Thompson to bring a ‘prophetic and pastoral’ message to Synod: ‘We are not all the same, but still one body’

On Sunday, July 13, the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson will take the stage at the 35th General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Kansas City, Missouri, not to address the state of the denomination in her role as General Minister and President.

Rather she will be speaking as a spiritual leader — one who can preach intimately on what it means to heed God’s call, daring to venture deep into the waters of faith.

As one of three preachers invited to unpack the General Synod theme of “Into the Deep,” which is based on Luke 5:4, Thompson shared with UCC News that she is preparing for her sermon by reflecting on what unity looks like amid the differences within the United Church of Christ family and what it means for congregations to be the Church today.

“It is important for us to think about what it means to be one body,” Thompson said. “Even in the midst of the political diversity among us, there are things that are important to us all.”

Rounding out the preachers for General Synod 35 are the Rev. Marilyn Pagán-Banks, pastor of San Lucas United Church of Christ in Chicago, who will be preaching the opening worship service on July 11; and, the Rev. Tony Coleman of First Congregational Church of Memphis, who will preach at the July 15 closing worship service.

A prophetic and pastoral voice

As the Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Minster for Worship and Theology, was lining up Synod preachers, she was eager to have Thompson preach the Sunday service, which is open to the community and will include the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

“Hearing the voice of the GMP preaching is different than hearing a state of the church address. This will be Karen Georgia’s first General Synod in the role as General Minister and President. It is important for us to hear a word from the Lord from her. Yes, she has administration responsibility, but she also has the spiritual responsibility of reminding us of who we are in this moment,” said Lindsay. “It is important to hear the pastoral voice from our leaders.”

Lindsay also noted how valuable Thompson’s “breadth of experience” within the denomination is in today’s time.

Thompson joined the UCC National Offices in 2009 as minister of racial justice, a move, she shared, that begged her to trust God’s call into the deep. She then went deeper by becoming ecumenical office for the national church. She admits that her most recent “foray” into the deep was that of listening and responding to the call to become General Minister and President in 2023.

Thompson said that each plunge into the deep wasn’t necessarily just about taking on more responsibilities but also about deepening her spiritual core.

“In a climate where political leaders are narrowing the definition of who’s in, Karen Georgia is widening that definition. She is deeply connected in the various communities she has been part of,” said Lindsay, adding, “We need both the prophetic and the pastoral in this moment, and that is what Karen Georgia brings.”

In preparation for General Synod, Thompson invites UCC congregations to join her in reflecting on the theme “Into the Deep” by engaging with the Stillspeaking Writer’s Group Lenten devotional of the same title — Into the Deep — a timely resource long after Lent is over.

Click below to hear more from Thompson about General Synod and what it means to go “into the deep.”

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