United Church of Christ General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, hosted two question and answer webinars featuring the Rev. Jennifer Sowell, who is nominated for Associate General Minister, Love of Church, according to a May 5 statement.
The topic is significant as Sowell’s election would mark the first time in nearly 70 years that all top leaders of the United Church of Christ are women. Thompson herself became the first woman and first Black woman to lead the denomination at General Synod 34 in 2023.
During the webinars held on April 29 and April 30, Thompson discussed how Sowell’s potential role would intersect with Programmatic Priorities set by national ministries. The conversations focused on strengthening church leadership development, climate action efforts rooted in faith-based environmental justice and sustainability, spiritual formation, reshaping narratives from UCC’s history over seven decades, ongoing education grounded in inclusivity and theology, as well as decolonization efforts for social change.
“This would be unprecedented in the life of the United Church of Christ,” said Thompson during one webinar. Sowell reflected on this milestone by saying: “I remember when [Karen Georgia] was the nominee for General Minister and President, and I could not believe that it took us this long to have a woman be our GMP, given all we’ve done.”
Sowell also said one way to resist negative messaging is through maintaining a “healthy, and thriving United Church of Christ.” She added: “The presence of female leadership in the UCC is just one of the many ways that we are a voice of resistance to what’s going on in the world.”
A special meeting for General Synod 35 will take place virtually on Saturday, May 9 at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time where delegates will vote on Sowell’s nomination.
