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East Coast Focuses on Partnered Ministry
By Don Meyer
BERLIN, CT (May 2, 2005) - A budget for fiscal year 2006 was approved and the
new executive director of the Pilgrim Pines Conference Center was
formally installed as delegates gathered this past weekend for the 117th
annual meeting of the East Coast Conference of the Evangelical Covenant
Church.
The meeting, held at Bethany Covenant Church, followed a two-day meeting
of the East Coast Conference Ministerium that included installation of
new officers for the coming year.
The theme of both the ministerial gathering and the annual meeting was
"Better Together," reflecting an effort to create effective partnerships
in carrying out ministry that include not only local churches within the
conference, but conference and denominational ministries as well, noted
Supt. Robert Dvorak who told pastors and delegates that the goal is to
have people connected in mission.
"The genius of the Covenant is our relationship to one another through
our faith in Jesus Christ," Dvorak noted. "We are better together."
During his report to both the ministerium and the annual meeting, Dvorak
recounted the numerous ways in which the churches and the conference
continue to work together in the planting of new churches, in supporting
the revitalization and growth of existing congregations and in working
with the denominational ministries.
That theme was echoed by Associate Supt. Judy Swanberg, who observed
that one key purpose of conference annual meetings is the opportunity
"to hear what God is now stirring up, to see what new things God has
been doing in our common ministry, things that are often best done
together as a conference – or better done in partnership with other
congregations."
The conference currently includes 61 local churches and what are
described as four fellowships – new church plants that are working
towards full church status. The four new plants are urban centered and
multicultural, including Fort Lee, New Jersey; Queenswest, New York;
Brooklyn, New York; and Providence, Rhode Island, which also represents
the conference's first predominantly Hispanic fellowship.
"In general, I feel quite confident in saying that the lives of our
congregations are vigorous, providing healthy places of worship,
learning and shaping for members and adherents, and places from which
the gospel call is being strongly projected in mission ways," Dvorak
observed. "I am grateful to be associated with a rich heritage and
performance in the collegiality of this conference."
Following a review of pastoral changes in progress within the
conference, the superintendent paid tribute to the lives of two members
of the clergy family who died during the past year, Pastor Terry Smith
of Hallowell, Maine, and Mrs. Karoline Rafos, wife of the late Pastor
Otto Rafos of Orange, Massachusetts. He also honored two retiring
pastors, Alan Hearl of Manchester, Connecticut, and Charles (Chuck)
Anderson of Keene, New Hampshire.
Key ministry anniversaries also were honored, including the following:
- Salem Covenant in Worchester, Massachusetts, 125 years
- Covenant Congregational in Quincy, Massachusetts, 120 years
- Evangelical Covenant Church in Woodstock, Connecticut, 120 years
- The Covenant Church in Thomaston, Connecticut, 115 years
- Calvary Covenant in Cranston, Rhode Island, 110 years
- Covenant Church in Easton, Connecticut, 110 years
- Evangelical Covenant Church in Montclair, New Jersey, 110 years
- Trinity Covenant Church in Plainville, Connecticut, 110 years
- Fellowship Covenant Church in Bronx, New York, 105 years
- Evangelical Covenant Church in Floral Park, New York, 60 years
- Pleasantdale Covenant Church in Troy, New York, 55 years
- Christchurch Evangelical Covenant Church in Portland, Maine, 30 years
- United Covenant Church in Wilton, Connecticut, 30 years
- Covenant Community Church in Jericho, Vermont, 20 years
- Concord Covenant Church in Concord, New Hampshire, 10 years
This year also marks the 125th year of the New England Seafarers Mission
as well as the 115th anniversary of the conference. Dvorak noted that
approximately one half of the conference churches were founded between
1879 and 1900, with more than a half dozen founded during the next 50
years, 10 founded between 1950 and 1990, and 15 founded in just the last
15 years.
Another highlight of the Saturday business session was installation of
Pastor David Cairns as executive director of the Pilgrim Pines
Conference Center. A letter was read from President Glenn Palmberg,
praising local congregations for their work in ministry the past year,
and greetings on behalf of the denomination were brought by Don Meyer,
executive minister of the Department of Communication.
During the ministerium meeting that preceded the conference annual
meeting, new officers were elected and installed including Garth
McGrath, chair, and Greg DuBois, vice secretary. Kent Palmquist was
elected to the Ministerial Standing Committee (ordained) and Linda
Williams was elected to the Ministerial Standing Committee
(commissioned). The accompanying photo shows (from left) DuBois,
McGrath, Karen Palmatier, who continues as secretary, and John Marks,
who continues as treasurer. Dvorak installed the officers for the coming
year.
A number of license applications also were approved, including the
following:
- Lay Minister's License: Kathryn Bracken, Judith DeCampo, Brian
Estrella and Charles Fray.
- License for Local Ministry: Philip Beatty, Darren Catron, James
Condap, David Jacobsen, Becky Poor, Eugene Schamko, Peter Tullson and
Ryan Ventura.
- License for Pastoral Office: Peter Ahn, Conway Boyce, Samuel Bryan,
Raymond Burnett, Allen Dunahoo, Nancy Ebner, Jay Fast, David Holder,
Eugene Kim, James Kim, Paul McCart, Adria Pearson, Soong-Chan Rah, Adam
Rohler, Amy Rohler, Peter Sung and David Swaim.
- Candidate for Transfer of Ordination: Eva Cudmore, Stephen Cushing,
and Daniel Osgood.
- Candidate for Ordination: Susan Gillespie and David Pope.
- Candidate for Commissioning: Linda Williams.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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