LCM Report

LCM REPORT: PAAM Convocation 2008
Fed D. Ranches

The following is my report as staff and liaison of the Local Church Ministries, one of the covenanted ministries of the UCC. Currently there are nine (9) PIAA staffs and one (1) volunteer. Joe Malayang former Executive Minister of LCM retired at the end of last year.

The United Church of Christ members among the PAAM constituencies is growing, has currently 16 nationalities – Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Samoans, Native Hawaiian, Taiwanese-Formosan, Laotians, Marshallese, Chukkese, Pohnpeians, Kosraean, Asian Indian, Tongan, Okinawan and Indonesians.

According to the latest Report of new churches there were 1197 new churches joined the UCC since 1957 when the UCC was organized to 2006 (50 years). The Pacific Islanders and Asian have grown to 27.80% new churches; Euro-American 29.50% new churches; 13.90% African-American new churches; 15.60% Hispanic new churches (before PR withdrew from the UCC); 11.30% M/M new churches and 0.3% Native American new churches.

Growth has occurred in the Pacific Islander and Asian groups. The Pacific Islander and Asian is considered the fourth largest ethnic group in the country (following European, Hispanic and African American) has ranked the second among new churches starts. In the first decade (1957-1966), these congregations were less than 2 % of new starts; they have risen to 33.6% of the new starts in the fifth decade (1997-2006) with 74.9% of churches still alive. We have been blessed by the settlement in America of people from our sister churches in Southern Asia, East Asia and the Pacific. The UCC is probably the largest Protestant or Christian denomination among some Pacific Island groups in America. With conferences’ blessings, I continue to visit PIAA new and established UCC churches working with them together with conference staff in their joining and becoming vital member of UCC.

Hawaii PAAM representatives - Ron Fujiyoshi, Elma Coleman, Madeline Egawa, Aulani Ho’omanawanui, and Kmauela and Richmond Aea, both sons of Missionaries to the Marshalls sometime ago, Carmen Ranches, Fed’s wife and Fed Ranches represented the Church House in the celebration of 150 Year Anniversary of the Christian Faith at the Republic of the Marshall Islands on July 27 – August 3, 2007, held in a small Island Ebon where the missionaries first landed in 1857. Most of the Marshallese are protestant and belong to the Congregational United Church of Christ in the Marshall Islands. All the Marshallese UCC churches were represented at the celebration of worship, fellowship and study. Fed Ranches gave the greetings on behalf of the UCC Covenanted Ministries, presented gifts in support of the celebration. Ron Fujiyoshi gave greetings on behalf of Hawaii PAAM and presented gifts of appreciation for the celebration. The Congregational UCC of the Marshalls is a member of the Micronesian Council United Church of Christ (MCUCC). The other churches of MCUCC are the Pohnpei UCC, the Kosrea UCC, and the Chuukese UCC – also were represented in the event. The Marshallese churches were happy that the partner churches joined them in their 150 Year Anniversary Celebration.

Fed and Xiaoling Zhu represented the UCC in the funeral service of colleagues who were victims of the tragic shooting of three Pohnpei UCC leaders on August 18, 2007 in Neosho, Missouri. About 1300 people mostly Micronesians from different states in the US which show the kind of person these three pastors whose lives were cut short. They had friends everywhere. The bereaved families and the congregation were glad of our concerns and our presence on their grief. This church was to celebrate their affiliation with the Western Association of Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC in mid-September but was postponed because of the death of their leaders. The congregation is regrouping and the Associate Conference Minister and Fed Ranches continue to work and communicate with the congregation leadership.

Lutie Lee, a PAAM member and the new Minister for Children and Families of Worship and Education Ministry Team of Local Church Ministries has convened a core Faith Formation Group of diverse lay and clergy members reflected on issues concerning not only content for faith formation but also effective programming for such education. The result of this group’s preliminary work has been a unanimous recommendation to Worship and Education Ministry Team to sponsor a Multicultural Children and Families Festival at a Pre-Synod Event on Thursday, June 25, 2009. This is intended to be a down-to-earth educational experience to begin to build a network of community and friendship across congregation’s families with different cultural backgrounds sharing faith traditions and customs. It will also begin grass-roots information gathering about needs and desires of diverse families in the area of faith formation which may be used for future program development. Lutie is the editor of the Advent Calendar 2008 for all UCC churches use for devotion centered on the theme “Children and Families at the Margins.

There are more to be reported by LCM to the PAAM Convocation but enough for now.