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Courtney Stange-Tregear is named Acting Conference Minister

As acting conference minister Courtney Stange-Tregear leaves behind the title of minister for church vitality, she maintains her commitment to relationship building and storytelling as key components of the style of ministry and leadership the PNC needs.

Courtney Stange-Treagear has earned doctor of ministry degree before her sabbatical.

Shortly after she returned from a three-month sabbatical, which she devoted to being present with and deepening relationships with her family, the PNC Board of Directors decided on Sept. 12 to call her as acting conference minister.

“I plan to work to increase communication, such as rolling out a series of stories about who the Board members are,” she said.

Another way she has carried out that commitment is that, for the past three years and even before COVID, she held a weekly online office hour from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Wednesdays, except when she is traveling.

Courtney said that an early action by the Board has been to establish a search committee to fill Mark Boyd’s role as managing director at N-Sid-Sen as he moves Nov. 12 to work with Wade Zick at Pilgrim Firs.

The conference is seeking applicants to apply by Oct. 15 to fill his role on a short-term basis while they begin a full search process for a long-term successor.

She added that the conference leadership committees are meeting, but all need more people.

“The Church Development Committee is doing some exciting work around congregations seeking to affiliate with the PNC,” Courtney said. “Six Samoan and Marshallese congregations have begun the process. It’s exciting to work where the church growing and thriving. This avenue of growth is in line with our anti-racism priority to have more congregations of color interested in affiliating. Each congregation is different.

They include a Marshallese church in Spokane Valley, a Samoan church in Alaska and Several in Seattle.

“We have a strong team working with Church Development, but there is room for more to join the committee, because it is important that the congregations not be thought of as applying, but that we week to be in relationship with them and accompany them through the multi-step process,” she said.

Courtney begins when there are numerous situations that require immediate attention. Despite her need to focus attention on them, she said that the priorities of the conference for deepening relationships and anti-racism remain constant.

“I’m a relational person and value collaboration,” said Courtney, who is aware that some may feel less connected to the Conference or unsure of what progress is being made.

The end of September, she joined several others from the PNC at the Antoinette Brown Celebration of UCC women in ministry at Decatur, Ga. She was there with Kelle and Indigo Brown, Amy Johnson, Karyn Frazier and Tara Barber.

At the beginning of her sabbatical, granted after she had been with the PNC for six years, Courtney completed her doctor of ministry degree at Bexley Seabury Seminary in Chicago. Her thesis was on deepening relationships through storytelling.

Courtney is aware that some may feel the Conference has stalled. She feels it is important to inform people in the congregations around the conference about who their leaders are and who they can call on to share their concerns.

“I am the Conference Miinister, but the conference is not mine. It is everyone’s, all 7,000 members. Just as the local church is not the pastor’s, but is everyone’s,” she said, looking forward to being able to facilitate more relational connections for collaboration.

She hopes to have more regular conversations, not just once a year at Annual Meeting but more often, especially on the priority of anti-racism.

For information, call 206-725-8383 x 103 or email courtney@pncucc.org.

 

Copyright © Fall 2022 Pacific Northwest United Church News

 

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