Committee on Ministry (COM)

Report to the Association

November 9, 2019

Greetings to you all in the name of our risen Savior: Jesus Christ.

The Committee on Ministry continues to be active in our role overseeing clergy authorization for the Metropolitan Association.  We meet monthly, except for the month of August. Modeling the Ministry of Jesus, we have chosen to host our meetings at a variety of churches to experience the unique characteristics of our churches. Since our last Association meeting in March, we have held our meetings at the following churches: Grace Congregational of Harlem, The Metropolitan Association office, The Church in the Gardens and Corona Congregational Church. We are planning to meet at other churches in 2020.

As the chair of COM, I am delighted to report that the following actions have been taken on behalf of the Association:

The COM welcomed Rev. Shernell Edney Stilley to the Association as the new Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Vitality and our liaison to the Conference for the Metro and Suffolk Associations.

MID Examinations: Hsein Yu Wang, The Riverside Church, Erica Poellet, Judson Memorial Church, Charles Watterson, POC from Rivers of Living Water/TFAM.

Ordination:  Sam Kinsman, Judson Memorial Church with a call to West End Collegiate standing to be transferred to the Reformed Association – October 12, 2019

Installation:    Rev. Eli Wilson, III, as Senior Minister at the St. Albans Congregational Church.

October 20, 2019

Upcoming Installation: Installation of COM Chair, Rev. Dr. Kris E. Watson (me) as the Senior Minister and Pastor of the West Center Congregational Church, UCC  is on November 16, 2019, at 11 am. All are invited and urged to attend.

The privilege of Call: None.

Transfers out of the Association: Rev. Michael Vanacore, to the Reformed Association 

Transfers into Metro Association: Rev. Charles Buck, the Riverside Church, Rev. Jack Able

There have been no situational support consultations or fitness review proceedings before this Committee. 

The COM is still working on the following projects:

• Working with busy MID’s to help them get the required CPE requirement for ordination.
• Working with our churches to encourage members to pursue alternative and traditional paths to ordained ministry
• Exploring alternative ministry paths as ordainable calls in the 21^st
• Working with church ordination committees to suggest best practices in nurturing members to ordained ministry. Significant progress has already been made with the Riverside Church to streamline their process to coordinate with the COM process.
• Working with Spiritual Life Committee to do periodic check ins with Clergy.

Significant Accomplishments:

The Metropolitan Association has discontinued using Kenwood Psychological Services as the provider for psychological examinations for our MID candidates. Kenwood’s demonstrated lack of cultural competence and refusal to utilize evaluators of color in a diverse Association with a diverse ministerial pool, necessitated our re-evaluation of their continued use by the Metro Association. We have entered into a non-exclusive contract with Dynamic Empowerment Psychological Services led by Dr. Jeffery Gardere. 

On September 13-14, The Committee on Ministry and the Metro Association hosted a two-day training on Restorative Racial Justice led by Dr. Velda Love and Rev. Roberto Ochoa of the National UCC Staff.  Nearly 55 participants took a two-day journey to begin the conversation about racism and white supremacy. We are grateful to the New York Conference New and Right Spirit program for contributing to the costs of the training. 

We will continue to seek God’s vision for the future of the Committee as we move forward and journey with those seeking standing in the Association.

Peace & blessings,

Rev. Kris E. Watson,

Chair, COM