About the NACCC
About the NACCC
As a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, your church joins with other churches around the country for mutual encouragement and support. By sharing fellowship through the NACCC, each church is made stronger by access to a multitude of resources and expertise and by the assistance of neighboring churches.
Our History
Our History
Over 60 years ago, the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) was incorporated as a fellowship of Congregational churches. The churches in this fellowship opposed merging with the Evangelical and Reformed Church that some Congregational churches favored. While the idea of merging with another denomination was not, in and of itself, offensive, the concerns about this particular merger centered on Congregational identity, practice, and cherished values.
Those against the merger feared that it would establish a church hierarchy and that the local congregation would lose its independence and ability to self-govern. While this is a simplistic summary of a complicated and emotionally-fraught period of history, it illustrates how core principles and practices of the Congregational Way were the driving values that formed the NACCC.
Understanding Congregationalism The Art and Practice of the Congregational Way
Our Mission
Our Vision
Because the NACCC is an association of individual churches, the NACCC depends on a structure of volunteers to determine and manage its programs and policies. NACCC staff serves to encourage and support this important work on behalf of member churches.
Governing Documents
As a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the NACCC follows a series of standardized bylaws and incorporation standards to ensure successful adherence at all times.
Leadership Teams
The NACCC Leadership Teams
The NACCC is stewarded by a dedicated board of volunteers who form our Leadership Council and Board of Directors. Each elected leader gifts their unique experience, insight, and expertise to help ensure the versatility and stability of our organization. If you require contact information for a leadership team member, please email the NACCC office.
Current Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is responsible for program implementation and strategic visioning of the NACCC.
Rev. Art Ritter
Moderator & Chairperson
Novi, Michigan
Rev. Justin Nierer
Vitality Ministry Council Rep.
Jackson, Michigan
Patrick Stewart
Treasurer
Marshaltown, Iowa
Rev. Dr. Mary Biedron
Historian
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Kate O’Dell
Secretary
Anchorage, Alaska
Rev. Sarah Terlouw
Vitality Ministry Council Rep.
Saugatuck, Michigan
Melinda Jaster
Youth Representative
Elkader, Iowa
Mary Prendergast
Growth Ministry Council Rep.
Pomona, California
Gerald Zwaga
Mission & Outreach Council Rep.
Citrus Springs, Florida
Rev. Rich Miller-Todd
Mission & Outreach Council Rep.
Berwick, Iowa
Rev. Ezekiel Rodriguez
Growth Ministry Council Rep.
National City, California
Current Ministry Council Members
Our development, clerical maintenance, and organizational advancement are the direct result of our ministry councils, who volunteer their time to enhance the vitality, growth, and mission work of the NACCC.
VITALITY
Encouraging and supporting the congregations of the NACCC in their mission of strengthening church life
Rev. Justin Nierer, Chair
Leadership Council Representative
Jackson, Michigan
2017-2020 & 2020-2023
Cynthia Hardy
Chandler, Arizona
2019-2022
Rev. Ian Macdonald
Sherman Oaks, California
2018-2021
Rev. Robb Tarr
Gahanna, Ohio
2022-2025
Rev. Sarah Terlouw
Leadership Council Representative
Saugatuck, Michigan
2017-2020 & 2020- 2023
GROWTH
Encouraging and supporting the congregations of the NACCC in their mission of faith and discipleship
Mary Prendergast, Chair
Leadership Council Representative
Pomona, California
[2015-2017 completed a two-year replacement]
2017-2020 & 2020-2023
Pastor Michael Freeman
Princeton, Illinois
2022-2025
Rev. Ezekiel Rodriguez
Leadership Council Representative
National City, California
2021-2024
Rev. Dr. William “Ron” Tolliver
Crystal, Michigan
2022-2025
MISSIONS & OUTREACH
Encouraging and supporting congregations of the NACCC in their mission of spreading the word and work of Christ in the world – both locally and globally
Rev. Richard Miller Todd, Chair
Leadership Council Representative
Berwick, Iowa
2021-2023
Kathryn Mullins
Mansfield, Ohio
[to fill an unexpired term] 2022-2023
Rev. Bob Higgins
Idalia, Colorado
2022-2025
Amana Talala Mbise
Anchorage, Alaska
2022-2025
Gerald Zwaga
Leadership Council Representative
Citrus Springs, Florida
2021-2024
Current Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for all legal and financial matters of the NACCC.
Jodee Lord
Vice Moderator & Chair
Staten Island, New York
Rev. Dr. Beth Bingham
Sherman Oaks, California
Rev. Art Ritter
Moderator
Novi, Michigan
Claudia Kniefel
Anchorage, Alaska
Patrick Stewart
Treasurer
Marshalltown, Iowa
Curt Schmidt
Bound Brook, New Jersey
Kate O’Dell
Secretary
Anchorage, Alaska
Rev. Thomas Van Tassell
Saugatuck, Michigan
The NACCC Staff
Members of the NACCC staff serve our organization in a professional capacity, to provide administrative, development, communications, and structural support to our mission, vision, and overall association. Our NACCC staff includes:
Annual Reports
Thank you for making a difference! Your support and leadership to the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) helps us to nurture fellowship among Congregational Christian Churches and to support ministries of the local church in its community and to the world, all in the name of Christ.
Our current annual report reflects donations to the NACCC between April 1, 2019-March 31, 2020.
2022 Fiscal Year Annual Report
2022 Fiscal Year Annual Report
2021 Fiscal Year Annual Report
2021 Fiscal Year Annual Report
2020 Fiscal Year Annual Report
2020 Fiscal Year Annual Report
Connect with the NACCC Team
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the NACCC, please send us a message. We look forward to hearing from you!