North Pacific Welcomes Three Churches

SALEM, OR (May 3, 2006) - Three churches were received into membership and a report on compassion and justice ministries highlighted the 116th Annual Meeting of the North Pacific Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) this past weekend.

Two of the new churches are located in Oregon: The Well Covenant Church in Corvallis, and Vibrant Covenant Church in Portland. The third, Quest Ministries, is in Seattle, Washington. The churches will officially be welcomed into the denomination during the June ECC Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Krisann Jarvis Foss, director of conference ministries, updated delegates on highlights of compassion and justice ministries:

Truth and Motivation, a transitional living ministry for people escaping chemical dependency, began last November and already has two houses with 13 residents in Yelm, Washington. An estimated 30 to 35 people attend four weekly meetings. Families have been reconciled and many decisions have been made to follow Christ, said Joseph Ottley, director of Truth and Motivation, in delivering that portion of the update. To read a previous story on the ministry, please see Recovery Ministry.

The Seattle Times featured a four-part series on a Sankofa trip to Georgia and visits to several Alabama civil rights sites that is designed to help foster racial understanding. To read a previous story on this trip, please see Racial Righteousness.

A special outreach by Trinity Covenant helped re-supply the Karawa hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is operated by the Covenant Church of Congo in partnership with the ECC.

A special offering raised more than $2,500 to support pastoral care and counseling. The raising of the roof on the new multipurpose building at Cascades Camp and Conference Center was scheduled for today and can be viewed by webcam at Cascades Camp.

Delegates recognized Thomas Robinson for his service. He retired from the Conference Executive Board and is a former conference chair.

Conference Supt. Mark Novak also was re-elected.

ECC President Glenn Palmberg spoke during the Friday night worship service. A highlight of the evening was the "RepChrist" praise squad from Irvington Covenant in Portland. Palmberg also addressed the delegates on Saturday, pointing out that the denomination continues its rapid multi-ethnic growth. He also noted that the denomination is using more project missionaries in place of the more traditional model of career missionaries.

Other speakers included Ruth Hill, executive minister of Women Ministries, and Jay Phelan, president and dean of North Park Theological Seminary.

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