Calendar of Prayer Clergy Convocation Conference Calendar Conference Meetings Directions / Map Pastors' Convocation Pastor's Eucharists Prayer Partners Professional Dev Spirituality Events Stewardship Events UCC / National Events Worship Services     Annual Clergy Convocation Each year, shortly after Easter, the Conference sponsors an educational retreat for ministers. If you missed the last event, mark your calendar now for the upcoming Convocation! 2010:  Elizabeth Nordbeck May 4 ~ 6    The 16th Annual Clergy Convocation was led by the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Nordbeck. In her writings and work as a resource to international church bodies, Beth Nordbeck offers insights into the historical roots and precedents of today’s trends in American religion. Her interests range from the roots of Congregationalism in New England to ecumenism and new religious movements. In 2002 she published a history of the Massachusetts Council of Churches and O God Tender and Just: Reflections and Responses after September 11, 2001. An ordained UCC minister, she is co-editor of Prism: A Theological Journal for the UCC. . 2009:  Lynice Pinkard May 5 ~ 7    The 15th Annual Clergy Convocation was led by Rev. Lynice M. Pinkard, Pastor of First Congregational Church of Oakland, CA. For much of the past twenty years, Rev. Pinkard has dedicated her life to the work of ministry: pastoring, community organizing, writing, advocacy, counseling and healing. Rev. Pinkard was a speaker at the 2007 UCC General Synod in Hartford where PSEC delegates first heard her speak. She is highly respected for her insights and much of her research and scholarship have focused on the intersection of racial and spiritual identities. 2008:  John Thomas May 6 ~ 8    The 14th Annual Clergy Convocation was led by Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College and Yale University Divinity School. He studied at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland and is author of numerous articles on ecumenical issues. He has served congregations in Connecticut and Pennsylvania and, 1991, was appointed Assistant to the UCC President for Ecumenical Concerns. In that role, he was instrumental in development of the full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and three Reformed churches, the Reformed Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the UCC. 2007:  Joyce Rupp May 8 ~ 10   The 13th Annual Clergy Convocation will be led by Joyce Rupp, author, retreat leader and “farmer's daughter” from Des Moines, Iowa. A member of the Servites (Servants of Mary) she has led retreats throughout North America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Africa and Canada. Joyce is the author of sixteen books including: Praying Our Goodbyes, The Cosmic Dance, and Your Sorrow is My Sorrow. Her latest book, Walk in a Relaxed Manner: Life Lessons from the Camino, chronicles a 450-mile trek full of adventure, humor, heartbreak and insight. 2006:  Tony Campolo May 9 ~ 11   The 12th Annual Clergy Convocation was led by the Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA. Founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, he has helped create programs for "at-risk" children in cities across the US and Canada, and has helped establish schools in several developing countries. Dr. Campolo is a media commentator on religious, social and political matters, and has appeared on television in programs ranging from CNN News to Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect. He is an ordained minister and has served congregations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Dr. Campolo is author of 30 books, the most recent of which are Which Jesus? (W Publishing, 2003), Speaking My Mind (W Publishing, 2004) and The Church Enslaved (Augsburg, 2005). home         webmaster        contact us        talk to a person