All four Pennsylvania conferences pass motion toward one combined conference

On Nov. 9, each of the four United Church of Christ conferences in Pennsylvania passed the same motion requesting authorization from the UCC General Synod for the four to become one.

These coordinated but separate meetings were one step further toward the possibility of forming a new, combined Keystone Conference from the Penn West, Penn Central, Pennsylvania Southeast, and Penn Northeast Conferences.

After each conference voted separately, they joined a Zoom call to share the results.

“Cheers erupted in the Good Shepherd’s pews when the four PA Conference Ministers expressed their results through the Zoom call a little after noon!” reported the Rev. Melissa A. Burkhart, moderator for Pennsylvania Southeast Conference.

‘Overwhelming support’

The votes passed with a wide margin in each conference – with each one nearing or surpassing 90% affirmative votes.

“The overwhelming support for the Keystone Conference was evident in our meetings and the celebrations in each Conference,” said the Rev. Bonnie Bates, conference minister of Penn Northeast. “As we have discussed the way forward, we are thrilled with the expertise and skills of the congregations and the current leadership and their willingness to share their skills in the formation of the new conference.”

Yet conference leaders were intentional to create space for those who voted against the measure.

Penn Central Conference plans to hold a vespers service on Nov. 24 to create prayerful and supportive space for those grieving the outcome.

“We sought to be respectful of all our voters, recognizing that not everyone was in favor of this, and being mindful that as the body of Christ, we are called to care for one another even if aren’t all in agreement,” said the Rev. David Ackerman, Penn West Conference Minister.  “That said, we have made what I believe is a forward-looking, hopeful decision, and I pray that we will work together to hopefully witness a positive vote at Synod and a robust Keystone Conference beginning in 2026.”

Building the foundation

The idea and work toward a combined Keystone Conference has been about two years in the making. Ackerman noted the importance of the trust that has been cultivated in the process to make the case that “Together, We Are Stronger.”

“Our Keystone Working Group members have built a foundation on which we can move into the new Conference, and they continue to answer questions and address concerns that arise,” said Bates. “I hear from many people in the Pennsylvania Northeast Conference that the leadership of the conferences, the Keystone Working Group, and the conference ministers are trusted – in their research, in their design of systems and in their sharing of information. The trust is making a difference in our moving forward.”

Moving to General Synod

Now that the motion has passed in all four conferences, it will be presented as a resolution to the Governance Committee of the UCC Board of Directors for a delegate vote at the 2025 General Synod in Kansas City.

“We will have a lot of work to do in the coming months and, hopefully, if the vote is positive at Synod, years to inaugurate this Conference,” Ackerman said. “I believe that it will be work that we will be better off doing together than if we tried to continue doing what we were doing on our own. But we will need to be mindful of the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us and not fail to embrace them as we move forward.”

With a note of celebration, he added, “My heart is filled with gratitude for all four of our Conferences and the ways that we have worked together on this. I hope that General Synod both recognizes and celebrates this in July.”

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