July 6th 2023.
Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson has created history by becoming the first woman to be elected as the President of the United Church of Christ. Replacing Rev. John Dorhauer who was in office since 2015, Thompson aims to bring forth a new era of beginnings.
An immigrant from Jamaica, Thompson has achieved tremendous success in her career. In 2009, she started working in the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and served as the minister of racial justice and the minister of ecumenical and interfaith relations. Later, she was appointed as the associate general minister for Wider Church Ministries and co-executive for Global Ministries for a period of four years.
This experience has given her a unique understanding of the church and how it needs to address the issue of racial inequality and work towards progress. While the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in the United Church of Christ has been commendable, the reverend believes that there is still a lot of work to be done. Before her nomination, Thompson spoke to the UCC board and said, “Decolonizing the church on all levels has to be a priority. We need to commit to racial justice and equity for all.”
Thompson is well educated and holds credentials from Seattle University, Union Theological Seminary, and North Carolina Central University. She has a doctorate in ministry from Seattle University and completed her dissertation on religious multiplicity among African Caribbeans.
She is the third woman to have been nominated for the position of general minister and president, preceded by Rev. Yvonne Delk in 1989 and Barbara Zikmund in 1999. But, she is the first to be elected in the church’s 66 years. She is also the third person of African descent to serve as the President of the United Church of Christ. Thompson will formally begin her term on August 1.
When she was elected, Thompson shared her joy with the congregation and said, “As I stand here before you as your newly and duly elected general minister and president, I stand here as a Jamaican immigrant woman, a mother and a grandmother, a sister, and a friend to many. This moment will stay with me for many years to come.”
Later, while praying with her family, Thompson reiterated a Synod theme and quoted Revelation 21:5 - “Behold, I am making everything new.”
Thompson’s election is an incredible victory that marks a significant moment in the church’s history. It is also an important reminder of the Episcopal Church of New York’s apology for participating in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and their pledge of $1 million against racism.
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