Ahead of the upcoming Special Meeting of the 35th General Synod of the United Church of Christ, a video package has been released to give delegates and the wider church a more personal introduction to the nominee for Associate General Minister, Love of Church (AGM), the Rev. Jennifer Sowell.

The video includes a special sermon from Sowell and remarks from the Rev. Cean James, chair of the AGM search committee, as well as congregants from St. John United Church of Christ in Collinsville, Illinois, the church where Sowell has served as senior pastor since 2020.

“Rev. Sowell has spent her entire ministerial career serving, strengthening, and growing local churches,” James said in the pre-recorded remarks. “[Sowell] has distinguished herself particularly in developing innovative ministries that meet the needs of the communities her churches served.”

If confirmed by the General Synod, Sowell would be the first AGM to fill this role following the reorganization of national ministries into the One Staff model by Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President/CEO. Sowell will need a 60 percent majority of the nearly 700 voting delegates to be confirmed.

The Special Meeting of General Synod 35 will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. This virtual gathering, which will begin with a time of worship, is open to the public to view.

A virtual ‘Meet the Candidate’ evening is planned for Thursday, April 16. Read more about Sowell’s biography and ministry here.

View the video introduction below:

-By Charles Jefferson

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