Neighbor News
CCMI Welcomes Rev. Roberta Rominger As New Pastor
Join us in shouting "Hosanna"! On Palm Sunday, Mar. 29th at 10:30 am, the newly called Rev. Roberta Rominger, leads CCMI in worship.
By Megan Chenovick
3/14/15
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” - Psalm 119:105
To follow God is to open your life to possibility, for who knows where God’s path may lead you? For Rev. Roberta Rominger, a Silicon Valley native, her life has unfolded in many ways she did not expect. After being ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1982 and serving her first congregation in Tombstone, Arizona just down the street from the OK Corral, Rev. Rominger listened for God’s call and in 1985 became a UCC mission associate serving in the United Kingdom.
What followed was 30 years of service in the U.K., both in local church ministry and regional leadership. During this time, Roberta reconnected with former classmate, Dale Rominger, also a UCC minister and former classmate from the UCC’s Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, California. Roberta & Dale were married in 1990, and moved to Newcastle, in the NE county of Tyne, where they had a ministry each. In 2005, Roberta joined 600 women ministers from across the U.K. in a march to Make Poverty History. These women gathered from Trafalgar Square and marched to No 10 Downing St., the home of Prime Minister, Tony Blair, where Rev. Rominger was one of 12 who argued personally for the end of poverty.
After serving as Moderator and the Thames North Synod for 10 years, Roberta was called in 2008 to a seven year term as the General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, the organization’s highest office. This appointment was quite a coup for a liberal American from across the pond and Rev. Rominger is the first woman and the first American to lead the historic denomination as General Secretary.
Whilst in office, Rev. Rominger sought out a greater partnership between the URC & UCC by joining together in the “God is Still Speaking” campaign. As General Secretary, Rev. Rominger was also involved in ecumenical movements including “Fresh Expressions,” a church collaboration between the URC, the Church of England, the Methodist Church of Great Britain, and several other Protestant denominations. The hustle and bustle of London did not mute the sound of God’s call however, and following her time in office, Rev. Rominger heard God speaking, this time urging her to return to the United States.
After being served faithfully and generously by Interim Pastor, Dr. Mark Henry Miller, the Congregational Church on Mercer Island (CCMI) was fortunate to receive Roberta’s profile and call Rev. Rominger to serve as their Settled Pastor. Since this announcement in February, the CCMI office has been flooded with e-mails of congratulations from around the world. Keith Bradley from the URC in Woking, Surry, England shared this tidbit about Roberta. “She might have been rubbing shoulders with Archbishops in recent times, but I think she will be more at home getting alongside the members of your Church family sharing your joys and sorrows and inspiring you, leading you and enabling you to serve God in your community.”
Rev. John Proctor, acting URC General Secretary, said: “This is wonderful news, for the congregation at Mercer Island and for their new pastor. Roberta leaves the URC after thirty years’ service among us, with a great many friendships, our warmest thanks, and very high respect. She will surely make an outstanding contribution in her new post, and we wish her and Dale God’s rich blessing as they settle amid new friends and new responsibilities.”
Rev. Rominger is also eager to return to the UCC saying “I have really missed the United Church of Christ with its bold stands for progressive theology, inclusiveness and social justice, and CCMI embodies all of that within a lively, caring Christian family. I look forward to breathing the fresh air of the Spirit in company with people who care deeply about the same things that concern me.”
We at the Congregational Church on Mercer Island couldn’t agree more. We welcome all to “come as you are” and visit CCMI’s sanctuary amongst the trees, listen to our beautiful choir, and on March 29th, shout “Hosanna” as we are led in worship for the first time by Rev. Roberta Rominger.
http://www.ucc-ccmi.org/