I love the Alliance for many reasons, but the overarching one I always come back to is that it is for me tangible Good News for the world. It’s Good News in the capitalized sense for me, because Alliance people continue to be that living, breathing Gospel for those they encounter, relate to, and serve — the same Gospel, the same Good News, that came to live among us in Jesus.

I see this Good News in the creative and innovative ways the Alliance cooperates with and supports its ministry partners. I see it in the Alliance’s commitment to inclusivity and its willingness to put its resources and people power behind that commitment. I see this Good News in the new and exciting model for leadership it is developing and the gifted, discerning, spirit-filled staff that spreads Alliance Good News wherever its team members travel. I see it a Board that I have never once heard utter that stifling phrase that often echoes in the halls of the Church’s institutions: “But we’ve never done it that way before.” And lately, I’ve seen Alliance Good News unfold in the work of the task group that the Board appointed in that open and creative spirit for the re-visioning of our clergy recognition process. 

Our Good News is out there, our presence is growing, and we are being asked to be home for an increasing number of clergy. These clergy need a denominational home for professional and personal reasons, and the Alliance needs a process that can help us know and uphold our clergy and serve the growing Alliance and our larger human family carefully and with integrity. Our task group thinks we have envisioned together — with the knowledge that processes must evolve over time! —means to provide such a home. And, we think it is Good News.  

In addition to growing the Alliance as a home for clergy, this process will allow us to move forward with our ecumenical ministry partners, the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ, in increasing ways and hopefully move us toward reciprocal recognition of our ministers’ ordination. It will give our Search and Call Process and the Alliance as a whole a safety net of sorts and grow our relationship with our clergy, especially with a new generation of clergy who will help us discern what is next and carry our Good News into the future of the Church and the Alliance. It will encourage our clergy to stay connected to each other and our covenantal family. We see it as growing and strengthening the web that holds us and draws us together. And, we think that is definitely Good News.

If you would like to know more about this new process, have your ordination recognized by the Alliance, or connect with clergy who have been through our process, please contact Chris Copeland (chris@allianceofbaptists.org) or me (leahlonsbury@gmail.com). My sincere thanks to the other members of the task group: Lin Bunce, Chris Copeland, Jay Foster, John Luft and David Massengill.