 Something for the Journey
from Arran Morton, UUMA Intern
As someone who was entering UU ministry with a goal of serving primarily in community/ entrepreneurial settings, I really wanted to find an internship where I could develop my identity as a minister outside of congregations. I was also very interested in collaborative leadership models and exploring the ways that our institutions can lead cultural changes needed throughout our movement… So the UUMA was a perfect fit!
I was excited to see how the UUMA’s commitment to social justice and collective liberation is enacted in the day-to-day running of the organization and throughout the work they do. In my experience the leadership of the UUMA have thoughtfully embraced anti-racist, anti-oppressive principles in all they do. There was care taken to provide a sense of belonging and inclusion within the staff and with members, something that is particularly challenging in a ‘virtual’ organization. I saw how this was noticed and appreciated at events like Ministry Days, when many participants commented on their sense of the UUMA ‘ministering to ministers’. These day-to-day ‘small’ acts of valuing relationships and care of people over ‘productivity’ or cultural expectations of how things should be done are integrated into the way the organization is run…and continually evolving. I believe that these are exactly the ways in which we need to unpack and dismantle white supremacy culture and create healthier organizational systems and I am grateful to be able to integrate these experiences forward in my ministry. Working in this environment also showed me ways in which I was unconsciously applying aspects of white supremacy culture to myself, even though I theologically and intellectually disagree with them. I was slowly able to unpack and release some of those patterns – I expect this will be a lifelong process!
Much of my ministerial formation has been during the pandemic, which created a very different experience than I might have otherwise had. When offered the opportunity to create a project as part of my internship I realized many of us had moved from crisis to ‘new-normal’ to being pressured to ‘go back to the way things were as fast as possible’ (despite the fact the pandemic is not over) with barely time for a breath in between, nevermind time for reflection on how it was impacting us. I was delighted to create a two-day retreat that offered a space for religious professionals to reflect on, process, and integrate some of what we have experienced during the pandemic, which was offered twice and received very well by the colleagues that took part.
I am incredibly grateful to have had the experience of doing my internship at the UUMA. I am leaving this internship and entering my ministry with a deeper understanding of the creative ministries that are possible and more clarity and confidence in my call and what I can offer to this movement. It has also renewed my belief that everyone’s gifts and creativity are needed as we navigate the significant changes in the religious landscape to create a Unitarian Universalism movement that is relevant and engaging in the coming decades and beyond.
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