Kevin Pettit Shares His Reflections on the Process

During the past 5 years, I have been involved in the corporate writing of an updated UCC Manual on Local Church, much akin to the Manual on Ministry, for use by all settings of the Church to fully live into their covenantal responsibilities and privileges under the Constitution of the United Church of Christ.  I was interested in helping to write this document because, given the congregationalist polity of the UCC, I understand the guidance provided by the Manual on Local Church to be perhaps the most effective way to guide local UCC churches how to better invite, embrace, include, and empower people living with disabilities into active lives of faith in their church, which is a mission of the interfaith disability advocacy organization I founded and lead that is called Faith4All.  Faith4All works with religious organizations of any tradition to help them learn to give an honest welcome to people living with any disabling condition(s) be they mental, physical, or spiritual health challenges.  Although I have myself written considerably, published two books, and even coauthored several journal articles with other researches in physics, I have never been tasked to contribute to such a large tome with so many different contributors.  In some ways,  this group writing effort was a novel experience for me; yet, I am very pleased with the outcome of our work!

As you can read in the One-Page Overview of the Manual on Local Church, this new guide is for all settings of the Church to use, to fully live into their covenantal responsibilities and privileges under the Constitution of the United Church of Christ.  This work was commissioned by the Thirty-Second General Synod in 2019.  It includes:

• an Introduction;

• the Congregational Code, a three-part covenental framework centering Local Churches;

• Marks for Faithful and Vital Local Churches, designed to affirm and expand your ministry;

• Local Church Governance, practical tools for building and sustaining healthy leadership;

• Standing Support and Accountability, processes for recognizing Local Church Standing and more;

• Resources, a Glossary and other References.

In addition to the new Manual on Local Church, which can be downloaded now, our church national has put together a very useful webpage to guide people in the nature of our Manual on Local Church.  This webpage contains links to a video series about the Manual on Local Church, a link directly to the helpful Resource Section of the Manual on Local Church, as well as links to a PowerPoint Presentation on the Manual on Local Church to share, the One-Page Overview of the Manual on Local Church to share, and there is also a really cool Grow Your Church Game which is a great way to engage the Marks for Faithful and Vital Local Ministry.  (You’ve got to check this game out!!!) 

I found that my efforts to insure the Manual on Local Church addressed issues related to disability and highlighted the work of the UCC Disabilities Ministry was well received by the many members of the writing group of this project.  I am proud of our work and feel that the Manual on Local Church, and particularly the website associated with it, will greatly enhance the operations of both new and more established congregations of the UCC.  Please take a look at it!