No words, really. Just wanting to put this down somewhere.

I have been a member of a UU congregation since January. Today, after a full week with the candidate and a whole one year process of identifying candidates, my congregation held a vote on a motion to call a new Sr Minister, the vote did not meet the threshold.

Has your congregation gone through something similar? What ended up happening? My concern is the reputation of the congregation will be impacted and our pool of candidates will shrink drastically.

I've been attending a local UU's services via zoom for the last few months and yesterday they held a newcomers class. It was my first time going there in-person and as a socially anxious person I was...well socially anxious. But everyone there was super sweet and inclusive (I mean...of course, that's a staple of UU). It was nice hearing stories from other who had left Christianity for various reasons and found UU. There was a lot of overlap with my own story, and for once in my life I didn't feel like an outsider.

This is a very rural, Christian conservative area and in a lot of ways it's very lonely being a liberal agnostic. But there I was in a tiny chapel with a bunch of other like-minded folks. I could refer to myself freely as an agnostic without feeling like I was being judged or misunderstood. It meant a lot to me.

Within an hour I was invited to join the tech committee, to help with Zoom stuff, so I guess I'm part of that now :D Not even a full-blown member yet, and they want me to get involved. I'm happy to. Growing up, my dad was very involved in our Christian church and helped run the soundboard during service. Glad to be able to carry on that familial tradition :)

I'm a practicing Jew (Reform). I have attended a UU congregation for a number of years where I have taught an adult education course on antisemitism. I’d written the following two essays explaining how the UUA’s new racial essentialism, illiberalism, dogmatism and attempts to politicize the religion make UU increasingly unwelcoming to most Jews. The first essay was used in the course and is included in my congregation's racial justice resources.

Two Jewish friends with similar feelings and complaints about the national UU left their UU congregations in the last year. I've stayed because my congregation still champions liberal religion and congregations as independent entities, and allows and respects the expression of the diversity of views of its members.

Is the UUA’s Anti-Racism Model Anti-Semitic?

How Intolerance, Censorship and Dogmatism Make Unitarian Universalism Increasingly Unwelcoming to Jews

I am interested in listening to more humanist focused services and talks from the UU community. I wanted to see if people in this group could point to some communities and UU leaders that have recordings available.

Any good audio / podcasts to subscribe too? Or video channels?

Thanks!

This is a throwaway account

So without giving too much away. I (27M) recently started attending a UU church in my area about 7-8 months ago. I quickly learned they were in a transitional period and felt like it would be a good time to join. It was apparent that the congregation was significantly older, 70+, but I had no qualms with that; however, my consistent presence I think has upset some of the members.

I am the kind of person who needs to be involved in order to feel a since of belonging. I desperately tried to find more info about events, get togethers, etc., but quickly learned the only way to really get that information was talking with people. So I did and I got involved helping plan activities just so I could know what was happening. This was fine for awhile, but then I kept constantly hear about how there were only a few leaders doing a lot and people, both from the church and the broader community, weren't showing up to things.

I think more than anything these comments really frustrated me because I really try to help and be there.

Recently there was a meeting which involved all those who were doing things within the church. Yet again there was this overarching tone of lack of leadership or outreach/ marketing for events. This also included statements about how we want the congregation to grow, especially with families, and I sat in that meeting thinking about all the ways I have offered to help, yet there was hardly ever any follow through.

I understand I am a gung-ho kind of person, but when all these people fail to utilize me, continue to complain, and then talk about how they want growth near my demographic I'm left utterly frustrated. I understand that it may sound like I'm being overbearing, but really try to understand and respect that I am fairly new to the church. I am not trying to implement really any change. I just want to be involved and help, and for some reason it feels like that is a bad thing or there is this imaginary line I have to cross before I am fully allowed to contribute.

There is another church in town, but it is significantly bigger and that really deters me as I have only really gone to smaller churches. I just feel like if I am going to continue going to this church I am going to have to pull back significantly and that really defeats the point of going for me.

I know younger people in general seem to have a hard time with this religion, but I really like it and I want other people to like it. However, if they are going to continue this pattern of behavior why on earth would I invite others?

I don't know if anyone else has gone through this before or how they handled it, but I would really appreciate different perspectives.

Just want to know if anyone here from Florida is a Christian? Just seems like the UUA in florida puts at the back of the line. What to meet more UU Christians.

https://www.uuworld.org/articles/psc-application-start

Association’s next chief executive and spiritual leader to be elected at General Assembly 2023

Elaine McArdle 4/4/2022

A new Unitarian Universalist Association president—the public, spiritual, and executive leader of the UU movement and the UUA organization and staff—will be elected at General Assembly 2023, for a six-year term.

The person elected will succeed President Susan Frederick-Gray, who was elected at the UUA’s General Assembly in 2017.

The Presidential Search Committee (PSC), which the General Assembly created in 2010, is tasked with evaluating applications for president and selecting at least two nominees.

The PSC posted the application form online on Monday, April 4, 2022. From this day on, it began accepting applications. The deadline to submit applications is July 15, 2022. Nominees will be announced on November 15, 2022.

The six-member Presidential Search Committee comprises the Rev. Theresa Soto; the Rev. Jaimie Dingus; Denise Rimes; Cathy Seggel; James Snell; and Marva Williams. The team said that, while it anticipates nominating two nominees, it would consider nominating a third if there are three standout candidates.

In accordance with the job description, UUA bylaws, and Massachusetts law, a candidate must be “a member in good standing of a UUA member congregation; a resident of the United States; at least 18 years of age; able to travel extensively and work both weekdays, weekends, and evenings, and able to spend a significant amount of time in Boston.”

Candidates may also run by petition rather than through the PSC process. The petition process opens on December 1, 2022, and closes on February 1, 2023. Candidates who run by petition must follow a process outlined in Bylaw 9.6a (PDF), which requires that their petition is signed by no fewer than fifty certified member congregations, including at least one congregation from three of the UUA’s five regions.

Continuing the UUA’s commitment to dismantling white supremacy culture and other systems of domination and oppression—and receiving a wide pool of diverse applicants—is a top commitment of the search committee.

It is addressing this commitment in a variety of ways, including making sure its members have done continuing education, along with the rest of the UUA staff, on disability justice, and accessible and inclusive hiring practices. The PSC will also be doing work around implicit bias in order to be open to a variety of candidates.

As the process for applications is heavily dependent on written communication, the PSC offers any potential applicant the option to contact the committee with suggestions for a different form of application that better shows off the applicant’s gifts and perspectives, and it hopes people take that opportunity.

The PSC is also seeking input and advice from different stakeholders. Members of the committee are meeting with a variety of UU organizations, including DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries), BLUU (Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism), TRUUsT (Transgender Religious professional UUs Together), and EqUUal Access, to get their input and to encourage members to apply or to nominate leaders from their communities.

The 2023 election is only the second election in which the PSC has been involved. While the committee is basing much of its process and timeline on the previous PSC’s work, it has a more condensed timeline because the presidential election period has been shortened.

The committee has also sought the reflections and input of the previous PSC, as well as from current UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray and other candidates from the 2017 presidential election in order to learn and to improve the process based on their perspectives.

https://www.uuworld.org/articles/congregations-change

UU congregations across the country are grappling with change. Here are five that chose equity and inclusion over “the way we’ve always done it.” How might your congregation engage with change?

In 2020, after years of consideration, two congregations previously named for Thomas Jefferson voted to rename themselves, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville, Virginia, and All Peoples, A Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Louisville, Kentucky. As Charlottesville explained in its announcement, “We want to choose a name that will not obscure our values of working for justice and undoing racism behind a name that tells a different story to many.” Louisville’s announcement said, “perhaps even more important are the lessons we’ve learned along the way about letting go of the old, fostering empathy, trusting each other, and embracing a better version of ourselves.”

When the UU Church of Greater Lansing, Michigan, relocated to a former school building in 2016, the congregation recognized that the increased space opened new opportunities for community engagement. It now partners with the local Refugee Development Center to offer free English classes, legal assistance, and social support for immigrants.

Since 2015, First Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has partnered with Y2Y Harvard Square to provide a 4,725-square-foot shelter and daytime drop-in center in its basement where homeless youth and young adults can connect with various resources. The student-run shelter has remained open during the pandemic.

In 2021, the UU Fellowship of Central Oregon in Bend voted to remove pledging as a requirement of membership in favor of a wider understanding of ways to be supportive, accountable, and in covenant with the congregation. “We wanted the membership procedure and requirements to reflect our values and principles and to fit with what we say we believe—that truly all are welcome,” writes Susan Kinney, past president of Bend’s board.

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I will add one more to this list:

https://firstjefferson.org/home-page/about-us/name-change/

Name Change!

And Then There Were Seven…

Name Change Voting—Round Three on Sunday April 17

With two rounds of elimination behind us, we’re getting very close! Round Three of voting for the new Name for the church will be on Sunday April 17. Like we’ve done the last two weeks, the revised list of names still in the running will be posted on the large plate glass windows in the foyer. This time you’ll get ONE colored sticky dot to use to place on the Name that you prefer. And also, like last week, if you are not able to vote in-person at church you will have the option to vote in our online poll. Check your email on Sunday for a link to the online poll.

A Name Change Town Hall meeting is scheduled for all interested members and friends this Sunday, April 17 after church at 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary. The purpose of the meeting is to review where we stand and our ongoing process in advance of the final vote at our congregational meeting next month. One issue we’ve already identified is about the use of the word “Church” vs. “Congregation” in the Naming. We’ll add this to our agenda. You can also use this forum for campaigning for your favorite Name and how it might advance our mission and vision.

The Name Change committee will have some sandwiches and cookies available for a light lunch, in addition to the coffee hour snacks provided.

Thank you for your robust interest and participation in our Name Change process. Please direct your questions and/or suggestions to [namechange@firstjefferson.org](mailto:namechange@firstjefferson.org) We hope to see you at church on Sunday!

List of Proposed Names

All Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist
Chosen Faith Congregation, A Unitarian Universalist Community
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Worth
Harmony Unitarian Universalist Church
Labyrinth Meadow Unitarian Universalist
Shady Creek Unitarian Universalist Church
Ten Pines Unitarian Universalist Church

https://clfuu.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1277214

How might Unitarian Universalists understand and relate to Islam, as a faith tradition? Please join us for this three-part seminar, co-sponsored by the Church of the Larger Fellowship and the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Unitarian Universalists to move into a deeper understanding of the Islamic faith and its beliefs & traditions.

Unitarian Universalist-Muslim leaders, Reverend Summer Albayati and Reverend Doctor Mellen Kennedy will co-lead this seminar. Advance registration is required.

This class is being offered at no cost to participants. However, if you feel called to support our ministry and help us offset the administrative and instruction costs of running this and similar classes, we invite you to make a donation.

Upcoming Dates

• May 11, 2022--------7–8:30pm EDT
• May 18, 2022--------7–8:30pm EDT
• May 25, 2022--------7–8:30pm EDT