PRIORITIES FOR UUA LEADERSHIP

The UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association), headquartered on Beacon Street in Boston describes itself as "Your Association of Congregations" and further states "We are here (1) to help our congregations grow and thrive and (2) to bring the voice of Unitarian Universalist values to the world." [from 2004 pamphlet]. This column will explore some aspects of the relative importance of those two missions. (See my GA REPORT article for an account of one component of mission 2, the Study/Action Issue program.)

My own growing concern about the "need" for an active and resource-demanding effort to "bring the UU voice to the world" was reinforced by reading of The Almost Church by Michael Durall. Here is Durall's pithy statement on this issue: “We have fallen into the habit of viewing the Association's primary role as introducing new initiatives that congregations should support, rather than the association's major focus as supporting churches across the land."

The good news is that our current President, Bill Sinkford, is making a major effort to strengthen the support mission as evidenced by a substantial increase in GA 2005 recruiting and programming. In addition to providing free registration to incoming UU congregational presidents (I think nearly 200 attended), there were many special sessions arranged for these presidents to meet with him, other top UUA leaders, and, of course, each other. There was widespread enthusiasm expressed by the attendees for this attention to their needs. This gives me confidence that as we consider new ways of fulfilling our faith, we will have access to significant support from both District and National UUA .

PS. On the debit side, it has also been proposed that the processing time for Study/Action Issues be increased from three years to four years which would result in even more time and resources being used for "the voice" mission with possible negative impact on the "support" mission

REMINDER: A series of three meetings have been scheduled following Sunday Social Hour on Jan 22, 29, and Feb 5 to discuss some of the ideas and suggestions made in The Almost Church. copies of which ($12) are available at the welcoming Table in Hull Chapel (or contact Bobbi Campbell).

December's Mystery Member: The member who started college as a music major and later spent two years in Pasadena editing children's books was President-Elect Bette Sikes.

December UUHistory: Harvard University had a eight consecutive Unitarian Presidents sometime during the 1800's.

January's Mystery Member: Which church member experienced the excitement of runaway Chicago stockyard animals (pigs, cattle) running down the street in front of (or behind) his house?

January History: Who served our church for several years as "night minister" while a Meadville student and is now the first settled minister of the Abraham Lincoln UU church in Springfield, Illinois?