Pension Boards Grants for Graduating Seminarians
Pension Board Logo
The Pension Boards - United Church of Christ and the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance provide $300 to $1,500 grants to UCC members completing their seminary education to help seed their accounts in the Annuity Plan for the United Church of Christ.

Persons are eligible to apply for a Herring and Stark grant if they:

  • have graduated from seminary in the six months prior to July 1, 2019, or anticipate graduating from seminary by July 1, 2019;
  • expect to be ordained within five years of receiving the grant;
  • intend to serve in the United Church of Christ;
  • are Members in Discernment recognized by a UCC Association/Conference; and
  • expect that their financial security in retirement will depend on the retirement benefits from the regular pension contributions of a UCC employer and by additional personal earnings and savings from working in the United Church of Christ.

Applicants should complete the  Herring and Stark Memorial Funds Application  and the Pension Boards’  Annuity Plan Membership Application and return both documents with a copy of their birth certificate, passport, or driver’s license by July 1, 2019 to: The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, Inc., 475 Riverside Drive, Room 1020, New York, NY 10115, Attention: Ministerial Assistance.
Members in Discernment (MID) Retreat
Photo of UCC Church House in Cleveland
Aug. 15, 8 a.m. - Aug. 16, 5 p.m.
Cleveland, OH
Cost: $200 ($100 paid by your association, $100 self-pay)
up to $350 in travel scholarships may be provided by MESA

The Ministerial Excellence Support and Authorization (MESA) Team of the National UCC invites persons who are MIDs in their association for networking, mutual support, resource sharing and inspiring worship at this annual retreat. Registration will be available about two months prior to the gathering. All MIDs who have an email in the UCC Data Hub will receive an email invitation with the registration link. To ensure you have the correct email in the Data Hub, contact Diane Leggett . (NOTE: Registration is capped at 50, so you can attend this gathering only once.)
New Manual on Ministry Resources Available
Manual on Ministry Book Cover
The UPDATED Manual on Ministry resource is finished and available both on the web and for purchase for you and/or your committee.

Especially become familiar with the The Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministry, which " are the central tool for discernment and assessment." ... The Marks developed through conversations surrounding the  Ministry Issues Pronouncement of General Synod 25 , which sought to expand UCC definitions of learnedness and leadership in authorized ministry and to emphasize excellence in ministerial formation. The Marks are not a checklist or report card, in which one strives to receive a perfect grade in every category. Rather, the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers provides a lens for reflecting upon a person's formation, gifts, and growth both before authorization and throughout one's ministry."
Committee on Ministry, CCAM and BOD Gathering
April 26-27
First Congregational UCC
Sioux Falls, SD
Cost: $40 (includes materials & 2 meals, not including travel and lodging)

The leaders of the Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota Conferences will gather in Sioux Falls for two days of training, good company and relationship building. The members of our Conference boards, our Committees on Ministry (COM) and our Conference Committees for Authorized Ministry (CCAM) will spend time together deepening their knowledge and sharpening their skills for the important work ahead. Questions? C ontact Diane Leggett .