Frank Mulec - General Synod 35 Reflection

Aloha Hawai'i lsland Association UCC and Hawai'i Conference UCC,

Going lnto the Deep this summer at General Synod 35 in Kansas City. lt is a blessing

to convene with friends in Christ as we come together to fellowship, worship and attend

to the important business of the Conference, Association and Church.

My overall experience has been nothing but excellent, from arriving in Kansas City to

departure. Being a first-time delegate, whenever and wherever ! looked, I received help

in more ways than one. For me, being without a cell phone and relying on my wife's

tablet, which kept crashing. However it worked through all the necessary voting.

My committee assignment was Committee 11, with David Anderson as Committee

Secretary. A Resolution of Witness, DECLARATION FOR AN END TO GENOCIDE IN

PALESTINE, Submitted by the Southwest Conference.

This emergency resolution denounces the actions of the State of Israel in partnership

with the United States government which in sum amount to genocide against the

Palestinian people. lt denounces the targeted killing of civilians, including children,

medical workers, and journalists in Gaza. lt calls on all settings of the United Church of

Christ, including the National Setting, Conferences, Associations, and local

congregations to act in solidarity with the Palestinian people considering the ongoing

genocide being implemented by the State of lsrael with the ongoing support of the U.S.

which enables it.

Being in this Committee was very heartfelt, and my most memorable moment of

General Synod 35 was when this resolution was introduced to the General Synod floor, all

the committee members congregated around the spring of water, just off stage, dipping

our hand inside, then to our foreheads to show our solidarity to this resolution. This resolution passed, just as it passed committee, with very minimal additions from the original.

The scheduled workshops I attended were in Leadership Development; Blessed Minds

and Blessed Bodies, in Decolonization; For Such a Time as This: Palestine, Solidarity,

and Bearing Bold Witness Together (related to the committee I was in), and in

Reshaping the Narrative; Aging is a Justice lssue: how we think and talk and preach

about it matters by the Center of Abundant Aging.

I was also fortunate to participate in the UCC General Synod No ICE Raids and Prayer

Service and Rally at the Central Entrance of the Convention Center. lt was a UCC National Collaborative on lmmigration to provide a prophetic witness as a denominational call on ICE to stop raids, stop family separation, and stop the disappearances of beloved community members. Speakers included Rev. Linda Jaramillo, former Executive Minister of Justice and Witness, among others.

I would like to mahalo Ke Akua and the Hawai'i Conference UCC and staff in providing

all the adequate information prior to this General Synod. lt helped to make my

experience memorable along with the other delegates.

Looking forward to the next General Synod 36 to 'The Land' in 2028, Cleveland,

Ohio.

ln God We Trust,

Frank J. Mulec