Events Leading Our Conferences to Where We Are Right Now 

Following is a timeline of events that have led to the proposal for a new Conference. This document was prepared by Massachusetts Conference Minister and President Jim Antal.

Key:
Jim = Jim Antal, Massachusetts Conference Minister and President
Kent = Kent Siladi, Connecticut Conference Minister
Barbara = Barbara Libby, Interim Rhode Island Conference Minister

• Nov 2009: Meeting of New England Conference staff who serve as Regional Ministers or CMs to discuss advantages of further cooperation
• 2010-2013: Jim, Chuck Barnes (followed by Bev Edwards), Davida Crabtree (followed by Chuck Wildman) engaged in several conversations which included how our three southern New England UCC Conferences might cooperate.
• Since 2010 there has been ongoing cooperation among search and call staff, Racial Justice Training, help with fitness reviews, and Environmental Ministries programming and initiatives through NEREM (New England Regional Environmental Ministries)
• April 2013 Climate Revival: RI & CT CMs join MA CM and other New England and national denominational leaders

• Dec 2013: Kent attended MACUCC Board meeting
• Feb 2014: Jim attended CTUCC Board meeting
• March 2014: CT joins MA in hosting Super Saturday
• May 2014: RI, MA & CT CMs + Board Chairs had lunch together
• Oct 2014: RI joins MA in hosting Super Saturday
• Nov 2014: RI, MA & CT Boards met together w/facilitator
• Jan 2015: RI, MA & CT Staff met together w/facilitator
• March 2015: CT joins MA in hosting Super Saturday
• June 2015: RI and CT CMs attended MACUCC Annual meeting; 3 CMs celebrated communion
• July 2015: RI, MA & CT Synod delegations met together for breakfast
• July 2015: Select RI & MA leaders attend CT Racial Justice training

• Aug 2015: RI, MA & CT CMs and Board Chairs met and developed proposed resolution for each of the three boards to consider.
• Sep 2015: Unanimous vote by each of the Boards (RI, MA & CT) to affirm the resolution initiating a time of discernment

• Oct 2015: Barbara attends CT Annual Meeting (Jim provides a voice message)
• Nov 2015:  RI-MA-CT planning team (CMs + Board Chairs) meet and 1) begin design of survey; 2) design guides for structured conversations for discernment; 3) draft FAQ’s
• Jan 2016: RI begins hosting a series of clergy gatherings to discuss RI-MA-CT
• Feb-Dec 2016: Online Survey available to UCC members in all 3 Conferences
• March 2016:   Creation of shared postion of ACM for Communications across RI-MA-CT
• March 2016:   Joint RI-MA-CT Super Saturday hosted by CT in CT
• April 2016:   Kent meets with MA Executive Committee
• January-December 2016:   Conversations in each of the Conferences at Association gatherings and other gatherings
• April–December 2016: – research and information gathering
• April 30, 2016:  RI Annual Meeting attended by Jim and other CT and MA Board members
• May 7, 2016: Joint meeting of Boards of RI-MA-CT
• May 31, 2016: RI-MA-CT planning team (CMs + Board Chairs) meet as follow-up to joint Board meeting; feel the Holy Spirit drawing us towards a U-Gov model
• June 10-11, 2016:   CT Annual Meeting --  Barbara and Jim attending
• June 17-18, 2016:   MA Annual Meeting – Kent and Barbara attending
• June 22, 2016:  Joint RI-MA-CT Board WebEx “meeting” explaining U-Gov model for Southern New England UCC 

• August 30, 2016: RI-MA-CT planning team (CMs + Board Chairs) meet 
• September-October 2016:  Case Statement drafted by Kent
• November-December 2016:  Resolution drafted by Jim
• November 29, 2016: #GivingTuesday: Joint 3 Conference effort to support Racial Justice Ministries
• December 6, 2016: RIMACT Planning Team Meeting: discuss Case Statement & Resolution; plan January Joint RIMACT Boards meeting
• December 6, 2016: CMs and key finance people meet together to share information re. assets, liabilities, balance sheets, financial practices and policies, etc….
• Jan 3, 2017   Online survey concludes

• January 7, 2017:  Joint RIMACT Board Meeting: among other things to share our understandings of our conference’s culture and to vote on resolution
• Jan-June 2017:  Ongoing research, conversation, planning for joint Annual Meeting
• March 2017: Joint RI-MA-CT  Super Saturday in Wilbraham, MA w/Brian McLaren; including RIMACT conversation
• June 2017: Joint RIMACT Annual Meeting in Hartford, CT
  • to vote on resolution
• June-July 2017 SYNOD: RI, MA & CT Synod delegations meet together for breakfast
   
• June 2018 Joint RIMACT Annual Meeting Anticipated vote.