The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson to Preach at 2025 Annual Gathering Opening Worship

The UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) has announced that the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, the UCC’s general minister and president and CEO, will preach at the opening worship service of its 87th Annual Gathering, to be held March 11-13, 2025, in Boston and Cambridge, Mass.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson to the pulpit of the Annual Gathering’s opening worship,” said Jamar Doyle, president and CEO of CHHSM. “Her passion for the ministry of justice and equity is well known, and we look forward to hearing her words and having her presence at our Annual Gathering.”

Indeed, Thompson’s sermon will kick off the theme of the Annual Gathering, “Into the Deep: Casting Nets of Justice.” The theme calls CHHSM leaders — whether in affordable housing, health care, or community service ministries — to take bold action and approach their work with courage, collaboration, and a dedication to creating a more just and compassionate world.

The 2025 Annual Gathering will be held at the Hyatt Regency Boston/Cambridge in Boston. The theme dovetails off the UCC’s General Synod theme, “Into the Deep,” and shares its focus scripture, Luke 5:4 (NRSVue) — “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”

For CHHSM, the choice of theme and focus scripture was inspired by Boston’s nautical setting and historical context. Located on an historic waterway — Boston Harbor — the city mirrors the imagery of the deep waters in Luke 5. Boston’s history as a gateway to new possibilities, symbolizing economic opportunities as well as the place where transformative social movements began, also played factors in the theme’s selection. 

Boston also played a pivotal role in the abolitionist movement, where Congregationalists (predecessors of the UCC) played a central role in shaping the UCC’s commitment to faith, justice, and community.

“Much like the disciples casting their nets, Boston’s residents have continually cast themselves into the deep in pursuit of justice and change,” said Doyle. “The rich history in Boston symbolizes the roots of the UCC’s mission to serve others, especially through social justice and human service, ideals that CHHSM member organizations continue to uphold.”

Call for Workshops

Just as the Apostle Peter was called to move beyond the shallow waters into the deep for a greater catch, health and human service leaders often are challenged to go beyond conventional approaches in addressing complex social issues. The 2025 Annual Gathering’s workshops will be geared to exploring some approaches, skills, and solutions. CHHSM is inviting proposals for workshops that will help attendees to the Annual Gathering explore the theme and build professional skills. 

To submit a workshop proposal, complete the online form. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 15, 2024. Submitters will be notified of their session status by Nov. 4, 2023.

Workshops should be 75 minutes in length. They should be interactive and allow time for a Q&A session. Deliverables of the workshop should be clear and should include a call to action if possible. Due to the limited number of workshop slots at the Annual Gathering, some submissions may not be chosen to lead a workshop. However, CHHSM may contact presenters not chosen to see if they are interested in providing content for other educational events or formats.

“If you have found ways that trusting in the transformative potential of your work and ‘jumping into the deep’ has led to new approaches and successes in your work, we hope you will consider submitting a proposal for a workshop as a way to jumpstart new ideas for other attendees,” Doyle said.

Features of the 2024 Annual Gathering

As in the past, The Annual Gathering will include two worship services, in addition to other daily moments of reflection. The Wednesday, March 12, worship, which will feature the consecration of this year’s Nollau Leadership Institute class as Diakonal Ministers, will take place at the historic Old South Church UCC in Boston. 

The location of Old South matches the theme of the Annual Gathering and will serve as a fitting close to the 2025 event. The church was founded in 1669 by an equal number of men and women who broke away from Boston’s First Church in order to create a church that would dispense the waters of baptism more liberally. Its founders were descendants of separatist and dissenting Pilgrims, Puritan reformers, and Bay Colony merchant adventurers, and included a butcher, a bricklayer, a brewer, a fisherman, a bookseller, a shoemaker, two ship’s captains, a tailor, two felt-makers, an apothecary, several merchants, a mason, several selectmen, a mint-master, farmers, and a schoolmaster.

Its early members included Mary Chilton, the first woman to step ashore at Plymouth in 1620; Samuel Sewall, who in 1700 wrote and published The Selling of Joseph, the first anti-slavery tract on U.S. soil, a carefully, biblically informed essay on why slavery is anathema to God; Phillis Wheatley, Poet Laureate of the American Revolution, the first African-American woman to publish poetry; Benjamin Franklin who, before he ran away to Philadelphia, was a child of Old South; Samuel Adams, revolutionary and patriot (and come Sunday, song leader), who hosted the meetings of the Boston Tea Party in Old South’s meeting house; William Dawes, who rode with Paul Revere; and William Billings, the father of American choral music.

The consecration of the Nollau graduates always is a high point of the Annual Gatherings. The class will arrive in Boston a day early to participate in its final retreat on March 10. Throughout the gathering, the class members’ final capstone projects will be on display and the Nollau participants will be available to answer questions and talk about their Nollau experiences.

In addition, the Annual Gathering will feature keynote speakers, CHHSM Affinity Group meetings, reflection time, and opportunities for social gatherings and fellowship. The CHHSM Board also will meet during the Annual Gathering.

The Annual Gathering is sure to create new partnerships for collaboration in building an equitable, just, caring and compassionate world. “Just as the nets in Luke’s passage were meant for a collective effort, the work of health and human service professionals is deeply collaborative, said Doyle. “‘Into the Deep’ speaks to the power of partnerships — whether between organizations or communities, or a combination of both — in bringing about transformation and justice. Come to Boston to be inspired, enlightened, and energized as, together, we explore the endless possibilities that intentional collaboration can create for our ministries.”

Registration for the 87th Annual Gathering opens in mid-November.

Submit a Workshop proposal.
Learn more about the Annual Gathering.
Learn more about Sponsorship opportunities available for the Annual Gathering.