Delivered by Dr. Antoinette Mensah
December 4, 2025
Good afternoon, colleagues, members, and friends of USCMA.
It has been a privilege to serve as your President this past year—a year in which we witnessed God moving through our association in profound and life-giving ways.
As we gather for our 2025 Membership Meeting, I invite us to reflect on what we have accomplished together and to look toward the unfolding mission.
We lived through a year marked by rapid global change, uncertainty, and human need. Across our Church, people longed for leaders rooted in compassion, clarity, courage, and authentic hope.
USCMA has been present for such a moment as this.
Mission is not a program we manage; it is the way we embody Christ in the world.
Strengthening Our Capacity and Leadership
We worked intentionally to strengthen USCMA’s foundations.
- We addressed communication challenges with the help of a new specialist.
- We welcomed an Ignatian Volunteer Corps member who served generously for ten months.
- We began expanding our Board, identifying new candidates whose gifts align with our missionary heart, while honoring the faithful service of those whose terms concluded.
Together, we set the stage for healthy transition and renewed leadership.
Advancing Our Strategic Direction
Early in the year, we finalized our 2025 Strategic and Structural Plan, aligning USCMA more closely with the pastoral and missionary needs of today’s Church.
Highlights included:
- Reinforcing leadership structures.
- Redeveloping our website and building a member portal.
- Designing new formation pathways through our Authentic Church series.
- Expanding member engagement through affinity conversations and regional gatherings.
- Deepening partnerships with NETWORK, Maryknoll, the Jesuits, LCWR, CMSM, CMSWR, and others.
At the same time, we confronted difficult realities. Defunding within USAID and other NGOs placed vulnerable communities at risk. [slow pace] We stood in solidarity with Catholic Relief Services and partners, advocating for justice and supporting mission leaders accompanying the poor.
Facing Our Financial Realities
Membership renewals were slower than anticipated, leaving us with a larger deficit.
Yet moments of hope emerged: new members joined through targeted outreach, and we reduced costs—including ending our podcast in favor of more effective ways to highlight mission.
Sustaining USCMA has always been a shared responsibility—
- through membership,
- through the Pentecost Appeal,
- and through inviting others into this vibrant mission community.
USCMA remains a home for mission-minded leaders across the Church.
Formation, Programs, and Events
Formation anchored our identity and purpose.
- Witnesses of Hope & Mission Summit: Nearly 40 members gathered in Waukesha, confirming the deep hunger for connection and missionary identity.
- 50th Anniversary of Evangelii Nuntiandi: In partnership with the USCCB, we hosted a four-part webinar series exploring evangelization, social transformation, and culture.
- Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome: Twenty-eight pilgrims passed through the four Holy Doors, renewing our unity and commitment to the Gospel.
- Authentic Church Series: Leaders were equipped with prophetic insight and courage to navigate today’s complex landscape.
Looking Ahead
As we look to the year ahead, we do so with humility, courage, and confident hope.
Our world continues to cry out for a Church that listens deeply, stands with conviction, and loves without measure. The challenges before us are real—but so is the grace that sustains us.
- The vision of Evangelii Nuntiandi remains our guide.
- The needs of God’s people remain our call.
- And USCMA remains a vital home for mission leaders across the Church.
Thank you for your faith-driven leadership, your sacrifice, and your unwavering commitment to the Gospel’s mission.
Let us step forward into the coming year with faith, courage, and hope—trusting always in God’s abundant grace.
Thank you, and may God bless USCMA and all who serve the mission of the Church