2025 MNC Announces the Candidates for Moderator – MCC Global General Conference 2025

MCC Moderator Nominating Committee Selects Moderator Slate for General Conference Vote

28th March, 2025

Greetings MCC Community,

Eight months ago, the 2025 Moderator Nominating Committee (MNC) began the task set forth in UFMCC Bylaws Article V.E.2.a:

“MODERATOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE: The Governing Board shall appoint a Moderator Nominating Committee of five (5) persons. The responsibility of the Moderator Nominating Committee is to actively solicit candidates for the position, review any and all applications, and select up to five (5) qualified candidates. The qualified candidates shall be presented by the Governing Board to the General Conference for election.”

Throughout this process, we, the members of the MNC, have endeavored to listen to the voices of MCC, to be in prayer and fellowship with one another, and to think deeply and carefully regarding every decision that has had to be made. We have continuously focused on the goal of providing the General Conference with a slate of candidates, each of whom we believe is qualified and ready to lead MCC into the future.

After careful consideration, discernment, and prayer, we are pleased to inform you that we have selected a slate of two (2) candidates for the Role of Moderator. The MCC Moderator Nominating Committee has truly appreciated the opportunity to be in dialogue with each one of the candidates during the interview process and to learn more about each of the candidates’ skills and accomplishments as well as their aspirations for the future of MCC. Please know we have not taken this decision lightly and have done our due diligence in an effort to ensure that the process is as thorough and complete as possible. We sincerely thank each of the candidates for their time, thought, and prayers and for providing us with their materials for consideration.

The slate of two (2) candidates consists of (in alphabetical order by last name):

Rev. Craig Cranston, Fort Myers, Florida USA
Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston, Brisol, England

We realize that these candidates may not be known to all in MCC. Soon the denomination’s website will be updated with information about each candidate, including an introductory video, resume and a brief biography.

Three “Meet the Candidates” webinars have been scheduled where candidates will have an opportunity to introduce themselves. There will also be a time for you to ask questions of the candidates.

If you have questions for the candidates outside of the webinars, we ask that you send them to MNC@MCCchurch.net, and we will forward them for reply. We have asked the candidates to pass along any questions that they may each receive personally to the MNC so we can ensure that there is equity and fairness across the slate.

We invite you to join us as we continue to pray for MCC, for the candidates, and for the General Conference.

Yours in service,
2025 Moderator Nominating Committee, Metropolitan Community Churches

Rev. Tijuana Gray, Chair
Rev. GV Basbas, Vice Chair
Kathy Coyle
Rev. Kai Millar
Terry White

Reverend Craig Cranston

Rev. Craig Cranston was affirmed and unanimously elected as the senior pastor of St. John the Apostle, MCC in September 2022. Prior to being called to this congregation, Rev. Craig was Assistant Pastor at MCC Tampa and served as the pastor of Congregational Care at King of Peace, MCC.

Graduating with honors from The Iliff School of Theology in Denver with his Master of Divinity degree, Rev. Craig comes to ordained ministry after several years as a consultant and business leader to several Fortune 200 companies. He is certified as a marriage and family facilitator through Prepare/Enrich, leads workshops on several topics in both religious and secular spaces, and is a member of the Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society.

Rev. Craig, as the co-leader of the Florida Network, mobilized MCC churches from around Florida in 2022 in response to the hateful “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, rallying, together with other leadership, over 60 MCC’ers to protest in Tallahassee. Through this work, Rev. Craig continued in building strategic relationships with key stakeholders throughout the state in responding to legislative initiatives that demean the LGBTQ community.

Utilizing his extensive finance experience, Rev. Craig serves as the Treasurer on the National Board of Pensions for the clergy of the denomination. He also serves as a Director with Visuality, a local LGBTQ support and service center in Fort Myers. Rev. Craig is also the Vice-President of the Interfaith Alliance of Southwest Florida, a group of various faith traditions fighting the rise of Christian Nationalism.

Rev. Craig, following the devastation of Hurricane Ian in 2022, marshaled resources for the local church and community, raising $20,000 in two days for those in need, while working with statewide partners to collect and then provide much-needed supplies for the larger community. St. John the Apostle MCC was able to feed and provide for over 300 families within five days of the hurricane.

Under Rev. Craig’s leadership, despite three hurricanes, crushing economic burdens and a legacy of hateful legislation trying to erase the promise of Florida’s diverse LGBTQ community, St. John the Apostle MCC continues to grow, with more young people joining the church in the past year than ever before.

Reverend Elder Cecilia Eggleston

Cecilia Eggleston has been passionately involved in MCC for 35 years, starting as a young LGBT activist who helped to plant a local church. She was elected as European District Co-ordinator and as Regional Elder, serving our churches in Western Europe and Africa. She served as local church pastor at Northern Lights MCC, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, for nine years, raising the profile of the church within the local community and developing a monthly Family service. During her tenure as Pastor, Northern Lights MCC was presented with the Moderator’s Award for the church’s work with LGBT asylum seekers.

Rev. Cecilia is one of the few MCC leaders who has served at a denominational level with both Rev. Troy Perry and Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson as Moderators, learning from them both about what it means to lead a global movement and international denomination. Since 2019, she has served as the Moderator of UFMCC, guiding MCC through the global covid pandemic. Under her leadership, the denomination has become financially stable, with an Endowment fund and a grant for $500,000 from the Lilly Foundation to develop and support current and future leaders through the Flourish programme.

Rev. Elder Eggleston delights in building up people and seeing them grow. She has worked as a teacher, a trainer, a community development worker and a community facilitator. She is a trained Spiritual Director and loves “holy listening” – holding that sacred space, so that individuals can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit within their own lives. She is trained in consensus building and has worked with the staff, Governing Board, Council of Elders and local church leaders to develop a common vision, published in 2022, and an ongoing strategic plan, including actions to address racial inequity, which works towards that vision.

Although she is extrovert and has plenty of energy, she is spiritually a contemplative, needing silence and stillness to feed her soul. Quiet time every morning and time set aside for retreat are important ways for her to keep spiritually healthy.

Family is important to Rev. Elder Eggleston. She was born in Sheffield, in the north of England, the sixth child of seven. She has an enormous number of relatives and enjoys spending time with all the different generations. She currently lives in North Somerset, England, where she enjoys watching the birds in the garden and learning tai chi.