General Synod News

“Making All Things New” was the theme of the 34th General Synod of the United Church of Christ, held June 30–July 4, 2023, in Indianapolis.

Some Highlights:

• The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson was elected as the first woman, and the first Black woman, to lead the denomination as General Minister and President.

• The frequency of future General Synod meetings was changed to three years (from 2 years), largely because of the substantial cost of large national gatherings.

• Delegates approved the United Church of Christ taking a stand on issues such as book banning, curriculum restrictions and teacher harassment.

• Details of approved resolutions and pronouncements on a number of social justice concerns, and other actions taken by the Synod can be found on the General Synod News website page. The General Synod delegates invite us to consider how we will support the actions they commend to us.

What is General Synod?

General Synod is a biennial gathering of representatives chosen from local churches of the Conferences of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The national officers and board members of the UCC are elected at the General Synod. The General Synod also governs the finances and national structure of the denomination. It determines the relationship of the UCC with ecumenical organizations around the world.

The General Synod is the governing body of the national United Church of Christ, but it cannot “invade the autonomy of Conferences, Associations, and Local Churches, or impair their right to acquire, own, manage, and dispose of property and funds,” according to the UCC Constitution.

The General Synod adopts a variety of resolutions on church and public matters and commends them to all members of the UCC for their consideration, with the understanding that the Synod is speaking to the congregations in the UCC, not on behalf of them.

(“What is General Synod?” borrowed from the Wisconsin Conference, UCC website)