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VOL. XIV N°4 REVIEW OF FALL-WINTER 2009-2010 PUBLISHED WINTER 2010

At this year's Heart & Soul Auction, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was presented with the Forrest Church Award by Forrest's daughter, Nina Church-Adams {left), and All Souls President, Nancy Northup (right). See: The 21st Annual Heart & Soul Auction, p. 3. EDITOR'S CORNER he Fall months of 2009 were a sad period for all of us at All Souls as we hoped against hope that Forrest would beat the odds once Tagain, and then mourned his much too early passing. In some way, his death put a shadow over all the usual November and December festivities. Still, life in our congregation moved on as we voted to approve a program for future development at our special congregational meeting, and changed the dates for our fiscal year. Meanwhile, our much reduced ministerial staff managed to keep the pews filled on Sunday mornings, put on three spectacular musical services on Christmas Eve, as well as the other traditional readings and services. Even the snowy and freezing weather did not keep church members away from the holiday parties, lectures, gift tables and the anniversary celebration we usually attend during these late Fall months.

This edition of the Quarterly was delayed by unforeseen circumstances so that much of the information of Fall activities was out of date by the time of publication. We hope you will find the articles we included interesting and promise a more up-to-date edition for the Spring issue. Of special interest is the article about the changes going on in our church right now that we hope will direct the attention of our readers to the importance of how all of us participate in the daily life of our community (seep. 1). This is also reflected in the article based on a special meeting of the Young Adult Group focusing on budget problems as our congregation is adjusting to new fiscal restraints and responsibilities due to economic retrenchments {see p. 12). This issue also covers both the 2010 Heart & Soul Auction and the Third Annual Invitational Art Show {seep. 3). —Marietta Moskin

In future issues of the Quarterly, we would like to highlight special achievements in the lives of our members: books, articles, awards, performances, etc. Please let us know about your recent achievements, creative or otherwise. Please contact Marietta Moskin at 212-289-7900 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Editors: Marietta Moskin Lois Chazen CONTEXTS Production Editor: James E. Moskin •Changes at All Souls p. 1 •The 21st Animal Heart X Sinil Auction p. 3 Contributors to this issue: •Who We Are: Judy .Samuelson p. 6 Daniel Beshers •The Advent of Forrest Church at All Souls p. 9 Lois Chazen •Beyond the Church Doors p. 10 •YoungAdult Stewardship Meeting: 2/28/10 p. 12 Valorie Dawson •The Future of p. 13 Eric Haas Marietta Moskin CHANGES AT ALL SOULS A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE RECENT PAST —by Marietta Moskin he past year brought difficult times to the country, the city, and to All Souls. The weather was harsh. The economy declined. And our Tcommunity lost a beloved minister who had led us for thirty years. It was a loss we anticipated and yet one that hit us hard in our collective psyche. Even before the Rev. Dr. F. Forrest Church died, the signs of economic hardships had started to touch our congregation and had begun to require changes in our habits and routines. As the Board and the ministers looked for new solutions to deal with escalating costs, declining income and the problems brought to us through the phenomenal growth in the size of our congregation during Forrest's ministry, new ideas were proposed for how to administer and organize our expanding community. And now, the Rev. Dr. Galen Guengerich, as the 10th minister of All Souls, is starting this last decade before our 200th birthday with a multiplicity of problems to be faced and overcome. Perhaps, this is a good moment to pause and look back at the ups and downs this congregation has experienced during the past 50 years of our distinguished nearly 200 year existence. In 1955, when Forrest's predecessor, the Rev. Dr. Walter Donald Kring, assumed the ministry, All Souls was a much smaller but prosperous congregation with a thriving Sunday School that prompted the church to build three additional stories of classrooms on top of the two story Wiggin House, an actively engaged congregation and a positive view of the future. With a single minister in charge of our congregation, church members were very much involved in the day to day running of the organization through a number of Board appointed committees, some mentioned in the Bylaws, as well as other volunteer work designed to help the staff and with fund raising in various ways. For example, an all-church Fair, dating back to the days of the Civil War, not only helped to build our community but also served as a fund-raising tool until changes in church demography made this too difficult to continue. All of this, of course, was very much in line with our UU ideas of congregational polity under which the congregation is managed by its members through the Board of Trustees and lay leaders within the congregation in conjunction with the minister who is elected to provide spiritual leadership and to lead the staff in the day to day administration ofthe church.

By the middle ofthe turbulent 1960s, the placid ways of All Souls had changed. had become a difficult place to live, young families with children fled to the suburbs, and the average age ofthe members of All Souls increased. The religious education program shrank to a ghost of its former vigorous self, and by the time Dr. Kring announced his retirement in the late 1970s, he and the members of the various Boards struggled with the financial shortfalls. 1 Forrest Church walked into that financial challenge when he arrived in 1978. At not quite 30, he had planned on an academic career and was unprepared for the problems of managing a failing religious institution. It was certainly his charisma, his unbounded optimism and his ability to learn his craft quickly that helped him turn our congregation around, start an amazing growth spurt and help us become one ofthe largest congregations in the denomination. Of course, he was also lucky enough to do this at a time when our economy started to grow and boom. There were ups and downs during Forrest's ministry as well, including economic downturns, periods when the church lost members and times when changes in membership prompted re-evaluation of our goals. A comprehensive study was made in the early 1990s by a Future's Committee composed of members ofthe congregation and chaired by Bill Bechman, to see if we needed to change our ways and in what direction we wanted to move. In 2008, a Strategic Planning Committee employed an outside consulting agency to similarly reassess and establish priorities as to where we were going. Those results are now being considered although the means of implementation have not as yet been shared fully with the congregation.

And so, here we are in 2010 with a newly appointed Senior Minister once again facing a difficult economic situation, only this time, complicated by the needs of a greatly expanded membership. This raises new and difficult questions: How can the needs of such a large congregation be met using our traditional forms of congregational polity? How can sufficient funds be raised without placing excessive pressure on less affluent church members? How can we channel the wish of people to be involved in manageable tasks through the committee system without interfering with the needs and abilities ofthe staff? How can our self-governance operate and interact with multiple ministers, each of whom works within his or her own sphere of expertise? Finally, how can our elected Board of Trustees communicate openly and regularly with the membership they represent, even when some matters need to be settled decisively and in a timely manner? And perhaps most importantly, what responsibility does Congregational Polity place on each individual member ofthe congregation? THE 2 1ST ANNUAL HEART & SOUL AUCTION —by Lois Chazen he 21st Annual Heart & Soul Auction took place February 9 at the venerable Down Town Association on Pine Street in the heart ofthe Tfinancial and banking district. The grand late 19th century building afforded three floors of spacious wood paneled rooms to receive guests for cocktails, a display of multi-faceted offerings in the silent auction, and for the live auction, dinner and a bountiful dessert table and dancing. Music accompanied the cocktail hour and set a lively background for the dancers. I^T

The auction has had a variety of venues over the years. The event began as part of the Women's Alliance holiday fair and then in 1990, moved outside the Church and was held at the offices of Shearman and Sterling law firm's New York office. Other locations include the Russian Tea Room and the Starlight Roof of the Waldorf Astoria. In recent years the auctions took place at Christie's beautiful quarters at Rockefeller Plaza. Stephen Lash, Chairman of Christies, North and South America, was a founder of the Heart & Soul Auction along with the Rev. Dr. F. Forrest Church. Carolyn Brody, Francesca Thompson and Michele Jawin were groundbreaking volunteers. And, in each of those years, Stephen has donated his significant talent, charm Auctioneer Stephen Lash and wit as auctioneer. Last year, the Heart & Soul Charitable Fund established the Forrest Church Award for "...courage and selflessness while being influential for the betterment ofthe world in which we live." Forrest presented the award to former President Bill Clinton. Nancy Northup, President of All Souls' Board of Trustees, introduced this year's honoree Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland (1990-1997). Nina Church-Adams, Forrest's daughter, also spoke, saying that her father learned in his final hours, that Ms. Robinson would accept the award. Barely able to speak, Forrest said that he was delighted. Ms. Robinson served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002 and received the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 from President Barack Obama. Currently, she is President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative at the Aspen Institute. Ms. Robinson was born in County Mayo and at age 25, became the youngest Professor 3 of Constitutional Law at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1973, she became a member ofthe English Bar, and Senior Counsel in 1980. Before election to the presidency of Ireland, she served as a Senator for 20 years. Funds raised by the annual Heart & Soul Auction provide support for nineteen Heart & Soul outreach programs. These programs include feeding programs for the homeless and elderly: Monday Night Hospitality and the Friday Soup Kitchen, youth services: the Booker T. Washington Learning Center, NY Fast Break—Mobile Mental Warren Yeh and Bill Bechman Health Treatment Clinic for Children, Girl Scout troops in East Harlem; an abused women's program and elderly services. A Grants Committee chaired by Warren Yeh carefully reviews applications. Criteria for selection of an organization include an operating budget of under $1.5 million and a program in which a small contribution can do the most good. Many volunteers from All Souls participate in the daily running of the groups as well as offer consulting services for those receiving grants. Extensive volunteer participation is required in the organization of the Auction and especially on the day of the sale. Bill Bechman, who joined the Heart & Soul's Board of Trustees in 1999 and assumed the Presidency shortly afterward, said, "We had a terrific group of volunteers throughout the year." More money was raised at the Silent and Live auctions this year than in previous years. The proceeds totaled §318,000, handily topping the goal at the outset of $300,000. However, the continuing uncertain state of the economy reduced the number of people subscribing to the Benefit Committee. Most fund raising organizations invite prospects to join the committee at different levels of commitment. The Benefit Committee names are then listed on the invitation. This support provides underwriting for expenses.

This year the auction co-chairs Mark Leeds and Marilyn Collins, added "Gala" to the event's title. Indeed it was a festive evening! The music during the silent auction and later for dancing was engaging. Beautiful flower arrangements, one foreac h of the twenty round tables in the dining room, and larger displays in the other The 2010 Auction Co-Chairs, rooms used for the occasion, were Marilyn Collins & Mark Leeds donated and arranged by Deborah Buresh Jackson, who was the chair of an earlier Heart & Soul Auction. 4 The volunteers at the auction were trained beforehand by Pat Taylor. Prior to February 9, several small events to create interest occurred: Megan and Jack Friedman hosted "Firehouse Fiesta," there was the Third Annual Invitational Art Show, and a mini-auction was held at Coffee Hour. As a warm-up for next year, another mini-auction and a concert by the Rev. Ana Levy-Lyons will Volunteers (LtoK): Heather Floyd, Anna Stewart, take place in late April, 2010. Dawn Tolan, Miles Chapin, fohn Conti

Among the enticing auction offerings were hotel stays in Florence and Erbusco, Italy; Capetown and Pretoria, South Africa; and three nights in Patagonia, Argentina. There were wall portraits on canvas donated by leading photographers, a beautiful hand-made, king-size quilt, interior-design and legal consultations, spa treatments, dance lessons, theatre and sports tickets. Among the unique offerings were: a session for eight people to learn the broad capabilities of All Souls' magnificent organ, Melaney Mashburn and Marilyn Collins have planned an evening of "Church Lady Poker," The Rev. Ana Levy-Lyons has invited the winning Silent Auction bidder to propose a topic for an upcoming sermon, and Bill Bechman extended an invitation for "High Tea for Twenty-Two" with music at his Riverdale home with a view of three bridges crossing the Hudson and East Rivers' intersection.

Another contributor to the Heart & Soul Charitable Fund is the Annual Invitational Art Show, originated and organized by Pamela Healey. The juried exhibition, in its third year, had 58 participating artists. Twenty art works were sold yieldng a total of $24,622. Half of the proceeds were given to the Charitable Fund and the remaining 50% went to the artists. A range of disciplines was on view including watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, pastel, sculpture, photography, prints and drawings, abstract and representational art. Among the artists were instructors from the National Arts Club, National Academy Museum and Art Students League. Others include Jolie Stahl, a watercolorist represented by the Laurie Bookstein Gallery and Kim Do, the noted Hudson River School painter. The jurors were Pam Healey, Lotus Do Brooks and photographer Mitchel Gray. Mark Leeds, who co-chaired the event in 2008, will co-chair the Fourth Invitational Art Show in 2010 with Mimi Shade who was co-Chair this year.

Mitchel Gray with some ofthe offerings Bill Bechman and Judy Chang v WHO WE ARE: A FEATURE HIGHLIGHTING THE OUTSIDE LIVES OF THE MANY VARIED AND INTERESTING MEMBERS OF OUR CONGREGATION —by Lois Chazen ll Souls has a long tradition of distinguished Board of Trustees presidents throughout the AChurch's long history, people who have made their mark in academia, philanthropy, business, government, education and various other pursuits. Judy Samuelson is one whose career encompasses the five disciplines noted above.

Judy was president of the All Souls Board of Trustees in 2007 during the period when revision ofthe Bond of Union was under discussion. Judy presided equitably at a series of meetings open to all members ofthe Judy Samuelson congregation, allowing time for all opinions to be voiced on this fundamental issue. Judy was chosen as president of the congregation after contributing many volunteer hours to the church in a wide range of roles over the years. Among the other issues the Board addressed during her tenure as president were: how to encourage greater diversity in church membership, how to give more attention to the needs of young people and how to create more active participation in church activities. Also considered, was the term length of board members.

Since Judy became a member of All Souls in 1986, she has taught in the All Souls Religious Education program for twelve years and served on the Religious Education Committee, the Budget Committee and now is chair ofthe Nominating Committee. In addition to her one-year term as president, Judy served two years as a Board member. This is only a sampling of her commitments.

Her involvement at the church began Judy with members of the ch in 1984 when she and her then Board of which she was the Presi husband-to-be, Victor Henschel, visited All Souls in search of a Minister who would perform an interfaith marriage. The Henschels recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. Their life together got off to a propitious start with the Rev. Richard Leonard performing the service with his wife Polly's help. Judy had arrived in New York from two years before. She grew up 6 and attended school in a small town near San Diego and completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA. She then moved further north to Sacramento, the state capital, to translate her college major, Political Science, into a career. From 1974 to 1980, she worked as a lobbyist as well as a legislative aide on state health and education issues and in the Governor's office of Planning and Research. This experience gave her the ability to immediately put to use what she had studied in college.

This was just the beginning of a distinguished career that broadened and deepened each year. Judy worked in Sacramento from 1974 to 1980 during the terms of Ronald Reagan and later, Jerry Brown, two of California's several highly visible chief executives. Next, Judy tackled the financial world. At Bankers Trust, where she worked for seven years, she was manager of a sales and lending team. Thereafter, she enrolled in a newly minted business program at the Yale School of Management where she earned an MBA in 1982. Judy entered the non-profit world in 1989- The Ford Foundation offered her a position. Her banking experience was perfect training for her new role as Director ofthe Office of Program Related Investments. The majority of her work was to arrange lending for affordable housing, economic development and other charitable activities, often in partnership with insurance companies and banks. In 1994, she took part in establishing the Ford Foundation's Corporate Involvement Initiative. This program was designed to support a greater number of businesses operating with attention to societal, ethical and environmental concerns. In 1998, she joined the equally prestigious Aspen Institute where she founded the Business and Society Program with start-up funding from the Ford Foundation. Judy has served as the program's Executive Director since that date.

In a recent article, "The New Rigor: Beyond the Right Answer," Judy states her long held conviction that business can operate profitably while also addressing the needs of society and the environment. She believes that doing so will encourage stronger growth for both entities. Further, that it is the responsibility of business to do so. She warns that if business is conducted with short-term financial rewards as the sole consideration—that is to say, quarterly profits and share price—everyone's future will be in jeopardy. "Sustainable development should be seen as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Judy endorses weaving ethics and values into teaching all business courses. "Currently, business programs rely too much on spreadsheets and mathematical models," she said. "The new global economy has created much greater interdependence worldwide requiring fresh modes of analysis and new models and systems." "The new rigor (for MBA students) would equip managers with the analytical and conceptual skills to think far outside the gate... to see new connections between social and environmental challenges on the one hand and firm-level 7 growth and innovation on the other, and to plan far beyond the quarter and into the future. Further, the new rigor would be characterized by a commitment to inquiry, by the opportunity to challenge key assumptions ofthe MBA canon...." In 1998, early in her tenure at the Aspen Institute, Judy organized a program titled "Beyond Grey Pinstripes," a data-gathering and disseminating arm ofthe Business and Society Program she heads at the Aspen Institute. An important service this group provides is to collect and analyze business school curricula and rate their findings. This year, the University of Michigan and Yale were rated the top "green" business schools. Their focus on environmental and societal sustainability coupled with strength in business and management curricula received the highest marks.

Judy writes many articles for professional journals and periodicals such as the Booz Allen Hamilton publications, the Harvard Business Review (of which an example is "Green: A Discussion About Leadership and the Environment"), the Journal of Management, Learning and Education and the Journal of Higher Education. Just one of her many newspaper contributions, "Are Executives Paid Too Much?" appeared in the Wall Street Journal on February 9, 2009- Among recent symposia in which she participated are "Operating and Investing for the Long Term: Best Practices In Communications, Guidance and Incentive Structures," held at Bloomberg New York Headquarters.

She travels internationally to lecture and to meet with managers at all levels, heads of business schools, MBA students, corporate heads and specialists in related disciplines of education, business and finance, law, ethics and philosophy. "It is great fun for me," she said. "I love to travel and meet new people." Judy is currently on the Advisory Board of ACCION New York, which arranges micro-loans for start-up small businesses and Chair Emerita of Net Input, an MBA organization with 70 chapters in the United States, Europe and India. Her new interest is singing with the All Souls Community Choir. "I really look forward," she said, "to Tuesday night rehearsal and the beautiful music from many different periods and parts ofthe world."

Judy and Vic are the parents of two daughters: Ann, who received a BA from Bard College with a major in Religion, and Sarah, a sophomore at Occidental College in Los Angeles, interested in Politics and Law. Vic, although officially retired, acts as consultant to entrepreneurs. He had worked in sales and marketing at Dun & ludy with Vic, Sarah and Ann Bradstreet, GE and Citibank.

With so many responsibilities in her daily life, Judy still finds time outside of her many professional and personal obligations, to help others. She has found time to offer such help on a grand scale, seeming to combine her intellectual pursuits with purpose and order and results. THE ADVENT OF FORREST CHURCH AT ALL SOULS MEMORIES OF DANIEL N. BESHERS —by Daniel Beshers orrest came as a candidate for the ministry at All Souls in the winter of 1978, shortly after the Annual Meeting ofthe congregation at about Fthe end of January. While the search committee was unchanged by the Annual Meeting, there was a new board, with a new president, my wife Maxine Beshers. The visit involved giving sermons on two consecutive Sundays and spending the intervening time with us meeting as many people as could be arranged. Snow early in the week was heavy enough to hamper these plans, but Forrest did meet quite a few people. The first sermon was good but had something ofthe beginner showing off his erudition, superficially confident but not perfectly at ease. One word (I forget which) was mispronounced, glaringly so in the learned context, and a story went round that a woman—evidently also insecure in her learning—had been heard to say that she would never come again. Snow, fairly heavy, early in the next week, hampered people trying to get to the various meetings, increasing the importance ofthe second sermon. The second sermon began, a vague memory says, with pleasantries about the week. Then came a remarkable response to some private exchanges with members during that time. Forrest said something fairly close to: "Some of you have said to me, 'Stick with me and you'll be all right.' If that is your game, I say pick up your marbles and go home. As minister of this church, I will not play favorites." Note that he said not "if," nor "when," but "as," implicitly assuming leadership. 1 believe that it was that moment that sealed the bond between the candidate and the congregation. I cannot recall the rest ofthe sermon in detail, only that it was relaxed and confident. He did not regain that confidence until almost a year later. There was a congregational meeting to vote on a call to Forrest, I believe on the Tuesday following the second sermon. The meeting was chaired by Maxine, and I was Clerk. Because of the family connection*, I invited Ricardo Mestres to join me as parliamentary officer, and there was one challenge to the chair's ruling that made me glad I had done so. W. Stephens (Steve) Dietz, twice President of the Congregation and a man of forceful devotion to All Souls, made a motion to terminate the discussion and call the question before Maxine was ready to do so, and Ricardo agreed with me that she did not have to entertain the motion until she was satisfied that the agenda for the discussion which had been announced was indeed complete; Steve was fairly steaming, but regained his self control. The vote to call, on a written and secret ballot, was 130 to 2, as I recall; the last I heard, nobody has seen a written number in the records. A small group, including Walter Kring, the retiring minister, surrounded Maxine as she called Forrest and told him of the result, numbers included. Forrest said that hearing of the two votes against him was reassuring; it was an honest count and there had been no motion to "make it unanimous" to patch over some opposing votes. o cont. onp. 10 BEYOND THE CHURCH DOORS —by Lois Chazen

GALEN GUENGERICH The Rev. Dr. Galen Guengerich, our Senior Minister at All Souls, has many interests and pursuits beyond the church doors. Many of these associations relate to some degree to his pastoral work and theological views. For example, Galen is Chairman of the Board of the Interfaith Alliance. Their website describes their mission succinctly: "We unite diverse voices to challenge extremism and build common ground..." and "to continue protecting both the sanctity of religion and the integrity of government." Walter Cronkite, longtime anchor at CBS News, often known as "the most trusted man in America," was, before his death, the public voice of the organization. Galen is a longstanding member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His particular interest is religion and foreign policy. Approaching its 90th anniversary in 2011, the non-partisan organization focus is to clarify the thrust of US foreign policy and to study foreign affairs. Members include leaders in government and in law, non-profit professionals, journalists and scholars and international leaders. The Council provides members access to these authorities, who openly express varying views through discussion, cant. onp. 11 cont. from p. 9 On arriving at the end ofthe summer to take up his duties, Forrest began again. He told frequently, at least twice in the last few years, the story of how in his first few months in the pulpit he worked hard, hard—following all the best models—to produce elegant sermons, and Maxine came to him early in the new year and said, "Sir, you really must do something about your sermons." Rising to the challenge, he cast aside formalities, returned to the natural style of the second candidating sermon, and never looked back. This memoir was originally presented as a lay person's statement at the opening of a church service in the late 1980s using notes which I have seen once or twice since but which are now buried somewhere since my move from the suburbs to the city. When I announced the topic of my opener, Forrest cringed and cried out "No, not that!" I replied that it was a good story, the one I had come to tell, and so I proceeded. Somewhere along the way, I pointed out that the story had a happy ending. My impression was that what I had imagined would be a simple celebration of the past turned, in effect, into a therapy session with beneficial results. Dick Leonard asked me after the service for a copy, but I had only an outline, and my intention to produce a better version has lain dormant for over twenty years. *There had been little time after Maxine's election at the Annual Meeting to arrange for a new Clerk. So I continued until the special meeting, and resigned soon thereafter. 10 cont.fromp. 10 meetings, seminars, lectures, films and written materials. Foreign Affairs magazine as well as books on related topics are available to the public by subscription.

On this year's program for the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Minneapolis, June 23-27, Galen will present eight workshops under the overall and initial session title, "The Necessity of Virtue." Galen cites Aristotle: The key to happiness is virtue. The second through final workshops are named respectively: "Wisdom," "Courage," "Compassion," "Justice," "Temperance," "Transcendence" and "Hope." Last year at GA, Galen presented a highly successful series of workshops titled, "Theology for a Secular Age" for which he is fine-tuning a book proposal.

Two years ago, Galen initiated a closer relationship between All Souls and the independent All Souls School that has its home in Wiggin House. He works closely with Marjorie Goldsmith, its Director. A great music lover, he is a member ofthe Advisory Board of Musica Viva and on the board ex officio of the Heart tk Soul Charitable Fund. He is pictured here with his wife, Dr. Holly Atkinson at the Fund's annual auction fundraiser held this year on February 9, 2010, at the Galen & Holly ai the 20W Down Town Association. It was Holly who made the Heart & Soul Auction arrangements for Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to receive the second Forrest Church Award this year.

In a recent sermon, Galen revealed that he is a trained pilot and that he received his pilot's license one day before he graduated from Franklin & Marshall College. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he studied Classical Greek poetry there and Hebrew poetry at Princeton Theological Seminary. While studying for his doctorate at the University of Chicago Theological Seminary and writing his dissertation, "Comprehensive Commitments and the Public World: Tillich, Rawls and Whitehead on the Nature of Justice," his interest in jazz came into play. Thus, the seeds of All Souls at Sundown were sown. This popular program at All Souls takes place once each month. At each session, Galen reads several selections from one or more poets. An accomplished jazz musician or group performs at every such service. Galen said that the prose elements of the scriptures of various religions tend to be didactic whereas the poetic elements—such as the psalms—are enduring and memorable.

In the past, Galen served on the Board of the UUSC (the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee), and the Board ofthe New York Audubon Society, but time constraints have made continued participation difficult. One organization he was active in that he felt was purposeful—Dads & Daughters—fell victim to the changing economy. Galen's essays appear frequently in UU World. 11 YOUNG ADULT STEWARDSHIP MEETING: 2/28/10 n the aftermath of the last All Souls Annual Meeting and the resultant discussions about fund raising by various groups, the Young Adults H called a special meeting, attended by the Rev. Ana Levy-Lyons, to raise questions and propose ideas. Some of the ideas presented echoed suggestions proposed and tried in the past. Others reflected misconceptions about the budget making process that have arisen because over the past number of years, the congregation has not been adequately educated about how money is raised and allocated among the plethora of functions that are needed to keep our large congregation running. For example, funds raised for outreach purposes through the Auctions using a separate organization should not be confused with funds raised internally by the church through Annual Giving for the financing of regular church related activities. Not all ofthe blame should be placed on the shoulders ofthe Board, ministers and Budget Committee members. Far too few members ofthe congregation have attended the various Budget Committee open meetings where questions can be asked and objections raised. Clearly, the annual budget reports, while laying out all church expenditures, need to be explained more specifically for members of the congregation to understand how these costs are related to the activities of each separate group within the church.

Here are some of the points raised at the Stewardship Meeting as reported in the minutes by Eric Haas: 1. Receptiveness to the idea of tithing, half-tithing, or other percentage- based giving. 2. Cultivating a sense of "ownership" ofthe church. 3. What are the consequences of not meeting fundraising goals? 4. Showing people what can happen if the needs are not met, e.g. "If we do not raise this much money, we would lose one staff member," etc. 5. People need to see the budget, to see how money is spent. 6. When is it tactful to ask people (new members, etc) to start giving? 7. Problem in the financial procedure of church—paying for ministries and other things after they have been done, i.e., the budget each year attempts to pay for the activities ofthe past year. Amore sensible orderofdoing things would possibly be to pay for activities in advance of them happening. 8. Confusion between the church budget and the Heart and Soul Auction— many do not realize that Heart & Soul Auction contributions are not counted as giving to the church.

Other proposals included a greater emphasis on "thank-you" notes and acknowledgement of gifts, keeping track of attendance at church events while preserving "openness" and hospitality to newcomers, setting visual fund raising goals, and above all, more communications about specifically how the funds raised by the church are used. 12 THE FUTURE OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM A VIEW FROM THE REV. WILLIAM G. SINKFORD —by Valorie Dawson n October 11,2009, the Rev. William G. Sinkford gave a lecture in Reidy- Friendship Hall entitled "The Future of Unitarian Universalism." OIn his talk, Rev. Sinkford, the former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, expressed his concern that our denomination has been growing much slower in recent years than it had been growing in the past. Recently, the rate of growth has been about 1% a year when in earlier times, it had been 20%-30%. A growth rate of 2Vi%-3% would be good.

What has caused this slow-down of our religious brand in comparison to other, rapidly growing denominations? For one thing, our congregations have become multi-cultural, which means that changes have become more gradual. Also, UUs are mistaken in the belief that we understand the rest ofthe religious world. Many of our ideas are also embraced in other religious traditions. For example, not all Calvinists believe in predestination, Evangelicals agree with UUs on environmental change, and the Catholic Church supports immigration. We are not only the white middle class "terminally over- educated," but also, the black Pentecostals who embrace Universalism. What UU congregations need is: 1) More visibility 2) Clarity of mission in our bond of Union 3) Dramatic growth Some of this can be achieved by sponsoring social justice events, clarifying why the congregation exists and how its rules and regulations contribute to its uniqueness, and by reaching out in new ministries. UUs need to be united by what is positive in the world. We must believe that everyone is holy and behave that way toward him or her. Give love, not anger. Do not discount that person; do not judge. In response to questions, Sinkford responded that growth is important— that people are yearning for what we have to give. In our big tent, we are able to embrace UU Paganism, Christianity and Atheism and yet offer people a way to be part of one religious community. In order to reach out, UUs are learning to use technology and the web to address such topics as marriage equality and immigration. The pubic advocacy website "Standing on the Side of Love" {http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/) is one tool in these efforts. In his sermon earlier that morning, "In the Spirit of Love," Sinkford posited that William Ellery Channing's "Unitarian Christianity" was based on traditional Christianity while in our more pluralistic communities today, we have examples of Buddhist Unitarianism which harnesses the power of love made manifest in community and appeals to different faith traditions. 13 80? = XI

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