Advertisement
A disagreement last summer over church administrative duties at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., was the catalyst for a prolonged conflict that resulted in the departure of the Rev. Dr. Susan Newman Moore, a black woman minister who previously held standing with the United Church of Christ. Newman Moore’s supporters and some members of the congregation are raising questions of the role that white supremacy has played in the departure of this long-time minister who many members consider a much-beloved religious professional. ( Washington City Paper- 4.8.2018)
The Washington Post framed the conflict at All Souls D.C. as “a modern debate about racism, which often surfaces in less overt ways that can be open to interpretation.” They explored Newman Moore’s allegations, supported by some members of the congregation, that although both Newman Moore and the church’s senior minister, the Rev. Rob Hardies, have been the subject of complaints about management, his career has remained intact and hers hasn’t. “I’m the cough, but there is a disease in liberal religious churches,” Newman Moore said. “It’s not enough to put a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign on the outside, but then you don’t see it on the inside.” ( The Washington Post- 4.17.18)
More coverage:
“Church Defined By Fighting White Supremacy Accuses Itself Of Racism” ( The Daily Caller- 4.18.18)
Seattle minister protests youth jail
Local clergy in King County, Washington, joined activists opposed to the construction of a multi-million dollar youth jail and some were arrested for civil disobedience. The Rev. Beth Chronister of University Unitarian Church in Seattle said, “Building a youth jail to lock up children who are often the most affected by systemic injustice denies the inherent worth and dignity of these children at a critical juncture in their life and development.” ( KOMONews.com- 4.20.18)
Texas UUs in the spotlight
Unitarian Universalist commitment to theological diversity and social justice activism where two important themes in a recent profile of Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Houston-Galveston area. “When people tell me they aren’t interested in organized religion because churches aren’t tolerant of different viewpoints or beliefs, I know they haven’t heard of the Unitarian Universalist Church,” said Christine Rubly, a member of Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston. ( Houston Chronicle- 4.8.18)