Middlesex Association United Church of Christ
PO Box 246
Deep River, Ct 06417
October 21, 2007
To the churches and authorized ministers of the Middlesex Association:
This letter is a call to an Ecclesiastical Council of our Association on Sunday, November 11. The Executive Committee and the Church and Ministry Committee ask that you take seriously your responsibility as a member of the Association to attend such an event if possible and to encourage church delegates to participate as well. We are a covenant community that is rooted in the willing responsibility we have to one another.
On Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme you are urged to participate in the Ecclesiastical Council to examine Rebecca Crosby as to her fitness for ordination into the Christian ministry with the United Church of Christ. Ms. Crosby has been “In Care” of our Association since 2004 and has fulfilled all requirements for ordination, including an examination with the Church and Ministry Committee. She is a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School and the Council on Nov. 11 is a final step in the process toward Ordination. A quorum representing seven (7) churches is required. All ordained clergy and authorized ministers holding standing in the Middlesex Association are urged to attend. In addition, each church is entitled to be represented by five (5) voting delegates.
Ms. Crosby will not read her Ordination Paper at the meeting, but instead she will present a sermon to the gathered assembly of delegates. A copy of Ms. Crosby’s Ordination Paper is attached to this call to council. If you are not able to open your e-mail copy, please call or e-mail me at the address below and you will receive a hard copy of the paper. Clergy are asked to reproduce this Paper or in some other way share it with all church delegates for consideration prior to the Ecclesiastical Council. Ms. Crosby does expect to be questioned on the paper’s contents and on any pertinent matters that have bearing on her fitness for ministry in the UCC.
I look forward to seeing all of you at this important event in the life of our churches.
Faithfully yours,
Rev. Timothy Haut
Middlesex Association Registrar
860-526-5045
congregational.chrch@snet.net