Announcing a New Chapter for Retired Ministers
| Dear Colleagues, We are writing to share the news that we have begun the creation of a new non-geographic chapter of the UUMA for retired ministers. With encouragement from the UUMA staff and board, an ad-hoc group consisting of Roberta Finkelstein, Linda Olson Peebles, Wayne Arnason, Betty Jo Middleton, Deborah Pope Lance, Lynn Strauss, Steve Edington, and Danielle Di Bona submitted an application to create the chapter. The application was approved! Some of us met at General Assembly with UUMA Board and staff members to clarify the process and we are ready to move forward. The application was intentionally written to be quite general, leaving lots of room for an organic process of chapter formation that will include many voices and ideas. Those of us who initiated the process are not interested in becoming the designated leaders; we are envisioning a circle of interested colleagues who will be in ongoing conversation about how to create a group of covenanted colleagues who are entering the ‘elders and sages’ stage of our careers. We may also discuss how the voices of retired ministers can support/influence the work of the UUMA. We hope to offer each other companionship, affirmation, and a place to sort out the blessings and challenges of our transforming lives in ministry. This new chapter begins with an intention to strive to be an inclusive, anti-racist, anti-oppressive circle of UUMA colleagues. With UUMA staff member Jan Taddeo‘s help, we have created a “Retired Ministers” chapter page on the UUMA website (and that name is just a placeholder, until participants decide on a better one). You can check it out and even join the chapter by going to the UUMA website. If you have trouble logging in or joining the chapter please email Collegial Care Assistant, Jan Taddeo. Instructions to Join the Chapter: Sign in Click on the “Member Center” link (in purple, near the top right) Scroll down a bit to click on the “Groups” square on the right side of the top row. Scroll down the groups list to find “Retired Ministers Chapter” and click Join Group on the right (image below)  We are planning to hold a Zoom session later this fall to which all retired ministers will be invited. At this event we can share our hopes for the chapter, answer questions, and create a diverse leadership team to help bring this chapter to fruition.And to be clear – membership in this new chapter would not preclude any of us continuing to be involved in other UUMA chapters or UURMAPA.We hope to have news soon about the timing of the fall kick-off meeting! In faith, Roberta Finkelstein and Linda Olson Peebles |
Roberta, Linda, Wayne, Betty Jo,
Delighted to see some fondly familar names here, several of which I was with at CUUMA for many years.
Thanks for starting this service
Are ministers who are considering retirement at the end of this church year (summer 2024), or even planning to retire, invited to the conversation this fall? I’d love to have advice and support from my elders & sages.
I will join. I think I may be glimpsing a “value-added” by such a chapter (particularly the intentional anti-oppressive and anti-racism thrusts). But what is the whole or main value added as conceived and discussed by the formers of the chapter? Why not just stay with UURMAPA?
Hi Mark… sorry for the delay in responding to your inquiry. One aspect of having a chapter for Retired Ministers is that all chapter members are members of the UUMA and are therefore held to our Guidelines and Covenant. You can certainly be a member of both the chapter and UURMaPA.