“To equip the saints for the work of Ministry, for building up the body of Christ” —Ephesians 4:12
June 13-14, 2025 | College of St. Benedict
View the locations of all workshops.
We are excited to welcome you to this year’s Annual Meeting! Together, we will explore what it means “to equip the saints for the work of Ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” We will remind ourselves that we are not alone. Even as the world seems to separate us, we are continually called together as people of faith to live into the Gospel.
All the hearings for the budget, compensation guidelines, and resolutions will be available via Zoom Monday-Wednesday, June 9-11, in the evenings of Annual Meeting week. Watch for more information.
Our keynote speaker is The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, minister and president of the United Church of Christ.
Our workshops and fellowship time will lean into the challenge and blessing of being church together – as only we can be in the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ.
We invite you to join us in-person or via Zoom as we defy division and celebrate our strength and unity together.
Workshops
View the locations of all workshops.
View this year’s terrific lineup of workshops.
Exhibits
- Beach Theology – Rachael Keefe
- Camp Onomia
- Cornerstone Fund
- Development Committee
- Insurance Board
- Mental Health Connect
- MN Conference Committee to Dismantle White Supremacy
- Outdoor Ministry and Faith Formation
- Sarah Lehman Consulting LLC
- the Many
- The Ministry Lab
- Woman of the Cloth
Volunteer!
We invite you to volunteer at the Annual Meeting. It’s a great way to serve at the Annual Meeting. We are looking for people to give directions to incoming participants, help transition the event space, take offerings, prepare communion, and help with clean up after the event. Express your interest via this online form.
Activities on Thursday, June 12
Find the following Power & Boundary Training and an Anti-Racism workshop for clergy who need to meet their training requirements in the Clergy Training section of the registration. A clergy dinner with Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson follows the training. A jam session on Thursday evening is open to all who so bring your instrument and join us!
Clergy Standing Requirement Trainings
Daylong Racial Justice Institute: Sacred Reckonings
The current reality, which features Project 2025, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), and other far-right Christian movements, is, in the words of Bishop Joseph Tolton, simply a rearticulation of the Doctrine of Discovery. This daylong workshop offers an opportunity for clergy, particularly White clergy, to grapple with the ongoing impact of the Doctrine of Discovery and what historically and predominantly White churches and church leaders can do. Rooted in the work of truth-telling, spiritual practice, relationships of solidarity and followership, political solidarity, and wealth return, Sacred Reckonings offers a model for individual, congregational, and systemic work to dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and begin the process of repair and reparations.
Trainer: Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and currently serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Justice. She is a theologian, pastor and movement-builder who specializes in coalition and collaborative partnerships across movements for justice. Learn more on her blog.
Boundary Training Awareness: A Contemplative Approach with Rev. Dr. Stephanie Perdew
This training is designed for authorized ministers in the United Church of Christ who need to fulfill periodic training to maintain standing in their association or conference. This training takes a contemplative approach, grounded in the wisdom and practice of Christian ancestors who practiced daily prayer, contemplation and reflection in their ministries. It is our belief that maintaining regular contemplative and prayerful practices ground us in our lives and ministries, helps us identify our needs and aches, and helps us gain the self-awareness and spiritual health needed to maintain proactive, professional boundaries in our ministry settings.
Day One Schedule: Friday, June 13
The plenary sessions on Friday will be offered on Zoom as well as in person including the option to vote remotely. Workshops will be offered only in person. Childcare is available; children must be registered.
- 8:00 am: Exhibit set up & registration
- 9:00 am: Self-care space open
- 10:00 am-noon: Worship/Plenary #1 (childcare available)
- Noon-1:00 pm: Lunch – cafeteria
- 1:00-2:30 pm: Workshops
- 2:45-4:00 pm: Plenary #2 (childcare available)
- 4:00 pm: United Alumni Event
- 5:45 -8:00 pm: Banquet
- 8:00 pm: After Hours
Day Two Schedule: Saturday, June 14
- 7:00-8:30 am: Breakfast in cafeteria
- 8:00 am-5:00 pm: Exhibits open
- 8:00-8:45 am: Bible Study (childcare available)
- 8:00-8:45 am: Childcare
- 9:00-9:45 am: Plenary (childcare available)
- 10:00-11:45 am: Keynote Speaker (childcare available)
- Noon-1:00 pm: Lunch
- 1:00-5:00 pm: Childcare available
- 1:15-2:45 pm: Workshops
- 3:00-4:00 pm: Plenary #4
- 4:00 pm: Closing Worship
Keynote Speaker
Keynote speaker Rev. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, General Minister and President and the Chief Executive Officer of the United Church of Christ, is the first woman and first woman of African descent to serve as leader of the denomination. She is a writer, poet, and theologian who has contributed to numerous publications. Her book of poetry Drums in Our Veins was published in 2022.
Worship and Music
Worship and music will be led by the The Many, an uncommon, intentionally diverse collective making music for people to sing together about peace and justice and a world where all belong! The members of The Many came together around their shared love of music and commitment to honest expressions of faith, peace-making, economic and racial justice, and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
