General Synod of United Church of Christ
The General Synod of United Church of Christ (UCC) is the lead plaintiff in General Synod of United Church of Christ v. Cooper
. The UCC is a mainline Protestant denomination with nearly 1 million members and more than 5,100 congregations nationwide, with more than 150 UCC congregations throughout the State of North Carolina. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the UCC is a church of many firsts, including the first mainline denomination to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, the first predominately white denomination to ordain an African American, and the first mainline denomination to support same-sex marriage. The UCC’s motto (“That they may all be one,” (John 17:21)) and tagline (God is still speaking,) support the Church’s long-standing commitment to social justice issues and its extravagant welcome to all, no matter who they are, or where they are on life’s journey. Learn more about the UCC’s role in this case at their new website.
Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black was elected General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ in June 2009. Prior to this election, Rev. Black served as Conference Minister of the UCC’s New York Conference for nine years. During his years in ministry, Black also has served as Pastor of 
Congregational UCC in South Hempstead, N.Y., assistant chaplain at Brown University, associate minister at St. Albans Congregational UCC in Queens, Lecturer in the Field Education Department at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and Protestant chaplain at Adelphi University. Ecumenical commitment, concern for equal justice, African-American empowerment, and community improvement have shaped Black’s ministry in the church and in the communities in which he has lived.
“The United Church of Christ has a rich history of boldly joining faith and action, and we filed this landmark lawsuit against the State of North Carolina to protect the religious freedom of our ministers–one of the essential freedoms of all Americans.” –Rev. Geoffrey A. Black
Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess, National Officer, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess serves as a National Officer of the United Church of Christ and was elected to this position in July 2011. He is the first openly gay person to serve as a national officer of the church. Rev. Guess has worked for the UCC’s national setting since 2000 in a variety of 
communications positions, including four years as communications director of the denomination. Prior to joining the national setting of the church, Rev. Guess was a local church pastor, including eight years as pastor of Zion UCC in Henderson, Ky., a congregation that grew from 12 elderly members to a vital, justice-focused, multiracial, open and affirming congregation of more than 300 people. Guess has written more than 500 articles on all aspects of the church, earning him more than 60 awards. Guess earned a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. He received his D.Min. from Chicago Theological Seminary.
“North Carolina’s marriage laws are criminalizing our ministers for doing their jobs in faith, and they are violating every American’s First Amendment rights to the ‘free exercise of religion.’ The UCC is called to be a prophetic church, and we are standing up for religious liberty.” –The Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess
Rev. Dr. Edward Smith Davis, Conference Minister, Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ
Rev. Edward Smith Davis serves as Conference Minister of the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ, including North Carolina, Virginia, and portions of South Carolina. Prior to his appointment in 2012, Rev. Davis served as Protestant chaplain of the Chicago Fire Department and local church pastor of St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Chicago Heights, IL. Prior to his call to ministry, Rev. Davis served in a variety of senior leadership positions in both the for-profit and not-for-profit industries. Rev. Davis holds an M.B.A. from Roosevelt University and a Doctorate of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary.
Rev. Nancy Ellett Allison, Holy Covenant United Church of Christ, Charlotte, N.C.
Nancy first served Holy Covenant in 2000-2001 as Interim Pastor, returning in 2004 to accept the role of Senior Pastor. Ordained in 1981 at Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas TX, she served as a missionary to Liberia early in her career, teaching at Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary. Com
ing back to the United States in 1990, Nancy served as Chaplain Coordinator for Baylor University Medical Center and as Family Coordinator for the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission. She also founded CityChurch: A Baptist Community of Grace in Dallas before moving to North Carolina in 1999. Nancy earned her BA from Baylor University and her MDiv and PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. A popular speaker, preacher and retreat leader, Nancy has written and edited for several publications, and serves as Secretary of the Southern Conference of the UCC and a member of the board of directors. With her husband Dale, Church Administrator for Myers Park Presbyterian Church, Nancy has two young adult daughters.”
“Being a part of pivotal life moments is one of the great privileges of serving as a local church pastor. The opportunity to officiate at the marriage of all church members who take seriously their commitment to their beloved, whether same or opposite gender, should be a natural part of the pastoral role. Advocating for marriage equality has been an important part of my ministry for all of my years in UCC life and at Holy Covenant. In the same way that I am free to choose to which wedding ceremonies to perform for opposite sex couples, so I should be free to choose which to perform for same sex couples. All members of my congregation should have my pastoral services equally available to them.” –Rev. Allison
Rabbi Jonathan Freirich, Charlotte, N.C.
Before coming to Charlotte, Rabbi Jonathan served as the solo clergy at Temple Bat Yam, a Reform synagogue in South Lake Tahoe, for eight years. Prior to that, he worked with Hillel for four years in Tucson, Arizona, and
Cleveland, Ohio. Rabbi Jonathan explores Judaism using ancient and contemporary lenses of interpretation, valuing mystical and historical insights, along with rationalist and modernist perspectives. He grew up as a Reform Jew at Central Synagogue in Manhattan and was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. While in Charlotte, Rabbi Jonathan has been working on running more regularly, reading a book a week (from sci-fi to contemporary theology), and spending significant moments with his wife Ginny and five-year-old son Jude.
“My religion calls upon me to provide marriages for same-sex couples. I am a rabbi affiliated with the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish movements. These Jewish movements have led the fight for LGBT equal rights, and argued for and supported same-sex marriages as part of the recognition of those rights. Jewish tradition demands that I help people fulfill their healthy desires for communally sanctioned relationships and I do so through marriage ceremonies for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.” –Rabbi Freirich
Rev. Joe Hoffman, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Asheville, N.C.
Rev. Joe Hoffman is a native of Asheville where he attended city schools and eventually graduated from UNC-A. He has master’s degrees from Scarritt Graduate School in Christian 
Education and from Emory’s Candler School of Theology in Divinity. Rev. Joe joined the UCC in 1990 when he became the associate pastor at Central Congregational Church in Atlanta. He moved to First Congregational UCC in Asheville in 1996 where he continues to serve as Pastor. Joe has a strong interest in public theology and the role of the church in the community. He enjoys hiking, reading, walking around Asheville, music, and being with friends. He is proud to be the father of his daughter Emma Claire.
“As head pastor I wish to marry same-sex couples in my church, and I have the full support of my congregation in doing so. Amendment One denies my religious freedom by prohibiting me from exercising this right.” –Rev. Hoffman
Rev. Nathan King, Trinity United Church of Christ, Concord, N.C.
Raised Southern Baptist, Rev. Nathan King was one of nine children from Bonlee, N.C., where he got his inspiration and discipline from his mother. Rev. King attended Gardner-Webb University before moving onto Southeastern Seminary. He then became involved in youth ministry in the Southern Baptist church. only later discovering the United 
Church of Christ. King says he was drawn to the UCC church by the church’s service and social activism, including ordaining an openly gay man in the San Francisco association and ordaining women ministers and black ministers. King was first called to pastor at Asheboro United Church of Christ, where he served for seven years. He then came to Trinity United Church of Christ in January 2001. While at Trinity, the United Church of Christ’s General Synod passed a resolution on marriage equality, endorsing discussions about homosexual marriage. After conversations among congregants, King declared Trinity to be open and affirming, with some in the community referring Trinity to be the gay church.
“My church believes that God’s love embraces all persons equally and that every person is a person of worth created in the image of God. The ban on marriage limits the accessibility of our congregation to share in one another’s joy at a supremely significant time in the life of some of our couples. It limits my own pastoral participation in the lives of couples who have to be married in another state. I do not have the financial resources to offer couples my services when they have to go to another state to be legally married. I cannot be their pastor at this supremely significant time and occasion in their lives and in the life of our congregation. As a pastor, the ban on marriage prevents me from ministry with members of my church and prevents my church from acting on its beliefs.” –Rev. King
Rev. Nancy Kraft, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Pastor Nancy has been pastor at Holy Trinity since May of 2005 after serving most recently as a co-pastor at Advent in University City. She also has served previous parishes in North Dakota and Ohio, as well as serving as an Assistant to the Bishop of the Northeastern Ohio 
Synod. Pastor Nancy was raised in Hamilton, Ohio and earned her B.S. from Bowling Green State University, where she was an English education major. With a Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, she was ordained in 1979. She also holds a PhD.from the University of Pittsburgh in religion and education. Pastor Nancy has two children: Gretchen, who is a theatre teacher living in New York City, and Ben, who lives in Pittsburgh and is pursuing his artistic dreams as a musician. Pastor Nancy enjoys music of all kinds and plays the flute, contra dances, loves the mountains and spending time with her pets.
“The faith community I serve supports all people in their loving relationships and encourages commitment to those relationships, whether straight or gay. We celebrate sexual orientation as a gift and encourage all people to live authentically and fully as the people God created them to be. North Carolina marriage laws are in direct conflict with our beliefs.” –Rev. Kraft
Rev. Nancy Petty, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C.
Pastor Nancy Petty received her seminary training at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and began her work as youth minister, first at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh (1985-88) and then at St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte (1989-92). In 1992, she became Minister of Christian Education at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in 1992. As the needs of Pullen began to change in the mid-1990s, Petty became the Associate Pastor with increased responsibilities in the areas of 
pastoral care and organizational/institutional support. During this time, she received her Doctorate of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary. Petty was named co-pastor in 2002 ,and in 2009, she became the church’s sole pastor.
“At Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, we hold true to our Baptist heritage of soul freedom, church freedom, bible freedom, and religious freedom. With a rich history of celebrating diversity, struggling with the hard questions of faith, and working for justice, our congregation has been a bright light for those seeking a different but authentic church experience.” –Pastor Petty
Rev. Robin Tanner, Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Robin is the Lead Minister at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church. She recently completed a Chaplain residency at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. Her Bachelor of Arts is in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Rochester, Rochester, 
NY, 2006. Her Master of Divinity in Parish Ministry is from Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, 2009. She was ordained as a Minister in December, 2009. She has preached since 2006. Robin’s compelling internships include one year at First Parish in Malden, MA, where she participated in services, preaching and leading time for all ages with the children. She also facilitated religious education, provided pastoral care and regularly attended committee and board meetings while there. The second was a two year, part-time hybrid internship with the First Church in Boston, and the Office of Ministry and Professional Leadership at the Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters. Her high energy led her to begin side-by-side internships in 2007 at both First Church in Boston and the UUA, where she researched community ministry. It was here she learned that she was called to Parish Ministry.
“North Carolina’s ban on same sex marriage has had a significant impact on my role and duties as pastor. There are committed same sex couples at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church who would like me to solemnize their unions in our church. North Carolina law has a chilling effect on my ability to do so and prevents me from solemnizing same-sex marriages on an equal basis with opposite sex marriages.” –Rev. Tanner
Rev. Mark Ward, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, N.C.
Rev. Ward grew up in the Unitarian Church of Princeton, New Jersey, in the 1950s and ‘60s and welcomed the invitation to think for himself and explore many different sources of religious wisdom. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy, his 
interests turned to journalism, and he enrolled in the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Journalism suited Mark well for many years, but in 2000, he felt a call to the ministry and decided to enter Meadville Lombard Theological School. In addition to his classes, formative experiences at Meadville included Clinical Pastoral Education training at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, serving as a student member of the Meadville Lombard Board of Trustees and a member of the Winter Institute Planning Committee and as a student intern at the First Unitarian Society of Madison. After graduation in 2004, he was called to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville in 2004.
“For me, joining two people in the covenant of love that is marriage is one of the most important acts of my ministry. And a principle of that ministry is that every person is entitled to have the truth or his or her deepest love and commitment honored and respected, irrespective of sexual identity or expression. I regard it as a sacred trust to honor such commitments in the solemnizing of marriages.” –Rev. Ward