Eastern North Carolina Association
ENCA Conference Minister
Rev. Dr. Dannie Williams
Rev. Dannie Williams (Ed.D) currently serves as Senior Pastor at Melfield United Church of Christ in Haw River N.C. Williams has served in leadership positions in the Southern Conference and the Eastern N.C. Association. He is the past President of the Southern Conference Board of Directors. He has also served as the Vice President of the Southern Conference. He is currently serving as the treasurer of the Southern Conference and the Eastern N.C. Association. Rev. Williams has served as pastor in the Southern Conference for over 40 years.
From central North Carolina to the coast, the Eastern NC Association includes some of North Carolina’s most famous landmarks and towns — including the Hatteras Lighthouse, the country’s first state university and the State Capitol. The Association is also home to over 75 churches that represent a range of communities. We want churches to send in their special programming dates to their Association so that it can be added to the Association and Conference Calendar.
Eastern North Carolina Association Clergy Unity Day
YOU ARE INVITED!
May 31, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
The Southern Conference United Church of Christ Eastern N.C. Committee on Ministry (COM) invites you to Clergy Day on May 31, 2025 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. It will be held at Umstead Park United Church of Christ located at 8208 Brownleigh Drive, Raleigh NC 27617. All ENCA Clergy: Ordained, Licenses and Ministers in Discernment are encouraged to attend. Our goal is to update our files of all clergy with their personal information and to have you present in your own way, with details and strategies to strengthen and further unite us all. A refresher Boundary course is also planned for the day which is required by all clergy.
It is a free event with lunch being served. However, you must still register using the link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eastern-nc-clergy-unity-day-tickets-1357440584329?aff=oddtdtcreator
Come and let’s gather for a renewal, refreshing and rewarding meeting designed to help sustain your ministry even further!
“A Day Gone but Not Forgotten”
ENCA holds First Annual Day of Unity
submitted by Rev. Dannie Williams (Ed.D.)
As we focused on the scripture Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity,” with the approximately 100 people we had registered to join in this glorious day, it helped us bring the gospel to life.
To recap some of the workshops:
Unity Through Music – participants discussed ideas that could be taken back to their music ministry (Rev. Linda Velto, Rev. David Callands, and Michelle Byrd)
Theological Differences – the rich diversity in the Southern Conference was the main ingredient (Rev. Ervin Milton)
Love is the Key - no matter who you are, you are loved in the ministry - God calls us to love all, and to dwell in unity (Rev. Anne Holmes)
Crossing the Lines of Inequity - provided a meaning of equity, as it relates to the church body life (Rev. Donna Vanhook and Rev. Dr. Willie Mae Hawkins)
Youth involvement – the youth got to talk among themselves and present to the body at the end based on their discussions (Jennifer Watkins)
Financial Stewardship: Building Unity in Christ – the essentials of stewardship, but the importance of planned giving and insurance emphasized (Rev. Belinda Sledge & Rev. Jamal Brown)
And we can’t say enough about our choir participation, which included: Melfield, Union, First Christian, and First Reformed United Church of Christ. We couldn’t ask for a better ending, and we also got to celebrate our Conference Minister's birthday with a special tribute song by Michelle Byrd.