FAITH LIKE A RIVER
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Adults
WORKSHOP 15: THE WATER IS WIDE — MULTICULTURALISM
2011
BY JACKIE CLEMENT ALISON CORNISH
© Copyright 2011 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 11:07:11 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
On every step of our journey, each of us carries the unique perspectives of our age, gender, color, ethnic heritage, language, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, physical, mental and emotional nature, and economic circumstance. We can choose to see these differences as divisions, or to view cultural diversity as a gift to be cherished and nurtured. Our community is not a dull fabric of a single colored thread, but a tapestry of vibrant colors and rich textures, woven into a vital, ever-changing design. For our world to survive in this time of intense and quickening change, we need the vision and insight of each person, the strength and wisdom of each culture. — jona olsson, contemporary educator and activist
Although the term "multicultural" is fairly new, the challenge and opportunity to embrace those with different experiences, perspectives, and ways of being in the world are not. As Unitarians, Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists, we have at times in our history followed societal norms in our willingness or reluctance to welcome diversity. At other times, we have confronted and refuted the accepted ways—sometimes our own accepted ways—in order to embrace diversity and invite it to transform us. This workshop explores stories of multicultural encounter from our tradition; some are inspiring, and some ask us to examine past actions with candor and compassion.
Before leading this workshop, review Accessibility Guidelines for Workshop Presenters in the program Introduction and make preparations to accommodate anyone who may be in the group.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 10 |
Activity 1: What Is Culture? What Is Hospitality? | 20 |
Activity 2: The Utes and the Unitarians | 20 |
Activity 3: The Empowerment Controversy | 35 |
Activity 4: Our Unitarian Universalist Culture | 20 |
Faith in Action: Generational Diversity | |
Closing | 5 |
Alternate Activity 1: Claiming Our Identities | 30 |
Alternate Activity 2: Joseph Tuckerman — Father of American Social Work | 30 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Call to mind the first time you came to a Unitarian Universalist congregation, or the first time you visited a congregation other than the one with which you were most familiar.
You may wish to ask participants to engage in this same spiritual practice so that they, too, arrive at the workshop centered and ready to engage with the material and the group.
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Welcome everyone to the workshop as they enter. Ask them to sign in, make (or pick up) name tags, and pick up the schedule and time line handouts from the welcome table. Point out the posted agenda for this workshop.
Including All Participants
Write the agenda in large, clear lettering and post it where it will be easily visible to all participants. Provide name tags large enough and markers bold enough so names will be easily visible.
OPENING (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Light the chalice and invite participants to sing Hymn 382 "De todos bajo el gran sol" in Singing the Living Tradition using whichever of the suggested tunes (371, 372, or 373) is familiar. If some participants are unfamiliar with Spanish, invite a Spanish speaker to read each line and invite participants to repeat it. If no Spanish speakers are present, use the following pronunciation guide. When you have read each line for pronunciation, lead the group to sing the hymn together. A rough English translation of the words can be found in Hymn 381.
After the hymn, invite participants to share any thoughts or feelings they have about singing together in Spanish.
Pronunciation
De todos bajo el gran sol / Day TOE-dose BAH-hoe el grahn sole
Surja esperanza, fe, amor / SOOR-hah es-per-AHN-sa, fay, ah-MORE
Verdad, y belleza cantando / Ver-DAHD, ee bay-YAY-sa cahn-TAHN-doe
De cada tierra, cada voz. / Day CAH-dah tee-AY-rah, CAH-dah vose.
ACTIVITY 1: WHAT IS CULTURE? WHAT IS HOSPITALITY? (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Say, in these or similar words:
One of the most common ways we experience both hospitality and culture is through food. Specific foods, the ways they are prepared and consumed, and who is invited to share meals together can all demonstrate histories and cultural traditions, sometimes centuries old. In families, we can offer welcome and acceptance with food, such as when a new relative at a shared meal is deeply touched by the inclusion of food representing their cultural background. Other food experiences can highlight painful differences, such as when a family member adopts beliefs that preclude eating foods once enjoyed together with the family. Anyone who has participated in a meal that involves multiple faiths or cultures will have encountered this most basic challenge: Can we all eat together? Shared meals invite us to become aware of one another's holy days and holidays, as well as the theologies and spiritual practices that restrict consuming specific foods. We also must consider how to accommodate others' needs while at the same time holding on to our own values and beliefs.
Invite participants to think of a meal they attended which highlighted differences in cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, or other values among those gathered. Offer examples: a multi-ethnic potluck dinner at a community center, church, or school; a rite of passage of a friend from a different cultural background; traveling in a different country. Ask them to recall their feelings at the time. Were they excited, before the meal? Nervous? Worried? Curious? Well prepared?
Allow a few moments for individual reflection. Then, invite participants to turn to a partner and briefly share their stories—the specifics of the meal, and their feelings at the time, and any ways their feelings about the experience may have changed or new reflections that have emerged over time. Was there something which once caused anxiety that no longer does?
Allow pairs to talk for 10 minutes. Then, re-gather the large group. Display or distribute the quotation and the poem. Suggest that both describe cultural practices of sharing food while also offering them as metaphors for cultural diversity and hospitality. Invite participants to share their thoughts about culture and hospitality as reflected in the quote and poem. Do they offer any insights for congregational life?
ACTIVITY 2: THE UTES AND THE UNITARIANS (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
It is terribly arrogant to suppose that because we can see, with hindsight, mistakes of the generations before us, it's okay to demonize them. Without demonizing them, we need to be as clear as we can be about their gifts to us and their mistakes, because the consequences of both still shape us. — Alice Blair Wesley
Description of Activity
Read the story aloud.
Then, point out that the story is told from the point of view of Unitarian Universalists and not from the point of view of the Utes. If you have time, show the clip you have selected from the telling of this story at General Assembly 2009.
Post the prepared quote and questions. Read the quote aloud and lead the group to discuss the first two questions.
Then, introduce the third question with these or similar words:
There are different approaches to social action. All of them start with engagement with the stories of others. From there, we can educate ourselves about the history and challenges of those whose stories are not often told in the wider culture. We can share what we learn. We can stand as compassionate witnesses to the suffering, struggle, and liberation of others. We can engage in social or political advocacy. And we can undertake a variety of other actions that seek justice and equity. At any point in time, no matter how many years have passed, we can undertake some form of engagement and action.
Invite participants to discuss the final questions of how we have already, or could continue to, interact with this story.
ACTIVITY 3: THE EMPOWERMENT CONTROVERSY (35 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the activity with these words, which have been carefully prepared to present the Empowerment Controversy in a way that honors the diverse, sometimes contradictory memories and perspectives of its participants and recorders:
The handout represents some of the events, actions and tensions about race in Unitarian Universalist Association during the 1960s and 1970s, a period that has come to be known as the Empowerment Controversy. After more than 40 years and multiple attempts at healing and reconciliation, feelings about this episode in our denominational past still run high. As part of the 2001 "Conversation with Participants in the Black Empowerment Movement Within the Unitarian Universalist Association" published by Starr King School for the Ministry as In Their Own Words, Julie Kain compiled a time line that bears this note, "This time line is based on interviews provided by various sources, and may not reflect the perspectives of some participants in the events outlined." This small note is an indication of the strong feelings that have shaped perceptions and memories.
Distribute Handout 1, Empowerment Controversy Time Line and pens/pencils. Read the handout aloud, pausing where indicated to invite participants to complete the statements on their handout silently. Allow one minute for each response period.
Then, post the prepared questions and invite participants to discuss them.
ACTIVITY 4: OUR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CULTURE (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Read or paraphrase the following:
Unitarian Universalist historian Conrad Wright reminds us that boundaries are essential to any group in order to describe their identity. Our congregations are covenantal communities, gathered for a common purpose defined, if not by theological beliefs, then by shared values and ethics. We express our boundaries through the formal instruments common to groups of all kinds: mission statements, covenants, bylaws, and principles and purposes. These are important to define who belongs to our congregations.
Many may be drawn to visit our congregations because they share values we articulate as Unitarian Universalists. However, in ways both subtle and informal, our congregations can either extend a welcome to newcomers or send a message that a difference they represent or embody from the congregation's culture is too great to be bridged.
Invite two volunteers to read Leader Resource 2, First Experiences aloud, one reading the words of Joseph Fabry, and another the words of Gail Geisenhainer. Ask the group for reactions to the stories.
Then, invite participants to call to mind the first time they came to a Unitarian Universalist congregation, or the first time they visited a congregation other than the one with which they were most familiar. How did they feel when anticipaing what the experience would be like? What was the actual experience like? Can they identify aspects of the encounter which made them feel the congregation was "like them?" What about aspects of the encounter which made them feel "different?" In what ways did they feel included? Excluded?
Once all who wish to have shared, pass the bowl or basket in which you have placed the Newcomers' Bios (Leader Resource 3). Explain that each slip has a short description of a person who might one day visit the congregation for the first time. Invite each participant to select a slip of paper, read it to themselves, and imagine being the first to greet this individual on a Sunday morning before a service. In what ways might they expect the newcomer to bring some difference to the congregational culture? In what ways might the newcomer find similarities with members? How might the newcomer feel included? Excluded?
Allow two minutes for silent reflection. Then, say:
One aspect of religious hospitality that is sometimes overlooked is that hosts must be open to being changed by their guests. When a genuine welcome is offered to a newcomer—that is, when guests are received as who they are, without the need to conform to the established culture—the stage is set for transformation of both hosts and guests. When such a welcome is extended to a newcomer, the group risks being transformed by the newcomer's presence and gifts.
Lead a discussion, using these questions as a guide:
CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Distribute Taking It Home. Announce the date, time, and place of the next workshop and any other "housekeeping" information. Request or remind volunteers if you want participants to read material aloud or perform other roles at the next meeting.
Invite participants to gather around the chalice and read in unison these words of Margaret Mead:
If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.
Extinguish the chalice.
FAITH IN ACTION: GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Most of us tend to assume our own world view is the "norm." Our own view, in turn, involves multiple lenses particular to us, such as gender, race, religion, level of education, or urban versus rural or suburban upbringing. One of the most subtle and pervasive lenses through which we see the rest of the world has to do with our age—the stage of life we are currently in and the values and experiences we share with our peer group.
Age differences play out in our faith communities. Although faith communities are among the few institutions in our contemporary world with potential to be truly multigenerational, they are not immune to the generation gaps and gulfs that have come to dominate modern life.
In his book, All are Welcome: A Primer for Intentional Intergenerational Ministry and Dialogue, James V. Gambone suggests congregations might be places where generational differences can be bridged, resulting in added richness for all. However, he asserts that it takes concerted effort and intention to do so. He writes, "...intentional intergenerational ministry means the entire church makes a commitment to involve as many generations in as many parts of the church as possible." Such an approach would honor the fact that "each generation in our society has a unique and important perspective on current personal, political, economic, religious and cultural issues."
William Strauss and Neil Howe have examined how generational differences color our experiences. They differentiate five current generations: G.I.s (born 1901-1924), Silents (1925-1942), Boomers (1943-1960), Generation Xers (1961-1981), and Millenials (born after 1982). Distribute Handout 3 that presents a summary based on their work.
Does your congregation currently face a project, issue, or concern that might benefit from the perspectives and gifts represented by the different generations of your members? If so, invite several representatives from each generation into a conversation about the issue. Invite each generational cohort to meet and discuss their ideas for a solution or approach. Then have one representative from each group join a panel to present the variety of viewpoints to the group as a whole.
You may choose to share a summary of the characteristics of each of the generations defined by Strauss and Howe. Do the responses of your generational representatives bear out Strauss and Howe's Generation Theory?
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Make time to talk together to evaluate this workshop and plan future workshops. Use these questions to guide your shared reflection and planning:
TAKING IT HOME
On every step of our journey, each of us carries the unique perspectives of our age, gender, color, ethnic heritage, language, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, physical, mental and emotional nature, and economic circumstance. We can choose to see these differences as divisions, or to view cultural diversity as a gift to be cherished and nurtured. Our community is not a dull fabric of a single colored thread, but a tapestry of vibrant colors and rich textures, woven into a vital, ever-changing design. For our world to survive in this time of intense and quickening change, we need the vision and insight of each person, the strength and wisdom of each culture. — jona olsson, contemporary educator and activist
In the coming weeks, keep in mind the Newcomer's Bio you selected in Activity 4 as you participate in different aspects of congregational life. Imagine how the newcomer might experience a worship service, a committee meeting, a special event, a lifelong learning workshop, and other activities. In your journal, record your observations of the congregation's culture as seen through the newcomer's eyes.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: CLAIMING OUR IDENTITIES (30 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Say, in these words or your own:
The identities we each carry have many facets. We are shaped by many forces including the cultures in which we were born, raised, and live; our racial and ethnic backgrounds; the values, practices, likes, and dislikes of people and groups we connect with, and more. We play roles, some chosen, some not.
We each have facets of identity we show to the world each day and others that are perhaps not so apparent. We are fathers and sisters, students and nurses, daughters and uncles, musicians, Latinas, Italian Americans, readers, gardeners, teens and elders, immigrants and tenth-generation Americans, learning challenged, Buddhists, gay, bilingual, hearing impaired, athletes, middle class, and great-grandparents. We each have aspects of nationality, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, education, age, sexual orientation, and physical ability. In some times and places we choose to emphasize one or more aspects of our identity, or others may notice one aspect of who we are. Our identities may change with the changing circumstances of our lives. But all aspects inform how we experience the world. And being able to share the story of our identities and be truly seen by another person is a holy act.
Invite participants to create masks that symbolize the various elements of their identities. Allow 15 minutes.
Ask participants to pair up and share their mask with their partner and tell why they chose the elements they did and what those elements mean to them. Remind participants: The goal is to witness and to understand one another, not to judge. Allow 10 minutes for the sharing.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: JOSEPH TUCKERMAN — FATHER OF AMERICAN SOCIAL WORK (30 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Say, in these or similar words:
The concept of class can be complex and confusing, as well as uncomfortable. As R. H. Tawney wrote in his book Equality, "The word 'class' is fraught with unpleasant associations, so that to linger upon it is apt to be interpreted as the symptom of a perverted mind and a jaundiced spirit."
There are many reasons we might find talking about class issues difficult—for example: it is hard to agree on a definition of "class;" class oppression is closely linked with other forms of oppression; we are sometimes reluctant to acknowledge that a democratic society can be a classist society. Yet Joseph Tuckerman's ministry at the turn of the 19th century had class inequities at its very heart. Tuckerman came to be known as the father of American Social Work for promoting the idea that those with fewer resources be approached in the wholeness of their humanity, and given not a handout, but the means to improve their own lives.
Distribute Handout 2, Joseph Tuckerman (1778 —1840). Ask the volunteers to read their assigned parts aloud. Then, post the questions you have prepared and use them to lead a discussion.
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
STORY: UNDER OUR CHARGE — THE UTES AND THE UNITARIANS
By Ted Fetter.
Although the relationship between the Ute tribe and the American Unitarian Association, a principal forerunner to the UUA, is not well known, the two share a significant story together. The Unitarians became, in effect, agents of the United States Government in its policy toward Native Americans.
In the 1870s, President Ulysses S. Grant set out a new policy toward Native Americans. Dubbed the "peace policy," it involved religious organizations in the operation of the 69 Indian agencies that were located throughout the country on reservations. There were at least three reasons for involving religious professionals: there would be less corruption, a greater chance for resources from the denominations, and increased likelihood of converting the Indians to Christianity, a major step toward assimilation.
As part of that program, the American Unitarian Association (AUA) accepted responsibility for two Ute agencies in Colorado. Between 1871 and 1878, the Unitarians nominated five different men, including four ministers, to serve as Indian agents for the two agencies. The responsibilities of Indian agents were to carry out government policy, distribute the supplies as guaranteed by treaty (but seldom delivered in full or on time), hear Indian grievances against whites (but without any power over white settlers), and investigate and deal with white complaints against the Indians. Indian agents were also to insist that the Natives learn English and learn how to farm.
The Utes were a proud people. They lived in what they called the "Shining Mountains," most of what is now Colorado. They prospered as hunter-gatherers, using summer and winter camps to follow buffalo and other game. Houses that could not be moved seemed impractical, and there was no need or desire to cultivate crops. In Robert Emmitt's book The Last War Trail: The Utes and the Settlement of Colorado, Saponise Cuch is quoted: "It was a life with little hunger and want, where play and humor were taught to smother pain, sickness and death; a life where the good play of the hunt brought food, and the pleasure of the dance brought a man a wife, a woman a husband; a life where a man owned little and belonged to everything."
When whites came to Colorado, the Utes emphasized diplomacy to avoid war. They agreed to limit their lands in the Treaty of 1868. When gold discoveries fed settlers' appetite for Ute territory, they were forced to give up more land. Nevertheless, the Utes sought to live on the land they still had and in accord with the dictates of the treaties.
The Unitarians who came as Indian agents were hard working, honest, and dedicated. They saw the needs of the Utes and tried their best to assist them. For example, when the supplies guaranteed by the treaties were not provided as promised the agents entreated Washington to meet its obligations. When white settlers came onto the reservation in violation of the treaties, they objected to this encroachment, but were unable to force the whites to leave or to get local law enforcement to remove them. When the government insisted that the Utes farm their lands, the agents pointed out that much of the reservation was arid, experienced frost twelve months a year, and was infested with grasshoppers.
Rev. Edward H. Danforth, Indian Agent at White River, Colorado, wrote this in his annual report dated August 31, 1877: "Fourteen different families have commenced in a small way at farming. Unfortunately for them and the esteem in which the work will be held in future the grasshoppers, the extraordinary drought, and July frost have cut their crops off entirely. About twelve acres were prepared and planted by Indians — potatoes, corn, garden vegetables, and oats were planted and sown, but they will get nothing for their labor."
While well-intentioned, the Unitarian Indian agents were not very effective. Though they tried to be helpful, they were politically naive in their relations with the Indian Affairs Office in the Department of the Interior and with local political leaders. They were not able to secure added funding from the AUA for schools; generally the agents' wives were the teachers for Ute children. And they were not good managers of the resources and staff the government supplied.
In addition, some of the Unitarian agents had personalities that stood out as odd on the Colorado frontier. The best example is Rev. J. Nelson Trask. Trask arrived at the Los Pinos Agency in 1871, and from the start he seemed strange. One historian writes: "Trask walked about the agency in a dark blue swallow-tail coat, skin-tight trousers, and, to protect himself from the sun, an old-fashioned floppy beaver hat with a broad brim, and a set of green eye goggles." Trask was one of several agents who had a strong moral sense that the Indians were not being treated fairly but who could not establish a satisfactory relationship with the Utes, to say nothing of a working relationship with local officials in Colorado.
Most importantly, the Unitarian Indian agents were part of the United States government policy towards Native Americans, a program that forced the Indians to choose between annihilation and assimilation. These agents implicitly adopted a stance that supported assimilation of the Utes into the dominant culture, trying hard to teach English, encouraging adoption of settled agriculture in an unforgiving climate, and succumbing to white intrusion on Ute land. While sympathetic to the Utes, they could see no alternative.
The interaction between the Utes and the Unitarians ended in 1878 and 1879. Rev. Danforth had wanted to end his service at White River. In 1878, without consulting the AUA, the United States government appointed Nathan C. Meeker as its Indian agent. Although Meeker was not a Unitarian, he continued to correspond with the AUA and to seek its guidance and assistance. Meeker was much stronger than his predecessors in his insistence on agriculture and his forcefulness in dealing with Ute leaders. His intransigence led to conflict and strife with many Utes. The difficulties climaxed with his murder. "The Utes killed Meeker for his inability to understand the Indian people he was supposed to represent. They drove a barrel stave through his throat so in the afterlife he could not tell lies." As a result of the so-called Meeker Massacre, the Utes were forcibly removed from their precious Colorado homeland in 1880 and relocated to parched, dry land in eastern Utah. The program in which the Unitarians played a part had reached its conclusion: the Utes lost their Shining Mountains forever.
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
HANDOUT 1: EMPOWERMENT CONTROVERSY TIME LINE
Adapted from a time line created by the Reverend Julie Kain, originally published in In Their Own Words, Alice Forsey, ed. (Starr King School for the Ministry, published as part of an oral history project, Conversation with Participants in the Black Empowerment Movement within the Unitarian Universalist Association).
July, 1964 — Harlem Riots, New York
February 21, 1965 — Malcolm X assassinated, New York
February 26, 1965 — Jimmie Lee Jackson shot and killed, Alabama
A young African American man and a deacon of his church, Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed while attempting to defend his family from Alabama state troopers.
March, 1965 — Civil rights marches, Alabama
Marches in Selma and Montgomery led to clashes between civil rights workers and police. Unitarian Universalist minister James Reeb and Unitarian Universalist civil rights worker Viola Liuzzo were murdered by white supremacists.
August, 1965 — Voting Rights Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson, Washington, DC
August 1965 — Watts Riots, Los Angeles
July 1967 — Newark Riots, New Jersey
October 1967 — Emergency Conference, Biltmore Hotel, New York City
Following racial unrest and rioting in the United States, the UUA's Committee on Religion and Race and Department of Social Responsibility, headed by Director Homer Jack, convened the "Emergency Conference on Unitarian Universalist Response to the Black Rebellion." Of the approximately 135-140 participants, 37 were African American. Early in the conference, 30 of the African American participants gathered at the invitation of members of Black Unitarian Universalists for Radical Reform (BURR), an organization from the Los Angeles Unitarian Universalist church that supported the Black Power movement. The gathered caucus, which came to be known as the Black Unitarian Universalist Caucus (BUUC), drew up and presented to the conference a list of "non-negotiable demands" including
The caucus' recommendation was accepted by the Emergency Conference delegates by a 2/3 majority, though the vote had no binding authority with the UUA Board of Trustees. Among the caucus members was Hayward Henry (later Mtangulizi Sanyika), a board member of Boston's Second Church, who would go on to chair the national BUUC effort.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
November 1967 — Board of Trustees Meeting, Boston
At an emotionally charged meeting, representatives from BUUC presented their proposal to the UUA Board of Trustees asking for an up or down vote on each item. The Board, itself divided over the proposal and methods of BUUC, voted down the proposal and passed a resolution to reorganize the Commission on Religion and Race, inviting BUUC participation. In bitter disappointment, BUUC recommended that Unitarian Universalist churches withdraw financial support from the UUA Annual Program Fund until the next General Assembly could meet.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
November 1967 — SOBURR, Los Angeles
At a meeting of approximately 50 delegates of the Pacific Southwest District, Louis Gothard of BURR reported on the Board's actions. The primarily white group present formed the Supporters of BURR (SOBURR) to organize White support of Black empowerment efforts. Los Angeles ministers Stephen Fritchman and Roy Ockert were among the supporters.
February 1968 — National Conference of Black Unitarian Universalists, Chicago
Two hundred and seven delegates represented 600 Black Unitarian Universalists. Among the attendees were Ben Scott from Boston, Richard Traylor (later Mjenzi Traylor) from Philadelphia, Renford Gaines (later Mwalimu Imara), a theological student from Meadville Theological Seminary, and George Johnson from Oakland, who had been hired by the UUA to develop congregational participation in civil rights activities. The conference established the Black Affairs Council (BAC) with six Black and three White members.
March 1968 — UUA Board of Trustees Meeting
The Board, still divided over the best course of action, invited BAC to have affiliate status. Although BUUC and BAC called for support of groups with Black leadership, the Board, saying they could not forfeit their own responsibility in race empowerment, instead formed two UUA groups: the Fund for Racial Justice and the Commission for Action on Race. Hayward Henry charged that the Board's refusal to fund BAC and to allow the BAC to control such funding reflected "a traditional racist and paternalistic approach to black problems."
April 4, 1968 — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Memphis
April 1968 — FULLBAC, Philadelphia
Patterned after SOBURR, a new organization for the Full Recognition and Funding of BAC (FULLBAC) was created. Leadership came from two Philadelphia ministers, David Parke and Rudolph Gelsey. During the meeting at which FULLBAC was organized, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. was announced.
May 1968 — BAWA, New York City
Responding to the formation of groups of White allies who supported the pro-empowerment groups, a group of Black and White Unitarian Universalists formed a pro-integration group, Black and White Alternative, which later became Black and White Action (BAWA). Cornelius MacDougald, board chair of the Community Church in NYC and chair of the UUA's Commission on Religion and Race at the time of the Emergency Conference, and Donald Harrington, minister of Community Church, provided leadership.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
May 1968 — General Assembly, Cleveland
The General Assembly (GA) resolution to meet BUUC's demands for BAC funding of one million dollars over four years passed by vote of 836 to 327. Victor Carpenter later wrote that this showing of support for BAC's agenda "gave the nation its first example of a denomination's making a significant 'reparational' response to the conditions of racism in America."
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
June 1968 & May 1969 — UUA Board of Trustees Meetings
Following the commitment of funding for BAC, the UUA administration and Trustees discovered that all of the UUA's unrestricted endowment funds had already been spent. The denomination did not have adequate funding to continue its current operations. At the May meeting, the administration recommended to the Trustees that BAC funding not be reduced, but that it instead require reaffirmation each year, and that an additional 50,000 dollars be used to fund BAWA.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
July 1969 — General Assembly, Boston
The issue of funding for BAC and BAWA was highly controversial at the General Assembly. Matters came to a head over a proposal to change the agenda and move the funding issue from the end of the agenda to the beginning. The contentious debate led first to a forced possession of the microphone by members BUUC/BAC, FULLBAC and Liberal Religious Youth (LRY), and later to a walkout by BUUC members. Jack Mendelsohn, BAC vice-chair and minister of Boston's Arlington Street Church, addressed the Assembly saying, "Our Black delegates of BAC have now left the room. They have left this Assembly, and they have left our movement, because life and time are short...the Assembly is returning to business as usual and to the position of Black people at the back of the bus." Mendelsohn invited all who wanted to discuss the issues to leave the GA and meet at Arlington Street, just blocks away. More than 400 people participated in "The Walkout" (the GA had 1379 voting delegates) calling themselves "The Moral Caucus." Dana Greeley, outgoing UUA President, convinced them to return the following day. In a close vote, BAC funding of 250,000 dollars was reaffirmed, and BAWA received no funding. Robert West was elected the next president of the UUA.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
December 1969 — BAC Bond Program
Under the leadership of Richard Traylor, Ben Scott, and Hayward Henry, BAC traveling workshops began. Churches were asked to convert half their investment portfolio to BAC bonds for Black Humanistic economic development.
January 1970 — UUA Board of Trustees Meeting
Under severe economic pressure, the Board voted to pay 200,000 dollars per year for five years rather than 250,000 dollars for four, extending the time frame for paying the promised million dollars to BAC. BAC moved to disaffiliate from the UUA, making the organization free to seek independent funding.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
June 1970 — General Assembly, Seattle
BUUC/BAC officially boycotted GA, but workshops and seminars on the BAC bond program to fund economic development were presented. Over the course of a few months, the bond program raised 800,000 dollars. At the Assembly, a motion to restore BAC funding was defeated.
March 1972 — UUA Board of Trustees Meeting
Financial support for BAC and BAWA was obtained through a Veatch Fund grant. 180,000 dollars was allocated for BAC and 45,000 dollars for BAWA. BAC was voted Associate organization status.
February 1973 — BUUC Sixth Annual Meeting, Philadelphia
Due to major disagreements over the future of BAC and BUUC, the organization split. One faction voted to reorganize as the Black Humanist Fellowship (BHF) in order to forge closer ties with other Black empowerment movements and sever ties with the UUA. Two organizations claiming to be BAC emerged. Litigation followed.
1979 — BAC Associate Status Ends
Although BAC's status as a UUA Associate formally ended in 1979, it is estimated that following the controversy of the late 60s and early 70s, over 1,000 Black Unitarian Universalists left the denomination.
Please respond to the passage above.
I feel these actions were...
I would have supported...
I feel it might have been better if...
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
HANDOUT 2: JOSEPH TUCKERMAN (1778-1840)
Embedded quotes, except where noted, are from Joseph Tuckerman, Principles and Results of the Ministry-at-large in Boston (1838).
Narrator:
In his 1838 book about his street ministry, Principles and Results of the Ministry-at-large in Boston, Joseph Tuckerman wrote about how a stranger from a land where Christianity was unknown might perceive Sunday in an American city. His description tells about 19th-century American class distinctions as he saw them.
Joseph Tuckerman:
We can but very inadequately conceive of the overpowering interest with which such a stranger would witness this change. Worldly cares and occupations, he is told, are to be suspended on this day. The master and servant, the employer and the employed, the rich and the poor are to unite in the worship of the common Father of them all. He is told that the Author and Finisher of our faith came to bring to us, and to the world, a religion, which reveals one God and Father of all; which proposes to extend all its blessings to the poor and the poorest, the lowest and most debased; which recognises [sic] enduring distinction, but of the just and the unjust; which addresses all as children, and brothers of one family; and which calls all to live by one law, and to look for one eternal inheritance. Here, then, is a spectacle for the admiration of angels. The ministers of our religion are at their respective altars. The assemblies are gathered for worship; and the stranger there looks about him for representatives of all classes of the busy multitudes, amidst which he had passed the preceding days of the week. But are representatives of all classes to be found there? Alas, how saddening the illusion! From a quarter, to a third of the population of this city, who might be there, do not enter one of these churches. The poor are even excluded from them, except upon the condition of taking their place there as the poor. These are churches for those who can own, or who at least can rent, pews in them. And the laborers who had toiled from Monday morning till Saturday night are, — where?
Narrator:
Tuckerman felt the class distinctions in cities keenly. In his first ministry (1801-1826) in Rumney Marsh (later Chelsea and now Revere), Massachusetts, he had founded the first religious mission to seamen, ministering to a wider community than the members of his church. After resigning his pastorate, Tuckerman became minister-at-large in Boston, ministering primarily to the poor, first under the sponsorship of an ad hoc group of Boston ministers including his friend William Ellery Channing, but soon under the administration of the fledgling American Unitarian Association.
Tuckerman believed poverty was an intended condition of human existence, that there would always be those who depended upon alms for survival, and this in itself was not a degraded or degrading condition. It was poverty coupled with debasement of the human spirit that was unacceptable, and this Tuckerman held to be an unnatural condition imposed by humanity itself.
Joseph Tuckerman:
I have said that I regard poverty as one of the intended conditions of man in this world. So I think Christianity regards it. But so it regards not sin in any of its forms; or in any one whom it holds, or will finally hold accountable for his conduct. Poverty may consist, and is to be found in connexion [sic] the highest religious and moral excellence to be attained in this world. But poverty, as we see it connected with filth, and ignorance, and recklessness, and sin, not only is not an intended condition of humanity, but it is a condition from which it is a most plainly expressed intention of Christianity to redeem every individual who has fallen into it. God intended that there should be trade and commerce among men; and therefore that there should be capitalists, as well as laborers. But did God intend the pride, and the oppression of wealth? Did he intend that the laborer should be as a mere machine of his superior in condition? Did he intend that a few should enrich themselves by the toils of the many, and live in luxury and at ease, while the many should but obtain a bare subsistence, and be considered as much below their employers in worth, as in their outward circumstances?
Narrator:
Tuckerman frequently took the upper classes to task for their role in creating and maintaining the system that kept some in want while others prospered. More, he criticized them for an attitude that poverty was the fault of the impoverished and their due lot, an attitude that dehumanized the poor and made them lesser in the eyes of even those who gave them charity.
Joseph Tuckerman:
Not unfrequently, however, we are brought into connection with these families, primarily through their physical wants. These I have said, are real and great; and great are their sufferings under these wants. Aye, very far greater often are these sufferings than they are supposed to be by the casual observer; of by those who, reasoning of them as abstractions, and referring them to the laws of habit, sagely conclude that, intolerable as the condition would be to themselves, it is yet no very great evil to them who are accustomed to it. May God have more mercy upon these self-complacent arbitrators upon the sensibilities and sufferings of their fellow-beings, than they have toward those against whom they thus shut out their sympathy and compassion!
Narrator:
Tuckerman believed the situation could be addressed in two ways. For one, people of means needed to change their attitudes and behaviors—to improve themselves in Christian character. Without this foundation of sincere goodwill, attempts to help the poor better their own condition would continue to fail.
Joseph Tuckerman:
We all need greater disinterestedness, and greater wisdom. We all need, for our own soul's good, a closer connection with the less favored, and even the lowest in condition of our fellow-beings. I believe that by no means could those in the prospered classes be so advanced in the best qualities of the Christian character, as by a more Christian connection than they have ever had with the laboring classes, and the poor. Seek then connection, and maintain it. Learn to see in the poorest, and the lowest, a fellow-being, and a child of God... From the absence of this conviction in the prospered, and from its feebleness where it is felt, arise far the greatest obstacles to the success of moral enterprises.
Narrator:
The second way Tuckerman felt the condition of degraded poverty could be ameliorated was by bringing Christianity, and thereby moral and spiritual improvement, to the poor. He recognized the very real needs for food, clothing, shelter, education and employment, but he believed that if those who were poor were provided with a moral basis for living, their lives would be permanently changed for the better.
Joseph Tuckerman:
Let us not neglect the physical wants of these sufferers, for they are real, and many, and great. But listen I pray you to the cry which comes up from the depths of their souls, and which would find its way to the depths of your soul. This is the voice to which I would peculiarly give my ear, and my heart, and for which I would obtain your ear, and your heart. Let it never be unheeded, that these are men; human beings; and if to be saved, to be raised, to be improved, to be what God intends that men shall be, we must look to their whole nature, and act in regard to them in accordance with their whole nature. Let it never be forgotten, that by wisely directed aids, these sufferers may do for themselves what the united benevolence of the world, without their own co-operation, can never do for them. They are men, and yet have hardly the slightest comprehension of what it is to be men. They are immortals, and have yet hardly a sensibility of their immortality. They are sinners, yet with few and feeble convictions of sin. Christ died to redeem them. Yet what do they know of Christ, or of his redemption, or of their need of it? They are not however, thank God, even the lowest and most depraved among them, wholly without knowledge and sensibility of good and of evil. God has not left himself without a witness in their souls... Would you then be a Christian friend, a minister of God for the objects of the gospel to any of this class? I would say in the first place, look then to the whole of their condition.
Narrator:
In 1834, Tuckerman helped found the Benevolent Fraternity of Christian (later Unitarian) Churches, a consortium of nine Boston Unitarian churches partnering to bring Christianity to the poor. The "Ben Frat," as it was known, founded chapels throughout Boston to serve the poor and by 1835 employed seven ministers. Some have suggested that by founding these chapels, Tuckerman's elite Unitarian backers aimed to bring Christianity to the poor while not suffering to share a pew with them. In the same year the Benevolent Fraternity was founded, Tuckerman also organized an association to coordinate the services of 21 Boston charities. Elizabeth Peabody, a prominent reformer and educator of the time, wrote of Tuckerman.
Elizabeth Peabody:
As he made progress in his benevolent work—endeavoring to recover the lost, helping the feebleminded, and recognizing the unknown brethren, who were not perhaps sealed with the name of Christ, though they were his in spirit—he grew less speculative and more practical himself. He would say: "Christianity is a life, not a scheme of metaphysical abstractions. Its sphere is rather the heart and will than the brain and imagination. Its fruits are not words, but moral growth, enabling men to work with their hands day after day, and grow meanwhile more sweet, noble, kind, helpful, pure, and high-minded.
Narrator:
Although the chapels of the "Ben Frat" did not last, some still live in new ways. One chapel became the basis of today's Goodwill Industries. The "Ben Frat" itself became, in 1990, the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry. In an effort to restore his health after a decade of decline, Tuckerman sailed for Havana, Cuba, with his daughter in 1840. He died there on April 20, 1840.
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
HANDOUT 3: GENERATIONS THEORY SUMMARY
These summaries are based on the work of William Strauss and Neil Howe, in Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 (New York: Harper Perennial, 1992) and Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (New York: vintage Books, 2000).
Below is a brief summary of the forces that shapes the generations of people in our congregations, as well as a list of broad generational characteristics. As is the case with any generalization, the lists may not accurately describe particular individuals.
The GI Generation (born between 1901 and 1924)
Shaped by the Great Depression, World War II
Characteristics:
The Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1945)
Shaped by Roosevelt Presidency, Korean War, Cold War, Anticommunism, technological and scientific advances, Civil Rights movement
Characteristics:
The Baby Boomers (born between 1943 and 1963)
Shaped by Civil Rights, Vietnam, sexual revolution, liberation movements, political unrest and assassination, Watergate scandal
Characteristics:
Generation X (born between 1964 and 1980)
Shaped by the Regan and George H.W. Bush presidencies, the end of the Cold War, AIDS, the home computer, the internet as a tool for social and business purposes, high parental divorce rate, high incarceration rate
Characteristics:
Millennials (born between 1981 and 2001)
Shaped by highly involved and protective parents and institutions, electronic social networking and new media, targeted marketing, Columbine, September 11, unemployment, War on Drugs, environmentalism
Characteristics:
As-yet-unnamed Generation (born after 2001)
Shaped by communications and technology, War on Terror, and forces as yet unknown
Characteristics:
To be revealed.
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: CULTURE AND HOSPITALITY
The Meredith Tax quote is taken from the pamphlet "The Power of the Word: Culture, Censorship, and Voice" by Meredith Tax with Marjorie Agosin, Ama Ata Aidoo, Ritu Menon, Ninotchka Rosca, and Mariella Sala, published by the Women's World Organization for Rights, Literature and Development , August 1995.
"The Arabs Used to Say" by Naomi Shihab Nye from Prayers for a Thousand Years (Harper San Francisco: San Francisco, CA, 1999).
Culture is who we are and who we are becoming. It is the food we put on the table, the way we cook it, the utensils in which we eat it, the relations between the people who sit at the table and the people who cook and serve, what is done with the leftovers, what is discussed during the meal, what music, dancing, poetry or theatre accompany it, and the social and spiritual values of those present — for when we say culture, we include the visions, dreams and aspirations of humanity. — Meredith Tax, writer and political activist
The Arabs Used to Say
by Naomi Shihab Nye
The Arabs used to say,
When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who he is,
where he's from,
where he's headed.
That way, he'll have strength enough
to answer.
Or, by then you'll be such good friends
you don't care.
Let's go back to that.
Rice? Pine nuts?
Here, take the red brocade pillow.
My child will serve water
to your horse.
No, I was not busy when you came!
I was not preparing to be busy.
That's armor everyone put on
at the end of the century
to pretend they had a purpose
in the world.
I refuse to be claimed.
Your plate is waiting.
We will snip fresh mint
into your tea.
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: FIRST EXPERIENCES
Excerpted from Joseph Fabry, Making Sense: The Meaning of a Life, and Gail R. Geisenhainer, "We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest."
Joseph Fabry was a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust who emigrated from Austria to the United States and settled in Berkley, California. In response to questions about God and Jesus from his daughter, Wendy, Fabry and his family became involved in the local Unitarian church, where the Rev. Raymond Cope was the minister. These words are from Fabry's autobiography Making Sense: The Meaning of a Life.
The word "church" had painful connotations for me. It was the place where "they" went, and in Vienna "they" were the Christians, the Aryans, the anti-Semites, the Nazis. Although the Unitarian Church displayed none of the symbols and paintings of the churches I had seen in Vienna, I felt uncomfortable. As the minister stepped to the pulpit in his churchly robe I was ready to leave.
I cannot remember everything Cope said that morning, but I know he answered questions I hadn't even known to ask. He mentioned two images that immediately had significance to me. Every carpenter knows, he said, that wood has to be sawed with the grain, not against it, or he will get hurt. In the same way we have to live with the grain of the universe and not against it. He also spoke of a "gyroscope" we all carry within us that keeps its balance... This was the first time since I left Vienna that I was assured that there was an order in the universe, and that it was up to me to discover it and live in accordance with it.
When I shook Raymond Cope's hand at the church door after that first service and he heard my accent, he asked me about my background. He said something to the effect that he hoped I would become active in his church, because as a Jew and a refugee I would have some special contributions to make to his congregation. And this after having been called a louse, spit on in the face, imprisoned, and unwanted by every country to which I applied for asylum!
Cope proved that he meant what he said. Not much later, he offered me the chairmanship of a committee that formulated the church school education. I told him I had never been on any committee, much less a chairman, and that I knew nothing about religious education. He said, with convincing assuredness, that he knew I could do it. So I tried. I later was given several leadership positions... Of course, I was scared. But Cope's unflinching confidence in me helped me overcome my self-doubts.
The Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer has served several Unitarian Universalist congregations. These words are from her sermon "We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest" which she preached at the 2006 General Assembly.
I was forthrightly evangelized into Unitarian Universalism. I was 38 years old, living in Maine, driving a snow-plow for a living and feeling very sorry for myself when a friend invited me to his church. He said it was different. I rudely refused. I cursed his church. "All blank-ing churches are the same," I informed him, "they say they're open—but they don't want queer folk. To Heck with church!" My friend persisted. He knew his church was different. He told me his church cared about people, embraced diverse families, and worked to make a better world. He assured me I could come and not have to hide any elements of who I was. So I went. Oh, I went alright.
And I dressed soooo carefully for my first Sunday visit. I spiked my short hair straight up into the air. I dug out my heaviest, oldest work boots, the ones with the chain saw cut that exposed the steel toe. I got my torn blue jeans and my leather jacket. There would be not a shred of ambiguity this Sunday morning. They would embrace me in my full Amazon glory, or they could fry ice. I carefully arranged my outfit so it would highlight the rock hard chip I carried on my shoulder, I bundled up every shred of pain and hurt and betrayal I had harbored from every other religious experience in my life, and I lumbered into that tiny meetinghouse on the coast of Maine.
Blue jeans and boots. Leather jacket, spiked hair and belligerent attitude. I accepted my friend's invitation and I went to his church. I expected the gray-haired ladies in the foyer to step back in fear. That would have been familiar. Instead, they stepped forward, offered me a bulletin, a newsletter and invited me to stay for coffee. It was so... odd! They never even flinched!
They called me "dear." But they pronounced it "dee-ah." "Stay for coffee, dear."
I stayed for coffee. I stayed for Unitarian Universalism. Over time, the good folks of that church loved up the scattered parts of me and guided me from shattered to whole; from outcast to beloved among many. And those folks listened to me. I and my life partner became their poster-children for the brand new Welcoming Congregation program. And they went on to provide important local pastoral and legislative ministries to gay folks in Down East Maine. We walked together and we helped each other to grow.
FAITH LIKE A RIVER: WORKSHOP 15:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: NEWCOMERS' BIOS
My name is Susan.
I'm 45 years old, single, unemployed, and pregnant.
My mother is a Unitarian Universalist in another state, so I thought I would come to the local UU congregation to see what they have to offer. I haven't been inside a church in 35 years.
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My name is Edwin.
I'm 68 years old, and my wife of 40 years recently died of cancer. I'm retired, and I have a lot of health problems. I was raised Catholic, but I don't feel like I can trust the church. But I can't stay home by myself, either.
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My name is Gerry.
I'm 42 years old, and I teach in a public school. No one knows that I'm gay—not my family or friends or, most importantly, people at the school. Naturally I spend a lot of time alone, and several times I've considered ending my life.
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My name is Ariel.
I'm 19 years old. My three-year-old daughter and I recently moved to this area after leaving my abusive boyfriend. I'm looking for a job, but I don't have anyone to watch my daughter. I've never been to a church, but I'm trying to make a "fresh start" in life.
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My name is David.
I'm 25 years old, and I have a form of autism that makes it hard for me to have a regular job. I live in a group home around the corner, and since I can't drive, I have to walk everywhere. I noticed this church, and your sign that "All Are Welcome."
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My name is Barbara.
I was raised as a Unitarian Universalist, and I haven't been active in a congregation since high school. But I've recently moved to this area with my new husband and baby, and I can't find anyone around who seems to be like me. I'm vegan, and I walk everywhere, and I plan on nursing my baby as long as she wants to nurse.
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My name is Humberto.
When I was young I thought I wanted to be a priest, and I even went to seminary for a while. But I couldn't make the commitments required for that lifestyle, and became disenchanted with religion. Lately I've been feeling this great emptiness inside of me, and a friend suggested that I check out the church he goes to in Seattle—the Unitarian Universalist congregation.
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My name is Margaret.
I'm 14 years old, and my parents are divorced. When I'm with my mom, I go to her fundamentalist Christian church. My dad hasn't really had a church, but he's so upset that I have to go to church with her, he's decided he wants me to go to another church when I'm with him. This is the one he picked.
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My name is Diane.
I was raised in the Catholic Church, but I didn't go after I turned 18. My husband was raised as a Unitarian Universalist, and so, when we had a son, I thought we might go back to his church. But my husband won't go, he says he doesn't much like those people.
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My name is Carlene.
I'm 44 years old, a successful businesswoman, working in cosmetics for African American women. My work has forced me to move away from my family and church too many times to count, but it looks like I'll be here for a while. When I go to the local churches of my faith tradition, it seems as though all the people there are poor, and I'm not.
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My name is Bert.
I'm 50 years old, and I recently lost my job through "downsizing." I can't stand being at home with my wife, who keeps asking me when I'm going to go back to work. I came to a public event at this church, and instead of listening to the speaker, I spent my whole time reading literature about your religion.
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My name is Jeff.
I'm 32 years old, and work in construction. I come to this church for NA meetings; I've been clean for 6 months. The first time I came here I read the UU Principles on the wall and I started remembering how much I used to read about world religions when I was in college.
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My name is Shirley.
I'm 83 years old, and I was once a part of this congregation, but there were things happening back then that made me angry, and I left. I've broken my hip—twice—and the doctor says that I have to get out more and move around.
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My name is Arthur.
I'm 48 years old, and I have been living with HIV for about 10 years. My partner left me five years ago, and except for people in my AIDS support group, I don't have many friends. Since last month, when my benefits ended, I've been living in my car. I can't say why I decided to come to this building this particular Sunday, I just seem to find myself here.
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My name is Huang.
I am 27 years old and studying at the university. I grew up in China and was an engineer there, but, my certifications are no good here, so I must study more before I will be able to work in my profession. My religion is my family religion, basically Buddhist and Confucian, but I am not very religious and I am certainly not a Christian. I decided to come to this church because I am living alone here and do not know many people. Each Sunday I see people gathering at this church so I decided to come and see.
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My name is Maria.
I'm 65 years old, highly educated, and fluent in three languages. I know that my English is heavily accented, but I also know that it is absolutely grammatically correct. My experience in mainline congregations is that people shake my hand, nod politely, and walk away. I wonder if the UU church will be different.
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My name is Lisa.
I'm 36 years old, single, and have an 8-year-old son. I work two jobs to earn enough to live, so there isn't a lot of extra time in the day. I'm worried that my son's only time with other kids is in school.
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My name is Oscar.
I'm 78 years old, and my wife Mary has Alzheimer's disease. We've gone to the Methodist church all of our lives, but recently Mary has become disruptive in services, and the minister talked to me about whether it was "good"—for Mary and for the congregation—to have her there. One of the reasons we go to church is so that, for one hour, I don't have to watch her like a hawk.
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My name is Jane.
I am 67 years old, and my husband died 15 years ago. I have five children, all of whom have moved away from the area. I have my women friends, and we go out to lunch, shopping, and so forth. They all have a church that they go to on Sundays, but my husband was an atheist, so we never had that tradition. They've all invited me to come to their religions, but I don't want to be proselytized.
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My name is Amber.
I'm 18 years old, and I grew up in a really cool Unitarian Universalist congregation in Washington, D.C. —that's where all my friends were. But my dad took a job here and now I have to finish high school here. My parents are thinking that if they join the local Unitarian Universalist congregation, I'll feel more "at home." Oh, and as a moving "present," they let me get my tongue, eyebrow and nose pierced.
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My name is Jules.
I'm a large person. I weigh about 400 pounds. My social worker told me that I needed to get away from my apartment more often because when I'm home I eat constantly. I used to go to church, but as I grew heavier, people started avoiding me.
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My name is Frank.
I've come here a number of times, and started talking to the folks who seem to be in charge. They all seem really nice, but I don't have much patience for religion. And they haven't asked me many personal questions—which is good, because I'm an ex-convict, and that tends to drive people away.
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My name is Reba.
I'm 42 years old, and I'm an out lesbian—have been since I was 14. I drive a Harley, and as an EMT, I move in some pretty tough circles. My partner, a singer, and I came here on Coming Out Day—and I have to say the words I heard in that service were unlike any I had heard in a church.
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My name is Tanya.
I'm a Republican, and I work for the county. I've never heard of Unitarian Universalism, but when I was reading the local paper, I noticed a piece about a UU congregation hosting a program about the war in Iraq. I'm not sure what to think about a church that speaks openly about politics, but my interest has been piqued.
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My name is Beth.
My son, James, is 12 now. He was diagnosed as autistic when he was 18 months old. He's taller, and stronger, than me now, and moving into adolescence, too. When he was young, we went to the church where he went to nursery school, because everything was familiar to him, and so it was easier on both of us. But now I need a place for my own religious and spiritual growth. Leaving him home alone is not an option.
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My name is Ben.
I am Latino-looking, and I have come this morning dressed as I would on any Sunday—clean, pressed jeans, and a clean, pressed shirt. I know people will notice me. They always do, because I don't look like most UUs. I know I'll be treated "differently," but I'm always curious about what that will be. You see, I'm a Unitarian Universalist minister, and I like to visit different congregations while I'm on vacation, although I don't identify myself as a minister.
FIND OUT MORE
Diversity and Multiculturalism
James, Jacqui and Judith A. Frediani, Weaving the Fabric of Diversity (Bston, MA: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1996)
Morrison-Reed, Mark D. Black Pioneers in a White Demonination (Boston: Skinner House, 1992)
Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Muliticultural Growth and Witness (at www.uua.org/aboutus/professionalstaff/multiculturalgrowth/index.php)
The Empowerment Controversy
Carpenter, Victor H. Long Challenge: The Empowerment Controversy (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=389) (1967-1977) (Chicago: Meadville Lombard Theological School Press, 2003)
Forsey, Alicia McNary, ed. In Their Own Words (at pacificuu.org/publ/itow/) (Berkeley, CA: Star King School for the Ministry, 2001)
Unitarian Universalism and the Quest for Racial Justice (at www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=682) (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1993)
"Generation Theory"
Strauss, William and Neil Howe. Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 (New York: Harper Perennial, 1992)
Intergenerational Ministry
Additional information on intergenerational ministry and dialogue can be found in Gambone, James V. All Are Welcome: A Primer for Intentional Intergenerational Ministry and Dialogue (Elder Eye Press, 1998)