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On July 11, members of St. Lucas United Church of Christ in Sunset Hills, Missouri gathered in their sanctuary to virtually attend the 35th General Synod of the United Church of Christ, held in Kansas City. The event provided an opportunity for local congregants to connect with national church proceedings and deepen their understanding of the denomination’s direction.
Janet Frumson, a member of St. Lucas UCC, said she participated because she “thought it would be a good learning experience.” Another attendee, Karen Litzsinger, joined out of curiosity: “I wanted to see what General Synod was all about,” she said.
The church’s technical setup for livestreaming was managed by Dan Herron. He noted that the congregation felt it was important to provide access to the Synod’s news and votes. Bill Brinkhorst explained his motivation for attending: “I wanted to hear for myself what was being said at General Synod.”
Participants watched the State of the Church address delivered by Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President, from the Kansas City Convention Center. The address focused on redefining church vitality beyond numerical measures and posed questions about identity and purpose within the denomination.
Bo Frumson shared his perspective on attending: he hoped to “open my eyes to new things.” Wanda Gillman expressed her reason for joining as well: “I came because I wanted to reinforce my belief in the UCC and the wider church.” For Kathy Herron, participation was motivated by personal faith: “I simply felt the call of the Holy Spirit,” said Herron.
The watch party coincided with a youth mission trip organized by St. Lucas UCC, during which teens traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to work with Back Bay Mission—a ministry that has served Gulf Coast communities for over 90 years (https://thebackbaymission.org/about-us/).
The event at St. Lucas reflected ongoing efforts among local congregations to stay informed about denominational decisions and maintain connections with broader church initiatives.
