• Called Rev. Clara - first woman pastor (no big deal)
• Some folks started coming back
• Our neighbors are more aware of us
• Rev. Baker resigned - a time of pain & upset
• We survived a painful time - we did the interim period "our way" by working together 

• Hunger Program began
• We reached out to Conference for help with our problems, the Conference responded helpfully
• We began to address the issue of disrepair of our building
• Decline in attendance
• Fights and tensions
• Problems with leadership
• Young Adult Group reactivated
• Unwillingness to "bite the bullet" about leadership problems
• Outreach to neighborhood Youth 

• Treasurer difficulty
• Heightened social consciousness
• Continued deterioration of building
• Rev. Melfort left ‑ difficult ending to his pastorate, different memories and understandings of this event
• David Finster Interim Pastor
• Rev. Baker called as Pastor
• First full‑time pastor (in some time) 

• Successful 17/76 Campaign ‑ awareness of Black college connections (strong lay leadership for this campaign)
• Rev. Melfort Pastor
• Active children's summer program
• Collegial relations with First Congregational Church Berkeley and Orinda Community Church ‑ worked together on social programs
• Variety of social programs, many government‑supported
• Conflict about Social programs ‑‑‑ $$$ dried up with War on Poverty
• Rev. Rainey left (dates and sequences start to get confused here
• Many young people and some families left with Rev. Rainey
• This was "Black Power" era ‑‑ social trends felt in church – the culture was "anti‑integration"
• Struggle over meaning of integration and interracial church ‑
• What is our ethnic identity?
• Was "Black power" anti‑white?
• Where would we be now if we "stuck with" Rev. Rainey ‑ he was young and brought a lot of energy, he had a strong influence on young people
• Problem ‑ Rev. Rainey never accepted the fact this was not a traditional black church with a dominant pastor. Some people wanted to "mold" him.
• Conflict over Anqela Davis, feelings hurt to this day
• Long interim period between Rev. Rainey and Rev. Melfort
• Church considered a gay pastor ‑‑ there was contention over this Church meeting resulted in Dr. Stripp leaving the church (he was not allowed to speak) ‑ inactive members came to meeting to vote against gay pastor 

• Pastorate of Dr. John B. Thompson our longest pastorate
• Sanctuary was rebuilt, stained glass windows installed
• 20th Anniversary program
• Dr. France wrote our history
• Training program for acolytes
• Wonderful Sunday School
• Youth groups
• Women's Circles
• No major contention!
• Intellectual emphasis ‑ library built up
• Emphasis on education
• Sound financial condition

• We were founded as an interracial church
• We affirm and seek diversity, not only racial difference
• Reaction of leader/pastor to integration is important
• One problem is the degree of diversity
• Our Covenant invites people of wide diversity
• For a long time we had two ministers: 1 black, 1 white
• Wide programs
• Emphasis on international learning
• Awareness of community and society
• Difficulty in relating to one another when we disagree
• We need to compromise: to get what we need, not necessarily what we want (in all our controversies, a key person was not willing to compromise)
• We need to share across our diversity at a deep level
• How we have handled our differences is critical
• We have always been connected to the world around us, changes in society affect us, we are vulnerable to social turmoil
• Working together, being involved with one another is the way we get to know each other
• Pastoral leadership is important ‑ especially skill in working with people and facilitating groups
• Lay leadership is important ‑ this is developed in small groups
• Need to acknowledge leadership of the Holy Spirit
• Assistance from Conference and other churches has been important
• Our own determination to be a church has carried us through
• Small membership has hindered our development and organization
• We experience "burn‑out of the faithful"
• We are overwhelmed by our history, it is so glorious
• We have a negative self‑image, don't believe we deserve better 

•       Building renovation
•       New members, making people feel welcome
•       Better organization, strengthen boards and committees
•       Relate to one another better
•       Better patterns of communication
•       Be a part of the wider church ‑ UCC and ecumenical
•       More outreach into the community
•       Get to know one another better

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