Bromleigh McCleneghan’s installation service is on Sunday, August 22. “Installation” is sort of a funny word to use for the ceremony in which we officially welcome a new minister into our congregation. I remember hearing jokes about plugging in former minister Vince Amlin as we prepared for his installation years ago. At any rate, it’s the word we have, and I think we all realize that it carries much more weight than the jokes imply.
The ceremony of installation is a sacred ritual where we all acknowledge the mutual hopes, dreams, and trust that are inherent in the arrival of a new member of the clerical team. The decision a congregation makes to hire a new minister, and the decision of the minister to sign the employment contract, are much more than business transactions. Importantly, those decisions reflect the active participation of the Holy Spirit (however known!) in the discernment of both the congregation and the minister that this new relationship is an important next step in the journey of UCG to live into its Compact. They reflect the trust that we have in each other as congregants, and that Bromleigh has in us and in her new clerical colleagues, to always work towards growth and the revelation of new truth and light in our relationships with each other, with our community and world, and with God, however known.
Given the sacred weight of these commitments, it is only fitting that we gather on Sunday, August 22, to install Bromleigh McCleneghan as our new Coordinating Minister. We look forward to seeing you at UCG or on YouTube that morning.
On a more mundane note: Please take a few minutes to check your contact information on the Shelby app or website to ensure they are correct. The church uses this information to keep in touch with you, and to keep you informed on upcoming UCG programs. If you find anything that is incorrect, please call the church office. While you’re on Shelby, go ahead and upload a recent photograph of yourself so that Bromleigh can continue matching faces to names.
The Congregation-Ministry Review Board’s mission is to serve as a conduit between the ministers and the congregation. If you ever want to discuss a problem, concern, or something that went great, don’t hesitate to contact CMRB chair Tim Martin, or any of the CMRB members: Rebecca Beachy, Catherine Berg, Salina Briseno, Don Fitzpatrick, Barb Gibbs, Helda Montero, Donn Smith-Lopez, Brandon Telg, and Bill Zegel.