December 14, 2023

Something For the Moment 

• Seeds for the New Year: Worship Resources to Welcome 2024:  Click here to explore a whole worship service worth of resources with a New Year’s theme created by Rev. Sofía Betancourt and UUA staff, for your use this holiday season or winter. President Sofía is hoping this will help you and your staff get some needed rest this holiday break, while still providing quality worship.
• Holiday Podcast: This winter we are happy to share, in podcast form, some of the Ministry Meditations as created by our members in 2016 for the UUMA Connect web project. These meditations are followed by music as found in creative commons. Click here to learn how to subscribe to the podcast.

Something for the Journey

Beloved Colleagues, 

Most of you heard my announcement in June that I’m stepping down this year as the Scribe of the Ministerial Conference at Berry Street.  After serving for nine years, which included the 200th anniversary, publication of a book about the conference, and the pandemic, I feel ready to pass on this unique role. 

I began my term without much fanfare after my predecessor, Paul Sprecher, resigned. There was no formal application process other than a review by the Nominating Committee for all appointees, a step now overseen by the UUMA Executive Team.  One of the first actions I took was to complete a Charter that had been drafted by the Berry Street Executive Committee (BSE) and UUMA Board. The BSE and the UUMA Board had been in yet another conflicted conversation about their relationship, one of many over several decades.  Most of the conversations were about power, and all were about the relationship between the two bodies.

The Charter establishes that the Berry Street Conference is a Committee of the Board; the BSE nominates its members, including the Scribe, and the UUMA Board appoints them. The Charter helped clarify and ease the relationship and has since been updated. As the UUMA continues to transform processes and procedures into systems that are more transparent and accountable, the BSE has benefitted.

Upon notifying the BSE and the Board of my final term, I worked with the UUMA Board and Executive Team to create an application process. Upon receipt of the applications (following review by the UUMA Executive Team), I convened the Berry Street Executive Committee this fall for the final selection.

I am very pleased to say that in reviewing the applications, one person rose to the top of the list and stayed there.  We were looking for someone who has:

• Attended multiple essays;

• Strong background in UU history and heritage (recommend reading “The Throughline: 200 Years of the Berry Street Essay” ed. Kate Walker);

• Understanding of the history and complexity of the Conference, capacity to maintain unique perspective and role of the Ministerial Conference at Berry Street;

• Well respected and networked within the UU Collegial Circles;

• High capacity for confidentiality, organized, comfortable with public speaking;

• A demonstrated commitment to and understanding of antiracism and anti-oppression work.

We happily share that the new Scribe meets all of these needs, and has served in a variety of roles and shared experiences within the UUA and UUMA, understands our complex histories, has strong academic connections, and a clear commitment to our faith.  In addition, a clear enthusiasm to serve in this historic position. The Committee made its selection and recommended a candidate to the Board.  As per the Charter, the UUMA Board has formally appointed the new Scribe.

We are pleased to announce the new Scribe of the Ministerial Conference at Berry Street is the Rev. Connie Simon.  Connie will begin her role on Jan. 2, and will be mentored by me to help facilitate the transition. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me, kwalker@uuma.org.

Sincerely, Kate Walker, skipping as I go, soon to be former, Scribe
Berry Street Executive Committee: Mark Morrison-Reed, Aisha Ansano and Elizabeth Stevens

Something Extra

Threshold Series: The First UUA Threshold Conversation on Coming of Age launched this Fall. You can watch the Opening Panel with Tracy Breneman, Tie Resendiz de Perez, Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, and Meagan Henry, as well as listen to the JUUST Breathe podcast episode with Rev. Dr. Gregory Carrow Boyd, Cameron Young, and Rev. Leia Durland Jones. More resources will be available on the Coming of Age webpage.

UUA Newsletter Invitation: In alignment with UUA President the Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt’s vision for deepening engagement with our community, the UUA is working to reach a wider range of UU ministers serving outside of a parish setting with the UUA Newsletter email. We are grateful to partner with the UUMA for outreach and support in sharing this invitation.  

If you are a UU minister serving outside a parish setting, we invite you to sign up for the UUA Newsletter email today at https://www.uua.org/about/stay-in-touch. Please also add the sender email, info@uua.org, to your email provider’s contact list to avoid this email being flagged as spam. You will receive the next edition of the UUA Newsletter as soon as it becomes available, typically 4 – 6 weeks after you subscribe.  For the first phase of this work, in alignment with UUA annual certification, subscriptions will close on Friday, February 10, 2024.