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May 1, 2007 Dear Members and Friends, Having shared with you the sad news of the resignation of Cathy Zall as our Associate Minister, I am delighted to share with you the good news that we have the opportunity to have a smooth and timely transition to new and outstanding leadership for our church. Rebecca Crosby, a long time and very dedicated member of our congregation, graduates from Yale Divinity School this month, and she has enthusiastically expressed her interest in becoming an Associate Minister of our church. Becky graduates with honors from Yale Divinity School with both the Master of Arts in Religion degree and the Master of Divinity Degree. During this last year, she has served as a Seminarian at the North Guilford Congregational Church, and I have received very positive, indeed enthusiastic recommendations from members of that church. Also, The Rev. Dr. Allie Perry, one of Becky’s professors at Yale said this in her letter of support: There are many words that come to my mind to describe Rebecca… caring, conscientious, bright, mature, perceptive and deeply respectful of others…I have every confidence that Rebecca will be a gifted and faithful minister…I have admired the ministry of your congregation from afar, and so my delight is both for her but also for your congregation. We have received equally wonderful and positive letters from a number of others, including one from Jane Parker, a 97-year-old member of our church: Her love of the church and her dedication to doing as much as she can to make God’s world a better place all combine to make her a most desirable staff member of any church. Becky and her husband, Ted, have established a most extraordinary scholarship program in Haiti that has provided educational opportunities for those who so desperately need some reason to hope. This program was started after Becky and Ted took part in one of our church’s mission journeys in which participants traveled to Haiti and served as volunteers for the Hospital Albert Schweitzer. Becky has now met with the Exigency Committee of our church, and I am very pleased that they have unanimously endorsed my recommendation that Becky be called as the Associate Minister of our church. As such, the Board of Deacons have called for a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 10, 2007, following the 10 AM worship service. The purpose of this meeting will be to issue a Call to Rebecca Crosby to become an Associate Minister of our church and to request that she be ordained by the Middlesex Association of the United Church of Christ. As I see it, this presents an extraordinary opportunity for our congregation. Just as we have been wonderfully blessed by Cathy’s leadership, I am sure that we will be equally blessed by all the wonderful gifts and talents, love and faith that Becky will bring to our congregation. Although she will be involved in every aspect of ministry; I will ask her to have a special focus on the children and the young families of our congregation, to continue the work that Cathy has begun in that area. By the inspiration of her own example, I know she will work hard to engage the children and the families, indeed all generations, in the mission outreach of our church. And with her warm and outgoing personality, I know she will strengthen the sense of community within our congregation. I urge you to come to the congregational meeting on Sunday, June 10th and give Becky a warm welcome to the ministry of our church!
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