An Invitation to be Heard
The CDC Leadership Council met at Camp Friedenswald on October 29.One agenda item included responding to the question, “How shall CDC live into the resolution on Repentance and Transformation?” which was passed by MC USA delegates in May. Many ideas were generated. One thing that was clear is that CDC leadership is called to listen to the stories of those who have experienced harm by the church or whose gifts have not been welcomed in the church because of their sexual identity or the sexual identity of a family member.
The CDC ministerial committee encourages anyone or any congregation who would like to begin a conversation to contact either Gayle Gerber Koontz, ministerial committee chairperson, or Conference Minister Doug Luginbill (contact information below). The members of the ministerial committee and their responsibilities can be found at https://mcusacdc.org/who-we-are/ministerial-committee/ . We want to listen well. We want to tend transformation in our conference. We long for healing and hope.
When someone contacts a member of the committee, the following questions will be asked:
* How would you like to share your story? In writing? Meeting in person with someone? Meeting over Zoom? Other?
* With whom would you like to share your story? Conference minister? Member of ministerial committee? With someone else?
* Would you like to invite a support person to be with you when you share your story?
* What would you hope for by telling your story?
* Is there anything else you would like us to know before we hear your story?
* Stories that the ministerial committee hears will not be shared except with permission by the story teller.
To begin the conversation or to learn more about sharing your story, you may contact:
Doug Luginbill, conference minister; confmin@mcusacdc.org
Gayle Gerber Koontz, ministerial committee chair, ggkoontz@ambs.edu
