February 2009 Update 
Board of Directors Meeting
The Board of Directors for Faithful and Welcoming Churches held their annual business meeting January 15-17, 2009 in Woodstock, VA with 18 of 22 Directors present. A list of current board members is at the end of this e-mail.
Highlights of the meeting include a positive review of the National Gathering held at UCC National Office in Cleveland July 10-12, 2008. We agreed that it was a success due to the relationships that were built or strengthened with national staff. We will continue to explore ways FWC can function as a resource for the UCC at all levels. One practical result of the meeting was a list of Global Ministries projects that FWC congregations may feel comfortable supporting with designated giving. For more on this list, contact Bob Thompson.
General Synod 2009
Our major event for 2009 will be the FWC presence at General Synod in Grand Rapids, Michigan June 26-30, 2009. FWC has applied for Voice without Voice standing, which will allow us the opportunity to speak on issues and be part of the official General Synod process. Our VWV delegates will be Rev. Robert Thompson, FWC President, and Rev. John Roberts, FWC Treasurer.
FWC will also host a luncheon for GS delegates on Sunday, June 28. Our luncheon will be held in "The Grand Room" at the Days Hotel, 310 Pearl Street NW, in Grand Rapids - near the convention site. Those who register for General Synod may at the same time sign up to attend the "Renewal Luncheon."
In addition to our display table in the exhibit area, FWC will offer two workshops at General Synod on Saturday, June 27. Tentatively titled, "Essentials and Non-Essentials: The Formula for Unity." The United Church of Christ was formed as a 'united and uniting' denomination. Unfortunately, our history shows we have often been 'divided and divisive.' Perhaps we can regain our founding identity with a fresh look at the motto of Rupertus Meldinius, a sixteenth-century Lutheran who wrote a tract during Germany's Thirty Years War. Meldinius articulated the famous words, 'In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.'" Join leaders of Faithful and Welcoming Churches for a conversation.
2010 National Gathering - ECOT Pastors for the Mainline
At the January 2009 FWC Board of Directors meeting we discussed the encouragement we received from national church leaders in August 2008 to recruit ECOT pastors for local churches who need them. We will be working with local churches and seminaries to identify future ECOT pastors for the UCC, and will work with association, conference, and national UCC leaders to prepare those individuals for UCC ministry. Toward this end, we are partnering with a developing ministry called "Overseed," which has its purpose to provide renewal for dying congregations through a new generation of church leadership.
We also have committed ourselves to have the recruiting and equipping of future ECOT pastors to be the focus of our 2010 FWC National Gathering. We are planning to gather in the Chicago area August 5-7, 2010 to reach out seminarians and recruit mentor churches. We see this program as a useful tool for ECOT churches within the UCC.
Communication and Support
One final theme of the Board Meeting was the recognition that we need to continually improve our communication with each other and the denomination at large. We will be sharing more about this over the coming months.
As we in FWC move forward with our plans for General Synod, regional meetings, and our 2010 national gathering, we greatly appreciate your ongoing financial support. Send individual or congregational gifts to FWC, P.O. Box 5382, Hickory, NC 28603.
One other way to help - if you have the interest and experience, and would like to assist us by making this e-letter more creative and visually appealing, e-mail us at president@faithfulandwelcoming.org.
FWC Board of Directors - 2009
| Name | Church | Conference |
| President - Thompson, Rev. Dr. Bob | Corinth Reformed Church, Hickory, NC | Southern |
| Vice President, Moore, Rev. Dr. Bryan | Shepherd of the Hills, Bechtelsville, PA | Penn SE |
| Secretary - Kohrs, Mr. Russell | St. John's UCC, Hamburg, VA | Central Atlantic |
| Treasurer - Roberts, Rev. John | Eden UCC Edwardsville, IL | Illinois South |
| Allen, Rev. Jim | Shabbona United Church of Christ Shabbona, IL | Ilinois |
| Clifford, Rev. Steven D. | First United Church of Christ Canton, OH | Ohio |
| Forester, Rev. Randall J. | St. Paul's Community Church, Chicora, PA | Penn West |
| Harrell, Mr. Jim | Byfield Parish Church | Massachusetts |
| Heckard, Rev. George | Grace UCC, Shippensburg, PA | Penn Central |
| Kenney, Rev. Greg | Timber Ridge Christian Church, High View, WV | Central Atlantic |
| Kohrs, Mrs. Sarah | St. John's UCC, Hamburg, VA | Central Atlantic |
| Kovacs, Rev. Albert W. | John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church, Perth Amboy, NJ | Calvin Synod |
| Ludwig, Rt. Rev. Koloman Karl | Hungarian Reformed Church, Whiting, IN | Calvin Synod |
| McFadden, Mr. William | Prince of Peace UCC St. Louis, MO | Missouri Mid-south |
| Pickar, Rev. Larry E. Sr. | Egypt Community Church, Whitehall, PA | Penn Northeast |
| Richards, Mr. Bill | Byfield Parish Church | Massachussetts |
| Thompson, Mrs. Linda | Corinth Reformed Church, Hickory, NC | Southern |
| Venable, Rev. Dr. Joe | Community Christian Fellowship, Greensboro, NC | Southern |
| Weis, Rev. Ted | Congregational UCC, Little River, KS | Kansas-Oklahoma |
| Woosley, Rev. Brandon | St. Paul Evangelical UCC, Bloomingdale, IL | Illinois |
