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"Little Things Mean a Lot"
Sunday, November 27, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
My dad did a commercial decades ago. It is one of the stories you might hear us retelling when we gather around the table which we are still lucky and blessed enough to do. But, all laughter aside, the joke calls us back to some of what is essential to a life grounded in gratitude.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Wonder Dave, Worship Associate; Christine Tulis, Harpist and Singer; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Songleader; Mark Sumner, Pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; DeAndre Smith, Sexton; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
Or just in the Midwest? Asking because I might be moving soon.
Due to mobility aids and a health decline, my disability suddenly became visible while I was part of a UU congregation. I had to start using a wheelchair. And when I did, dear Gods, it was like someone flipped a switch. My church went from just looking at me a little funny for my cane use to being downright hostile toward me and my chair. The amount of ableism I encountered was disgusting. People routinely leaned on my chair, even after being told not to. People moved my chair with me in it without my permission. I got rude comments practically every 5 seconds. It was so bad that the congregation was willing to allow me to be homeless because no one wanted to house a disabled person. That was the most common reason given to my face, anyway.
Is there a point to me trying again in another state?
https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/psc-nominee-president
November 15, 2022
The Unitarian Universalist Associationโs (UUA) Presidential Search Committee is pleased to announce the nomination of the Rev. Dr. Sofรญa Betancourt for UUA President, for the 2023-2029 term. Rev. Dr. Betancourt is an experienced leader and theologian in Unitarian Universalism, including formerly serving as a professor at Starr King School for the Ministry and as Interim Co-President of the UUA in 2017. She currently serves as Resident Scholar and Special Advisor to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.
Review the Nomination Process section of this announcement for more information on how the PSC made its determination, and for information on the process for running by petition in accordance with the UUA Bylaws.
The President is the primary public and spiritual leader of Unitarian Universalism, as well as the UUAโs Chief Executive Officer. The member congregations of the UUA, through their delegates, elect the President to represent and lead the faith on a path to Beloved Community, in which people of diverse backgrounds, identities and theological beliefs can thrive. The President must be committed to transparent, shared, and aspirational leadership, using their understanding of power and privilege to advance transformative faithful practices within the Association. At the heart of this work is the UUAโs commitment to dismantling oppressive societal systems and creating communities of equity, belonging and liberation. This requires centering the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, people living with disabilities, and those with other marginalized identities. The President leads UUA staff, volunteers and members of the denomination to create a Unitarian Universalism that welcomes the questions, gifts, and talents of all who are attracted to this faith tradition.
The Rev. Dr. Sofรญa Betancourt currently serves as Resident Scholar and Special Advisor on Justice and Equity at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). She previously served as interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Womanist Theology and Ethics at Drew University Theological School in 2021-22. From 2016-2021, she was on the core faculty of Starr King School for the Ministry, and served as its Acting President for a term. She was the UUAโs Director of Racial and Ethnic Concerns from 2005-2009. In 2017, she was appointed as one of the three-part team of UUA Interim Co-Presidents. She has been a member of the UUA Appointments Committee since 2016, and previously was a member of the UUA Nominating Committee.
Rev. Dr. Betancourtโs ministry centers on work that is empowering and counter-oppressive. Her academic work focuses on the environmental ethics of liberation through a womanist and Latina feminist frame. She previously served as the Senior Minister at the First UU Church of Stockton, CA, as Consulting Minister of the UU Fellowship of Storrs, CT, and as Interim Minister at the UU Church of Fresno, CA.
She holds a Ph.D. in religious ethics and African American Studies from Yale University, graduate degrees from Yale University in Religious Ethics and African American Studies, and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University with a concentration in ethnobotany. She is an ordained UU minister, with a Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry. Her book, Ecowomanism at the Panamรก Canal: Black Women, Labor, and Environmental Ethics is available from Lexington Books (published February, 2022).
Under the UUA Bylaws, the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) is responsible for nominating candidates for UUA President. The PSC is made up of seven members, five elected by the General Assembly and two appointed by the UUA Board of Trustees. The PSC was established in the UUA Bylaws in 2010 through a vote of the General Assembly, to support the democratic process of nominating candidates to serve as UUA President. Prior to the creation of the PSC, all candidates for the UUA Presidency ran by petition. The 2023 Presidential election is the second time the PSC has led the nomination process.
Two members of the PSC were appointed following General Assembly 2021 (one later resigned), and the five elected members were affirmed by the General Assembly in 2022. The PSC members are, in alphabetical order by last name: Rev. Jaimie Dingus, Denise Rimes, Cathy Seggel, James Snell, Rev. Theresa Ninรกn Soto and Marva Williams.
For this nomination, the PSC developed and led a fair and timely application and nomination process that was open to any leader who is a member of a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Over its first few months, the PSC reached out to a wide variety of stakeholders to provide feedback on the Presidential job description and key qualifications, the development of the application and interviews, the recruitment of potential qualified applicants, and on the overall nomination process. Congregations and members of the public were kept informed of the nominating process throughout the spring and summer of 2022.
In addition to opportunities for input from the general public, the PSC consulted key interested parties, including religious professional groups such as the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), the UU Ministersโ Association (UUMA) and the Association for UU Music Ministries (AUUMM); identity-based groups such as Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM), Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), EqUUal Access, and Transgender UU Religious Professionals Together (TRUUsT); youth and young adult communities; and UUA staff. Based on this input, the PSC sought candidates who could address the current needs of the UUA, and support the UUAโs mission and its commitment to the recommendations of the Commission on Institutional Changeโs 2020 report, Widening the Circle of Concern. The PSC worked with the UUA Board of Trustees to establish a presidential job description capturing these qualifications, which was approved by the Board in February 2022.
The application and nomination timeline of the presidential search process was:
The PSC received applications from Unitarian Universalists who represented a range of experiences and talents, including ordained ministers and non-ordained leaders. The candidate pool was comprised of majority women and transgender/non-binary individuals, and a majority of people who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
At the conclusion of its process, the PSC unanimously nominated two exceptionally qualified leaders to be candidates for President. One of those nominees declined the nomination. Once the nominations were made, the committee determined that the only fair and appropriate course of action was to move forward with the nomination of Rev. Dr. Betancourt, rather than reopening the application process. The PSC members respect the decision of the nominee who withdrew, and will continue to honor their privacy, as was done throughout the interview process.
Nomination petitions from additional candidates may be submitted, according to the procedures described in the UUA Bylaws and Rules, by February 1, 2023. The election will conclude in June 2023, and the next President will be announced at General Assembly 2023. The current UUA President, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, will reach the end of her term and will serve until her successor takes office. As with the current President, the next UUA President will serve a single six-year term and will not be eligible for re-election.
The search for a President of the Unitarian Universalist Association asks us to live into our best selves and our most imaginative futures, working to fulfill our deeply held aspirations. The Presidential nomination process is a call to covenant and to making our values real in the world through our actions. As shared in the June 2021 Commission on Appraisal report, Rev. Carol Cissel notes:
We are the promises we make and the vows we break. In this faith, Unitarian Universalism, covenants bind us together and strengthen our relationships. They create a pathway toward inclusiveness and, in times of both joy and sorrow, remind us that we are tough, resilient, and thoughtful.
So may we, in faithful keeping of our promises as a movement, elect our next UUA president. The PSC was unanimous in its belief that UUs are blessed by the candidacy of Rev. Dr. Sofรญa Betancourt. Once the election process concludes and the new UUA President is announced at GA 2023, our Association will continue on its transformative journey to create the anti-oppressive, multicultural world we all imagine.
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This announcement constitutes the PSCโs report for nominations, as required by UUA Bylaw Section 9.5.
For questions and additional information, please reach out to [elections@uua.org](mailto:elections@uua.org) and visit this elections page.
For more information contact [elections@uua.org](mailto:elections@uua.org).
This year I took a job at a grocery store that allows mustaches, but not beards. I've had a beard for about 15 years. I needed the job, so I bit the bullet and shaved. I hate it. I'm tired of looking at a stranger in the mirror, and I get razor burn every time. It occurred to me that I might be able to get a religious exemption for this arbitrary rule--were I Muslim, Sikh, or Orthodox Jew, it wouldn't even be a question. Obviously it's a little less clear in our case, but I think I might be onto something. Does anyone have any relevant experience or advice? Any UUA documentation I could show to the GM that would support my position?
โAfter the OObleck" - A Forgiveness Ritualโ
Sunday, November 20, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
Forgiveness can be a sticky topic, especially when we refuse to grant forgiveness to ourselves or others. Let us gather this morning to hear a story about how messy and sticky it can get. Then, we can choose to participate in a forgiveness ritual to help us leave that stickiness behind. If you are attending virtually, please have a rock or stone with you as you watch.
Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir; Mark Sumner, Music Director; Brielle Marina Neilson, Mezzo Soprano; Jon Silk, Drummer; Jon Silk, Drummer; Wm. Garcรญa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Eric Shackelford, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher; Ralph Fenn, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Anyone else thinking about spinning up a uua.social Fedi server (like Mastodon)? We could crowd fund it on Faithify. I'd want the UUA folks to be aware of it and hopefully support it, at least in spirit.
Hi peeps! We are moving from Chattanooga to St. Louis in about 8 months. We will likely be living in the Kirkwood area of St. Louis. Does anyone know if there are are CUUPS chapters in the area? Thanks!
I do actually believe in God but not the traditional viewpoint. In the last few years I had a business and two relationships fail, other business problems, health problems, family problems...you name it, I have encountered it. It's been getting steadily worse.
None of my friends are able to help, and despite praying, God seems distant. I've spoken to my minister, she has said she has felt the same on occasion. My therapist references the story of Job (she is Christian) but it's cold comfort when I am suffering now. Unless she knows specifically when the suffering will end, it's not helpful.
I still pray and have not lost my faith, since I have had God appear in my life before in remarkably dramatic ways. But still the torrent of bad news is unrelenting, so I am on the edge of despair sometimes.
Posting here instead of Christian subs because Christians always say "God's perfect timing" which is NOT helping (like the last three therapists I saw)
"The Double-edged Sword of Faith"
Sunday, November 13, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
Someone asked me on the way out of service this fall what I meant, as a Unitarian Universalist, when I said the word "faith." Let's look at what faith is (and is not) and the role it plays in our lives -- the blessing and the danger of it.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir; Kate Offer, Soprano Kai Leith, Pianist & Conducting; Wm. Garcรญa Ganz, Pianist & Conducting
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; DeAndre Smith, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
Does anyone here have experience with Second Unitarian in Chicago? I live on the north side and am considering checking it out.
Hi there! Iโve recently started exploring UU churches in the area and it feels like a good home for me. Iโve been exploring all over the area (Iโm in Boston) and while Iโve attended lovely sermons, Iโm having trouble finding a congregation that has people my age (Iโm in my 30s). Everyone at Sunday service seems to be over 60. I wonder if Sunday service may just not be the right place to start? Anyone in the are (or in general) have any advice?
I am an ex-Christian and I have religious trauma related to that. I went to an in-person UU service for the first time Sunday. I got teary-eyed multiple times because I was quite awestruck. Iโve never had the experience of walking into a sanctuary that displays pride flags or hearing the Reverend invite trans and GNC kids to join the Girl Scouts troop during announcements. I had a wonderful time overall, but I have a few concerns. I can mostly handle hearing the word โGodโ and there was no mention of Jesus. The Bible was used during the sermon (Genesis), but its validity was questioned in a way I can appreciate. I am just wonderingโฆ is UU the wrong place to leap to, in general, if I want no associations with Christianity whatsoever? Or could I potentially find a different church that doesnโt reference the Bible? I am atheist-leaning, definitely humanist, but mostly still figuring it out.
I am also thinking about the perpetuation of Christianity and wanting to avoid that. This article encapsulates my thinking perfectly: https://brill.com/display/title/37153 To me, secular and liberal Christians are still perpetuating the harm of all other Christians, or they would drop the religious moniker altogether. I am wondering if Iโm being hypocritical by being UU. Also, Iโm really sorry if I offend anyone by writing this post. Thanks for reading.