The Unitarian Fellowship movement was the most successful liberal church growth program in living memory. It was not perfect, but given how different these fellowships were from what came before, it’s amazing it worked — or was allowed to work — at all.
The Unitarian Fellowships get a bad rap today, which I think odd [...]
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Category Archives: Mission and Polity
Anti-clerical?
Possible next steps after the UUA staff cuts
While it is pretty clear where I stand on some matters related to Unitarian Universalist Association staffing, it’s not to say I’d be happy to leave things as they were had there been no financial crisis.
In a word, I think we suffer from over-consolidation. Apart from the theological schools and camps, it’s hard to [...]
The winners with regions
I was a little amazed about the idea — from a special UUA Board meeting no less; where’s the fire? — that five regions should supplement and perhaps supersede the current nineteen districts.
Chutney asks who the losers would be. Staff, to be sure. That’s what reorganizations are for. But I wonder who the winners [...]
D.C. church closings? openings?
I had a very nice invitation the middle of last week to fill in for a vespers service for a small church tomorrow. Since I’m not preaching these days, I was happy to be invited but asked . . . “what about the snow?”
They canceled, and I’m getting on the schedule. But it begs the [...]
2010 UUA certifications up
It’s that time of year again — the season where member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association will have certified with the UUA, ostensibly for voting rights in the General Assembly. (The proposal radically to change the nature of General Assembly is hot now; not sure I’ll make much comment. It seems like a misplaced [...]
If I lived in Miami, I’d probably go to church here
All Souls Miami
http://www.allsoulsmiami.org
They’re on to something:
Visitors might note that traditionally the name “All Souls” has applied mostly to Unitarian churches or churches of dissent. While we may be “spiritual cousins” of Christian Unitarians and other liberal churches in liberal denominations, and while we remain appreciative of denominational families, All Souls Miami remains independent and unaffiliated.
The [...]
End-of-year giving: good choices and a particular option
I stand for fiscal responsibility in non-profit organizations. Money entrusted for the common good should be used wisely and efficiently. Donors should — and increasingly do — seek out organizations with desirable missions and with the capacity to work efficiently.
I’ve been critical of churches that function like clubs as betraying this calculus; why, for instance, [...]
UUA Elections thought #1: public financing
Since the newest storm concerns a proposal to radically change the way the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association is elected, I thought some of the unspoken (or less-spoken) issues should be teased apart. I’d love to hear what you have to think.
One meme goes thus: “the UUA presidential race is expensive, and so only [...]
General Assembly: What Was a Congregation?
Ah! It’s just my luck. I am interested in some programming at any given General Assembly, but I have the worst time with the recorded video. What I want is never there — I mean only two of the nine events I wanted to watch were available. So I come to you. (A word about [...]
The President of the UUA is not a national minister
Yesterday, Chris Walton reported that
[Peter] Morales was installed during the [Unitarian Universalist Association General] Assembly’s closing ceremony, when departing UUA President William G. Sinkford gave Morales his stole and the Board of Trustees gathered around Morales’s family for the “laying on of hands.”
This bothers me and should bother all Unitarian Universalists. These customs are closely [...]
