---

Dear Rocky Mountain Conference,

It’s been a few days since arriving home from our Annual Celebration in Provo, Utah, and I am more convinced than ever that in these uncertain times that God is gathering people together to create communities of courage, compassion, and hope. From the panel with Meg Wheatley, Astrid Tuminez, and Rev. Elder Carmarian D. Anderson, to Rev. Carmarian’s workshop, to the presentations by our Youth Leadership Cohort and incredible gifts of music, to the 10 incredible workshops offered by members of our conference, to powerful worship and proclamation, in addition to all the conversations over meals and creation of new connections, our time in the desert was rushing with the living water.

I continue to be incredibly grateful for all the effort made by many across our conference to make this event possible. Every year we complete another Annual Celebration, I am in awe that it all comes together the way it does with so many moving parts.

And, every year, there are also those things that I wish could have gone better. For those who attended virtually, I know this year was particularly frustrating. Every new venue we go to presents new challenges, and though we had paid for audio/visual support, it still wasn’t sufficient to create a positive virtual experience. And, at previous Annual Celebrations, we had a truly amazing team of dedicated, professional-grade tech volunteers who provided all the necessary livestreaming gear and worked many hours to ensure a positive virtual experience, and we are deeply grateful for their vital service to the conference. Those volunteers retired from their tech roles last year, and we have yet to find new volunteers to take their place. The availability of volunteer support, as well as the reliability of paid on-site venue support (all of which often fluctuates from year to year) will be taken into consideration as we make decisions about future meetings. Please know that I, and the RMC Board, remain committed to making Annual Celebration accessible to as many across our conference as possible. Finally, if you’d like to read transcripts or watch videos of the presentations and sermons that you might have missed, please visit rmcucc.org/ac-2026 for all the links. We hope these materials can help you catch up on material that you may have missed, or help you revisit the event as you continue to sit with all that we learned and shared.

I am also sorry that we weren’t able to share the anniversaries of our congregations and our ministers at the business meeting on Friday afternoon. It was our hope to share them while we had the largest gathering of the conference. Below are the churches and ministers celebrating anniversaries this year – if you are a member of one of these congregations: thank you for continuing to steward the ministry God has given you and for bearing witness to the good news of Jesus in your context. If you are a minister celebrating an anniversary of your ordination this year, thank you for your initial yes and for your continued yes to God’s call on your life to serve the church as an authorized minister of the UCC.

Church Anniversaries

• Gunnison Congregation Church — 5 Years
• Vista Grande Community UCC — 50 Years
• Mountain View United Church — 55 Years
• Northglenn UCC — 65 Years
• Saint John’s UCC — 110 Years
• Zion Congregational Church — 115 Years
• Union Congregational Church of Nucla — 115 Years
• First Congregational UCC, Loveland — 125 Years
• Collbran Congregational Church — 125 Years
• Provo Community UCC — 135 Years
• Union Congregational UCC, Green River — 140 Years
• Community UCC, Bountiful — 145 Years
• First Congregational UCC, Rock Springs — 145 Years

Ordination Anniversaries

• Rev. Alix Wright — 5 Years
• Rev. Dr. Don Grant — 5 Years
• Rev. Karen Howe — 10 Years
• Rev. Melissa Douaire — 10 Years
• Rev. Lizka Randall — 10 Years
• Rev. Pedro Silva — 10 Years
• Rev. Kari Collins — 10 Years
• Rev. Michael Blackwood — 10 Years
• Rev. Robin Swope — 10 Years
• Rev. Marijke Rossi — 10 Years
• Rev. Corbin I. Tobey-Davis — 15 years
• Rev. Jackie Hibbard — 15 Years
• Rev. Dr. Nancy Niero — 15 Years
• Rev. Jill VanderWal — 15 Years
• Rev. Kelli K. Parrish Lucas — 15 Years
• Rev. Jean E. Bareis — 15 Years
• Rev. Amelia Richardson Dress — 20 Years
• Rev. Dr. Robin Miller — 20 Years
• Rev. Nancy E. Piggott — 20 Years
• Rev. JT Smiedendorf — 25 Years
• Rev. Ann Elizabeth Bolson — 25 Years
• Rev. Sarah Jane Verasco — 25 Years
• Rev. Rebecca Heller — 25 Years
• Rev. Rebecca Kemper Poos — 30 Years
• Rev. Stephen W. Hoffman — 30 Years
• Rev. Robert J. von Trebra — 30 Years
• Rev. Paul L. Ramsey — 35 Years
• Rev. Jeffrey G. Wartgow — 40 Years
• Rev. Jenny L. Boteler — 40 Years
• Rev. Robert S. Hundley — 40 Years
• Rev. Dr. Phil Campbell — 45 Years
• Rev. Nora B. Smith — 45 Years
• Rev. Dr. Gregg R. Meserole — 45 Years
• Rev. Charles J. Wright — 50 Years
• Rev. James Chapman — 50 Years
• Rev. Dr. F. Russell Baker — 55 Years
• Rev. Richard Milo Davis — 60 Years
• Rev. Allen Louis Kallenbach — 65 Years

That is what I witnessed in Provo. I saw it in our youth leading with creativity and conviction. I saw it in churches sharing stories of ministry and innovation. I saw it in difficult conversations held with honesty and love. I saw it in worship, in laughter around tables, and in the willingness of people across Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming to continue saying yes to one another and to God’s future.

If the wider culture tells a story of scarcity and decline, I left Provo believing there is a truer story among us: that the Spirit is still moving, that the church is still necessary, and that together, we are called to tend these wells of living water for a thirsty world. Thank you for being part of that story.

Looking foward,

Rev. Erin Gilmore

Transitional Conference Minister

Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ