wfn.org | UCC's OC Inc. launches independent management team

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

UCC's OC Inc. launches independent management team

> Written by Staff Reports
> February 3, 2010

Stating that the vision and scope of the Office of Communication of
the United Church of Christ, Inc. has "grown significantly since
2004," the boards of the UCC's Office of General Ministries and Office
of Communication, Inc. announced an organizational restructure
effective Jan. 31, 2010.

A Feb. 2 press release issued jointly by the boards said the goals of
the restructuring were to maintain a focus on media justice activities
while fostering efficient denominational communications. To that end,
the Rev. J. Bennett Guess will no longer serve as OC Inc.'s executive
director and will focus his work in the UCC's communications ministries.

The press release, in its entirety, is included below:

> Brian Lapis or Cheryl Leanza

(for matters relating to the Office of Communication, Inc.)

> brianlapis@yahoo.com or cleanza@alhmail.com

> 202-904-2168

> The Rev. J. Bennett Guess

(for matters relating to the Office of General Ministries, United
Church of Christ)

> guessb@ucc.org

> 216-736-2173

CLEVELAND ? In an organizational move designed to meet the
denomination's commitment to an efficient management structure and
also maintain a strong focus on media justice, the United Church of
Christ's Office of General Ministries (OGM) and the
media-justice-focused Office of Communication, Inc. (OC Inc.)
announced that they will operate independently from one another as of
January 31, 2010.

Under the new structure, the Rev. J. Bennett Guess will no longer
serve a dual capacity as the UCC's communications director and as
executive director of OC Inc., the UCC's historic media-justice arm.

Precipitated by staff reductions in OGM last fall, the initial
decision was made in early November by the executive committee of
OGM's board of directors. OGM's board leadership felt that the
denomination's mushrooming communication priorities, as well as the
vital work of OC Inc., were too significant to allow Guess to serve in
dual leadership roles in two parallel organizational structures.

"The vision and scope of OC Inc.'s work has grown significantly
since 2004," said the Rev. Anita Bradsahw, OGM Board chair and
minister-in-covenant at Mayflower Community Congregational UCC in
Minneapolis. "The attention required of its executive director has
increased to the point where one person can not possibly give adequate
attention to both jobs."

Brian Lapis, OC Inc. board chair, said the board is actively
exploring next steps. "We have retained the services of our policy
consultant, Cheryl Leanza, in a staff leadership role to help us
through this time of transition. While the infrastructure of OC Inc.
may be changing, our strong, steady and unwavering commitment to media
justice ministry on behalf of the UCC stays the same.

"The board wants to make it clear that even though this is a
change in structure ? that we will no longer use OGM resources ? that
doesn't mean the UCC is giving up on media justice," said Lapis.

Since November, Guess has been working to support a transition to
an organizational model that can allow OC Inc.'s advocacy work to
continue. He also will maintain an active role with the OC Inc.-based
So We Might See interfaith media justice coalition.

OC Inc.'s board of directors will continue to be appointed by the
UCC's 90-member Executive Council.

OC Inc. has transitioned to a new website at <uccmediajustice.org>.

As part of the denomination's national restructure in 2000, the
day-to-day communications work of the UCC's Office of Communication
(without the "Inc.") merged with other entities to form OGM. However,
the separately-incorporated board known as OC Inc., which focuses
exclusively on media justice advocacy, opted to remain independent of
OGM because it feared that its historic role as a champion of media
justice might get lost in a merged structure. Since that time, a
separate OC Inc. board has been supported by OGM employees, including
the denomination's communications director.

For 50 years, the UCC has been a leader in the fight for a media
that is more accountable to local communities. Founded by the Rev.
Everett C. Parker, OC Inc. continues to be a leading voice in
Washington DC advocating for accountability of the media, localism and
diversity. OC Inc. also sponsors every September the Everett C. Parker
Ethics in Telecommunications Lecture, the only lecture in the country
to examine telecommunications and the digital age from an ethical  perspective.