Widening the Circle of Concern

Copyright
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Copyright © 2020 by the Unitarian Universalist Association. All rights reserved.
Preface
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio & text. At a gathering convened by UUA co-presidents Rev. Sofia Betancourt, Rev. William Sinkford, and Dr. Leon Spencer in Atlanta in 2017, UU leaders of color were asked to share their insights into how the Association could continue moving forward
Acknowledgments
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. So many hours of conversation and hours of testimony have occurred during these three years.
Introduction
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. The UUA Commission on Institutional Change is charged with supporting long-term cultural and institutional change that redeems the essential promise and ideals of Unitarian Universalism. Appointed by the UUA Board of Trustees in 2017 for a period of two…
Methodology
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. Components of our work included: Call for Testimony, Focus Groups, Collaboratory, Outside Audit, Surveys, Social Science Research Tools
Trends
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. The world around us is different than it was a decade ago. Or even five years ago. The question is, how will our “living tradition” keep up with the times? What choices will we make—or fail to make—and how will that affect the relevancy and the survival of our faith?
Theology
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. Unitarian Universalism, as a living faith tradition, must expand its foundations into an expansive faith community tied together not by dogma but by covenantal relations.
Governance
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. “I just want to be personal tonight because I come from a Black people for four hundred years terrorized, traumatized, stigmatized, but the best of our tradition is what?…
Congregations and Communities
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. Many of our congregations are in trouble, with dwindling membership, participation, and financial contributions. A factor that contributes to this decline is our inability to address issues of inclusion, equity, and diversity.
Hospitality and Inclusion
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. “The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘antiracist.’ What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist or racial equality as an antiracist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates…
Living Our Values in the World
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. The work of becoming more equitable, inclusive, and diverse within our congregations is justice work. If we cannot do this well, we cannot be effective as justice partners.
Religious Professionals
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. “We begin with the premise in all our work that the values of Unitarian Universalism cannot be realized in a system that is centered around one cultural expression. In fact, the centering of white culture and values has stymied the development of a full range of cultural expressions.
Educating for Liberation
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. A growing awareness of the power of unconscious bias is pervasive across many settings. The fact that a vocal minority of Unitarian Universalists continue to deny the existence of unconscious bias is both disturbing and discouraging.
Innovations and Risk-Taking
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. We live in a world of change. The pace of change is now at an unprecedented level accelerated by shifts in global economics and demographics.
Restoration and Reparations
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. Any discussion on reparations must begin with an acknowledgment of the ongoing genocide, oppression, and exploitation…
Accountability and Resources
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. Many people of color did not wish to share their individual experiences with the Commission because their stories had been told and retold to no avail.
Final Thoughts
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. In spite of the promise of our movement, we still need to address the bias and oppression within our systems to build resilience in our living tradition for the times we are in and strengthen it for future generations.
Distinctions and Definitions
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. In our work toward the beloved community, a search for a common language and clarity around the meaning of the words and terms used by those with diverging opinions is crucial …
Appendix I: Findings Related to the Southern Regional Lead Hiring Decision, Spring 2017

Commission On Institutional Change

From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. When appointed during the 2017 General Assembly, the Commission on Institutional Change was charged with working to identify and propose redress to issue …
Appendix II: Recommendations
From Widening the Circle of Concern

Audio and text. Collected recommendations from all sections of this report.
Notes
From Widening the Circle of Concern

“https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-cont… U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace: An Update on America’s Changing Religious Landscape,” Pew Research Center (October 17, 2019). Sabrina Tavernise,…