Clarification on ministerial fellowship bylaw change

The original headline of the General Assembly blog post about a bylaw change concerning the Ministerial Fellowship Committee—"Ministers can be terminated for incompetence"—imprecisely characterized an aspect of the new MFC rules. The rule change allows the Ministerial Fellowship Committee to terminate a minister's fellowship with the Association—in effect, their accreditation—for incompetence, but the committee does not have the authority to "terminate" a minister's settlement in a congregation or to revoke their ordination. The headline and second paragraph of the post have been revised to more accurately reflect what the General Assembly decided.

Another GA Comes to An End

A worship service closed out General Assembly tonight. The final service is always where we get to see the GA Choir, which has been practicing all week. It sang five numbers, including “Yonder Come Day,” based on a Georgia Sea Islands song. President Bill Sinkford and Moderator Gini Courter invited us in a sermonette to take GA home and transform our congregations by welcoming visitors, engaging in social justice, and working on ways to keep youth and young adults connected to Unitarian Universalism.

This afternoon the vendors in the exhibit hall packed up. GA could have been better for many of them. With only about 3,000 people attending GA (about half the number as at Portland last year) sales were down significantly. Rose Hanig, UUA Bookstore manager, said her sales were about halved. Nancy Warren-Oliver, proprietor at Uni-Uniques, said sales were “way down,” adding, “I don’t know if I’ll recover my costs.”

The upside to low attendance was that people seemed to be uniformly in a good mood. “Everyone’s been very positive,” said Hanig. It certainly has been easier to thread one’s way through the convention corridors this year so maybe people are less stressed.

Jan Sneegas, the UUA’s Director of General Assembly and Conference Services, said GA had been “great,” adding, “Our numbers are down, but I’ve been knocked out by the programming. And people seem to be mellow.” She said there had been no incidents at the security checkpoint. There was another upside to the checkpoint, she noted. The UUA stationed UU “greeters” at the checkpoint all during GA just in case problems arose. “The greeters told me they really enjoyed being greeters and getting to know the security guards as well,” said Sneegas.

Possible reasons for the low turnout this year range from the security issue to the heat and humidity and the economy as well as the fact that people might be saving their money for next year, when the election for UUA president takes place at Salt Lake City.

The worship service closed out with a rousing rendition of Siyahamba, a South African hymn, at the end of which the GA Choir streamed off the stage and through the audience as we all sang and clapped. It was a good end to a good week. And now we all go home so we can do it again next June.

Accountability established for Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Act

Three Responsive Resolutions, one in response to the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution, one advocating a consultation on ministry to young adults, and the third asking the UUA to leverage its power through socially responsible investing to achieve affordable health care for all, passed in the closing minutes of the 2008 General Assembly.

Responsive Resolutions, which are resolutions created in response to a substantive portion of a report by a UUA officer or committee, require a two-thirds vote to be passed.

The first Responsive Resolution called for accountability for the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution. The original resolution, passed Friday, called for ministerial support of youth and young adults through inclusive worship and intentional presence; financial support for youth and young adult leadership programs; support for youth and young adult staff; and special attention to the needs of youth and young adult constituents with marginalized identities. The Responsive Resolution instituted a system of accountability asking each congregation, each district, the UUA administration, the UUA Board of Trustees, the Nominating Committee, the Ministerial Fellowship Committee; and the General Assembly Planning Committee to report back annually for the next three years on their progress in implementing the above. The UUA administration would be charged with creating a reporting mechanism and presenting these reports at the next three GAs.

The Responsive Resolution, which was presented by Victoria Mitchell, one of the authors of the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution, was created in response to criticism that the original resolution lacked a structure of accountability. "This Responsive Resolution will allow us to monitor progress at all levels as the UUA moves toward youth and young adult empowerment," she said.

The second Responsive Resolution called for the continuation of the Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth, also calling for a similar process for young adult ministries. The Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth was a multiyear survey process resulting in a series of recommendations for improved youth ministry. Several speakers pointed out that youth and young adult ministerial needs were very different and that young adults warranted their own survey. "We need to support young adults as the leaders of the next generation," said Frank Wells.

The responsive resolution requesting the UUA support affordable health care through corporate shareholder activism was proposed by the Rev. Sydney Morris in response to Financial Advisor Dan Brody's report on Friday. Morris is chair of the UUA's Committee on Socially Responsible Investing. The resolution says that "in accordance with the 18 resolutions of the UUA, from 1961 to 2007, and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UUA will leverage its power through shareholder engagement with the corporate world to further and create avenues for the realization of the right of all people to high-quality health care."

GA delegates endorse single-payer health care, other issues

GA delegates passed five Actions of Immediate Witness with little or no discussion in the sixth and final plenary session Sunday afternoon. One AIW, on ending present-day slavery in the fields, had passed at the morning plenary.

According to the UUA bylaws, Actions of Immediate Witness are resolutions "concerned with a significant action, event, or development, the timing or specificity of which makes it inappropriate to be addressed by a UUA Statement of Conscience." They should be focused and urgent enough to require immediate action. In 2007 the AIWs included: Pass the Employment Non-discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection; Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education; Support Immigrant Families; and Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The following AIWs were endorsed at the sixth plenary session:

The first AIW, Single-Payer Health Care, was the only one to engender discussion. H.R. 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act (Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Bill), advocating a single-payer system was submitted to Congress in April. The AIW urges UU congregations to lobby their representatives to co-sponsor and pass HR 676. "It's time our nation, founded on promoting the common welfare, promoted healthcare for all," said the Rev. Lucy Hitchcock Seck of Miami, Fla.

Single-payer health care is a system in which doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists are paid out of one pot of money, usually provided by the government.

Opponents said that single payer health care was not the same as universal health care. "The bill narrows down the possibilities for universal health care coverage," said John Harky of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville. "Single-payer peels away a lot of the support for universal coverage."

Despite objections, the AIW passed with a majority.

The following AIWs passed with no discussion: Oppose a U.S. Attack on Iran; Raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $10 in 2010; Extend the Tax Credit for Wind and Solar Power; and Oppose the Florida and California Marriage Protection Initiatives.

Minister's fellowship can be terminated for incompetence

Two UUA bylaw changes were passed at this morning's plenary, and one Action of Immediate witness statement was debated and passed.

Controversy erupted over a proposed bylaw change allowing for the removal of a UU minister from fellowship* for incompetence. The sentence in question reads: "The fellowship of a minister may be terminated by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee for unbecoming conduct, incompetence, or other specified cause."

The Rev. Dan Schatz of Buxtown, N.J., protested the vagueness surrounding the term "incompetence." "I recognize the good intentions of the amendment," he said. "However, it is too vaguely phrased. I'm afraid that this would damage the ministry by encouraging clergy to cover mistakes rather than admit them. Expectations should be specific and clear."

The Rev. Wayne Arnason, who serves as the head of the MFC, tried to explain the committee's sense of the term "incompetence" when someone at the procedural microphone raised that question. "Ministerial candidates are required to demonstrate competencies," he said. "Incompetence is when they're behaving in ways that demonstrate that some of those competencies have been lost or were never that good."

The Rev. Burton Carley, UUA board member and MFC liaison, explained in his opening presentation that the rules had been updated for several reasons: to reflect current practice; to remove rules referring to no longer existing rules; to make them more readable; and to address them to all ministers, instead of using the former system of ministerial categories. Changes had been made in the disciplinary section, he said, to make the rules less legalistic and more suited to a credentialing body, such as the MFC.

The Rev. Jory Agate, the UUA's director of Ministerial Development and one of the authors of the revised rules agreed. "There are situations where the committee would like to respond to misconduct or incompetence, but the way the rules were written guaranteed that every case would become a court process," she said.

Denny Davidoff, former MFC member and UUA moderator, spoke at the "pro" microphone. "We are involved even now as a movement in a deep, and thoughtful, and much needed conversation about excellence in ministry," she said. "We wouldn't have this conversation if so many of us had not experienced as congregations, incompetence in ministry. There is incompetence in ministry and lay people have felt unempowered to do anything except suffer through it."

An additional concern was raised by the Rev. Paul Johnson, minister of the UU Church at Shelter Rock, N.Y., who felt that the new rules were not explicit about whether ministers could have legal representation during the disciplinary process.

Agate said the ministers could have lawyers, if they preferred to do so, but that it wasn't immediately required. "There are situations when it is warranted," she said. "Someone can hire an attorney at any time. But not every review would be set up like a court situation."

After an extended debate, UUA moderator Gini Courter called for a vote and the delegate body approved the revised rules without changes.

A second bylaw change merging the Northeast District with the New Hampshire/Vermont District to form a new Northern New England District passed without discussion.

Because of a lack of time, only one Action of Immediate Witness was presented: "AIW 3: End Present-day Slavery in the Fields."

The Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, minister of the Clearwater Unitarian Universalists, spoke on behalf of the action citing cases in which farm workers had been recruited and had literally been enslaved by their bosses. "Modern-day slavery continues to stain the fabric of the present-day United States," he said.

Despite objections that the action was not comprehensive enough, it passed with little discussion.

Correction 6.30.08: The headline and second paragraph of this blog post initially described a UUA bylaw change imprecisely. The rule change allows the Ministerial Fellowship Committee to terminate a minister's fellowship with the Association—in effect, their accreditation—for incompetence, but the committee does not have the authority to "terminate" a minister's settlement in a congregation or to revoke their ordination. Click here to return to the corrected paragraph.

Campaigning for president

At the 2009 GA in Salt Lake City delegates will elect a new UUA president and the Rev. William Sinkford will step down after eight years. The two announced candidates, the Rev. Laurel Hallman of First Unitarian in Dallas and the Rev. Peter Morales, of Jefferson Unitarian in Golden, Colorado, made several joint appearances this week in Fort Lauderdale. The one that drew the greatest crowd was a forum Saturday evening at which the candidates read prepared statements and also answered questions. A few hundred people were there.

We’ll write more about this in UU World, but suffice it to say both candidates have developed constituencies. Their booths are across the aisle from each other in the exhibit hall and there seems to always be a crowd there, especially when the candidates are “in.”

At the forum Morales said he wants us to be more than a “tiny fringe” religion. He said he has three major issues: growing our movement, continuing the public witness and social justice ministry that Sinkford has become known for, and he would also put together a task force to develop a new “strategy of ministry,” ensuring that we will have the quality and number of ministers that we need in the years ahead.

Hallman talked about how valuable it was for her to find Unitarian Universalism as a young woman. She vowed to focus on keeping young people within the faith “and to make our faith vital in the world before us” and to “liberate us from the ways we sometimes make our faith too small.” She added that she wanted to ensure there would be a place in Unitarian Universalism for all those people who have not found us yet.

The candidates also appeared together at a forum on Thursday focusing on environmental issues and they have met individually with a number of special interest groups at GA. Throughout the next year they will appear together and individually at district events and at other venues.

Social activist inspires delegates

The Ware Lecture, the event at General Assembly that each year inspires delegates to go out and change the world, was given Saturday night by Van Jones, an activist who is working to combine solutions to America’s two biggest problems, social inequality and environmental destruction.

Jones has been working to create a “green jobs corps” putting people to work at jobs that will help America conserve and create energy. He’s created successful programs in this regard in California and got Congress to pass the Green Jobs Act of 2007 to create more jobs. He envisions millions of people, many of whom might otherwise end up in jail or on drugs, being put to work at new jobs building wind turbines and weatherizing millions of buildings as America weans itself from its dependency on oil.

He said this country is about to be taken back from “the people who told us we could bomb and torture our way to peace.” He cautioned that social activists won’t be able to rest even if Barack Obama becomes president. He said the future of the world depends on finding solutions to climate change and in making sure that Obama is adequately supported so that he can be more than a one-term president. “We’ve had a difficult dark night in this country (but) there’s going to be a change of direction. The future of the world hangs in the balance.”

At the end of his rousing speech he ran down into the audience and led cheers and slapped hands with dozens of people. UUA President Bill Sinkford, who had introduced him, had the last word as waves of applause continued. “I believe I can say that this 2008 General Assembly has received its charge,” he told the cheering delegates.

Six Actions of Immediate Witness on Sunday’s agenda

All six of the proposed Actions of Immediate Witness were chosen to be placed on Sunday’s plenary agenda. They include: single-payer health care (universal health coverage); opposing a U.S. attack on Iran; ending present-day slavery in the fields; raising the federal minimum wage to $10 in 2010; extending the tax credit for wind and solar power; and opposing the Florida and Californian marriage protection initiatives.

Debate and voting on the AIWs will take place at Plenaries V and VI on Sunday.

Ethical eating is next Congregational Study/Action Issue

Ethical eating was chosen Saturday as the next Congregational Study/Action Issue, defeating nuclear disarmament by a large margin.

The Rev. John Millspaugh, accompanied by members of the youth caucus, gave what may have been the most persuasive argument: "Eating is a delight for everyone, not just activists," Millspaugh said. "UUs love to eat! It will be fun to engage with this!"

Among the arguments in support of the CSAI was the fact that food production and distribution affects farm workers, who face deplorable working conditions; food purchasers may be economically limited in the kinds of food they are able to buy; and food producers face rising costs for transportation and other requirements.

Immigration group is GA service project

Hispanic Unity of Florida was designated as this year's GA service project. Hispanic Unity of Florida is a private nonprofit human services agency founded in 1982 that works to empower Hispanics and others in the community.

During Saturday's plenary, Josie Bacallard, one of the group's leaders, described the organization, which serves recently arrived immigrants in a variety of ways, as the largest human services agency in Broward County.

UUSC reports on partnerships, projects, relief funds

Dr. Charlie Clements, president of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, an independent human rights group, gave a report at Saturday's plenary session on several of UUSC's recent projects. UUSC has traditionally worked through partnerships with grassroots organizations (both domestic and international) serving the most marginalized in society. He described a recent effort in which UUSC supported South Africans in getting the water quota for poor families increased from 25 liters per person to 50. In another action, the UUSC helped garment workers in Mexico unionize; and in another, they helped someone set up two women's centers in Darfur.

The UUSC has also worked with the UUA in establishing relief funds, including one for Kenya, in the wake of the violence surrounding the presidential elections there in January; for Myanmar, the site of a devastating cyclone in May that took thousands of lives and left millions homeless; and for the post-Hurricane Katrina Gulf Coast.

With most of the Gulf Coast relief fund spent, UUSC and UUA efforts have gone into supporting UU volunteer efforts in that area. But now, volunteer efforts will be managed by the three UU congregations in the New Orleans area. Clements introduced Quo Vadis Breaux, the new executive director of the New Orleans Rebirth Volunteer Center.

A small piece of the Gulf Coast was brought to the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in the form of a FEMA trailer. Activist Derek Evans, who brought the trailer, spoke to the crowd, thanking UUs for their staunch and consistent volunteerism in the Gulf. He has been traveling the country with the trailer since last August trying to educate the American public about the realities of Gulf Coast living conditions.

Board outlines its initiatives; Treasurer describes investing impact

Saturday's four-and-a-half-hour-long morning plenary featured a variety of reports, including annual reports from the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer, and the Green Sanctuary program.

Charlie King, Charlie Burke, the Rev. José Ballester, and Tamara Payne-Alex, the four at-large members of the UUA's Board of Trustees, summarized four of the major issues facing the board. These include determining "ends statements," which are goals distilled from the various processes used at this General Assembly and last year's GA to determine what goals UUs think are important for the UUA.

The second issue is pursuing excellence in ministry, an initiative that is being championed by the Panel on Theological Education. "Excellence in ministry," Ballester said, "does not mean only excellent ministers." Instead, he described it as the development of a system of healthy and vibrant congregations, exceptional religious education, engagement with social justice, multicultural ministry, and song and celebration. It's a process designed to help current ministers as well as seminarians.

The third issue is the board's movement toward a policy governance model in which the board will concern itself primarily with policy development and larger goals, delegating the execution of tasks to the staff. Many congregations and organizations have adopted the policy governance model.

The fourth and last issue raised was a review of the process used to elect the UUA president and moderator. "The current system reflects the compromises and negotiations made after the UUA merger," (which took place in 1961), said Payne-Alex. Some of the questions she said the board was considering included: What does the current process say about us as a faith community? What would encourage our best leaders to serve? Should the election processes for the president and moderator be different? She said the board was committed to proposing significant changes to the process in 2010.

Treasurer points to socially responsible investing successes

UUA Treasurer and Vice President for Finance Tim Brennan reported on the successes the UUA had achieved in the field of socially responsible investing. These have been in the form of shareholder resolutions, which request companies to change some aspect of their behavior. In most cases the resolutions are presented at the annual shareholder meeting.

"This year the UUA filed 12 resolutions on subjects such as global warming, gender identity, and excessive executive compensation," Brennan said. He noted one recent success. At the end of 2007 the UUA filed a resolution with Legg Mason, a major global asset management firm, on the issue of climate change. The head of Legg Mason contacted Brennan who met with him about the resolution. "Today Legg Mason has agreed to our proposal to address climate change and to report publicly on their environmental footprint," he said.

Brennan also reported on attending the Investors Summit on Climate Risk at the United Nations in February, a meeting that included Al Gore as one of the speakers. The institutional investors attending that day represented eight trillion dollars, Brennan noted. He concluded his report by quoting Gore about this generation's responsibility to future generations: "Few generations have ever had the responsibility for decisions that will affect all generations."

Fourteen new 'green sanctuary' congregations

The Rev. Katherine Jesch, head of UU Ministry for Earth, welcomed fourteen new "green sanctuary" congregations. Green Sanctuary congregations have gone through a program that includes a series of environmental requirements, changes, and education. The new Green Sanctuary congregations include Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, Va.; the UU Church of Asheville, N.C.; Cedars UU Church of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; the Minnesota Valley UU Church of Bloomington, Minn.; the Unitarian Church of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; the UU Fellowship of Clemson, S.C.; First Parish Church UU of Northborough, Mass.; the UU Fellowship at Stony Brook, N.Y.; the Unitarian Fellowship of Decatur, Ill.; the UU Church of Indianapolis, Ind.; All Souls UU Church of Kansas City, Mo.; the UU Congregation of Greater Naples, Fla.; the UU Church in Reston, Va., and the UU Church of Tucson, Az.

Jesch said that 73 congregations have achieved Green Sanctuary status since 2002, with almost 100 more in process.

GA having a 'green' impact

This is the fourth GA since the UUA began making a concerted effort to make the annual gathering of congregational leaders “green.” From those first tentative efforts has grown a movement. Each year GA has been a little greener although each year it happens in different ways.

The new thing this year is that we were able to get the convention center to purchase 30 percent of its power for the convention from renewable sources. And the center has agreed to do that on a permanent basis, so we’re having an impact there. It also purchased recycle bins just because of us, said Shawna McKinley, project manager with Meeting Strategies Worldwide, the company which helps the UUA create as green a GA as possible. The UUA also mailed no GA programs to attendees this year, unless one was requested.

Most of the hotels are doing at least three new things they weren’t doing before, said McKinley. That includes donating leftover food, changing sheets every three days, and recycling paper and other waste. We can’t compost food at the convention center this year like we did in Portland however, because there’s no waste hauler of that type in Broward County.

Our greenest GA ever was probably Portland, a city with a real environmental ethos, said McKinley. Fort Lauderdale has less of a reputation for environmentalism, but the vendors, hotels, and convention center here have all been very willing to make accommodations, she said. And it didn’t hurt that the next convention in here, the International Coral Reef Symposium, had also asked for a green convention site.

For our efforts at Portland, we won the Silver award from the International Meeting and Events trade group (IMEX), which makes annual awards for the greenest conventions worldwide.

Jan Sneegas, the UUA’s Director of General Assembly and Conference Services, said she’s very pleased. “The hotels have been more involved with greening than in any city we’ve been in including Portland. And we’re really impressed the convention center went out and bought 80 recycling bins on our behalf. And they’ve told us they appreciate how we’ve helped them become greener.”

Forrest Church honored with Distinguished Service award

"I am proud of this award, and don't feel particularly sinful saying it," said the Rev. Dr. Forrest Church, accepting the 2008 Annual Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Unitarian Universalism at the Saturday morning plenary. Church, who was senior minister at All Souls Church in New York City for more than 20 years, and is one of the best-known contemporary UU theologians and authors, described pride in its good sense: "When pride brings us together, it is cause for celebration." This award, he said, demonstrates this kind of pride. "It sets its recipient not apart from but as part of the great Unitarian Universalist tradition."

The author of 13 books and editor of 10, Church has distinguished himself through his ministry, public service, and scholarship. His most recent undertaking is facing his own death. When Church learned that his cancer had returned and that he had but months to live, he wrote another book called Love and Death. Death was much on his mind when he told the crowd, "Anyone who boasts privileged insider information on the creation or creator is, from a cosmic viewpoint, stretching presumption to its outer limits. When we die none of us is going to have but the faintest notion what this mystery was all about." He also thanked the gathering and UUs everywhere for their ongoing support. "You have helped me bring God home when my faith was homeless," he said. "When I was down you have taken me and lifted me up, guiding me, walking with me, kneeling with me when I could only kneel and lifting the fear from my heart."

At the conclusion of his remarks, the audience gave Church a long standing ovation.

Fewer at GA this year

General Assembly has a bit of a different feel to it this year here in Fort Lauderdale. For starters there are just under 3,000 people attending, about half the number who came to Portland a year ago. The decrease can be attributed to South Florida’s humidity, some anxiety about the need to pass through a security checkpoint to get into GA (the convention center is inside a port area), and a less than robust economy.

The humidity is no small factor. Walking a couple of blocks can make one moist. Those who complain the loudest are from the western U.S. but those of us from the Midwest have little sympathy for them.

The convention hallways seem noticeably less crowded this year. So is the exhibit hall. It’s easier to get around. The UUA Bookstore and Skinner House bookstore were elbow to elbow with people last year but this year there’s plenty of room. The same with Uni-Uniques and the other vendors. It seems likely that sales will be down.

People seem to have adjusted well to having to pass through the security checkpoint. Truth to tell, the guards don’t seem too concerned that any of us might be dangerous. We dutifully pull out our identification each time we enter and they give it a cursory glance and when there’s a big crush of us they barely look at it at all. Those folks who ride buses from the hotels right up to the convention center doors don’t have to show any ID. So the checkpoint seems mostly for show. I don’t know whether others might be experiencing the checkpoints differently, but we’ve heard of no incidents. All that worry before GA seems unfounded.

Friday's events included an "interfaith community witness." About 300 UUs gathered in a park late in the afternoon for what was billed as "a celebration of and advocacy with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and immigrant families." Florida has a ban on gay adoption and will vote in November on an initiative to outlaw same-sex marriage.

There’s a line of sea-worthy yachts moored in the marina behind my hotel. From my window I can see out across the Intracoastal Waterway all the way to where it enters the ocean. A cruise ship is tied up to a dock a couple of blocks away. It was a little bit of a disconnect this morning when I had to walk by the yachts on the way to GA workshops on classism and global warming.

Youth and young adult empowerment resolution passes

Youth and young adults were jubilant after passage of the youth and young adult empowerment resolution at this morning's plenary session. The resolution calls for congregational, financial, and spiritual support for youth and young adults. The vote was preceded by a heated debate in which numerous youth and young adults spoke to the importance of the resolution, especially in the face of UUA cuts to the two continental organizations, Young Religious Unitarian Universalists and the Continental UU Young Adult Network, and opponents who believed that the resolution did not provide enough "meat." Emotions ran high as the debate was extended twice.

"We feel we need to be ministered to as any other member of our congregations," said Joe Gayeski, a member of the youth caucus, as he stood at the microphone surrounded by 30 other members of the caucus.

"Passage of this resolution is so important," said Will Floyd, a member of the YRUU steering committee. "There is such flux and uncertainty in youth programming."

Victoria Mitchell, who co-authored the resolution spoke about its importance to keeping her generation in the UU family. "Over 90 percent of youth leave and never come back to Unitarian Universalism," she said.

Denny Davidoff, former UUA moderator, was the first to take the "con" microphone. "I know, admire, and love many people at the pro mike," she said. "But in its vast comprehensiveness, I fear this resolution will be asking this delegate body to make promises that many congregations cannot keep. It will make a mockery of the democratic process."

Other "con speakers" addressed such issues as the lumping together of youth and young adults, and the fact that in its vagueness, the resolution might let congregations "off the hook."

As the session snaked through procedural interruptions and suggestions, UUA moderator Gini Courter offered a moment of levity. When someone pointed out that the language in the resolution "urged" congregations to make these changes, it didn't "mandate" them, Courter quipped, "I have lots of urges but few mandates!"

Joy and sorrow at Service of the Living Tradition

Tonight was the Service of the Living Tradition, always a high point of General Assembly and an event which most people who come to GA attend. The worship service is the annual recognition of ministers who are beginning and ending their active ministries as well as a recognition of those ministers who have died within the past year.

The service is both a joyous and a sad occasion. It's always emotional for me, and I think for most other people as well. One can't help but think about all the hopes and dreams of the new ministers up there on stage as well as all the years of dedicated service of the retiring ministers and the deceased ministers.

GA is never complete until we have sung "Rank by Rank Again We Stand" as the ministers process into the convention hall, and "For All the Saints," as they parade out at the end of the service. The sermon this year was by the Rev. Victoria Safford of the White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church at Mahtomedi, Minn. There was a choir composed of ministers, other religious leaders, and their families.

There were 51 ministers receiving preliminary fellowship (40 of them women), meaning they are just beginning their careers. Nineteen ministers are retiring this year and 16 ministers died. One religious educator, Tandy Wilkins Scheffler, was also recognized for attaining the status of Credentialed Religious Educator–Master's Level.

—Donald Skinner

President's report focuses on year's successes, future goals

In his address to the assembled throng at the 2008 General Assembly on Thursday, UUA President William G. Sinkford reiterated his commitment to develop and support UU ministers of color and to achieve an effective and comprehensive youth ministry. He also referenced the success of the UUA's advertising campaign, an increase in the number of UU military chaplains, and the Association's successful witness on behalf of same-sex marriage, most recently in California. This was Sinkford's penultimate GA report; his term as UUA president will end immediately after the 2009 General Assembly.

But before Sinkford's report, which came near the end of the morning's plenary session, UUA Board of Trustees secretary Paul Rickter announced that 2,871 people had registered thus far for General Assembly. Of this number, he said 1,286 were official delegates representing 460 congregations from 50 states, four Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and Germany, and 144 were youth. With these numbers, UUA moderator Gini Courter pronounced a quorum and officially opened the session for business.

The Diversity of Ministry program has been one of the foundational blocks of Sinkford's presidency. "Our track record in supporting ministers of color and welcoming their leadership is abysmal," he said. "Through the Diversity in Ministry Program, we're intentionally working closely with congregations to prepare them to accept ministry from these very talented ministers of color, and to help congregations deal openly and proactively with issues of race," he said. "As we strive to live out our commitment to become an antiracist, antioppressive, and multicultural faith, there are few goals that are more important than this one."

The improvement of youth ministry has also been one of Sinkford's major commitments. "We've all come to realize that our support for youth at the congregational level has been woefully inadequate," he said. "We know that the development of UU identity for our youth is critical to the long-term success of our movement, so the question we need to answer is how best to cultivate this identity?" He referred to the success of the Consultation on Ministry to and with Youth, a three-year process that surveyed thousands of individual UUs and congregations about youth ministry needs, resulting in numerous recommendations for improvement. Sinkford also alluded to recent problems for some UU youth (one of which was cutting funding for the Young Religious Unitarian Universalists group). "My commitment to a truly comprehensive youth ministry could not be stronger," he assured listeners. "We will get there, together."

In the achievements column, Sinkford described the UUA's successful ad campaign this past year. "We tested advertising on Google last fall, and our success was dramatic. Over a six-week period, we placed UU ads on the Google search results page, and we generated just under 10,000 new visitors to our website," he said. Despite the encouraging numbers, Sinkford urged caution. "We're still only growing as a national movement at one percent or less per year, according to the congregational certification numbers," he said. "We know we can do better. We know we must do better."

Another encouraging development has been the growth in the number of military chaplains—both active and in training—during Sinkford's administration, from two to 13. Sinkford requested a round of applause for six of the chaplains who were sitting in the audience.

And in the realm of public witness, Sinkford pointed to the recent California Supreme Court decision to allow same-sex couples to wed, highlighting the activities of the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, head of the UU Legislative Ministry of California, an organization that played a key role in mobilizing UU support.

Several other speakers addressed the crowd during the plenary session. GA Planning Committee chair Beth McGregor held up her committee's efforts to plan "green" meetings. "By recycling, saving energy and water, and using our purchasing power to encourage green vendors we are helping to change each site we visit," she said. "This year we are purchasing 30 percent of our power from environmentally friendly sources."

The Rev. Orlanda Brugnola, head of the UUA's Commission on Appraisal, described the next multiyear project that her team would be undertaking: a review of Unitarian Universalism's Principles and Sources. The Rev. Barbara Child, a commission member, outlined some of the difficulties inherent in researching such a project. "Should all opinions that come to us be weighed on merit or should more weight by given to congregational responses than individual ones?" she asked. "More to solicited responses than to unsolicited? More to lay than clergy? Should we feel free to propose changes that we see as appropriate and beneficial if no one outside of the commission has proposed them?" Brugnola said that her team would send initial proposals to the board in January 2009.

The UU Fellowship of Wayne County in Wooster, Ohio, was recognized as one of this year's four Breakthrough Congregations, meaning that it had been identified as a church growing in both numbers and in the quality of its worship and programming. A 12-minute video featuring the congregation was shown. Each of the breakthrough congregations will have a similar opportunity during later plenary sessions.

And lest it be thought that the morning's meeting was only talk, GA musical director Sara Dann Jones kept the crowd active and alert by leading them in song.

Bill Schulz, human rights advocate, interviewed by local press

Local news coverage of the UUA General Assembly continues in Fort Lauderdale today with an article about the Rev. William F. Schulz, the former president of the UUA who then served 12 years as executive director of Amnesty International USA. See "Human rights gains noted during Unitarian gathering in Fort Lauderdale" (Sun-Sentinel 6.26.08). For more on Schulz, see UU World's profile: "High-profile advocate for human rights" (Winter 2006).

Opening event features high energy, new 'Sources Cantata'

General Assembly's opening worship and first plenary session was already rocking before the lights dimmed. As GA attendees filed into the hall Wednesday evening, they were greeted with the infectious rhythms of Heritage O.P., a four-man acoustic percussion and vocal ensemble. Florida District GA Coordinator David Fisher welcomed the crowd, concluding with the words of Maurice Sendak's Max in Where the Wild Things Are: "Let the wild rumpus start." And start it did. After a chalice lighting and hymn, UUA President William G. Sinkford introduced the annual banner parade, a procession of delegates from scores of congregations, each bearing a colorful banner representing their congregation. The banner bearers fairly danced down the aisles to Heritage O.P.'s beat. Energy defined the mood as UUA Moderator Gini Courter called the gathering to order.

The first order of business was approving the rules of procedure. These rules, summarized on pages 7-9 of the GA Agenda booklet, lay the ground rules for participating in the plenary sessions. They include which microphones to use for discussion, time limits, and the different kinds of resolutions. Volunteers would be available to assist with questions during voting. "Treat them with kindness!" Courter said with mock sternness.

Members of the youth and young adult caucuses were introduced, as were members of the Right Relations Team, a group ready to assist conference-goers who might be experiencing oppression in the form of sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, etc. "We’re here to help this community of thousands work together," said B. Scott McNeal, head of the 14-member group.

After the introductions, the UUA Board of Trustees’ first vice moderator Jackie Shanti recognized the six new congregations that have joined the UUA this year. "Starting a new congregation is an extraordinary piece of work and an outstanding act of faith, vision, courage, patience, and bureaucratic brilliance," Shanti said. "Most of all, it takes love." The six new congregations are: Prairie Circle Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Grayslake, Ill.; the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Rocky Mount, N.C.; the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tupelo, Miss.; the Unitarian Universalist congregation of the Chesapeake in California, Md., the Washington Ethical Society in Takoma, Md.; and WellSprings Congregation in Chester Springs, Pa.

With the evening's official business concluded, a performance of "Sources: A Unitarian Universalist Cantata" began. The cantata, with music by Jason Shelton and words by Kendyl Gibbons, illustrates the six sources of Unitarian Universalism in seven movements. It was performed with an orchestra, electric guitar, drums, and a choir and incorporated a variety of musical moods and styles ranging from contemporary to samba to gospel.

Each movement focuses on a different source of Unitarian Universalism. The third movement, called "All Lifted Hearts," celebrates wisdom from the world's great religions. The audience was invited to sing along: "Many windows, one light; many waters, one sea; All lifted hearts are free." The movement concluded with the spoken chant "Shanti, Shalom, Hasiti; Salaam, Heiwa, Dohiyi; Pax, Paco, Mir. Peace."

In the seventh and last movement, called "The Promise," rapper Justice Whitaker had the crowd on its feet. "The promise is justice; together we make it; the promise is wonder; that flows into praise; the promise is freedom; no falsehood can shake it; the promise is meaning; in all of our days." Which brought the evening full circle as people exited the hall energized by this uniquely UU performance.

UUA board: Sinkford questions Congregations Come First

The UUA Board of Trustees met Tuesday, June 24, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The pre-GA meeting, which had a relatively short agenda, covered topics ranging from the Congregations Come First initiative to budgetary reports to a review of the UUA Principles and Purposes.

UUA President William G. Sinkford expressed doubt about the Congregations Come First initiative, which has been a basis for much UUA decision-making, including the rigorous new rules for organizations wishing to become independent affiliates and the reorganization of the international office. "I was one of the early voices calling for an emphasis on congregations," Sinkford said. "However, I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with that trajectory." He said that he had become much more aware of "trans-congregational" populations, especially among UU youth and young adults and the community of color. The idea of having only one way of being Unitarian Universalist (by being a member of a UU congregation) sounds fundamentalist, he said. "Fundamentalism doesn't fit our theology or religious culture." While Sinkford declared continued support for Congregations Come First, he did call for increased recognition of those Unitarian Universalists who fall outside congregational boundaries.

The UUA will end fiscal year '08 in the black, according to Lyn Conley, the board's finance committee chair. Despite the fact that this year's General Assembly projects a loss of $200,000-300,000, a surplus from Beacon Press will help keep the Association out of the red. Much of the savings achieved by the UUA staff is due to cut-backs in training, Conley said.

The UUA's Annual Program Fund is expected to come in over budget, Conley said, while the Friends of the UUA will fall below expectations. The five-year "Now is the Time" comprehensive campaign has reached 79 percent of its goal and is expected to exceed that goal.

The board passed a motion endorsing the Commission on Appraisal as the "official" body charged with reviewing the UUA's Principles and Purposes (a survey mandated in the UUA bylaws to take place "not less than every 15 years").

The board also welcomed WellSprings Congregation, a new UU congregation in Chester Springs, Pa., into the UUA.

First news story about General Assembly

The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel introduced the UUA General Assembly in Saturday's paper like this:

Gay rights, immigrants, the environment, paganism — next week's gathering of Unitarian Universalists can seem like a collision of social caucus and New Age festival.

But the five-day event, starting Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, does have a few philosophical anchors.

"They include the inherent worth of a person, and the interconnected web of which we're all part," says its president, the Rev. William Sinkford. "We pitch a big theological tent."

The convention will bring 3,000 Unitarian Universalists from 1,000 congregations to the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Convention Center for pep rallies, governance issues and sociopolitical caucuses.

Read the rest: Universalists plan five-day gathering in Fort Lauderdale with caucuses, issues, rallies (James D. Davis, Sun-Sentinel - 6.21.08)

Annual reports to the General Assembly

Although delegates hear oral reports from officers, boards, commissions, associate organizations, and the UUA administration during GA plenaries, the organizations that are accountable to the General Assembly also publish annual reports. These written reports often contain much more detail than the oral presentations. Notable among them:

• The Board of Trustees report comments briefly on four major initiatives: governance, excellence in ministry, independent affiliate organizations, and youth ministry.


• Extensive reporting on the UUA's finances can be found in the annual reports of the financial advisor, treasurer, and independent auditors.


• The 42-page annual report of the UUA staff includes reports about the national marketing campaign (pages 8-10), changes in the UUA's programs for youth (pages 20-24), and philanthropic giving to the UUA (pages 37-39), among other topics. 
  

Board agendas and reports available online

The UUA Board of Trustees meets four times a year—three times in Boston and once at the site of the General Assembly. The board meets in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 24, and again on Monday morning, June 30. Its meetings are open to the public. Here are the agendas and reports related to the board's June meetings.

Keep up with news from the 2008 General Assembly

Keep up with news from the annual General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations by visiting or subscribing to uuworld.org’s General Assembly blog.

UU World writers will provide daily reports on business and breaking news at the General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., June 25–29. Read the magazine’s General Assembly blog, subscribe to the GA blog’s feed, or sign up for daily email delivery:

Enter your email address:


(Delivered by FeedBurner)

For extended coverage of GA events and workshops, including audio and video of major programs, please see the General Assembly section at UUA.org.

On this year’s agenda:

• The “Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution,” a business resolution on Friday morning’s agenda, was developed by young UUs dismayed by announcements earlier this year that the UUA would discontinue funding for YRUU and C*UUYAN, the two continental organizations that serve UU youth (ages 14–20) and young adults (ages 18–35). The UUA has been reviewing its approach to youth ministry for several years, and is at work on developing a new model. The UUA Board of Trustees placed a revised Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution on the General Assembly agenda.



• Delegates will select one new four-year “Congregational Study Action Issue” (CSAI) during Saturday morning’s plenary session. The Study Action Issue selected this year will evolve into a “Statement of Conscience” at the 2012 General Assembly. Delegates will choose between “ethical eating” and “nuclear disarmament,” two topics that at least 25 percent of UUA congregations approved placing on the agenda through the annual Congregational Poll.
  
  The 2006–2010 CSAI, “Peacemaking,” will be the focus of several General Assembly events this year, but a draft Statement of Conscience won’t be distributed until next year.



• Delegates can choose to debate and vote on up to six social-justice “Actions of Immediate Witness,” which are resolutions submitted by petition at the General Assembly. For the first time this year, the Commission on Social Witness is helping petitioners find supporters even before GA begins: A webpage provides summaries and contact information for ten proposed resolutions ranging from holding the Bush administration accountable for “high crimes and misdemeanors” to calling for an end to male circumcision. Actions of Immediate Witness will be presented during Saturday morning’s plenary session; delegates will vote on the resolutions during both Sunday plenaries.



• The Assembly will consider two bylaw amendments. One acknowledges the merger of the Northeast District and the New Hampshire–Vermont District into a single Northern New England District. The other amendment reflects changes to the rules of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.

In less formal business, Unitarian Universalists will also reflect on the goals and future direction of the Association. The two ministers who have entered the race for the 2009 election of a new UUA president, the Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman and the Rev. Peter Morales, will discuss their visions for the Association in an election forum Saturday evening.

Congregational leaders will also be invited to participate in “appreciative inquiry” workshops focused on clarifying the UUA’s priorities. Moderator Gini Courter, the chair of the General Assembly and the UUA Board of Trustees, explained in the Tentative Agenda that “we will gather to talk about our values and our hopes for our liberal faith, to set priorities for our Association of congregations.” She added: “All the information generated in Appreciative Inquiry will be used by the UUA Board of Trustees in the fall of 2008, when the UUA Board and district presidents will work together to craft ends (what the Association should do, for whom, and at what cost) for our Association.”

The board’s interest in “ends” is part of its effort to adopt a policy-governance model for the UUA. Last year’s General Assembly used “open space technology” to facilitate conversations about denominational priorities, to mixed reviews.

The UUA anticipates lower than usual attendance at this General Assembly, due partly to concerns about security requirements at the convention center, but also to the rising cost of travel and the worsening economy. The convention center is inside the Port of Fort Lauderdale, which requires a photo ID for admittance in compliance with federal security regulations—a requirement that some Unitarian Universalists regarded as unacceptable government interference with their freedom to worship and freedom to assemble. In response, several GA events will focus on civil liberties.

The UU World team at GA includes news editor Jane Greer, managing editor Kenneth Sutton, assistant editor Sonja L. Cohen, and contributing editors Donald Skinner and Kimberly French. If you have a General Assembly news tip, write to Jane Greer (jgreer@uua.org).

'UU World' events at the 2008 General Assembly

UU World is sponsoring a number of exciting events at the 2008 General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale:

• The Letter and the Spirit—Friday, June 27, 3:15-4:30 p.m.: How do written words forward our spiritual growth? Can our religious concerns inform and infuse our written communication? How do we reach an audience beyond current UUs? UU authors and editors will reflect on these questions and more. Speakers: The Rev. Victoria Safford, minister of the White Bear UU Church in Mahtomedi, Minn., and author of Walking Toward Morning: Meditations; Jeffrey Lockwood, professor of natural sciences and the humanities at the University of Wyoming, a member of the UU Fellowship of Laramie, and the author of many books including Prairie Soul; and Kenneth Sutton, managing editor of UU World.



• Facebook, YouTube, Podcasting, Second Life: Exploring New Media—Thursday, June 26, 3:15-4:30 p.m. or Friday, June 27, 1:30-2:45 p.m.: Are you mystified by the explosion of new media and new avenues for connections and communication? Wondering how or if you or your congregation can use them? Join us for a primer and discussion of the new Internet, and find out how to make creative use of them! Speakers: The Rev. Christine Robinson, senior minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Albuquerque and the author of iMinister; and Kenneth Sutton, managing editor of UU World.



• Writing Workshop with Jeffrey Lockwood—Saturday, June 28, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel. (Limited to 20 participants; $50 registration fee; contact world@uua.org to register.) The Pushcart Prize–winning author of Grasshopper Dreaming and Prairie Soul will present a three-hour writing workshop. Exercises will involve the short and intense crafting of prayers, meditations, dialogic poetry, parables, and flash fiction. This event is not listed in the General Assembly program book.

Contributing editor Don Skinner, who is also the editor of the InterConnections how-to newsletter for congregational leaders, marks the newsletter's tenth anniversary with a workshop on best practices for vital, growing congregations. Thursday, June 26, 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.