Conference Meeting Reflections

 I recently attended the annual meeting of the Missouri Mid South Conference, held at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. The conference featured the usual doom and gloom: churches closing, churches leaving the denomination, churches cutting their denominational support to Our Churches Wider Mission, and the continuing conference budget deficit. The preaching at the conference featured the usual progressive talking points. The conference workshops didn't attract my interest. Sounds pretty awful? Not really. The conference staff did an excellent job of managing the event. The Drury campus is beautiful and relaxing, with plenty of trees and attractive walking paths and places to sit and reflect. It is always a pleasure to worship, eat, and chat with my colleagues from all over Missouri. Speaking of worship, the high point of my conference experience is always the chance to sing in a four-part choir full of spirited singers. I especially enjoy the chance to sing as a bass with a good section leader!

For me, the “salt and light” at the conference came from our visiting pastors from the United Church of Jamaica. The United Church combines the historic Presbyterian, Congregational, and Disciples/Christian churches of Jamaica. Three Jamaican pastors attended the meeting, celebrating 20 years of a Missouri/Jamaica partnership. The Rev. Dr. Henroy Samuels led an excellent Bible study. I was touched that he was using a Bible that I gave him one of the times he visited St. Louis. The pastors gave us an excellent update on conditions in Jamaica and on the ministries and missions of the United Church. I hope that my friendship with my Jamaican colleagues will lead to good things for our own Jamaican Christian Medical Mission.

The conference experience is typical of my relationship with our denomination. I respect the professionalism and hard work of our conference staff. I love my colleagues, and I especially love singing and worshiping with them. I am a strong supporter of the conference's mission work to Jamaica. I am proud of the fact that our congregation is one of the best supporters of the conference and the denomination through our consistent and substantial giving to Our Churches Wider Mission. At the same time, as a moderate Calvinist, I personally reject the progressive theological and political agenda of our conference and denomination leaders, an agenda that is endorsed enthusiastically by many of my colleagues.

I am a UCC pastor and we are a UCC congregation. Like people, congregations and denominations do not live forever. Only the universal Christian church, the Body of Christ, will last until the end of the age. My opinion is that the UCC is nearing the end of its life span. The denomination's progressive agenda will not lead to revival. However, I may be totally wrong, and the UCC will outlast all of us here at Evangelical United Church of Christ of Cape Girardeau. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. And Jesus is not just still speaking through is Word, the Bible, but he Lord of all things under heaven and on earth.

Colosians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Pastor's Annual Report

It is difficult to believe that once again, a full year has passed in the life of our congregation. Another year—hopefully—spent in watchful waiting for the return of our savior. Like every year, this year certainly had its ups and downs. On a personal note, I have been blessed by Michelle finding a good job with the Red Cross Blood Services here in Cape. No more of that crazy commuting from St. Louis.  Give us a couple of years and we will have the old farm place updated into a comfortable home for both of us!

As a preacher and teacher, the most significant development in 2011 was our use of “The Story” Bible reading program. “The Story” provided a unique way to read the Bible as a connected sequence. It also allowed me to preach on sections of the Bible that are not covered in the Revised Common Lectionary. I am looking forward to our completing “The Story” this Lent. I am happy that we had a baptism this year and was very excited that I was able officiate at a wedding for the first time.

As your “resident theologian” I began a more intensive study of the works of John Calvin, the man who put the “reformed” into Evangelical and Reformed. I made good use of my commuting time by listening to an audio book of “The Institutes of the Christian Religion.” I also made Calvin’s Bible commentaries the anchor of my weekly sermon preparation. Calvin’s theology is intellectually challenging without being academic. It is a practical theology for believing Christians striving to live as faithful followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Calvin’s work is the foundation of the thought of Karl Barth, the greatest theologian of the 20^th century, who I also continue to study. Calvin is an excellent antidote for all the mountains of academic papers and Bible commentaries of the historical/critical, literary, deconstructionist, post-modernist, feminist and 57 other varieties that have led the progressive church to its sad dead end.

As a provider of pastoral care, I added some marriage preparation counseling experience to my portfolio and continued to receive professional training at Care and Counseling in St. Louis. Several members that I had been visiting for years passed away in 2011. I always feel honored to be asked to officiate at funerals, but I am certainly not immune to the sadness that comes from losing old friends to the Kingdom. The help of my counselor, Dr. Rev. Aline Russell has been invaluable in dealing with those losses.

As a community leader, I served as president of the Cape Ministerial Alliance. I made sure that every meeting had a worthwhile educational program and included opportunities for fellowship and sharing of information among the pastors. I also coordinated the scheduling of pastors for the city council meeting invocations and led the prayer myself several times. I coordinated the planning of the annual Good Friday “Way of the Cross” by the Downtown Council of Churches. I continued to lead the “Sprig of Hope” homeless shelter project and managed to keep the project on course despite some setbacks and discouraging events. I participated in the housing committee of Community Caring Council, including the annual homeless and hunger awareness activities. I served on the Cape Mental Health Coalition and initiated “Mental Health First Aid” training in Cape Girardeau. I contributed prayers to our community Dr. Martin Luther King JR celebrations. I was also appointed the president-elect of the Samaritan Regional Free Health Clinic. Thanks to support from the congregation, I was able to travel to Jamaica on the biannual medical mission. I continued to serve as a pharmacy assistant and I preached the Sunday sermon at the Caron Hall United Church.

As a member of the church, I really enjoyed participating in our fellowship and service activities during the year. I could not imagine going through a year without rolling dumplings and making apple butter. I really enjoy joining with church members in our annual ham supper and other events. As a participant in worship, I had the opportunity to sing my first solo during the Christmas Eve service of lessons and carols.

2011 was also the year that I took over some the duties of church secretary—producing the bulletin, Chronicler, and this annual report. Thanks for your patience!

I want to end by thanking the congregation for another good year. You have been generous and supportive. Thanks for all the Christmas gifts and the raise! You have provided me with a place where I can grow as a Christian, a preacher, and a pastor. Thank you and God bless you!

Pastor Dan