I am so thankful to MTZ for giving me time to attend the 2025 General Synod of the United Church of Christ.

It was a great experience to be among fellow believers who believe in the call to be ONE body of Christ. We have a long history of Uniting that started with MTZ Reformed Church becoming MTZ Reformed and Evangelical Church to MTZ UCC today. These are some of the actions taken in Kansas City to be a united and uniting church.

· We established Full Communion Relationship Between the United Church of Christ and Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland.

· The 4 conferences of Pennsylvania merged into the Keystone Conference.

· The Small Town and Rural Coalition of the United Church of Christ was recognized as a Formal Group. This includes MTZ UCC being represented as a small town church. · We stood as one in Support for Philippine Human Rights.

· We approved a resolution supporting those who advocate for proper language regarding mental health. · We voted to have Full Communion Between the United Church of Christ and Iglesia Evangélica Unida de Puerto Rico.

· We expressed support for refugees, peace in Palestine and the protection of immigrants. In today’s world, the emphasis seems to be on independence and individualization. We are called by societal pressures to divide and separate.

I am thankful to serve a church that still believes in uniting and standing as one for the values we find in the Scriptures. I pray God will bless the efforts of our congregation and our denomination as we seek to live out the prayer Jesus prayed for us in John 17:20-21 “I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me.

I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.”

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Jim Simonds,

Mt. Zion UCC

336-682-9649

pastorszion@gmail.com