Annual Gathering Wednesday Worship Becomes ‘Harambe’ Moment for all

The Rev. Darrell Goodwin, executive conference minister of the UCC’s Southern New England Conference, preached about the power of a unified CHHSM during the Wednesday evening worship service of the 87th Annual Gathering. Held March 12, 2025, at Old South Church UCC in Boston, the special service included the consecration of the current graduating class of CHHSM’s Nollau Leadership Institute as Diakonal Ministers, and the word harambe (hah-rahm-BAY’ — all pulling together) was Goodwin’s key message.

Named for the Rev. Louis Edward Nollau, a 19th-century minister and founder of several St. Louis-area CHHSM organizations, the Nollau Institute is a year-long leadership program that culminates with the class members’ consecration as Diakonal Ministers.

Goodwin discussed Nollau and CHHSM’s history in his sermon. But he opened his sermon by broadening the sense of consecration. 

“Consecration is something that has been set apart — something is going to shift for you,” he said. “The Spirit wants something to happen in you.”

Humorously pulling rank, Goodwin announced that although UCC conferences don’t ordain people — that is a duty of the local associations — he was going to bend the UCC rule (“In the UCC, we are all about breaking some rules,” he said), and consecrate the entire room.

He then turned to the history of Nollau and CHHSM, lifting up the first agencies that Nollau created: the first German Evangelical Children’s Home, today Every Child’s Hope, and Deaconess Hospital, today the Deaconess Foundation and Deaconess Nurse Ministry. The focus for Nollau is that no one was turned away. The hospital, for example, was “not a proselytizing organization,” said Goodwin, ”but a place of respite where all could get care.”

Goodwin used the example to stress that CHHSM agencies are the ones who do something when there is a human need. “Nollau wasn’t the only one who saw orphans in the street,” he said. “Nollau chose to do something about it.”

Similarly, “you are humans for others,” Goodwin added. “Nothing that God has gifted you is about you. God puts you in the position you are in right now because God knew you wouldn’t just nod your head at injustice: you would do something about it.”

Nollau persisted in the midst of haters, Goodwin said, pointing out that “he was getting hatred from people within his congregation. We have people in our own organizations who are unwilling to see how God is calling us.”

But we still have a call, he said, to serve “the least, the last, the passed over. That they might be seen.”

Drawing a parallel with the present, Goodwin talked about Nollau gathering together friends to achieve his goals. He emphasized that today is no different.

“This is a moment in history where you better get you some friends,” he said. “Everyone should be invited … we are created to be in relation with each other. Together, we can do this work.”

In a climate where nonprofits are scrubbing websites of DEI language in order to maintain Federal funding, Goodwin offered a challenge. The history of CHHSM is not the Council for Health and Human Services, but the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries. He reminded attendees that in the UCC, we are all ministers, and that includes our health and human service organizations — most of which were begun by UCC ministries. 

“Nollau’s congregation probably thought he was nuts,” said Goodwin. Many in his congregation “wouldn’t have stepped foot in [Deaconess] Hospital because it was open to everyone. It was a hospital for all when the Emancipation Proclamation did not yet exist.”

Maybe that story might encourage you to get up and do something about health and human service injustices, he added.

History shows us, Goodwin said, that “those who dare to tangle with God and God’s organizations are not on the right side of history. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the spirit that survives in you and might give you a voice, make you march, raise your voice when you did not know it was in there.”

Re-emphasizing the need for CHHSM agencies to band together, he said, “The people who are sitting around you are going to make a covenant with you that will be the wind at your back. Some of us are going to be up against the wall before others — and we are going to bind together” for each other.

Goodwin introduced the concept of harambe, encouraging the congregation to say the word with special emphasis. “Tonight,” he said, “I want your marching word in CHHSM to become harambe.”

“We will no longer see ourselves as individual agencies. We will see ourselves as one organization: CHHSM,” Goodwin said. 

Turning to the Nollau Leadership Institute class, he added, “You are stronger together. Collectively, they will be the wind at our backs.”

Throughout his sermon, Goodwin highlighted the hope he sees in CHHSM. “It seems that the night is dark,” he said, “but when I look at you, I see stars of light.” 

“God knows us better than we know ourselves,” he added. “God knows that we will not stand for “hungry children, homeless people, a lack of health care. You might be here right now because God trusts you to not give up, to not run away.

“I’m too afraid to tell God no.”

Following Goodwin’s inspiring words, the consecration ceremony for the Nollau graduates began. The ceremony started with a reading by the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, CHHSM’s associate for advocacy and leadership development, called “About Standing (in Kinship)” by Kimberly Blaeser.

“Rev. Goodwin delivered a powerful sermon reminding us that we are called for such a time as this, consecrated to do God’s holy work of justice,” said Doyle. “This message was a perfect lead-in to the deeply moving consecration service of the 2024-2025 Nollau class.”

During the ceremony, each Nollau graduate received a towel and basin of blessing, representing Christ’s call to servant leadership in health and human service ministry. The basins contained tealights placed there by the congregation as symbols of blessing and unity. The basin and towel are traditional Christian symbols of service. The symbol, also part of the CHHSM logo, is an expression of the commitment of CHHSM members to be one in service.

Goodwin closed the service and sent Annual Gathering attendees forth with “one last harambe!”