Kathy McGowan: Together With You and Me, She’ll Build a Land

by Kirk Bogue, SR Communications Ministry

It’s no secret to those who know Kathy McGowan or have a congregation that has benefited from her involvement; she is all about relationship.  Prior to joining the UUA Southern Region Congregational Life Team in January 2013, and certainly since then, Kathy is among those spreading the word, instilling the practice and nurturing the spirit of Interdependence -  the concept that we are better working together than we are when we work alone. That was clear on a mid-August morning as she shared her views of our Unitarian Universalist faith and her role helping lay leaders and congregations strengthen their impact.  Somewhere during a 45 minute conversation with Kathy as she strolls through a North Carolina Farmer’s Market you might just begin to feel you’re at church.  Kathy has a passion and a message that can’t help but inspire you to bring more love and justice to a world that sorely needs more of both.

“Unitarian Universalism has a unique way of changing the world.  Each congregation, through their own Unitarian Universalist lens and their own unique mission, contributes to that”, expressed Kathy.  Along with other Congregational Life staff, Kathy upholds the notion that a congregation is an individual’s place to try to set an example, to be a model for how living together well works.  She adds, “This is where you live through the trials and honesty of how it really is, where you put values before the end product and then take that out into the world.” Then she reflects proudly on her collaboration with the UUA’s Faith Development  Office and a large North Carolina congregation to help it determine where on the continuum of its journey it is and where to go next.  Working with a large group to help them find their unique power is extremely rewarding and satisfying to Kathy. In her eyes, such success is all about the relationship connectedness that enables transformative collaboration to occur.

Such work is what teamwork on the Southern Region Congregational Life Team is all about.  Kathy explains, “We’re always working harder to be a better example for the world, it’s the most important thing our Southern Region staff team does.  We’re focusing on the core of our faith, which is relationship.  Unitarian Universalism as a faith is innovative at doing this. Getting along with people with diverse views is what we all are doing and need to do more of.” Kathy’s mom was a choir director and both parents were involved in Community Theater, so collaboration was part of her life growing up.  Whether it was the director looking out for the big picture, or the actor getting their part just right, or the costume designer focused on how everyone looked, it took the collaboration of all involved to create a successful performance. Bringing that to her adult life and adding in her penchant for humor translates to a natural gift of connecting and teamwork that Kathy brings to those she helps while she has fun doing so. “Getting people to water is harder than getting them to drink”, she says.  “I want them to have that special feeling of being part of something so much bigger.  Connectedness is essential so that.”

Since relationship is all about connectedness, Kathy discussed the role worship and celebration play in strengthening Unitarian Universalists relationships among the Unitarian Universalist faithful.  “Worship should be where we lift up what is most important; aspirational and worthy of our gratitude.  Finding moments that are worthy and then putting them together thoughtfully is important”, she says.  She continues, “Stop at real moments, stop and acknowledge the holy moments, self-reflect on what we did. Let’s stop and breathe and hold each other’s hand to connect.” On the role of celebration, Kathy emphasized her thought that we as Unitarian Universalists need to learn to celebrate better than we do.  “As predominantly middle class white people living in the United States, we are product, task and goal oriented.  We forget that joy is a value, we forget to live adding joy to our life.”   She believes that joyous events help people move forward, though she cautions, “Before we can celebrate, we need to do the hard work of achieving authentic trust.  That is what we are doing and what needs to be built.”  She clarifies, “You don’t want to have false celebrations emanating from obligation; you want the kind founded on true relationship and connectedness.”

Kathy was momentarily quiet when asked if she would share a defining moment or two from her life that has contributed to who she is or what she does to serve Unitarian Universalism. Eventually she shared, “There are spiritual dimensions to defining moments that are personal, that feel like they are yours.  It happens to her when she goes into a large church with a large pipe organ and they are singing one of her songs; taking in “We’ll Build a Land” in such a setting is connectedness to Kathy.  “You can’t exactly take it home, but you can’t leave it behind.  It gives hope and confidence.  It tells me we can become more relevant and important.”

Districts Create Southern Region Leadership Development Fund, September2014

by Margie Manning, Southern Region Communications Ministry

Leaders inspire and guide. While some are born leaders, many others learn leadership skills through purposeful development initiatives. Several studies have shown that leadership development matters and investments made in leadership development pay off in terms of strong organizations.


A fund to support leadership development throughout the UUA Southern Region has been established with the transfer of money in funds previously managed by the Florida and the MidSouth Districts.

The votes by the two District boards are an important step toward full regional consolidation. Our region already operates under one consolidated budget, approved at District Annual Assemblies in April and effective July 1, 2014. We continue to move towards dissolving District governance and building a Region of interconnected congregations and clusters, with Congregational Life staff working region-wide in a shared ministry model with Elders and lay leaders, and with appropriate fiscal oversight. Creating a single fund for leadership development region-wide furthers those goals.

The newly established Southern Region Leadership Development Fund was seeded with approximately $32,600. About $23,932 previously was in the Florida Fund Endowment. The new fund also includes most of the $6,747 that was in the MidSouth UP! Program Fund, and $1,912 that was in the MidSouth’s Rome, Ga. Dissolution Fund.

The Florida Foundation was started several years ago as a way to increase District staff, by building an investment large enough to fund an additional staff member with the interest from the fund, without touching the principal, according to Al Tweedy, treasurer of the Florida District. However, the number of major contributors was small and the amount never came close to its objective.

“The Florida District Board was faced with the necessity of moving these funds somewhere before the District could be dissolved. The current Florida board felt that the funds should be moved where the original intent of the Foundation would continue,” Tweedy said. “Since the ‘serving hands’
of the District will now be the Elders, and the Elders will need to be trained before they can serve, it was felt that providing funds to deserving Elder candidates who could not afford to attend the necessary training was a logical extension of the original purpose of the funds.”

The Florida District Board vote, on July 11, was contingent upon staff contacting those who could be identified as contributors to the Endowment and ascertaining that the move is in keeping with their wishes. That staff effort is underway.

A couple of weeks later, the MidSouth Board voted to merge the Rome, Ga. Dissolution Fund and most of the UP! Program Funds with the Florida funds already transferred to the Southern Region for leadership development. A portion of the UP! Program Funds were set aside for small congregations.

"When the MidSouth Board voted to combine our funds with the Florida funds for Leadership Development, we modified the motion to be sure that small congregations were represented,” said DeAnn Petersen, MidSouth President. “With many small, lay-led congregations in MSD, we felt that assuring that small congregations can send leaders to regional training was in the full spirit of the UP! and Rome funds. We are excited that having a regional fund will really help us build strong leaders throughout the region."

Rev. Kenn Hurto, Southern Region Lead Executive, said it will be up to a Fiduciary Oversight Committee, composed of the treasurers of the four Districts, to develop procedures for disbursement of the funds. We’re excited to raise up our faith in building capacity of our UU leadership  by developing Elders.

The Southern Region Communications Ministry includes Margie Manning (Florida
District), Carrie Stewart (SWUUC), Kirk Bogue (MidSouth), and Chris Reid (Florida),
working in shared ministry with Connie Goodbread and Kathy McGowan
(Congregational Life Staff members), and Christine Purcell (IT Specialist).

World Cafe Exercise from Joint Annual Assemblies, April 2014

World Café serves up UU stew:
A Message from the District Presidents of the Southern Region

Hundreds of UUs in the Southern Region put on their chef hats in late April to fine-tune a recipe for healthy, vibrant Unitarian Universalist congregations. Those who participated in the World Café exercise held at the annual assemblies for the Southern Region Districts determined the basic ingredients are in place to create a tasty UU stew, but it could be further refined with a few additional seasonings, and a bigger portion of covenant to bind the ingredients together.

We started with the assumption that five ingredients are needed to create congregations at which members work together, actively being generous with Unitarian Universalism and positively changing our communities and our world. Those ingredients are:

• a common vision for a better world
• mutual accountability to each other to achieve that common vision
• commitment to active shared ministry in our work
• engaging in productive ideological conversation regarding our goals and the means to achieve them
• covenantal behavior with each other, among our congregations, and across our association that fosters trust and leads to empowering each other

Participants split into groups to discuss the recipe and each group had a chance to suggest ways to add more spice. There were hundreds of comments offered. Here's a summary.

A commitment to a common vision is one ingredient we embody well. The world would miss our voice if it were not there, participants agreed, although there are opportunities to create even greater alignment. A unified voice can create those opportunities. Covenant is another ingredient that's key, because it enables us to commit together and have deep discussions, but we have work to do to define what covenant is and to build stronger covenants as we work through changes.

We need heaping spoonfuls more of several ingredients, including active shared ministry, greater connections, confidence in our theology and covenantal behavior. The ideas offered suggest our members need to be more engaged both in their own congregations and in our communities, share resources and ideas more freely, and take more personal responsibility for growing our faith.

The ingredients we are missing generally focus on how we get our work done. We need better ways to incorporate our diverse visions and resolve conflicts. Instead of congregations working in silos, we need to make resources accessible so they can work together. Let's create processes that raise awareness of opportunities for change and ensure we have all the right people at the table. Our shared spiritual practices could include forming groups that would bring in more people in our communities. Our connections with others must be done in the spirit of covenant, and that applies not only to external connections. There were comments that more trust is needed between the UUA and congregants.

While the concept of covenant threaded through each discussion, participants agreed we need to do a better job of defining it. We're not talking about a disruptive behavior tool or an agreement based on fear, but rather creating trusting bonds that embrace accountability and commitment, that assume good intentions and are focused on shared goals. Covenant in this sense is not a contract but a promise that comes from the heart.

Just as a good stew blends the flavors from each ingredient into a unique concoction, our ingredients can meld to create strong congregations that make a difference in the lives of individuals, our communities and our world. Let's build on our strengths, incorporate new flavors, and get on with the work of cooking up a stronger Unitarian Universalism in the Southern Region.

In faith,

DeAnn Peterson, Mid-South District
Denise Rimes, Southeast District
Margie Manning, Florida District
Mark Anderson, Southwestern Conference

For more information on the outcomes from the World Café exercise, click here.

Regionalization: Join the Journey! February 2014

UUA Southern Region – District Presidents’ Report
District Presidents’ Report – February 25, 2014

Unitarian Universalists in the Southern Region are on an exciting journey – a journey with a goal of ensuring the UU principles and the values we uphold in our liberal religious tradition can make a difference in the world.

We invite you to join us!

The path we are following on our journey has often been referred to as “regionalization” or “regional collaboration,” and what that really means is we are bringing the way we organize ourselves, our relationships and our structures, including our boards and staff, into line with a key part of our theology – our interdependence and the realization that we are stronger together than we are alone.

Starting point: Orlando, Florida
While the impetus for the journey has been years in the making, we stepped onto the road more than three years ago when representatives from the four districts that make up the Southern Region (Florida, Mid-South, Southeast, Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference of the UUA) gathered in Orlando in December 2010 to talk about how we serve our congregations and how to make the best use of resources. This gathering was the first step to heal a disconnection that was keeping us from doing our best work. What emerged was the Orlando Platform, an agreement to build working relationships among our district boards and create a sense of religious purpose for our work, while also identifying changes in our governance and shared ministry that could best support congregations and grow the impact of our faith.

Since then, each of our district boards have reduced the number of trustees who serve, with the idea that more volunteer talent might be put to use doing “hands-on” work and evangelizing (that is, spreading the good news) about Unitarian Universalism and its ability to change lives. Districts have ended co-employment of our field staff, who are now employed by the UUA and work in an integrated team, with each Congregational Life staff member able to share their own unique knowledge and strengths across the region. We put aside our own district “ends” or goals, in favor of the UUA ends, which are developed by trustees we all elect at our General Assemblies. We are piloting a new way of sharing our financial resources – the GIFT program, designed to bring fiscal equity across the region.

Mile marker: The Mountain, North Carolina
More recently, in September 2013, our four district boards and Southern Region staff met at The Mountain, a retreat in North Carolina, to evaluate and build on the work done in Orlando.

Also present was Jim Key, our UUA Moderator, who works with our UUA board to develop ends and strategic direction (the governance piece of our structure, which ensures the voices of our congregations are heard through the democratic process, or linkage), and Rev. Scott Tayler, the UUA Director of Congregational Life (DCL), who is responsible for staff management and program development (the operations/management element of our structure in which we “live the faith.”)

Just as our congregations gain strength from collaborations, the Southern Region is strengthened by drawing on and adding to the resources of our UUA. Jim and Scott’s understanding of and contributions to the evolution occurring in our region are vital to our ongoing success. Our work with them has helped us more clearly discern confusion and conflict that was occurring from duplicative roles district boards had with UUA Trustees setting policy, and it helped us clarify the distinction between our board’s governance and management related roles.

One outcome of the meeting at The Mountain was the formation of task forces whose members are made up of representatives of each of the four districts, working to develop ideas about the new ways we could be in relationship with one another.

As we worked through this process, each of our boards has re-affirmed our commitment to the Orlando Platform, including living in covenant with fellow districts in the Southern Region, and our fiscal strategy of a unified budget with regional equity.

We have affirmed our willingness as board members to becoming the initial facilitators, or Elders, who mentor, advise and connect congregations, often in clusters, so that those congregations can be more effective. In those roles, board members will focus on generative thinking – the process of creating new ideas – and away from governance work as much as possible, as that is the role held by our UUA Board of Trustees.

We have affirmed that as we live further into a common regional structure, we will work in collaborative groups made up of both district board members and regional staff, partnering in shared ministry to ensure that congregations develop strong relationships with other congregations, understand the resources that are available to them and have the opportunities to go to a deeper level. We also empower staff to further enhance their role in fiduciary and management activities.

We will continue to communicate what our boards and councils are doing, including planned upcoming reviews of district bylaws in the 2014-2015 fiscal year to assess how they fit with the new structures we have created. That could include dissolution of the district boards. The intention is to eventually get to one legal organization representing the region with appropriate fiduciary responsibilities.

The road ahead
Although district boards have entrusted staff management and program development to the Director of Congregational Life and have acknowledged that there is little for them to govern, we will keep them intact for now. The Chalice Lighter Program will continue at the district level, with districts sharing best practices, while we evolve into new structures.

The task forces on which our board members serve will transition into six multi-district councils:

• UUA Board Linkage Council - designed to strengthen the connection between our congregations and our UUA Board. This is key to our system of governance, to ensure that the voices of our congregations are heard, so each district board would appoint one member to serve on a regional linkage team.
• DCL Advisory Council - made up of district board presidents initially (and eventually a wider group of regional stakeholders) who will work with the UUA Director of Congregational Life as thought partners and advisors in the DCL’s role of staff management and program development. Their common goal is to make programming impactful to local needs. 
• Clusters Council - with the intentional effort to foster development of groups of congregations around a common purpose, allowing them to grow stronger as they develop interdependent relationships. Clusters are a form of small group ministry for congregations and a recognition that we are stronger together than alone.
• Elders Council - will work to identify Elders - wise leaders in our faith, no matter what their chronological age. Using the output from our initial Elderhood Task Force, the Elders Council will create systems for matching Elders with areas in which they can serve, such as cluster development or mentoring.
• Regional Fiduciary Council - provides unified regional budget oversight and asset management with cross-district representation.
• Regional Communication Council - assesses strategies and tactics appropriate to our new structures, including producing media and content that supports our relationships, while also serving an input function, facilitating inclusion and involvement of congregations in linkage to our district leaders and UUA trustees.

The Linkage and Communications council will collaborate to advance recommendations from the Democratic Process task force.

These councils will collaborate with each other as they do their work. While councils initially are being formed with leaders from district boards, other Elders will be tapped to participate as well.

Forward progress
Our journey has taken us a long way from the isolated silos in which we previously lived, to new relationships, crossing arbitrarily-drawn boundaries and into fields that are wide open with possibilities and promise.

Our district boards are excited about the foundations we have put in place and the road we continue to build, a road wide enough to accommodate all the congregations in the Southern Region as we collectively and joyfully journey towards a Unitarian Universalism that can most effectively change individual lives and the broader society in which we live.

Are you ready for what we can do together?

Respectfully submitted,

Ila Klion, President, Florida District
Kirk Bogue, President, Mid-South District
Denise Rimes, President, Southeast District
Kevin Bolton, President, Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference of the UUA
-On behalf of our District Boards of Trustees

Now I’ve Gotta Think about Clusters? The story of one. March 2014

From Orlando to The Mountain: Southern Region Collaboration and Transformation
The four UUA districts of the Southern Region met at The Mountain in September, 2013. There they created and announced plans (Mountain Meeting - Sept 2013) to further the goals and aspirations articulated in The Orlando Platform, which the same organizations (along with UUA Trustees, UUA Administration and UUA professional staff) jointly created at a meeting in Orlando, FL, in December, 2010. This is one article in a series that pertains to this transformative work to grow the impact of our faith in our UUA’s Southern Region.


You’ve probably noticed there’s a lot of talk about ‘clusters’. You may not have heard the meaning of the word in our UU context, let alone participated in any activities. Clusters can be thought of as a kind of small group ministry for congregations and can take many forms. Typically, clusters form around a geographical area. Clusters may also be formed through affinity groups, established around common interests.

Forming and developing clusters of neighboring UU congregations in a geographical area is a strategy for increasing the benefits of our polity in aiding congregations other than our own. Now we know, ‘neighboring’ can be a stretch – especially in my district SWUUC, where Amarillo, Midland and Lubbock are working on a cluster several hundred miles long.

And why talk about clusters in the context of regionalization? It may be counter-intuitive, but while our staff and governance resources may be organizing regionally, our use of those resources and others can be increased and leveraged through clusters.

We are fortunate here in Dallas, to be part of North Texas Unitarian Universalist Congregations (“NTUUC”, formerly “NTAUUS”), 13 congregations with over 2500 Unitarian Universalists from Fort Worth to Dallas to Tyler, Texas – about 300 miles wide. For 45 years, our congregations have joined forces to grow Unitarian Universalism, and make a difference in north Texas. Although the beginnings may not be replicable – NTUUC owned an apartment building for HUD subsidized housing which it sold creating a $2m endowment – the functions are.

The endowment produces approximately $160,000 per year. About half of that is awarded to our member congregations in grants of up to $10,000 for projects, staffing, materials and annual teacher training and dinner. The other half is used for programming, guided by a board of delegates from each congregation (including a employing a part time Executive Director) who in turn serve on committees of the board. The programming budget is used to host an annual awards luncheon with keynote speaker where the grants are given and received, an annual leadership conference, and annual Boards training. In addition, there are one-day educational programs on issues such as reproductive justice, media training and social justice.

But this is after 45 years, and only a dozen or so years since the endowment was created. It’s possible to start with small gatherings, self-funded, using the resources of people in the cluster, and calling on our regional Congregational Life Staff. It can start with the congregation Presidents meeting for lunch, then expand to a Boards gathering, or maybe a joint social justice project or choir sing.

Through these programs, members from our congregations learn, worship and socialize with one another, building relationships and sharing best practices as well as burdens of leadership. Imagine if you had the opportunity to develop relationships with Unitarian Universalists in other congregations nearby in similar roles with similar challenges, with perhaps different perspectives. How might that enhance your role in your congregation to the benefit of your congregation? How your congregation and the experience of every member might, be transformed?

Carrie Stewart,
Trustee, SWUUC Board
Member, Communication Task Force on behalf of the Southern Region Leadership

What is “Regionalization?" (in five minutes or less): February, 2014

From Orlando to The Mountain: Southern Region Collaboration and Transformation
The four UUA districts of the Southern Region met at The Mountain in September, 2013. There they created and announced plans (Mountain Meeting - Sept 2013) to further the goals and aspirations articulated in The Orlando Platform, which the same organizations (along with UUA Trustees, UUA Administration and UUA professional staff) jointly created at a meeting in Orlando, FL, in December, 2010. This is one article in a series that pertains to this transformative work to grow the impact of our faith in our UUA’s Southern Region.

The article below is adapted from a presentation by Kirk Bogue, President of the Mid-South District, to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Montgomery, Montgomery, AL, on February 2, 2014, after they warmly hosted the Mid-South District Board Meeting.

I bring a warm welcome and much gratitude to be here with you. I am like you, our staff and fellow board members in that I carry the light of the flaming chalice in me as I participate in the work of our faith.

My hope is that in a few minutes you will be more aware and comfortable with words like “regionalization,” “elders” and “clusters,” as they are all about creating more light from flaming chalices - here, in other congregations, and in between.

If you could look at earth from high in the sky…imagine that you could see the light from flames in our chalices…you’d would see them around our district and region…a few in Mississippi, some in Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, in Alabama, one right here in Montgomery. In the past you might see a flame moving from one to another…picture that as our District Executive…visiting congregations, helping with training or a transition. Occasionally you might see light from many places converging in fall or spring for a district event.

Now envision more light moving among and between more places… those might be elders – leaders in our faith, from congregations like yours serving beyond your walls with your blessing, in a shared ministry with staff or consultants, extending the hand of support to more congregations when the need is there, helping there be more service than staff / consultantscan provide alone.

Imagine more connectedness of congregations coming together with each other…we would call those clusters for the moment, to jointly take on challenges or opportunities to bring more effectiveness to themselves and more love to a world that needs more peace and justice. Clusters, a form of small group ministry for congregations, reflect that we are stronger togetherthan alone. And now imagine the lights that don’t move - those of congregations, these become brighter and more prevalent across the landscape because there are new ones and the existing ones have grown stronger through connection and development. If you go back to our perch in the sky, you may now see enough lights that it looks like a web - an interconnected web.

Creating and nurturing and relying on that interdependence is what we mean when we say “Regionalization.”

You should know that I came from a congregation that used to wonder why we paid dues to the UUA or the district. The UUA was known either as Boston, or “them”! It took me awhile as a Unitarian Universalist to understand that we are a covenantal faith and what that can mean. Thinking about others in my association with disdain or lack of trust certainly doesn’t reflect “being in covenant” to me.

I hadn’t thought about work at the district level until I was asked to serve. It was there, working with other districts, our district staff, UUA staff and our UUA trustees that I realized two things: the first was how disconnected things were at times, and the second, how much we all wanted to change that. And so our “regionalization” work began to envision a new way. Over three plus years now the following is happening:

First, it is no longer “them” or “The UUA”, it is “Our UUA”! This is our association and we all (ministers, staff, congregations, UUs) need to claim it, support it and nurture it. We can’t just live our seven principles in our local lives; we need to live them across our faith, including our association.

We don’t believe there should be governance in two places; it isn’t healthy to have district policies conflict with UUA Ends (also known as goals). There is a structure for governing our faith through UUA trustees and we should make that work through shared ministry as it relates to governance. Let’s turn the duplicative effort and confusion that causes into alignment and more feet on the ground making a bigger impact.

Instead of all the checks and balances of power, and the shared management and control of staff silos with the Director of Congregational Life, let’s trust, empower and partner with each other; let there be a single management point for staff for their clarity, for their development and for their effectiveness, and let them become a true team where their talents and strengths can be truly leveraged to support us.

Fiscal inequity in how we make payments to the UUA and how money gets distributed back to districts isn’t equitable; let’s change that, too.

Instead of monitoring staff, let’s spread the impact by ministry alongside them, and instead of being custodians of money, let’s focus more on being custodians of congregational connections. After all, relationships –how we interact and connect – how we interdepend on each other – that’s our most important asset.

During this time that we have worked in covenant with other districts, staff, trustees and UUA administration – which we now include in the word “staff” when we say that, we declared that the UUA goals, those which we already help create through trustees, are our goals, too, and that we will align with them in serving our congregations.

We have formed a strong partnership, one with trust and empowerment, with several in UUA Administration, most notably Scott Tayler, the new Director of Congregational Life. He is excellent at vision and planning and he has truly helped us discern the separation between governance and doing the “operations” or work of our faith. We feel heard, respected and looked out for because he is inclusive and demonstrates accountability.

Staff members from four districts in our region (SED, FLD, SWUUC, and MSD) have formed an integrated team, working together and leveraging strengths, the result of which is a new level of relationship building, training, workshops, leadership development and support.

We’ve implemented a one ask, one unified budget plan for fiscal equity across the region – you should know that as GIFT (Generously Investing for Tomorrow), which started last year in our region as a pilot for the rest of the UUA – just one of the many ways our region is a leader.

We are forming multi-district councils in our region to more efficiently manage money/assets, to partner with the Director of Congregational Life and staff, to put more energy into expanding the impact of lay leadership and connecting congregations.

Though we don’t see there is much for district boards to govern, they are not going to be dissolved at this time. We will use part of that structure to better connect congregations with district and regional leaders as well as trustees.

We are at a point to realize one part of our dreams a few years ago - how do we get lay leaders who spend time on duplicative governance work out on the street growing our faith.

So where do congregations come in? It has been harder than I thought over the past few years to adequately represent congregations I was elected to serve. Part of the reason was the system, and part is your role.

Part of our covenant is that people who represent you be connected with you. It was hard to do that initially, in large part because of the time required on other tasks. Given the work I mentioned above, your district leaders now have the time and we do have the action item to develop connection to each congregation we serve. We developed our plan for that just yesterday.

Where we have tried to be connected with congregations directly, I will share that effort has been challenging. Part of our covenant to each other is that we be accessible. By accessible, I mean that a congregation’s contact information is current at the UUA or on their websites. And part of our covenant is that congregations send leaders to the places where connections and learning can occur. It will always be “we” and “them” until we all show up to connect and make it “us”. So I urge you in your congregations to find a way to make that happen.

From my place in high in the sky, I am seeing the interdependent web of our faith across our region show more movement, be in more places and shine brighter. I’ve never been more excited about our faith. I congratulate you for the work you are doing here, as from where I sit, the light in Montgomery is also growing stronger!

Kirk Bogue

President, Mid-South District

Member, Communication Task Force on behalf of the Southern Region Leadership

What Do Regional Changes Mean for My Congregation & Its Relationships? January 2014

From Orlando to The Mountain: Southern Region Collaboration and Transformation
The four UUA districts of the Southern Region met at The Mountain in September, 2013. There they created and announced plans (Mountain Meeting - Sept 2013) to further the goals and aspirations articulated in The Orlando Platform, which the same organizations (along with UUA Trustees, UUA Administration and UUA professional staff) jointly created at a meeting in Orlando, FL,
in December, 2010. This is one article in a series that pertains to this transformative work to grow the impact of our faith in our UUA’s Southern Region.

What do the changes being contemplated in the UUA Southern Region and its Districts mean for my congregation and my congregation’s relationships with others?


Relationships are at the heart of all we do together. Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal faith. We are individuals and congregations that have made a promise – a covenant – to one another: that we
will walk together in the spirit of love, service and justice. That’s the value in which our relationships are grounded.

As we each continue to grow into our own understanding of Unitarian Universalism, and as our congregations in turn expand in size and maturity, many hunger to be part of something bigger, an organization with the scale and resources to put love and service to use in a way that will bring justice and truly make an impact on our world.

At the same time, we treasure the close ties and friendships we have made with those in our congregation and with other congregations in our cluster, our state, our District. We have established a bond of trust with UUA staff and know just whom to call when we need help or want to get the word out about a project.

It’s understandable to wonder what will happen to those relationships, now that the one or two staffers we have worked with in the past are part of the Southern Regional Staff of seven Congregational Life field consultants and four administrative staff members. It’s challenging to envision a new model that lacks District governance but has more and stronger clusters, a model in which volunteers with a passion for service and a talent for leadership cross congregational lines to foster shared ministry.

Where we are today is the world of “no more” and “not yet.” While we worry about the loss of what we know, we also embrace the exciting possibilities of what is yet to come, which we believe will be deeper relationships that better allow us to serve our faith.

Congregations can learn best practices, collaborate on service projects and provide mutual support in strengthened or newly created clusters, affirming that every organization, no matter its size or resources, has much to offer another, reinforcing the “we” - the interdependence that is at the heart of
healthy relationships.

Those who have sat on District boards as trustees with little to govern – having earlier given up staff supervision and most District budgetary oversight – can instead put their energies, talents and resources to use to identify Elders or bring their own leadership skills to bear in the delivery of service.

Elders - those with wisdom, no matter what their chronological age – can teach specific skills to individuals and congregations or can help develop leaders across the Region who have the vision to take us to new ways to love and serve. These individuals – who are eager for ways to live their passion for Unitarian Universalism – will help forge new bonds within our denomination without
having to leave their own congregations to do so, feeding their own souls and deepening their commitment to our faith.

We will work in collaboration with our expanded Southern Region staff team, led by the Rev Kenn Hurto, a staff each of whom has unique skills and expertise to offer, as well as Unitarian Universalist Association staff and trustees, including UUA Congregational Life Director Rev. Scott Tayler and Jim Key, UUA moderator. We can multiply our resources and our ability to live our covenant,
expanding the base on which our relationships are built and paving the ground for new and deeper relationships.

We have begun to open up, to reach out and connect across previously drawn, arbitrary, artificial lines. We have wonderful communities in our congregations, but maintaining that vitality does not only fall on the shoulders of a handful of, or a dozen leaders. None of us is alone. Others similarly situated carry the flame of Unitarian Universalism. It is a brighter flame when we come together.

Margie Manning
Secretary, Florida District Board of Trustees
Member, Communication Task Force on behalf of the Southern Region Leadership

How Is My Voice Being Heard? December 2013

From Orlando to The Mountain: Southern Region Collaboration and Transformation
The four UUA districts of the Southern Region met at The Mountain in September, 2013. There they created and announced plans (Mountain Meeting - Sept 2013) to further the goals and aspirations articulated in The Orlando Platform, which the same organizations (along with UUA Trustees, UUA Administration and UUA professional staff) jointly created at a meeting in Orlando, FL, in December, 2010. This is one article in a series that pertains to this transformative work to grow the impact of our faith in our UUA’s Southern Region.

I wasn’t in the room when you made decisions at the September 2013 meeting at The Mountain, how is my voice being heard/am I being represented?

One of the many gifts of our Unitarian Universalist faith is the commitment to our Fifth Principle, the use of the democratic process. So often as humans we feel not listened to and unheard. When we bring our whole selves, our most vulnerable selves to our faith community in church, we have a deep desire to be respected and appreciated for our unique selves, and recognized for our contributions. Our adherence to our Fifth Principle sets out a process and a promise that allows us to participate in determining the direction of our congregations and of our religion, where all can contribute and be heard.

The other part of our democratic process includes electing representatives who act on congregants’ behalf. Use of democratic process underlays the way all districts in the Southern Region are proceeding with their work. The process decisions made at the September 2013 meeting at The Mountain will culminate in recommendations all boards would like the congregations in their districts to adopt at upcoming annual meetings each district will hold. The work included commitments to complete due diligence and planning required to ensure recommendations are viable and appropriately shared. It included the creation of four Task Forces to work on separate concerns:
Communication, Democracy, Elders and Fiduciary. Each Task Force is comprised of members from each Board. In January, the four Task Forces will bring recommendations to the four Boards for consideration Annual Assemblies/ District Annual Meetings in April, 2014.

Nominating Committees are charged with seeking out leaders and elders in the faith to serve the interests of their Unitarian Universalist constituents. A new wave of Nominating Committees are transitioning into Leadership Development Committees reflecting a transformation that recognizes the focused investment in growing leaders our districts and region have made over the last several years.

As elected leaders and as elders of our Unitarian Universalist faith, the Trustees of the boards of the Southern Region Districts represent the interests of our 30,000 Unitarian Universalists in 218 congregations. We engage with our constituents at district events and in our own congregations. Further, we are informed by meeting together either in person or virtually across the region, and at General Assembly. Part of our fiduciary responsibility is to ensure vitality and growth of our congregations and of our faith. We have been elected to serve this purpose to our best ability, and
what we have discerned is in the best interests of our faith. What have we been called to do? We have been called, as elders, to help one another. And as you see, the Democratic process is two-way communication.

Additionally, we work in a shared ministry model with the Southern Region Field Staff Congregational Life Consultants. These currently seven faith professionals provide resources and perspectives from their work with congregations, and at district and regional events. Their focus on leadership, faith development, covenant and healthy congregations brings the best elements of our aspirations for growth – organically, maturationally, incarnationally, as well as numerically.

The final recommendations that boards would like their respective district’s congregations to adopt will be finalized and documented in official Annual Meeting Notices that each district must send for items to be voted on at Annual Assembly. Only at Annual Assembly meetings can the recommendations made at The Mountain become decisions. This is where your voice can be heard April 25-27, 2014.

Carrie Stewart
Trustee, Southwest Unitarian Universalist Conference Board
Member, Communication Task Force on behalf of the Southern Region Leadership

Why Remember Why? December 2013

From Orlando to The Mountain: Southern Region Collaboration and Transformation
The four UUA districts of the Southern Region met at The Mountain in September, 2013. There they created and announced plans (Mountain Meeting - Sept 2013) to further the goals and aspirations articulated in The Orlando Platform, which the same organizations (along with UUA Trustees, UUA Administration and UUA professional staff) jointly created at a meeting in Orlando, FL, in December, 2010. This is one article in a series that pertains to this transformative work to grow the impact of our faith in our UUA’s Southern Region.


Nowhere can I find a Unitarian Universalist, let alone a group of us, who believes there is a finite end to our seven principles, that the world is well and good enough the way it is currently, and that we have finished the work of our faith and can move on. In fact three years ago, I found the opposite.

I found Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Trustees, UUA Administration leaders, along with District Executives and Staff, UU Clergy and District Board Members from the four districts of the Southern Region, who all proclaimed our faith wasn’t working near as well as it should or could be. Since we cared deeply about the purpose of our faith, we decided to make sure that we strengthen our ability to both bring and achieve love, peace and justice in our corner of a wounded world. Inspired by a noble cause and the camaraderie of faithful brothers and sisters, we made the shared commitment to build a more effective and impactful faith.

As Unitarian Universalists, whether we deem ourselves, our congregations, or our leaders co-conspirators of the deeds that yield love, peace and justice or not, all parts are just that. And thus, remembering how our thoughts, our words and our actions are connected to this work can help us be present with what we are about and centered in how we go about doing what we say we need to do:

• Remember, as each of us declares we are Unitarian Universalists that we are embarking on our own spiritual journey, that in doing so we are pledging our support to each other’s spiritual journey, and that we are being called through our faith to spread the good news and do the good work that brings heaven to earth.
• When we as individuals join a Unitarian Universalist affiliated community, remember that we covenant to help that larger local community affirm its support and furtherance of our seven principles, be healthy in accordance with those principles and among each other organizationally, and be welcoming to others who would like to join and further our cause and that we do these things every day of the week.
• When our congregation/fellowship joins the Unitarian Universalist Association, remember that it covenants with all other UUA congregations/fellowships to grow our faith supporting our seven principles and to support each other. Remember that we are stronger together facing the challenges we’ve taken on than we are as congregations/fellowships alone and on our own.
• When we do our work as congregational leaders remember that we are helping our own community be effective and healthy on its own, be a good steward to the UUA and other communities we covenant to support, and that while we do our work we are teaching and learning ourselves.
• When we work as leaders of UUA institutions beyond our congregation’s walls remember that we are to lead by example, modeling the principles and elements of Beloved Community that we seek. Remember that we work for the good of the entire faith – for Unitarian Universalists everywhere – as a member of a faith community that unconditionally stands on the side of love.
• When we pledge and deliver our financial support to the work of our individual congregation or fellowship, remember that we are demonstrating our commitment to the vision and mission of such a Beloved Community’s work as well as our own values.

When our congregation and fellowships pledge financial support to the UUA remember that we are supporting that which binds us all together, that which feeds and fuels our ability to carry out our faith rituals and practices, that which enables us to speak to the world as one voice, and that which demonstrates our support to other congregations and fellowships dedicated to and formally affiliated with our common mission and values.

The group that inspired me three years ago helped me realize that not until we live the faith inside can we make our most significant impact outside. The group I work with today is similarly comprised as that group in terms of entities/organizations represented and includes some of the same people. And it is similarly in accord with supporting the direction we conceived back then and championing the next iteration of the plans we formalized this past September.

So while the journey of our district’s regional transformative and collaborative work will be imperfect, keeping the aforementioned remembrances in mind will keep it focused and attainable. As long as we continue to connect and communicate about our shared values and mission, imparting more love, peace and justice upon our world, upon our region of the world, will always be a noble and worthy endeavor.

Kirk Bogue
President, Mid-South District
Chair, Southern Region Communication Task Force

Meeting of the FLD, MSD, SED, & SWUUC Boards (report filed November 2013)

The Southern Region — Unitarian Universalist Association

Report of a Meeting of the Boards of the

Florida District 

Mid-South District 

Southeast District 
Southwest Unitarian Universalist Conference

Held at The Mountain Highlands, North Carolina September 27 - 29, 2013

By the Presidents Ila Klion (FLD), Kirk Bogue (MSD), Denise Rimes (SED), Kevin Boston       (SWUUC), and the Reverend Kenneth Gordon Hurto, Southern Region Staff Team Lead

The following communication conveys a proposed approach to transforming our Unitarian Universalist faith across the districts that comprise the Southern Region of the UUA. Congregations and their leaders are the intended beneficiaries of the proposed direction, as is our larger faith, as congregations and leaders become more effective and vibrant. The proposed changes will require delegate voting to implement. Those votes will be held at future annual assemblies across our region after those who are interested have a chance to openly discuss what the proposal is about, whether it best serves our interests and to propose changes that would make it stronger and reflective of our needs.


Your District Boards are in touch to share important and exciting news! This affects all
congregations in our district as well as all districts in the Southern Region (Florida, Mid-South, Southeast, and the Southwest Unitarian Universalist Conference), so please take a moment to review the enclosed message and share it with your congregation.

Our Common Background and Purpose: All four Southern Region District Boards have been working with Jim Key, UUA Moderator representing UUA Trustees, Rev. Scott Tayler, UUA Director of Congregational Life, Rev. Kenn Hurto, Executive Lead for Southern Region Staff, Southern Region Staff and each other in an intentional, covenanted and concerted effort to help congregations and leaders best serve our Unitarian Universalist faith. These groups met jointly September 27-29, 2013 at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center (itself founded on UU principles) in North Carolina, to reaffirm the purpose of our work together and plan our path forward.

This was a continuation of collaboration we started in December, 2010 when representatives from our groups met, created The Orlando Platform and then began implementing the commitments we outlined therein. At The Mountain, after deep discussion and sharing, we decided on the next steps that we would recommend our member congregations support through delegate polling at future meetings in our districts.

Our Recommendations: To ensure due diligence and viable implementation, the four districts in our Southern Region, jointly with administration, staff and trustees, offer the following recommendations and steps:

• Recognition that “clusters”, defined as a group of congregations bound together by something they hold in common, are a form of small group ministry that we and other organizations have proven to be effective in the areas of mutual support, achievement of a common goal, and sharing of best practices.
• In our region of the UUA, clusters could be arranged by geography, a common cause, a common trait, a common leadership role or the presence of a common issue or need.
• Some clusters already exist across our region; the intent is to use this model more intentionally and frequently to help congregations improve their effectiveness and impact. Staff and selected elders will help the intensity of progress in this area.

• Recognition that a strong and institutionally supported “elderhood” model is the best way for people who are recognized by their congregations as leaders and stewards of our faith to serve beyond their congregational walls; “elders” will be called to (in no particular order):
• Serve as a linkage element between congregations and UUA Trustees to ensure congregational needs are represented by UUA Trustees.
• Participate in the development and leadership of clusters.
• Work with UUA staff to help develop leaders, their skills and their impact to congregations.
• Act as an advisory body in deep partnership with Rev. Scott Tayler, Rev. Kenn Hurto, and regional staff to ensure program effectiveness and staff management.

These roles listed above arise from our recognition that congregational participation in governance functions and management of congregational services and joint ministry are two distinct ministries. We are seeking to be more intentional about how we approach this.

• The structure used currently for governance by district boards is viewed to be too people-, process-, structure- and money intensive to be efficient and effective.
• All districts in our region have realized that there is truly little to govern, in part because any governance at a district or regional level would be redundant to the governance responsibilities of UUA Trustees.  We are seeking to develop stronger input into these governance processes rather than duplicate them.
• While we recommend that boards formally give up governance responsibility at the district level, there is still the need for a fiduciary body, at least at the regional level, to oversee financial and asset management matters; the scope of which needs to be determined.
• To support the democratic representation of congregational concerns the current district structure supports, we support the maintenance of each district’s identity to its current geographical alignment; we need to determine how best to do that. It is possible that a district cluster configuration, vs. a legal entity known present day as a district, might be the best vehicle for that representation; next steps include finalizing a recommendation.
• Effective communication will be essential to informing every one about why recommended changes are imperative and ensuring all Unitarian Universalist leaders have a way to exchange views about the challenges and solutions we are exploring.

Our Implementation Plans: Due diligence is required in several areas to further the development of elder and cluster models, to eliminate the structures no longer needed for governance and to ensure that democratic congregational representation is maintained.
!Toward that end, four task forces, comprised of staff and board members from each of the four Southern Region districts, have been commissioned to pursue the details associated with responsibly achieving these strategies:

• Communication Task Force– Develop and implement a multi-media communication approach that facilitates the sharing of information and the vehicles for open exchange of questions, suggestions, plans and expectations. Doing this well will help all congregations and their delegates prepare to vote on recommended implementation plans when that time comes.
• Elderhood Task Force – Further define the roles and models for the work of elders, their accountability to those they serve, and how to identify, commission, and manage them.
• Fiduciary Task Force – Determine the scope of financial responsibilities and assets that need oversight of a fiduciary body accountable for representing district or regional concerns. Determine which span of oversight (district, regional or UUA) is best suited to handle the identified concerns and propose the steps and model to implement. This team is responsible to understand the implications of dissolving or creating any legal entities (e.g. districts, regions or other structures) needed to best handle financial matters and oversight, while enabling structures that support governance functions we no longer need to be eliminated.
• Democratic Process Task Force – Ensure that democratic representation of congregations within the UUA organization remains intact or is strengthened as elderhood and cluster models are implemented and the inefficiencies associated with district structures are removed. This team will ensure that rights and obligations bestowed to congregations by the UUA bylaws are well-served.

Each task force will interact with the other task forces to ensure integrity of the transition, as each will also interact with the staff led effort to further implement the cluster model.

Our Historical Continuity: It’s important to keep in mind that the changes and plans outlined above are truly a continuation of steps already taken to deepen, expand and clarify our shared ministry throughout our UUA over the recent three years. To summarize, between the time of the December 2010 meeting in Orlando and the recently convened meeting at The Mountain, the following changes have occurred with our region and the UUA:

• Staff regionalization has taken place and a complete complement of Congregational Life Consultants are now on board, developing clusters, preparing to support a robust Elderhood model, and working to reestablish a personal relationship with each congregation in our district/region.
• We are piloting steps to facilitate that each congregation in our region has equitable access to resources through the consolidation of district finances into a regional financial management model and the implementation of GIFT stewardship approach (one ask per congregation for what previously was UUA dues and district dues)..
• Each district board has or is in progress of reducing their board size to be more actionable and effective. Each has assessed their role in governance, declaring it no longer relevant.  Each developed the determination to create a model that enables the time lay leaders invest supporting our faith to be more meaningful than governance or oversight roles tend to be; hence their passionate advocacy for the elder and cluster model development described above.
• !Each district adopted the UUA Ends as their common focus and committed their alignment to support those ends in covenant with UUA Administration and staff and UUA Trustees. Such action facilitated increased collaboration and alignment of the four districts to further the purpose of the UUA and its member congregations, leading to the joint passion and enthusiasm for the recommendations and transition plans we promised to implement.

Our Commitment, Our Passion: The benefits of our recommendations won’t immediately be clear to all involved. Some congregations are seeing benefits from early implementation items. While for others; experiencing benefits will take more time. Over the next few months, you can expect to see more communication about what’s happening, attend webinars to get more information, engage in discussions to exchange views and determine what you can contribute to make transformation happen.

Our UUA Moderator, Jim Key, and our new UUA Director of Congregational Life, Rev. Scott Tayler, join each district of the Southern Region in a belief that the next steps of our journey will truly be transformational. We look forward to sharing more over the coming months and engaging with you to make your congregation more vibrant and our UUA faith more relevant. We are a life changing faith and we are moving forward to bring more peace, love and justice to our world.

To our faith,

Ila Klion
President, Florida District of the UUA
iklion@uua.org
954-749-9155

Kirk Bogue
President, Mid-South District of the UUA
kbogue@uua.org
770-329-5508

Denise Rimes
President, Southeast District of the UUA
drimes@uua.org
804-794-3973

Kevin Bolton   
President, SWUUC of the UUA   
kbolton@uua.org  
214-417-6413   


Rev. Kenn Hurto
Lead Executive for the UUA Southern Region
khurto@uua.org
239-560-5628

From the Orlando Platform to The Mountain View: November 2013

From the Orlando Platform to The Mountain View
Next Steps in the Southern Region’s Collaboration
November 2013
The Reverend Kenneth Gordon Hurto Southern Region Staff Team Lead

“New occasions teach new duties” James Russell Lowell; The Present Crisis, 1844

In late September 2013, Board members from the Florida, Mid-South, Southeast Districts and the Southwest Conference of the Unitarian Universalist Association met at The Mountain (Highlands, NC) to review the progress of cross-District work in the Southern Region. Nearly all Board members were able to attend; they were joined by UUA Moderator Jim Key, UUA Congregational Life (“CL”) Director, the Reverend Scott Tayler, and the UUA Congregational Life Field staff.
A comprehensive report on that meeting was sent to the Region’s congregational leadership and religious professionals in early October. The purpose of this note is to provide a summary of that document.

Background:

In December, 2010, the four Boards met to discuss how better to serve our member congregations and grow our faith. That led to a document, The Orlando Platform, calling for greater district collaboration, committing to the UUA Ends as normative for each District, and withdrawing as co-employers of the Congregation Life field staff.
In late September, 2013, the Boards again met to assess progress and discern future directions. This meeting was equally transformative of our understanding of District & Regional leadership, structure, and ministry. The goal remains to free up energy and resources for both professional and volunteer leaders to grow our congregations and our faith.

The Next Steps:

• The Boards see using a cluster model to keep distinct culture alignment according to current district geographies. Thus, an important next step to implement the vision is to strengthen the existing network of clusters and to create new ones not necessarily limited by District boundaries. Additionally, a new ideal, currently called “affinity clusters”refers to bringing congregations together on the basis of similar situations or interests rather than proximity.  
• To illustrate: Consider four congregations, one from each District, all around 150 adult members, with full-time clergy, and dealing with growth issues that require more staff or space. Linking these together would provide an on-going consultation process that allows for mutual support. Effective tools for audio-visual conferencing technologies exist to do this connecting without concern for where the congregations are. Another illustration: We currently have three state-wide legislative ministries; it would be good to have one in every state. An affinity group of the leaders for this unique work would again allow for shared learning and encouragement. One of the many benefits of cooperation between the Districts is the ability for congregations in the same state but different districts (particularly in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida) to work together more smoothly on projects like legislative ministries and public witness.

• These leaders continue to strive toward their initial goal of disentangling multiple levels of governance while allowing volunteers with a passion for serving our larger Unitarian Universalist community to apply their gifts to personally fulfilling cluster and regional service. A vast body of congregational lay and ordained “elders” accountable to one another and to our member congregations engaged in ongoing training and theological reflection has been envisioned. Such a “Council of Elders” could provide a local connection to each congregation, nurture cross congregational ministry, communicate local concerns to the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees and administration, and encourage participation in democratic processes among and within Southern Region congregations. They could also partner with the professional staff to form the vision of our work into the future and assess our progress.

• Due to reduced governance responsibilities, the Boards believe that Districts can be dissolved and a small regional fiduciary body formed to provide due diligence to ensure the protection of District and Regional assets. 

• To deconstruct the legal entities that are the Districts requires the approval of each District’s congregations voting in the Annual Assembly/Meeting. The Boards have established four task forces (Communications, Democratic Process, Elderhood, and Fiduciary) to craft implementation recommendations.

As policy issues are worked out this winter, the Boards will submit appropriate actions items to the District Assemblies, possibly by April 2014. All four Districts will hold their annual meetings simultaneously on April 26, 2014. Congregations are strongly encouraged to participate in these meetings.


Continuing:

The Congregational Life team of the Southern Region now consists of seven professionals, who are part of our UUA staff. They are responsible for implementing UUA Ends and the UUA President’s strategic plan in the Districts. The Reverend Kenn Hurto is the team lead; he supervises the staff on behalf of the CL Director, the Reverend Scott Tayler. Each member serves the region, with “first contact” responsibilities for 30 to 35 congregations.

The Boards have approved and monitor a unified budget process proportionate to each District. The pilot project, GIFT (Generously Investing for Tomorrow) is in its first year roll-out. GIFT is premised on a single “Ask” of 7% of each congregation’s reported annual expenditures — this in lieu of District and Association “dues” on a per capita basis. Each District is funded directly by the Association.

The Boards are in the process of being reduced from as many as 14 down to 5 members (MSD & FLD are already there, SWUUC and SED are in the midst of a multi- year step-down approved plan). The intent is to transform the Boards from small business enterprises to a covenanted body of spiritual leaders. Going forward, these twenty people will help to identify Elders who may serve as advisors to congregations, clusters and affinity groups.



The Passion:

Our Association, as are many traditional institutions, is in the midst of a great many changes. We are challenged to carry on existing good work while being resilient to adapt ministry to today’s rapidly changing context.

The goal here is not to create a big District. Rather, the goal is to help us all journey forward toward vital ministry, to grow our members spiritually, and to bring our values to bear on larger issues in society. We are eager to stand on the side of love and justice in ever expanding networks of partnership and collaboration, confident we are stronger together than apart. Thank you for coming along on the journey.

In shared faith,

The Reverend Kenneth Gordon Hurto
Congregational Life Staff Member
khurto@uua.org