The United Church of God (UCG) would like to recognize Connie Seelig upon her retirement from employed service to the Church. Connie has been working in the Mail Processing department since 1972.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Connie moved with her family to Chicago and then to California by the time she was three years old. Her parents were baptized into the body of Christ when she was six years old. When Connie was 17 years old, her 12-year-old sister with Down Syndrome died. About this, Connie says, “She was the light of our lives. Her death had a profound effect on the whole family.”

Connie attended Ambassador College from 1968 to 1972 and was hired by the Spanish department after her first year. Having previously studied Spanish for eight years, this fulfilled one of her long held dreams. In 1976 she married Gerald Seelig and they had three daughters. Connie continued working full time in the Spanish department until their first daughter was born in 1979, after which she transitioned to on-call and part-time status until 1995. When UCG began, she was hired to work full-time in the mail processing department, which she notes, “was an easy transition for me because I was familiar with [al]most all aspects of the church, having worked in the Spanish Department, which was a mini-work within the overall work.”

Richard Kennebeck commented, “Connie has been a pillar in the office since United began in Arcadia, California in 1995. Through the years I’ve enjoyed working closely with her on many projects and she is one of the hardest working people I know. I cherish our time together and will miss her greatly.”

Since the beginning of UCG Connie has continued to work in the mail processing department, first as Mail Processing Supervisor and then as the Mail Processing Manager. Peter Eddington commented, “It’s been an amazing 27 years working with Connie! Her tireless dedication to the work of the Church in the mail processing and donation processing area has been invaluable in moving the work of the Church forward. She will be sorely missed in the Media and Communications Services department. Terri and I wish her well in her retirement years, being able to spend more time with her family and grandchildren.”

Working for the Church was her life’s ambition from the time she was a small child, and Connie has spent fifty years working for the Church in various mail-processing roles. She reflects, “I have loved working for the Church. I especially enjoyed helping take care of the brethren. I’ve also enjoyed doing whatever I could to help the field ministry—in providing reports, mailing labels, solving member issues with their subscriptions, etc. Often it has been like a roller coaster ride, but I have no regrets. I’ve learned many lessons through the many trials that were experienced over these fifty years. I’ve appreciated all the personalities I have worked with over the years and have learned much from every one of them. One thing that carried me through all the challenges was a quote from Mr. Armstrong, ‘Don’t believe me. You go to the Bible and prove it for yourself!’ That works for issues other than doctrinal issues, as well. Don’t believe hearsay. Prove it for yourself—of course, with God’s help.”

On Monday, May 2, the home office staff gathered for a special lunch to honor Connie on her retirement. Connie shared a few words about her life’s journey, and many coworkers shared memories and stories about the impact that Connie has had on their lives for many years.

Connie has always enjoyed sports, particularly softball and volleyball, and has participated in these as both a player and a coach. She hopes to pursue hobbies after retirement, such as her interest in woodworking, and to spend more time with her grandchildren. She commented, “One of the reasons I retired is to spend more time with my grandchildren. I have a special-needs grandson that takes up a lot of my time now. I look forward to being able to work with him and his therapy in a more focused manner. We are blessed with three grandchildren so far and one on the way . . . as a grandparent now, my grandchildren are my favorite interest. I have learned so much from my children and grandchildren that every day is an adventure!”