament to her unwavering dedication and exemplary leadership in serving the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) community. Throughout her initial term, she has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the denomination’s values, biblical literacy and spiritual formation, building an infrastructure for ministry and congregational data, and fostering engagement and inclusion within the Church. Her visionary approach to ministry has inspired many, and she continues to be a beacon of hope for those seeking a more just and inclusive Church community.

Her exhortation to the church is “Let’s be the church we say we are. It is in being who we say we are that we actively bear witness to God’s limitless love for all.”  In addition to collaborative service with the ministries that comprise Disciples Justice Ministries, she has been active in leadership in the Poor People’s Campaign.  

We look forward to witnessing the positive impact of her continued leadership and the transformative work she will spearhead during her second term in office.

The post The General Assembly Re-Elects Rev. Teresa ‘Terri’ Hord Owens to General Minister and President appeared first on Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Alexis brings to Disciples Home Missions experience as an organizing associate with the Children’s Defense Fund where she managed and oversaw the development of several faith-based programs, including the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. Before her time at Children’s Defense Fund, Alexis worked as a lead organizer with EmpowerED Families in Indianapolis to promote advocacy for parents and children, while supporting increased student achievement. She is an M.Div. graduate of Eden Theological Seminary and a current D.Min. candidate at Memphis Theological Seminary, where her project focuses on womanist preaching.

In this contracted role, Minister Tardy will have primary responsibility for coordinating DHM’s engagement in the areas of ministry with youth and young adults. This will be a collaborative position that works with other DHM ministries, congregations, regions, and the general ministries, to help facilitate and promote faithful and creative leadership development with youth and young adults. 

The Coordinator for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults will work in three key areas: 1) Produce, curate, and distribute programming that provides educational and faith formation content for youth and young adults. 2) Oversee the coordination and promotion of opportunities for youth and young adults to engage in advocacy and justice work. 3) Encourage and support networking and peer-to-peer learning amongst young people and persons working with youth and young adults in congregations, regions, and general ministries across the wider church.

President of Disciples Home Missions, Chris Dorsey says of the new hire, “DHM continues to be transformed to prioritize mission, advocacy and programs, and Alexis will be a critical part of our moving forward in our efforts to better serve and resourcing the wider church.”

In the coming weeks, you will be hearing about a series of exciting youth events that DHM will be carrying out across the church, along with listening sessions with key constituents, to help sharpen Disciples Home Mission’s focus and improve outcomes in this area of ministry. The initial six-month contract period for this position will begin July 1, 2023.

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General Minister and President Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens with Rev. LaMarco Cable, President of Division of Overseas Ministries, and Rev. Chis Dorsey, President of Disciples Home Missions, join their voices with other leaders across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to denounce the rising violence against LGBTQIA persons, the communities that hold them dear, and any legislation that causes harm to trans youth and LGBTQIA persons across the United States. 

There have been 461 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures this year. 119 of these bills ban gender-affirming healthcare for trans and non-binary youth. This places more than 54,000 trans youth receiving life-saving medical care at risk. Upon the release of this pastoral letter, that number continues to grow. This is not entirely new: at the 2019 General Assembly, GA-1929 noted the increase in legislation aiming to “devalue, punish, and erase transgender and gender-diverse identities in the recent past.” The current climate confirms those concerns. We have witnessed an increase in violent rhetoric and actions aimed at trans youth, their families, and the communities that support them, including many congregations across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States. 

The work of GA-1929 is not new but an extension of GA-1327, which celebrates its 10^th Anniversary this year. At the 2013 General Assembly, GA-1327 called “upon the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to recognize itself as striving to become a people of grace and welcome to all God’s children though differing in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, political stance or theological perspective.” 

Violence in any form – physical, rhetorical, legislative – is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which calls us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. There is no exception or caveat, no room to cultivate hatred or distrust of the neighbor. Prejudice has no place in the kindom of God. Trans youth and their families deserve the human dignity to seek medical care and build lives of joy and thriving. 

The 2019 General Assembly, by adopting GA-1929, called on all expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) “to grow in the embodiment of God’s generous welcome for transgender and gender-diverse people and their families through education, shifts in institutional language and practice, and the cultivation of trusting relationships with transgender and gender-diverse people and their families.” The invitation to educate, shift and cultivate trust is a call to recognize the beloved status of all of God’s creation, continue to allow our faith to be informed by science, as well as imagine a path towards greater understanding and full inclusion. As followers of Jesus Christ and as part of the one body of Christ we welcome all to the Lord’s table as God has welcomed us. 

As leaders across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) we encourage the church not only to take increased steps towards education, welcome and cultivating trust but to consider the ways in which the church can be a force for wholeness in communities across the United States, decrying violence and encouraging the full inclusivity and thriving of all of God’s beloved children. 

Signed,

Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada

Rev. Chris B. Dorsey, President and CEO, Disciples Home Missions

Rev. LaMarco Cable, Co-Executive Global Ministries, President, Division of Overseas Ministries

Rev. Dr. Todd Adams, President, CEO, Pension Fund of the Christian Church

Mark D. Anderson, President and CEO, National Benevolent Association

Belinda R. King, President and CEO, Disciples Church Extension Fund

Joel Brown, Ph.D., President, Disciples of Christ Historical Society

Gary W. Kidwell, President, Christian Church Foundation

Rev. Chung Seong Kim, Executive Pastor, North American Pacific/Asian Disciples Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Brad Lyons, President and Publisher, Chalice Media Group

Rev. Angéle Saunders Johnson, Executive Director, Disciples Women’s Ministries

Tamara Rodenberg, President, Higher Education & Leadership Ministries

Rev. Paul S. Tché, President, Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry

Valerie Melvin, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in North Carolina

Rev. Dr. Teresa Dulyea-Parker, Regional Minister and President Illinois/Wisconsin and Michigan

Rev. Bill Robey, Interim Regional Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Northern Lights Region

Rev. Dr. Rick Spleth, Regional Minister, Region of Indiana 

Rev. Bill Rose-Heim, Regional Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City

Rev. Joan Bell-Haynes, Executive Regional Minister, Central Rocky Mountain Region

Rev. Ken Marston, Co-Regional Minister, Christian Church in Kansas

Rev. Tom Stanley, Co-Regional Minister, Christian Church in Kansas

Rev. Dean Phelps, Interim Regional Minister, Christian Church Capital Area

Rev. Bill Spangler-Dunning, Regional Minister for the Christian Church in Virginia 

Rev. Dr. Jay R. Hartley, Regional Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona

Rev. Dr. Christal L. Williams, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Tennessee

Rev. Christopher B. Morton, Regional Minister, Christian Church in Nebraska

Rev. Allen V. Harris, Regional Pastor & President, Christian Church in Ohio

Rev. Sandy Messick, Regional Minister, Florida Disciples Regional Church

Rev. Dr. Andy Mangum, Regional Minister, Christian Church in the Southwest

Rev. Joshua J. Patty, Regional Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Upper Midwest

Rev. Dale Braxton, Interim Regional Minister, Christian Church in Alabama and North Florida

Rev. Dr. Paul Koch, Regional Minister, Mid-America Region

Rev. Dr. Nadine Burton, Executive Regional Minister, Great River Region

Rev Dr. Don Gillette, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky

Rev. Dr. Cathy Myers Wirt,  Regional Co-Minister, Christian Church in Oregon and Southwest Idaho

Rev. Dr. La Taunya Bynum, Regional Minister, Christian Church of Northern California/Nevada

Rev. Pamela Holt, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma

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Rev. Terri Hord Owens shared, “I am excited to work with Rev. Gilmore in this new role on the staff of the Office of General Minister and President. Her extensive organizational gifts and passion for ministry will enrich the whole church.”

Rev. Gilmore leads the development and implementation of the Church Narrative Project, a ministry of the Office of General Minister and President, and serves as a member of the Governance Committee. She recently offered leadership across the Christian Church in her service as Interim Administrative Secretary of the National Convocation and Associate General Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. From 2013-2020, Rev. Gilmore served as Associate Dean of Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago where she also co-taught in the Master of Divinity Arts of Ministry sequence at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago and as project director of the Constructive Theologies Project.

Rev. Gilmore is a former member of the Board of Directors of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM), and the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In addition to serving the church through both general ministry and higher education positions, Rev. Gilmore has served as a new church pastor and chaplain. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from The American University, and a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Ever committed to the cultivation of thought leadership and community formation, she co-directs “Living Justice: An Anti-Racist Practicum” with Rev. Sandhya Jha, a justice learning and innovation lab that seeks to test out new approaches for connecting transformative Disciples leaders and ideas at Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago. She is also a core trainer with Reconciliation Ministries and serves as adjunct faculty at Lexington Theological Seminary.

Rev. Gilmore will begin her as Vice President and Chief of Staff role on May 1, 2023.

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The Board of Directors of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM) seeks a President who will work with HELM’s board and higher education constituents to:

• Enrich the current mission and programs of HELM, while strategically looking to the future of HELM’s ministry.
• Consult and network with other persons and entities within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that include leadership development in their core missions, especially for young adults;
• Develop collaborative relationships that strengthen HELM’s capacity to enact its core mission;
• Develop and begin to implement a plan for economic equilibrium and a sustainable funding formula to enable HELM’s ministry long-term.

Our 2023 Context

HELM represents the continuation of over a century of organized Disciples commitment to the ministries of higher education as manifested in colleges and universities, campus ministries, and graduate theological education. Identifying, cultivating, equipping and supporting transformative leaders is HELM’s core work.

We live in an age of ongoing disruption of patterns of religious affiliation and participation, a disruption that has been underlined by the Covid-19 pandemic. These new and different ways of understanding and participating with “church” markedly affect congregations, regional and general expressions of church, and institutions of church-related higher education — both undergraduate educationand graduate theological education. HELM, concerned with the development of spiritual leaders (especially Christian, and particularly Disciples of Christ), must continually assess what is needed now and in the times to come.

The President will face a combination of opportunities and challenges in helping HELM enact its mission, relationships, and programs. Here are a few that the Board has identified:

• God is at work in the world calling forth and equipping leaders to serve the future needs of God’s mission. This is HELM’s central opportunity and challenge. HELM seeks to join God in the work of calling and equipping leaders for a changing world, especially among those persons in Disciples- related institutions of higher education.
• Many expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are either engaged in or talking about the work of leadership development. How might HELM take a more active role in networking and amplifying this work?
• HELM’s leadership programs, especially the HELM Leadership Fellows Program, are critical components of HELM’s ministry and have important and impressive outcomes. How will these programs be sustained and improved?
• Funding the mission is a critical issue. Some endowed funds support HELM’s programs. Operating money from Disciples Mission Fund will continue to decrease. What does economic equilibrium look like for HELM?
•  Relationships with the HELM’s core ministry partners – the fifteen colleges and universities, and the seven graduate theological institutions affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – need continued development and deepening.

The HELM board is ,overall, an active and committed group. That said, board development and achieving full engagement will be a priority. Over the past three decades, HELM’s staff has been reduced. The President will need to assess the staff—employed and volunteer— HELM needs in order to accomplish its mission. Currently, there is a half-time program coordinator, and two part-time administrative support staff.

We invite interested and qualified persons to join us in this journey!

We hope that you will be thoughtful and intentional in your consideration of this job announcement, and make your application before the February 22, 2023 deadline. Or, if you know someone who would be a great candidate, please share this invitation and our job description. The information about how to apply is located at the end of the job description.

We are committed that HELM will be a ministry that continues to make a difference in the world, and we hope you will join us!

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