Why attend a President’s Convocation?

By Larry Meisner

Many of you may wonder, what is a Presidents’ Convocation? It is a gathering of congregational presidents and presidents-elect who all want to learn more about how to do their jobs and to strengthen their congregations. The Mid South District has been hosting these events for several years, while they’re fairly new to the Southeast and Florida Districts, and to the Southwest Conference. We had our first regional convocation last summer, held in each of our districts to reduce travel time and expense. Attendees gave high marks to the staff, the sessions, and the informal connections made over the weekend. Many of the ideas presented at the convocation, such as using a non-board member as process observer, were immediately implemented as standard board procedures.

Three recent attendees shared their PC experiences, including the important lessons they learned and suggestions as to how the experience could have been improved. We included a cross-section of congregational presidents, with varied experiences and representing a variety of congregations.

Gay Lambirth of UU Congregation of Asheville has been a UU since she joined the Community Church of New York in 1970. She later served as president of the Houston congregation before moving on to Asheville and eventually serving as president there. Gay also has attended Dwight Brown Leadership Experience (DBLE) and has served as a congregational consultant.  She attended the PC in 2013.

Denise Miles of Georgia Mountains UU Fellowship in Dahlonega has been a UU for only 3½ years. She was elected president of her congregation after being a member for only one year, and had only just started her term when she attended the PC at the Mountain in 2013.

Jerri Meisner of UU Fellowship of Beaufort has been a UU since 1981. Like Gay, she had previously served as president of another UU congregation (Raleigh) before joining UUFB in 2007 and being elected president in 2013. Jerri attended the SE District PC in 2014.

All three of the presidents believed that they brought back useful information from the PCs. Two of them had at least a portion of their expenses paid for by their congregations, and they were encouraged to attend by their congregations – either directly or because it had become an expectation of incoming presidents. 

An important reason to attend a PC is the connecting and information sharing that takes place with your colleagues.  All three women interviewed felt that they got as much out of the networking with other presidents and learning about how similar-sized congregations handled various issues and situations as the content of the sessions. Some of the concepts were added to their boards’ operating procedures and policies. They felt that break-out groups divided by congregation size were especially helpful.  They have kept in contact with people they met and looked forward to seeing them again at future events such as district or cluster meetings, GA, or special conferences. 

Overall, all three of the presidents praised regional staff and lay facilitators and all felt that it was a valuable experience, well worth taking the weekend to grow into the role of congregational president. If you are a board president or president-elect, plan to attend the 2015 convocation in Dallas, Raleigh, Birmingham or Orlando on July 10-12.

Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Elders

by Margie Manning, Southern Region Communications Task Force

The four districts that make up the UUA’s Southern Region now are just four months away from our annual assemblies, and the historic votes we will take to dissolve district governance and move forward with a new model of stronger relationships between congregations.

This change has its roots in the Orlando Platform, which recognizes – among other points – that congregations create good leaders, whose faith calls them toward fulfilling a larger Unitarian Universalist mission. The Platform calls on us to provide a mechanism to allow these leaders to be of meaningful service to our faith.

These leaders are called Elders, a term taken from the Cambridge Platform, which is the basis for our congregational polity. Elder does not refer to age, but to wisdom and experience.

In the four years since the Orlando Platform, we have been working to define the scope and structure of the work taken on by Elders. We established an Elders Task Force, chaired by Denise Rimes, president of the Southeast District. Those who currently or have previously worked on the task force are: Peter Kandis, Jill Austin, Sarah Ritzmann, Lewis Morris, Connie Goodbread, Maggie Lovins, Erin Sullivan, Carlton Smith and Natalie Briscoe. We are grateful to each for their contributions to the following model for Eldership that envisions how lay leaders and Congregational Life Staff will work together to build relationships, strengthen congregations and grow Unitarian Universalism.

You may view, download, or print the Elders FAQ here.

Frequently Asked Questions – The Elder Model

This is a time of transition for Unitarian Universalists in the Southern Region.  If Unitarian Universalism is to be a vital and growing faith, it requires our active participation.  We are reminded from the Cambridge Platform that ministry does not belong only to ordained clergy, but also to others who are servant leaders of the faith.   According to our history from the Cambridge Platform, elders understand and uphold the deepest meaning of the faith and they may be teachers and preachers, and the deacon’s role is the stewardship of resources.   While the Cambridge Platform recognizes the independence of congregations, it also recognizes their interdependence.   It is essential to congregation polity that congregations be in community, that they develop linkages to share resources, and that they participate in associational life.

This proposed Elder Model offers a means for building relationships between congregations, clusters, states, and throughout the region.  Elders who emerge from congregations to serve at the region level will be those whose deep faith and commitment to Unitarian Universalism allows them to nurture others.  Through the ministry of Elders, it is expected that congregants will deepen their understanding and talent for leadership so that more wise leaders will be available to offer more services to congregations and the world.  The Council of Elders is a program body that will facilitate the development of Elders and will support opportunities to grow Elder teams and the faith throughout the South.  Following are some frequently asked questions about the Elder Model and expectations for how it will be implemented.

What's the point of the Council of Elders?

The Council of Elders will be servant leaders practicing shared ministry in relationship with the Southern Region Congregational Life Staff (CLS).  The Council of Elders will foster relationships and networks between congregations, clusters, states, and throughout the region and will create and support opportunities to grow leaders and the faith throughout the South.

What will the Council of Elders do?

This is a program body - working hand in hand with the Southern Region Congregational Life Staff (CLS) doing shared ministry.

The Council of Elders will serve in a variety of capacities.   They will:

•Help to create and identify opportunities to grow networks, teams and the faith throughout the South.

•Help to foster relationships within and among congregations, clusters, states, and throughout the region.  Elders will always look for ways to helps congregations and leaders to network and help each other.

•Help congregations to develop ways to recognize and celebrate the elders they have and help to identify new elders.

•With the foundation of the Cambridge and Orlando Platforms, work towards our UUA ends.

Represent the region at ceremonies of importance to the faith such as ministerial ordinations and installations, building dedication ceremonies, and celebrations of congregation anniversaries.

Is the Council of Elders replacing the Boards?

No. The Council has distinctly different functions from previous boards. Historically, boards focused on the business of our organizations including financial management, staff oversight and policy decisions. The Council of Elders will focus on strengthening congregational ties, developing leaders (therefore congregations) and bolstering faith development. The council will do this by building strong relationships throughout the faith. In short: whereas boards govern the faith, the council will minister to the faith.

How are Council Members chosen?

This process was refined in February, 2015, to preserve continuity across the four District Boards with different terms, to reduce the need for additional votes, and to accommodate the customs and practices of each district.

The inaugural Council of Elders will consist of eight members:

•    Two members of each of the existing District Boards will be chosen by the respective Boards.

•    Council members will be nominated at the Annual Assemblies in 2015 by the individual District Nominating Committees and voted upon by each body.  

•    The Nominating Committee in each District will approach the Board members of that District to see if they are willing to serve on the Elderhood Council.

•     Four nominees will be asked to serve a term of two years, and four nominees will be asked to serve a term of four years.

•      Each district will nominate two members of the current District Board to staff the inaugural Council of Elders and will be voted upon by each District body at their Annual Assembly in April 2015.

What will the role of Staff be in relationship to this Council?

In covenant, the Council of Elders and Congregational Life Staff (CLS) will pursue our Association’s Ends. Staff is ultimately responsible for program development.  The Council of Elders will support CLS to develop structures and programs that are needed to grow vibrant congregations.  Staff is ultimately responsible for program development.  

The relationship between congregations, CLS, and Elders will help insure that excellent programs are developed and our faith is advanced. 

What will Elders do?  How will they serve the Southern Region?

Elders will serve in a variety of roles throughout the region, based on many factors. Elders on the Council will serve as organizers and relationship builders among Elders, congregations, and staff. Congregational Elders may do a variety of tasks depending upon their skill set, availability, and demand. Possible actions may include: mentoring other leaders, developing and facilitating training sessions, or community organizing. Elders can be wonderful resources to their home congregations, as well, as they have the opportunity to deeply engage in our UU faith within and beyond congregational walls.

While there are limited roles for Elders to play at the Regional level we are mindful that the need is infinite and the resources are finite. Elders can serve clusters and groups that form to address some particular initiative.

The Council of Elders is one role that Elders will play.  Elder roles that exist today include the Smart Church Consultants, Leadership Experience Faculty and Regional Multi-track trainings and cluster development activities.  As the system evolves more roles will be identified.

Our hope is that through regional opportunities leaders will be even better equipped to serve their home congregations and faith.  

How will moving to the Elder Model affect me personally?

This is an opportunity for leaders and all congregants to have more resources so that they can go deeper into their own gifts and the service they can provide.  Individuals will be offered many opportunities for development.  This deeper training will feed leaders and allow them to serve in a deeper capacity - both in their congregation and in our larger faith. The Elder Model gives more people an opportunity to deepen their understanding and talent for leadership with the goal of having more wise leaders to offer more services to congregations and the world.  

Congregations will have many more acknowledged partners in the good works they are doing. Silos will be broken down and we will come to know we are not alone in our work. The result will be a greater sense of community across the miles and a greater sense of interconnection with other UUs doing similar work.

How will congregations be served by moving to the Elder Model?

The Elder Model’s emphasis on individual growth, maturity, and collaboration means that there will be more wise leaders to help manage and muster congregations. 

The Elder Model gives congregations the opportunity to be more ministry-focused. This change will foster collaboration with other Unitarian Universalists and congregations to be more active in the community, to pull together like-minded interrelated ideas, resources and energy to better represent Unitarian Universalism in the world. 

How will moving to the Elder Model serve our chosen faith?

Moving to the Elder Model provides a path to leadership and gives an opportunity for congregational Elders to connect with other Elders from across the region to serve our faith movement outside their own congregation or cluster.

Moving to the Elder Model will increase our incarnational growth. Those outside our faith will come to know what Unitarian Universalism stands for and does. 

If I am interested in being an Elder, how does my name go forward for consideration?

You may request that your congregation recognize that you have been filling the role of an Elder, or your congregation, on its own volition, may come to you to ask if you would accept a nomination to be an elder.

Elders may also be identified at events and trainings.  Congregational Life Staff and the Council of Elders will always be in relationship with congregations about leaders who could be asked to serve on a regional body.

Congregations and/or covenanted communities, via their Boards, Faith Development Teams, Professional Staff, Nominating Committees, Leadership Development Teams or Committees on Ministry, will recognize and/or identify individuals who function as Elders in the congregation.