We Congregationalists are a people of thanksgiving! With gratitude for your fellowship in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, we offer our annual Thanksgiving Proclamation. We invite you to read it from the pulpit, insert a copy in your Sunday’s Order of Worship, publish it as part of your weekly news bulletin, project it onto your screens, or otherwise share it.

The NACCC staff and I pray that you will experience abundant joy and countless blessings during this season of remembering God’s goodness and provision.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be encouraged,

Rev. Dr. Gerry Krupp
Executive Director, NACCC

In 2025, the NACCC Vitality Ministry Council offered ten one-time grants of $2,500 each to active member churches or church cohort groups of the NACCC to support new or expanding ministries or projects that involve churches being exploratory, ambitious, collaborative, and generative as a way to enhance the vitality of the local church.

Awardees received notice of award in December 2024 and funding for projects began in January 2025.

The first cohort of grantees is doing amazing things and will be wonderful conversation and collaboration partners for others discerning what they can be doing to promote vitality in their ministries, churches, and communities. A wide range of projects are underway, providing great relatability for the types of challenges churches are facing and the types of opportunities God is opening doors to pursue.

We hope the following progress reports spark something that could lead at least to a conversation, if not the pursuit of an idea you sense God stirring for you. If that’s the case, don’t forget that you could be a grantee for this same program next year. We hope you do apply – all the key info to do so is at the end of the report!

2025 Sharing Vitality Grants Progress Reports

The 71st Annual Meeting & Conference of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, from June 21-24, 2025. 

Business Sessions and Plenary Sessions Recordings

• Business Session 1 
  • Watch from 00:00:00 through 1:26:09.
  • Link Access Password: =4%Q?ZAV
• God’s Will for Your Church by Rev. Dr. Patrick Hunt (Plenary Session 1)
  • Watch from 02:01:50 through 02:27:50.
  • Link Access Password: =4%Q?ZAV
• Back to the Future by Rev. Dr. Beth Bingham (Plenary Session 1)
  • Watch from 02:28:00 through 02:57:40.
  • Link Access Password: =4%Q?ZAV
• More than a Wom(b)man by Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison (Plenary Session 2)
  • Watch from 03:13:30 through 04:13:30.
  • Link Access Password: =4%Q?ZAV
• Prophetic and Liberating Women by Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison (Plenary Session 3)
  • Watch from 06:28:26 through 07:31:00.
  • Link Access Password: =4%Q?ZAV
• Wise and Witchy Women by Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison (Plenary Session 4)
  • Link Access Password: s#@E6YHs
• Business Session 2
  • Watch from 00:00:00 through 01:06:12.
  • Link Access Password: A@&EK4QR
• Business Session 3
  • Watch from 02:22:00 through 04:34:59.
  • Link Access Password: A@&EK4QR
• Business Session 4
  • Link Access Password: K^#Rd?46

Meeting Information

• Official Call
• Registration Brochure
• Delegate and Alternate Credentials
• Speakers, Sessions, and Workshops
• Detailed Agenda
• Zoom Agenda
• Business Sessions Agendas
• Quiet Day Retreat
• Electronic Meeting Rules
• Proposed Standing Rules 
• Parliamentary Procedures 
• Budget Presentation
• Pre-Audit Financial Report Presentation
• Congregational Foundation & NACCC Budget Presentation
• 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes
• Church Membership List Including New Member Churches
• Ratification of Leadership Council Actions
• Ratification Board of Directors Actions 
• Nominating Brochure
• Elected Positions Chart

For Your Review – 2025 Annual Reports

• Board of Directors 
• Congregational Foundation Board of Governors 
• Moderator and Leadership Council
• NACCC Executive Director
• Growth Ministry Council
• Vitality Ministry Council
• Mission and Outreach Ministry Council 
• Historian/Necrology
• Annual Meeting and Conference Committee
• Minutes Certification Committee

NACCC Apparel

Image proofs of the NACCC apparel options available to in-person attendees can be found in the registration brochure above! The deadline to order NACCC apparel for pick up at the Annual Meeting and Conference in St. Louis was May 25, 2025.

• Click here to view the size chart for the women’s v-neck t-shirts.
• Click here to view the size chart for the hooded sweatshirts.
• Click here to view the size chart for the unisex crewneck t-shirts.

Bring Your Banners!

At the 2025 AMC, we’d love to decorate our space with the beautiful banners of our member churches. Please plan to bring a banner that is up to four feet wide (including the stand) to be put on display, as well as a stand to mount it on.

Banners of all kinds are welcome! Some examples of what your banner may include are direct representations of your church and its history, depictions of biblical scenes or artistic renderings, and scriptural or devotional quotes. Feel free to be creative – the options are limitless!

2026 Annual Meeting and Conference

Join us June 27-30, 2026, in Springfield, Massachusetts for the 2026 Annual Meeting and Conference of the NACCC!

The NACCC’s Excellence in Ministry Awards are composed of the Marion Bradshaw Award, the Harry R. Butman Award, and the Jennette Butman Award. Each Excellence in Ministry Award is intended to recognize a leader or innovator who has made a significant contribution to Congregationalism and who exemplifies a personal commitment to faith, freedom, and fellowship.

Nominations may be made by churches or individuals. Supporting documentation may also be submitted to assist the Vitality Ministry Council in their selection process, including letters of support and/or articles about the nominee.

Awardees are chosen at the discretion of the Vitality Ministry Council. Submitted materials will be kept confidential and become the property of the NACCC.

Marion Bradshaw Award

Marion Bradshaw was a professor at Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine and was the only faculty member to take a principled stand for continuing Congregationalism. The Marion Bradshaw Memorial Fund was originally endowed by Rev. Dr. Harry Butman in Bradshaw’s honor. This award is given to an ordained minister who is personally committed to Congregationalism. Preference is given to a minister in the state of Maine. Awarded funds are to be used for continuing education.

Harry R. Butman Award

Harry R. Butman was a Congregational minister and ardent proponent of Congregationalism. A graduate of Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine, he served several churches before moving to California as minister of the Congregational Church of the Messiah in Westchester. Harry believed in encouraging ministers and their spouses in their work on behalf of the church. This award is given to a minister or ministers with at least ten years of service in a NACCC church and a personal commitment to Congregationalism.

Jennette Butman Award

Established by Harry R. Butman in honor of his wife, this award honors spouses married to ordained Congregational ministers who have served NACCC churches for at least ten years and have been of help to their spouses. It may also be awarded to a widower or widow of a Congregational minister or the spouse of a CFTS student. The award is made on the basis of need, merit, or outstanding achievement.

Your completed nomination form along with any supplemental material can be submitted to Rev. Robb Tarr via email. The deadline for submissions is May 4, 2025.

You can access and download the fillable nomination form here.

The awardee of the Marion Bradshaw Award will receive $500 for continuing education outside of a professional degree program.

The awardee of the Harry R. Butman Award will receive $500 for ministerial assistance and encouragement.

The awardee of the Jennette Butman Award will receive $500 based on need, merit, or outstanding achievement.

On behalf of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC), the Vitality Ministry Council is accepting submissions for the J.J Russell Sermon Award. This award recognizes pastoral excellence in preaching related to Congregationalism.

Applicants to the J.J. Russell Sermon Award must be ordained pastors serving active NACCC member churches. Submitted sermons must have been preached between July 2023 and April 2025. Eligible sermons must focus on some aspect of classical Congregationalism and its relevance for today and communicate how we, as Congregationalists, can not only spread the good news of Jesus Christ but how to do that in a true Congregational Way.

Submissions must include:

• An audio version of the sermon (DVD, podcast, YouTube, etc.)
• A copy of the Sunday Worship Bulletin from when the sermon was preached
• A manuscript or transcript of the sermon

Links and documents can be submitted to Cynthia Hardy via email. Please contact Cynthia if you need a mailing address to submit materials. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2025.

The awardee will receive:

• $350
• Full registration for the upcoming NACCC Annual Meeting and Conference
• 1/2 the room rate at the upcoming NACCC Annual Meeting and Conference

The winner of the J.J. Russell Sermon Award will be announced at the NACCC’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Conference.

The NACCC reserves the right to publish the award-winning sermon.

Click here for a pdf version of the qualifications and requirements of this award.

The Executive Director Search Committee and the Board of Directors are excited to announce the selection of Rev. Dr. Gerry Krupp as the new Executive Director of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC). Rev. Dr. Krupp was selected after a national search process that took place over the course of six months, during which the Executive Director Search Committee worked faithfully and tirelessly in their effort to seek the right individual to step into this role for our Association.

With over 30 years of diverse ministry experience and 11 years working in the strategic transitional space with churches and non-profits, Rev. Dr. Krupp brings a wealth of knowledge to the NACCC. He is passionate about supporting lay leaders through training, aiding churches during times of transition, providing rejuvenation for ministers, and guiding churches as they strive to grow, thrive, and serve. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Christian Ministries from Indiana Wesleyan University, a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

As stated by Rev. Dr. Martin Hall, NACCC Vice Moderator, “After serving multiple years as our Director of Programs, Dr. Krupp’s spirit and skills have been apparent to many, and we are thrilled to look ahead towards all that he will bring to us as our new Executive Director. We ask that you join us in welcoming Dr. Krupp to this new role, and that you would lift him up in prayer, along with all of our Association leadership, as we step into this new chapter in the life of the NACCC. May God’s abundant blessings unfold in and through the shared journey that we are all about to begin!”

Read the official announcement here.