The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black was elected General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ in June 2009. Prior to that, he served as Conference Minister of the UCC's New York Conference for nine years beginning in 2000.

Geoffrey Black previously served as a Minister for Church Life and Leadership with the then-Office for Church Life and Leadership (currently Parish Life and Leadership), a national agency of the United Church of Christ housed at the UCC's national offices in Cleveland, Ohio.

Prior to joining the staff of OCLL in 1994, he served as Pastor of the Congregational UCC of South Hempstead (N.Y.). During his years in ministry, Black also has served as 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.

In his capacity as Minister for Church Life and Leadership, Black was active in several key aspects of the ministry. In addition to engaging in the work common to all OCLL staff such as ministerial authorization and search and call, he devoted special attention to ecclesiastical endorsement, ministerial formation, congregational life and the development of resources for the multiracial/multicultural church.

During his tenure as a local church pastor, Black also was active in Association and Conference life, serving on several committees and holding a number of elected offices. He served on the Ordination and Standing Committee and the Committee on Church in the Metropolitan Community of the New York Metropolitan Association. He was chairperson of the New York Conference Commission on Mission Priorities and he served as moderator of the Conference.

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. This has resulted in his work with organizations such as the Nassau Coalition for Safety and Justice, The Long Island Interracial Alliance for a Common Future, and the Amistad Cultural Center of Long Island, which he co-founded. While living in Ohio, he has been an active member of Caring Communities of Shaker Heights, Ohio, and Partnership 2000 of the Shaker Public schools.

Rev. Black is married to Patricia Williams-Black. They have one daughter, Makeda Black, who resides in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Dr. H. Ben Bohren began serving the Christian Church of Northern California-Nevada as Regional Minister in November, 2004. He arrived there with great excitement and faith that the Spirit was at work in their midst! Some 6 years later, he is even more convinced that the Spirit is not only alive and well in their midst, but going wild! Ben believes this about the Northern CA-NV Region: what an incredible place to do God’s work!

Ben came to this new ministry after nearly 8 years as the Director of Church Relations for the Disciples National Benevolent Association where he created and directed the Miracle Day program which has now brought together over 20,000 Disciples in 60+ Miracle Days.

Prior to that ministry he served 10 years as Director of Church Relations at Chapman University in Orange, CA. where Ben created the largest Disciples young adult ministry in the nation…Disciples on Campus with over 100 active members.

Prior to those ministries, he served 20 years in pastoral ministry as senior minister at First Christian Church, Orange, CA; pastor at First Christian Church, Lebanon, KY; and student minister at Wintergreen and Beech Grove Christian Churches, Nelson Co. VA.

A native of Lake Worth, Florida, Ben received his A.A. at Palm Beach Junior College; his B.A. at Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA; and his D. Min. at Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY. He was ordained in 1973 in Lebanon, Kentucky.

Contact information:

Geoffrey Black:
Ben Bohren: Handouts