Volunteers Still Needed for Historic Merger

As next summer's merger between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) nears, much work yet needs to be done, especially in the area of recruiting volunteers for a range of duties and functions. Information on volunteering is available online.

Set for June 18-27, 2010, on the campus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Uniting General Council (UGC) meeting will merge the two organizations into what will be named the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). The new entity will represent millions of Christians around the world.

Of immediate concern: There will be two occasions when churches are being asked to connect with a delegate or delegates. First, churches are being asked to host delegates on Sunday, June 20. Then there is another opportunity--this time involving more personal one-on-one opportunities--on the following weekend.

On June 20, congregations within approximately a 50-mile radius of Calvin's campus are requested to host a group of delegates for Sunday morning worship, lunch and fellowship. Such a lunch can be held at the church or, preferably, in the homes of the members of that congregation.

The request is that congregations sign on for this and then make the arrangements for how to host delegates on that day as best works for them. A minimum of three delegates per church is required for participation.

The sequence of the day is as follows:

• Delegates need to be picked up at Calvin prior to the time of the worship service they will attend.
• The congregation hosts the delegates for worship and fellowship.
• The delegates are provided lunch, either at church or in private homes.
• The delegates are returned to Calvin's campus in time for the 4:00 p.m. mass worship service that same afternoon. Representatives from the hosting congregation are encouraged to accompany the delegates to the mass worship service.

Due to the complexity of these arrangements, it is necessary for churches to sign up for participation. To participate, please go to the Sunday Hosting page.

"We would also like local congregations to be a sponsoring church for one or more delegates on the weekend of June 26-27," says Rev. Peter Borgdorff, president of REC and one of those making arrangements for the more than 1,000 delegates and visitors who will attend the conference from around the world. Some 400 such sponsorships are needed and a congregation may sponsor more than one delegate. "Sponsoring churches will have personal contact with the delegate(s) they sponsor when that delegate visits that church."

The sponsorship arrangement, says Borgdorff, is designed to provide for personal contact between representatives of the global church and a congregation.

"The sponsoring church is requested to also provide financial assistance to help cover the travel and registration expenses of the delegate they sponsor--up to $1000 per sponsored individual--but the money is not the essential part," he says.

If a congregation can't provide the $1000 per delegate then a lesser amount is also acceptable. It is important to know what the congregation is willing to contribute for budgeting purposes. A church does need to sign up to become a sponsoring church.

About 500 volunteers are also needed for various other reasons and functions. Each volunteer will be asked to work a shift lasting about four hours. Volunteers will need to register and provide basic information in order to be added to the volunteer list.

"There will be no strenuous physical labor or unusual expectations. Volunteers will be needed at the airport, on campus and at all of the events," says Borgdorff.

He says the group coordinating activities and events for the conference needs ushers for the worship events and general hosts and hostesses to assist people with questions and play a role in a variety of hospitality functions. Volunteers will also be needed to serve as drivers and as persons to run errands for the delegates and guests. Volunteers can sign up for specific shifts online.

Additionally, donors are needed for a banquet on Friday, June 25, at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. The committee is seeking banquet table hosts who are willing to sponsor a table of 10 (150 hosts are needed). The cost per table will be $750 (including the hosts themselves). A separate sign up for being a banquet host will be on the website.

"This will be a historic event. Delegates from 230 denominations representing 75 to 80 million Christians coming from 107 countries around the world will be in attendance," says Borgdorff, executive director emeritus of the Christian Reformed Church.

Eleven Reformed and Presbyterian member denominations in North America are co-hosting this first meeting of UGC. This will be the first time in 50 years that WARC is meeting in the U.S. REC met in Grand Rapids in 1996.

"This event will give people a view of the global church at work and in fellowship," says Borgdorff. "Volunteers can come early and stay late and view events and talk to delegates as a way of exposing themselves, enriching themselves, and broadening their vision."

UGC will meet for sessions to deal with a variety of issues through June 26, 2010. Although the main language at the conference will be English, there will be people on hand to interpret the proceedings into Spanish, Korean, French, and Indonesian.

Exhibits from various churches, groups and denominations will be available to visit during the conference on the Calvin campus. "We hope and pray for this to be a world-class event," says Borgdorff. "We hope many individual churches will get involved to show a common front in hosting the delegates."