August 31, 2022
Dear Church Member:
With great joy and anticipation, the General Board at the February 2022 meeting received Rev. Terri Hord Owens’ desire to serve a second term as General Minister and President (GMP). Over the past five years Rev. Hord Owens has challenged the denomination to “imagine God’s limitless love” as we seek to be the church we say we are – “a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” She has also challenged us to “imagine” what the church could be like in years to come. Following the General Board’s enthusiastic acceptance of her intent, a Review/Search and Call Committee of twelve General Board members was formed to lead the review of Rev. Hord Owens.
We are asking for your assistance as we complete a review of the work, ministerial and pastoral presence of Rev. Owens.
The Review/Search and Call Committee is charged with providing information to the Administrative Committee of the General Board that will assist them in making an informed recommendation for our 2023 General Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky. The committee’s work will be directed by three goals:
- To provide members of the Administrative Committee with information from across the life of the church to assist in making the decision of whether or not to recommend the re-election of the current GMP.
- To provide the current GMP with input from all parts of the church, concerning vision, style of work and priorities, including recommendations for the next term of service.
- To provide an opportunity to introduce or re-introduce, to the whole church, the GMP and her vision for the church as it has developed over her first term of service.
Throughout the next few months, this committee will be gathering information from all expressions of the church with regard to these three goals. One method of gathering information will be through a survey open to every area of the church’s life so the committee can have as broad an understanding of the desire of the church as possible. Your answers to the survey are vital in offering a well-rounded view of the church’s hopes and desires for the next six years.
The committee encourages you to participate in the process by providing your feedback via the survey found on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) website below.
Versions of the survey are available in English, Korean and Spanish and will be available online for completion through September 15, 2022.
If you wish to contact the committee for any reason, you may do so via email at: review23@disciples.org, or by mail, addressed to Review/Search and Call Committee, 841 E. Church St., Xenia, Ohio 45385. Please check the Disciples website frequently for updates regarding the work of this committee.
As our church begins this time of reflection, the Review/Search and Call Committee invites you to join in a season of prayer, as together, we begin to discern the call of Rev. Hord Owens for a second term as GMP of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. We specifically ask that you pray for:
- Rev. Hord Owens as she listens and reflects on God’s call.
- The Review/Search and Call Committee as we seek the wisdom and guidance from all expressions of our church and ecumenical partners.
- The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada as we are called to a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.
Grace and Peace,
Candis Wilson
Review/Search and Call Committee
