For the Church Nerds

The UCC's bi-annual meeting is coming up--I'll be in Atlanta over the 4th of July weekend. One of the favorite pastimes of most big church meetings like this is to debate what the position of the church is on various current issues. In the UCC these stances (resolutions) are not law, but recommendations. (One of the many reasons I love the UCC--freedom of conscience) Anyway, the three big issues coming up for us in July are:

1. Ministry: should all ministers be required to have a Master's of Divinity? Or does that create an economic roadblock for people God is calling into ministry?

2. Marriage: Should gays have the same civil rights as straights? What about marriage in the church? (UCC churches currently can marry gay couples if they so choose, but the debate is far from settled on this issue)

3. Mideast: Should churches and people of conscience be investing their money in companies that have a hand in settlements on Palestinian land?

For me, this is the trickiest one, because it has the potential to alienate our Jewish friends, but at the same time there are things being done to the Palestinian people that are not just. In fact, these policies may be exacerbating the problem rather than keeping the Israelis safe.

Some less predictable resolutions up for debate:

--Freedom of religion for native Hawaiian prisoners
--The Cross Triumphant as the symbol of the United Church of Christ (Here's a picture of it)
--Becoming a Fair Trade denomination
--Support for Campus Ministries
--Accessibility of churches to people of all abilities

Read through the resolutions yourself here.