Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., lifelong social activist and one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America, will be the Keynote Speaker at the 2024 Justice Summit, focused this year on Politics as an Act of Faith.  

Dr. Hendricks is a best-selling author, an activist, a religious scholar, a former theological seminary president, and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His books include The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted; The Universe Bends Toward Justice: Radical Reflections on the Bible, the Church, and the Body Politic; and a biblical novel, Living Water.  

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A surge in Covid-19 cases at the Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center in Sharon, CT, forced organizers to cancel the Eastern Regional Youth Event, which was to begin Sunday, July 28.

More than 85 youth and their leaders from four UCC Conferences had registered to attend. 

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As part of his ongoing sabbatical, Executive Conference Minister the Rev. Darrell Goodwin attended worship at the Vienna Community Church, which was founded in 1957 to serve the needs of the international English-speaking community in the Austrian capital.

Describing his experience, Rev. Goodwin writes: "I arrive at worship early to hear the musicians practice and watch as this congregation set up for worship in their host church. They do the work to add a sound system, screens, and instruments that will aid in creating a contemporary worship experience in the heart of Vienna. The Pastor, Rev. Dr. Neil Parker, opens his laptop on the altar and contemporary Christian music plays as we await the arrival of the members."

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United Church of Christ Counsel Heather Kimmel recently sent an email to Conference Ministers, noting that she had received several inquiries about companies that offer benefits to nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, but refuse to offer them to churches that are not listed on the IRS’s Tax-Exempt Organization Search Tool (TEOST), also called Pub. 78 data. 

Specifically, she said, Facebook has been an issue.

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