UUMA News Sermon Awards 17

Winter 2009/10 From the President ... Volume 43, Issue 2 In the early 1970’s while studying at Starr King School I took a course called “The Courage to Be a Minister.” It was taught by Byrd Helligas, a wizened old-school humanist who wouldn’t stand for any guff. I dearly loved Byrd. He taught me a lot. The course covered the nuts and bolts. It was a pragmatic primer for how to stay out of trouble while still taking good care of your people. I have to assume the course title intentionally echoed Tillich’s Courage to Be . Byrd certainly shared Tillich’s existentialist perspective and taught ministry as a way of being, as an existential reality. It’s taken many years for me to understand the kind of courage he was calling for. Though we spent considerable time listening to Byrd regale us with stories about, shall we say, the situational ethics of ministry, the courage he asked us to summon had to do with actually living out Emerson’s adage that we should give them “our lives passed through the fire of thought.” That takes real courage. I think we need to learn to testify. I think we need to learn to risk the wrath of the literalists among us by trying to talk about what really matters most. Too many of our colleagues tell me they’re afraid to go deep theologically. “They’ll kill me if I even try it,” they complain. And so they refrain from doing the very work our people need us most to do. It’s time for us to learn to testify. And it’s time, as Paul Rasor likes to remind us, for us to let the laity do their own translating. Just as we need to learn to testify to the depth and power of the experience of the holy in our lives those with whom we serve need to learn to listen with more open hearts and minds not only to us but also to each other. It’s with that holy work in mind that UUMA Vice-President Sarah Lammert, following–up on an idea which arose at the Summit on Excellence in Ministry last December, prepared a proposal entitled “Whose Are We.” The program will prepare colleagues from every chapter to help to facilitate theological conversations among our members. You can read more about this exciting project on page 3 of this Newsletter. Friends, this is a rewarding time to serve on the UUMA Executive Committee. I’m in my third and final year as your president. It hasn’t always been easy. We’ve made some bold moves which, we know have made some of you uncomfortable. I want you all to know that our boldness has been grounded in our understanding of the best interests of our ministry and of our members. My colleagues on the Executive Committee and I deeply appreciate the confidence so many of you have expressed and we are committed to working to regain the trust and yes, the active support of those who disagree with our vision for the future of the UUMA. I can assure you that we’re listening and that we treasure the organization you have entrusted to our care. Yours in Faith, Inside this issue: Rob Eller-Isaacs [email protected] Introducing the Acting Executive Director 2 Whose Are We?: A Theological Conversation 3 CENTER Institute for Excellence in Ministry 4-5 It’s time for us to learn to testify. . . From Communications 5

UNITARIANUNIVERSALIST MINISTERSASSOCIATION to the depth and power From the UUMA Treasurer 6 of the experience of From Chapter Connections 8 the holy in our lives . . . CENTER Chapter Presenters 9-10 And We Remember . . . 11-17 UUMA News Sermon Awards 17

Announcements 18-20 Introducing the Acting Executive Director ...

For more than ten years I have gotten in a rhythm as a parish minister. Staying up late on Satur- day, or getting up early on Sunday, to finish writing a sermon. Worshipping on Sunday morning. Taking a nap Sunday afternoon and struggling to enjoy Sabbath on Monday. Writing a newsletter column once a month, whether or not I had anything much to say. Pledge drives. Staff meetings. Committee meetings. Board meetings. Meetings to plan meetings. All of us, no matter where our ministries have taken us, have rhythms. Hopefully they are rhythms that serve us, and those we serve, well. The UUMA has rhythms too. Gathering at chapter meetings and cluster meetings to learn, to have fun, to connect more deeply with colleagues. Coming to General Assembly early for CENTER and Ministry days, to learn, worship and listen together. A time for connecting with colleagues and honoring those who have served so long and so well. UUMA members volunteering to serve on committees and task forces, spending days and weeks in more meetings so that we can be the best professional association, and the best religious movement, we can be. I am learning new rhythms these days...and so is the UUMA. One of the joys of my first three months on the job has been the chance to visit and talk with so many colleagues at retreats, cluster meetings, CONVO and on the phone. The two most frequent questions I get are: why did you want this job and what do you do? Since I am the first Acting Executive Director of the UUMA they are both good questions. I wanted this job because I believe we can be a better professional association and because I feel a deep calling to help my colleagues more fully live their callings. Before I had the honor and privilege to serve on the UUMA Executive Commit- tee, I did not think the UUMA was much more than my two chapter retreats, a monthly cluster meeting, CENTER and Ministry Days and dues that I felt obligated to pay. My service on the Exec revealed the UUMA is much more and, more importantly, can be so much more than what we have been. I took this job because I want to help make that so. Which leads to the second question I am asked, what do I do. The question more appropriately should be, what will I do. I will help the CENTER committee host the first CENTER Institute for Excellence in Ministry in February 2011. This will not only be a residential learning experience it will provide a model for how we will integrate continuing education, coaching and stronger collegial and chapter connections. I will be working with Sarah Lammert, our Vice President, on facilitating a year long process of theological reflection on the question, Who Are We? I will be working with our Chap- ter Connections portfolio holder, Kathleen McTigue, on producing a chapter handbook which will share the best practices for how our chapters are working and be part of a regular chapter leaders’ training program. I will be working with our Communications portfolio holder, James Kubal-Kumato, and our Administrator, Janette Lallier, on improving the ways the UUMA communicates with, and among, our membership. I will be meeting with our partners throughout the UU movement including UUA staff, LREDA, UUMN, UUSCM, UURMaPA, theological schools, identity ministry groups and, hopefully, with leaders in other faith traditions as well. I will be working on fund development to help build the UUMA’s capacity to make continuing education and chapter connections more available to more of our members. And I will be working closely with you, visiting your chapters and gatherings, to make sure everyone of our 1600 members’ ministries and lives are better because of their association with the UUMA. My to do list is long and our vision is large. That is one rhythm of life that has not changed. For me and for you. Be- cause that is the life of a Unitarian Universalist minister. I am honored to serve and lead you, my beloved colleagues, in the hope that our professional association helps make the list a little easier and the vision more real. I am excited about the work ahead and I hope you are too.

Blessings, Don Southworth, Acting Executive Director [email protected]

Page 2 UUMA NEWS “Whose Are We:” Spiritual Discernment and Theological Reflection

Your UUMA Executive Committee has some exciting news to share! At its fall meeting, the Fund for Unitarian Uni- versalism made a grant of $18,000 to support a new initiative of the UUMA supporting spiritual discernment and theological reflection in our chapters. Specifically, the grant will enable us to train two facilitators from each of our twenty chapters to convene meetings and retreats centered on theology and spiritual depth, and to help convene small groups for continuing spiritual discernment. The training will take place prior to General Assembly in Minneapolis, and we hope that chapter discussions will be scheduled for the fall of 2010. In her sermon during the June 2008 Service of the Living Tradition, Victoria Safford quoted the Quaker teacher Douglas Steere: Douglas Steere, a Quaker teacher, says that the ancient question, “What am I?” inevitably leads to a deeper one, “Whose am I?” – because there is no identity outside of relationships. You can’t be a person by yourself. To ask “Whose Am I?” is to extend the questions far beyond the little self-absorbed self, and wonder: Who needs you? Who loves you? To whom are you accountable? To whom do you answer? Whose life is altered by your choices? With whose life, whose lives, is your own all bound up, inextricably, in obvious or invisible ways? Similarly, as a collective body, we Unitarian Universalists have expended a great deal of energy talking about the enduring core of our identity. “Who are we?” “Who are we really?” And this has led to the deeper conversation “Whose Are We?” which points to the idea that we are a part of something larger, which both includes and transcends us. Some of the major discussion points we hope to spark are: • Why don’t we share our own spiritual journeys more with one another as colleagues? Could we allow ourselves and others to be more vulnerable and talk about our experiences of the holy/our sense of God, or our sense of belonging to something beyond the “self-absorbed self?” • How do you answer the question “Whose Are We” theologically? Relationally?

• How do you integrate your theology into your practice of ministry? What obstacles have you encountered? • What spiritual disciplines do you practice in order to stay grounded in your knowledge of whose you are? What are you wrestling with in your spiritual life? It seems that there is deep hunger among us for this kind of interchange. Some chapters have already formed small spiritual discernment groups – we’d like to share these models. Some have already held retreats on theology or spiritual practice. Now we would like to see what transformative potential there is, both personally and for Unitarian Universal- ism, when we take this on as a whole ministry. May our bonds be strengthened in service of the whole.

Applications to serve as a chapter facilitator are due January 31 st and can be found at: www.uuma.org/whose_are_we

… this has led to the deeper conversation

“Whose Are We?”

which points to the idea that we are a part of something larger, which both includes and transcends us.

WINTER 2009/10 Page 3 The CENTER Institute for Excellence in Ministry, February 7-11, 2011 at Asilomar Conference Grounds will provide UUMA members a chance to engage in a more intense time of study and learning with opportunities for understanding, practice and feedback. The topics and themes of the Institute will help members to build existing skills and learn new ones in an atmosphere which will foster new and deeper collegial connections.

Topics and themes for the Institute will be drawn from those that UUMA members have told us they are most interested in including Preaching, Spiritual Growth & Practice, Lead- ership Development, Conflict Management, Public Ministry/Public Witness, Membership Growth and Theological Reflection.

What we promise . . .

• Outstanding speakers • Relevant and meaningful curriculum • In-depth programming that will provide chances to go “deeper and wider” • An invitation to strengthen existing friendships, build new ones and a plan to build on them when we leave • Many chances to work in small affinity groups • Tools and techniques for ongoing coaching and support • A personalized blueprint for sustaining and creating joy, fulfillment and excellence in our ministries • Inspiration, relaxation, renewal, beauty and fun!

The details . . .

• Cost will be $700 - $1000 (Registration & Housing) • Scholarships and grants will be available • Registration packet will be coming in Spring 2010

The place . . .

Asilomar Conference Grounds, known as Monterey Peninsula's "Refuge by the Sea" is located on 107 acres of protected beachfront land, within the quaint and scenic town of Pacific Grove. Accommodations are designed to be free from distractions so guests can reflect and focus on the natural wonders that surround them. In addition to having some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, the central coast of California has a myriad of activities and places for nurturing and pampering one’s soul.

Page 4 UUMA NEWS From the CENTER Committee . . . Concerning The Institute for Excellence in Ministry

The CENTER Institute for Excellence in Ministry is perhaps the largest and most exciting project the UUMA has ever undertaken. The Institute is scheduled to have its first meeting Feb. 7-11, 2011, at Asilomar, which is known as the Monterey Peninsula's "Refuge by the Sea," located on 107 spectacular acres of Pacific beachfront property. The cost will be $700-$1,000 for registration and housing, with a registration packet available this spring. The Institute will meet every other year and go back and forth from the west to east coast. If General Assembly begins meeting every other year, the CENTER Institute will meet in the off years. During the week, our goal is to provide our ministers the best worship and seminar presenters available for continuing education and spiritual depth. Through seminar classes, small groups, one-on-ones, and special in-depth modules, we also will strengthen our network of coaches and mentors and provide tools for ministers to take their experiences back to their chapters. We also are looking at technological ways to participate through webinars or other on-line methods. Seminar topics will be based upon the needs identified by about 630 ministers throughout the United States and Canada who participated in our 2008 survey. Some tracks will repeat from institute to institute and others will be added as we continue to assess the needs and desires of our colleagues. These areas now include preaching, spiritual growth and practice, leadership development, conflict management, public ministry/public witness, membership growth and theological reflection. Most of us, I am guessing, will want to take several different tracks over the years, so the institute experience will always be new, depending upon what you study each time. We also will be working with the Unitarian Universalist Association, funding panels and private donors to establish a strong program of grants and scholarships so that the institute will be accessible for most of us. Our goal is to provide enriching continuing education so that in all phases of ministry, we stretch and go as deep and wide as we can in our profession. We also hope that the institute will strengthen our collegiality and leadership capacity, so that we develop the best forms of support for our ministers, whether it is a need for mentoring, coaching on specific problems or nurturing needs identified through the Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression Multicultural lens or through the ministry needs of youth and young adults. Our vision is large. Our hope is to bring joy, fulfillment and excellence to our ministries. We want you to participate and communicate directly with CENTER and the Exec, bringing us your ideas and suggestions for the best possible experience. In faith, Jann Halloran, Member of CENTER; Member of Exec, Professional Development Portfolio [email protected] From Communications

Many Unitarian Universalist ministers are members of Facebook, the social networking Internet site, but strug- gle with how to use the site both professionally and personally. Some ministers, I know, decide to use the site only professionally, and see it as one more way to communicate with those to whom we minister - - especially younger adults and youth. Some use it only personally to communicate with family members and close friends, choosing not to become “Friends” with anyone to whom we minister. However, for those of us who use Facebook both professional and personal purposes, we want to have appropriate professional boundaries and sometimes wonder about how much we should share about ourselves on Facebook. A few ministers, I know, have solved this problem by creating more than one Facebook account, which is actually a violation of the site’s rules. Recently, however, Facebook has made it easier for its users to keep their professional and personal lives separate. In a New York Times article, Sarah Perez lists “5 Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook.” ( See http://tinyurl.com/yaonygv .) These steps include (1) making friends lists, (2) deciding who can see what on your profile, (3) changing who can see your address and phone number, (4) changing who can find you on Facebook via searches, and (5) not sharing personal information with unknown applications. I recently went through these steps, and I found the most important and useful of them to be creating making friends lists. I created several lists, including “Church members,” “Colleagues,” “Family,” “Close Friends,” and “Acquaintances” and sorted all of my Facebook “Friends” into one of these lists.

WINTER 2009/10 Page 5 (Continued from page 5)

Taking this step was important in two ways. First and most importantly, it was necessary to taking any of the additional steps. However, I also found it useful in another way. Facebook can be a great way to keep up with what’s happening in others’ lives, but if you have a few hundred “Friends” on Facebook, sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with what’s happening in the lives of church members without also having to wade through a high school friend’s ramblings on his latest favorite TV show. By put- ting all the members of my congregation into one friends list, with a click of a button, I can see only their "Status Updates." After sorting all of my “Friends” into friends lists, I was also able to limit access to who was able to see what by following the other steps. For example, once dividing people into friends’ lists, it’s possible to limit who can see your “Status Update” or your “Wall” as well as pictures and videos with you in them. Don’t want members of your congregation to see what old high school friends or your brother-in-law writes on your “Wall?” It’s easy to make that happen. I also found Step 4 particularly useful, limiting who can find me on Facebook via searches. For example, after recently Googling myself (still legal in most states), I was surprised to see a picture of my son and me wearing tie-dye tee-shirts that I had once used as a Profile picture. I changed a setting on my privacy profile, and now that picture no longer turns up on searches. If you are somebody who has decided just to use Facebook to communicate with family and friends, limiting who can find you via searches also helps to avoid the awkward situation of having to decline to become “Friends” with someone you serve professionally. I still always make the assumption that any information I put on Facebook could end up being seeing by anybody someday, so I still practice a lot of discretion, but I’ve found following these steps helps main- tain the professional boundaries that are important to my ministry. Sincerely, James Kubal-Komoto, Communications [email protected]

From the UUMA Treasurer . . . Concerning Issues of Dues Restructuring

In service of the larger vision for the UUMA, a dues re-structuring proposal was made at the 09 Annual Meeting. Though the vote was overwhelmingly positive, the Exec has received a variety of comments and concerns regarding the process, the actual proposed dues amounts, and how dues changes would affect various situations. As directed, we have carefully considered your comments and are working toward a slightly revised plan to propose for 2010. Please bear in mind that a budget is essentially based on support for a vision, so actual proposed dues amounts will not be final until we have a draft of the 2010 budget. Specific concerns raised so far fall mainly into two categories: questions regarding what professional organizations can be de- ducted from the dues amount and general questions of fairness in the structure itself. The proposal that you passed included the wording that “Any UUMA member who pays dues to another professional organization necessary to their work in ministry may apply for the minimum.” Our intent with that wording was especially to respond to the needs of community ministers who may be paying a substantial dues amount to another professional organization, membership in which is either required or expected for their employment/service. While we had hoped individuals would be capable of determining whether a particular membership was necessary to their work, yet a great number of questions have arisen regarding outside memberships. The wording will stand for 2009 and members may select to pay the minimum if they belong to any other organization (including LREDA and SCM.) However, we would like to also suggest that members consider subtracting the amount of these ‘other’ dues from their total UUMA dues rather than default- ing to the minimum of $144. Please note that in 2010, to make this clearer in the future, we are considering either a flat rate deduction from the dues amount or requesting that individuals list dues amounts and membership documentation for any sub- tractions from the proposed UUMA dues. Needless to say, members continue to make special requests for their unique situations. And, needless to say, it is virtually im- possible for any dues structure to attend to and be completely fair to every possible situation among our 1600 members. We understand that it is not going to be perfectly equitable to every member in every possible situation. In addition to the large cate- gory of community ministers (with widely varying compensation and needs), we are attempting to respond to those in part-time ministry or not working for a particular year. Most particularly, we want to respond to a concern about those whose compensation is at the lower end. We will be offering a dues structure next year that will be as clear and fair as possible to all our mem- (Continued on page 7)

Page 6 UUMA NEWS (Continued from page 6) bers. To that end, we are considering in 2010 inviting those making less than $25,000 to elect either the minimum of $144 or .75%. We understand that $144 may be more than some members feel they can pay and have granted full waivers in cases of clear financial hardship. It is also important to say that we feel that $144 is a reasonable amount of dues to pay to a professional organization that is in the process of making major strides in its ability to offer continuing education. Please remember that the re-structuring is a three year process, building over time. We know it takes time both to get used to the change as well as to see the increased capacity of your professional organization to better respond to your needs. (Sneak preview: We’ve just established a UUMA Scholarship Fund for Continuing Education!) - Marni Harmony, Treasurer [email protected]

UUMA Leadership

2009-10 UUMA Executive Committee

Rob Eller-Isaacs , President [email protected] Phone: 651-228-1456 Sarah Lammert , VP [email protected] Phone: 201-444-6225 Marni Harmony , Treasurer [email protected] Phone: 770-578-1533 Alan Taylor , Secretary [email protected] Phone: 708-848-6225 x101 James Kubal-Komoto , Communications Pictured (left-right): Front Row: Hope Johnson, Marni Harmony, Kathleen McTigue, Kimi Riegel, Fred [email protected] Muir, Don Southworth, Jann Halloran, Bill Hamilton-Holway. Back Row: Helen Carroll, Alan Taylor, Rob Phone: 253-839-5200 Eller-Issacs, Greg Ward, Sarah Lammert, James Kubal-Komoto. Helen Carroll , Arrangements [email protected] Collin Bossen, Secretary UUMA Staff 2009-10 CENTER Phone: 805-459-9696 Committee Members 216-932-1898 [email protected] Don Southworth, Hope Johnson , ARAOM Kimi Riegel, Co-Chair Acting Executive Director [email protected] Roger Bertschausen 248-354-4488 617-848-0416 Phone: 917-304-3048 [email protected] 920-731-0849 617-848-8122 (fax) [email protected] [email protected] Jann Halloran , CENTER Greg Ward , Co-Chair [email protected] 831-624-7404 Joan Van Becelaere Janette Lallier, Phone: 303-840-5928 [email protected] 303-641-5896 Administrator Kathleen McTigue , Chapters jvanbece- 617-848-0498 [email protected] Jann Halloran, Exec [email protected] 617-848-0973 (fax) 303-840-5928 Phone: 203-288-1807 x202 Liz Lerner Maclay [email protected] [email protected] Fred Muir , Good Offices 301-434-4050 Mailing Address: [email protected] Carol Huston, Treasurer [email protected] 25 Beacon Street Phone: 410-266-8044 914-946-1660 x3 Boston, MA 02108 [email protected] Jory Agate, UUA Liaison 617-948-6453 [email protected]

WINTER 2009/10 Page 7 From Chapter Connections Greetings from your Chapter Connections Representative! There are two things on which I’d like to report. First, our quarterly conference calls with chapter leaders have become an excellent way for the Executive Com- mittee to stay more closely connected with chapter membership. Our most recent call included thirty chapter leaders, who heard about the most recent Executive Committee meeting and were able to offer us feedback, questions and concerns. While we still feel strongly that face-to-face visits to chapters are an important part of our work – and will be supported by our acting Executive Director this year – the conference calls are a good way to extend the conversation and allow chapter leaders to hear from one another and feel the scope of our association. Each quarter the points covered in the call are then posted on the UUMA website; look for “Highlights”. (www.uuma.org/current_excomm_minutes ) Second, we are looking at new ways to do chapter leadership training. We will continue to hold a gathering of leaders in June. Once we have more clarity on the budget we will be in touch with leaders about the scope of the meeting and the details you will need to plan. As we plan our trainings our focus will be on introducing practices for chapter life that enhance renewal, theological reflection and collegial engagement. We are preparing extensive materials on these and other areas of chapter life in the handbook for best practices, which will be introduced in June and made available online. Future trainings will include a panel on anti-racism/anti- oppression and reflections on how to strengthen ARAOM work in our chapters. Many more details will be available in March, but if you hold a leadership position in your chapter, please plan to join us in Minnea- polis. - Kathleen McTigue, Chapter Connections [email protected] News from the Chapters The women clergy blanket made an appearance at the Fall Pacific Southwest Chapter Retreat. The project, begun by Carolyn Owen- Towle and some women from the 1st UU Church of San Diego in 1980, travels around (or gets stuck in someone's closet) so that more UU women clergy can sign it and have their signatures embroidered. To date there are hundreds of names on it. These photos were taken at the Pacific Southwest Chapter's fall retreat, sparked by Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff. All of the women there signed it, and then both male & female colleagues did the embroider- ing. Bottom Right: starting bottom left going clockwise, are: Lone Jen- sen, Margo McKenna, Kathleen Green, Diane Dowgiert, Roberta Haskin, Erika Hewitt, Beth Johnson, Byrd Tetzlaff. Bottom Right: Lone Jensen.

Page 8 UUMA NEWS 2009-10 CENTER Chapter Presenters UUMA Continuing Education Network for Training, Enrichment, and Renewal Additional presentations available at http://www.uuma.org/chap_presenters_current

Adaptive Leadership for Ministers ~ Rev. John Millspaugh

As Charles Darwin might have said, organizations that do not adapt do not survive. Dr. Ronald Heifetz’s frame- work for adaptive leadership can help our UU organizations not only survive, but thrive. Adaptive leadership in- volves helping groups face challenges neither you nor they know how to address, pastoring and prodding them through a zone of productive disequilibrium where old patterns are broken and new health is embraced. In practi- cal terms, adaptive organizations institutionalize reflection, disperse leadership, speak the unspeakable, hold dis- tress, and continually run small experiments. For their part, adaptive leaders dwell in purpose, distinguish between technical and adaptive work, take faithful risks, regulate the heat, own their piece of the mess, and discover the joy of making hard decisions. No matter your organizational constraints, this intensive reflection on the perils and the promise of adaptive leadership will change the way you think of ministry itself, broadening the options available to you and the people you serve. Contact: [email protected] Playing with Words that Matter ~ Rev. Dr. Nancy Jay Crumbine

Sermon after sermon, I say exactly what I mean, every word my own. Don't we wish. Words, in fact, are wildly not our own, as they rise up out of our vastly unknown unconsciousness and ricochet off decades of other people's experience. We UU ministers love words so for this very reason, the unpredictable possibility that someone might be moved by what we say, in addition to being moved by what we might have meant. When we dare to use words to surprise and enchant, we dare to connect in unpredictable ways. In this workshop we will play with words in new ways, encourage those of us who might be afraid to write a "poem" but who nevertheless are drawn to lan- guage that surprises and delights. We will become writers who, in our wildest dreams, imagine ourselves saying something that flies like a spark into another's heart. Words also can help us slow down. This two-toned workshop is designed to help ministers enrich our voices; ever attentive to the possibility of transforming our feelings, ever hopeful of enriching the public word with ever more personal depth. We will discuss “writer's block,” “minister’s block,” and the other monsters which skulk between our deepest held beliefs, our most precious stories, and the public which wants to hear them. We will do short playful writing exercises, write our dearest stories, share as we are moved to share, laugh, sing and celebrate our impossi- ble calling. Contact: [email protected] Humor and Truth in Ministry ~ Rev. Meg Barnhouse

Meg Barnhouse is minister of the UU Church of Spartanburg, SC, and a credentialed pastoral counselor. She is also an accomplished writer, composer and performer. Meg is a commentator on the NC Public Radio Program “Radio Free Bubba.” Her books include The Best of Radio Free Bubba, Waking Up the Karma Fairy, The Rock of Ages at the Taj Mahal, and Did I Say That Out Loud? Meg’s workshop demonstrates how she uses humor to tell the truth in a “Ha-ha-ha-OH!” technique. She has no idea how to teach humor, but she can teach writing and telling the truth, and participants will have a good time in her workshop. Her methods for changing self-defeating behavior are both profound and easy to grasp, and she mixes in original songs like “The A.D.D. Blues,” and “The Bipolar Waltz.” Contact: [email protected]. Collaborative Worship Ministry ~ Minister/Musician Relationship ~ Rev. Jason Shelton

We often speak of the need for greater collaboration between ministers and musicians, but how might such a relationship actually work? In this workshop we’ll explore the roles of the parish minister and musician, looking honestly at areas of potential conflict between the two as well as celebrating the rich, rewarding partnership that is possible when they engage in a truly shared ministry. Topics covered include: ego and worship leadership; full integration of music into the worship planning process; theological development for church musicians (and the minister’s role in making it happen); and music, worship and anti-racist, multicultural identity. And rest assured, there will be quite a bit of sing- ing, too! Chapters are encouraged to invite musicians to attend and participate. Contact [email protected]. Creating Sexually Healthy UU Communities ~ Rev. Debra W. Haffner

UU congregations and clergy can be proud of our leadership in sexual health and sexual justice issues. But we can do more. Rev. Debra Haffner will tailor a workshop for your chapter on creating sexually healthy faith communities. Three six hour workshops are available: increasing one’s effectiveness as a sexually healthy religious professional, assessing and improving the sexual health of the faith community, and keeping children and youth safe in congregations, including how to include a sex offender in the congregation. The workshop will include tools to help participants assess their needs and effective strategies for implementing programs and procedures. The workshops are appropriate for joint UUMA/LREDA. Participants have called them “Fun, informative, engaging, challenging, and inspirational.” Contact : [email protected]

WINTER 2009/10 Page 9 The Many Meanings of Ministry ~ Rev. Steve Edington

A minister is a pastor, a prophet, a theologian, a colleague…and a vulnerable human being. What does it mean to operate in these many, and often overlapping modes? And how much of her/his humanity and vulnerability does a minister expose in his/her ministry? This workshop is an outgrowth of conversations between Steve and the Rev. Ric Marsten as it looks at how Ric’s alternative, troubadour ministry informs those of us who minister in the more traditional settings of congregation and community. Using some of the books chapters as backdrop, this workshop offers structured and personally focused opportunities for colleagues to examine the many meanings of ministry. Contact: [email protected]

Repairing Rifts in the Church ~ Rev. Cat Cox

An ongoing challenge of ministry is trying to accomplish our work in the midst of damaged relationships in which trust and good will have been lost. There are concrete processes ministers can bring to bear which meaningfully address the needs of all stakeholders. This workshop will offer an overview and intensive practice in applying the conflict resolution practices of Non-Violent Communication to the dynamics of congregational systems. Learn ways not only to “unstick” specific thorny issues, but to usher in profound, long-lasting changes in congregational culture. Cat’s community ministry of UU spiritual direction serves individuals and communities, UU and beyond, nationwide and is affiliated with the UU Church of Berkeley. Contact [email protected] .

Mental Health in the Church ~ Barbara Meyers

People with mental disorders and their families fill our pews, our streets, our jails and, I should add, our pulpits. Fre- quently, a minister is the first person contacted by a person or a family undergoing mental health problems. But, un- fortunately and sometimes tragically many ministers don't know how to handle these problems. This workshop is designed for ministers and will give an overview of mental health, consequences of mental disorder, treatment, the recovery model and pastoral care. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of religion and spirituality in mental health and the particular role that a minister as pastoral care giver can play. It also addresses the question of self-care for ministers who themselves have mental health needs. Contact: [email protected]

Writing as a Spiritual Practice ~ Rev. Barbara Child

Every authentic self-disclosure makes one person’s story a gift to all who hear it. No one can tell where its influence ends. Barbara invites colleagues to sit down to write in each other’s company and then to share the writing with each other. She brings together the value of exploring self and the value of having the support of a community in which to do that. The kind of writing she invites in these retreat workshops is quite different from journal writing or writing a spiritual autobiography. Her program offers colleagues a time of creative renewal, an experience of coming to know themselves and colleagues more deeply, and a program easily adaptable for congregational retreats or adult religious education programs. Contact [email protected] The Chapter Presenters Program A Presenter Program is a 6-12 hour ♦ Additional presenter costs are born by Guest Presenters workshop for a UUMA chapter meeting or the chapter When a chapter has an opportunity for a retreat. CENTER offers three kinds of ♦ Each chapter may apply for only one speaker in your area who can address your opportunities for the chapters: Chapter reimbursement per year. Chapters may needs (UU colleague or someone from Presenters, Guest Presenters, and Anti- collaborate by conducting joint presenta- outside our movement), CENTER offers Racism Anti-Oppression Multicultural tions (at $1000 maximum each) the same funding assistance as it does to Programming. other presenters ♦ Program and financial details are Chapter Presenters worked out between the chapter and the CENTER Subsidies ♦ Presenters are chosen from within our presenter. collegial ranks and based on identified Contact presenters directly, then following ♦ Reimbursement for expenses to the needs in ministry the retreat, contact the UUMA Office to presenter is a chapter responsibility and apply for CENTER subsidies. After pro- ♦ CENTER sponsors individual Chapter should be handled with utmost dispatch viding receipts and evaluations your re- Presenters for no more than three years ♦ Each chapter pays the presenter after the quest will be presented to the CENTER ♦ Funding available to chapters: up to program is completed. CENTER will Treasurer for approval. Funds are limited. $500 toward expense of bringing the reimburse the chapter after receipts and Subsidies are awarded on a first-come- presenter to the retreat, and up to $500 summary evaluations are returned to first-served basis. honorarium for the presenter (per chap- CENTER through the UUMA Office. ter per year)

Page 10 UUMA NEWS And We Remember . . . Friends and colleagues are encouraged to share their reflections at this site: http://www.uuma/blog.

James Marshall Bank Jean Lois Witman Gilpatrick Timothy Ward Jensen James Madison Barr III Kenneth C. Hawkes H Kyle Nagel Forrest Church Stephen Davies Howard Arnold Farrow Westwood

The Reverend James Marshall Bank 1943 - 2009 The Reverend James Marshall Bank died on July 23, 2009, after three years of living with cancer. He was 65. Rev. Bank was born on November 10, 1943 to Rev. Milton Harold Bank, a Methodist minister, and Fern Richey Bank in Hancock, MI. He graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, in 1965. He earned three graduate divinity degrees from Boston University, an STB in 1968, an AM in Church History in 1969, and a second AM in New Testa- ment Studies in 1976. In 1971 he was named Lucinda Bidwell Beebe Fellow by the Boston University School of Theology and was invited to study at Cambridge University with Rev. Charles Moule, G. W. H. Lampe, and Ernst Bammel. During the last four years of his academic work, he served as a lecturer and assistant professor in New Testament and Patristics in Boston University’s College of Liberal Arts. Rev. Bank was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry at King’s Chapel in Boston in 1976 and later that year was commis- sioned as chaplain in the United States Navy. He served three years on Okinawa where he administered an alcohol and drug abuse prevention program and provided marriage and family counseling in addition to his other pastoral responsibilities. He then served aboard the aircraft carrier, Constellation (CV64), which was deployed to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf during the height of the Iranian hostage crisis. He entered parish ministry serving the UU Church of Melrose, MA; the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, MD; the UU Church in Silver Spring, MD; and the UU Fellowship at Easton, MD. As interim minister, he served the UU Society of Hartland Four Corners, VT; the UU Fellowship of Winston-Salem, NC; the First Unitarian Society of Exeter, NH; and the UU Congregation of Erie, PA. Rev. Bank was active in issues of social justice, especially issues of gay rights and AIDS ministry. He was a strong advocate for inter-denominational cooperation on a local level wherever he served. During his years of ministry, Rev. Bank served in the Unitarian Universalist denomination’s Minister on Loan Program to First Unitarian Church of Salem, OR, and as a member of the Religious Education Futures Committee. He served on the AIDS Community Review Panel of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for six years, chairing the Committee in his sixth year. He was a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Institutional Review Board for ten years where he oversaw all protocols involving human subjects; he counted this as one of the most meaningful and significant contributions of his lifetime. His family remembers him as a true renaissance man who loved history, books, films, music, gadgets, animals, story-telling, and being a good Dad. He is survived by his wife, Cathy Miller, and his three daughters, Julia, Sarah, and Sasha Bank. Messages of condolence may be sent to Cathy Miller, 29170 Woodridge Dr., Easton, MD 21601-4616. The Reverend James Madison Barr III 1919 - 2009 The Reverend Dr. James Madison Barr died on June 10, 2009 at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was 90. Rev. Barr was born on March 17, 1919 in Belhaven, North Carolina to James Madison Barr, Jr and Alice Way Barr. His family relocated to Virginia, where he attended Fork Union Military Academy, graduating in 1935. He continued his education at the University of Virginia, studying accounting and business before graduating with a law degree in 1947. Following graduation, Rev. Barr taught at the School of Economics and Commerce at the University of Virginia. He also worked as an attorney, an accountant, and an auditor, was elected to the Charlottesville, Virginia city council and served as president of the Charlottesville Junior Chamber of Commerce. While in Charlotte, Rev. Barr became an active member of the Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church and in 1952, he entered Starr King School for the Ministry. In 1954, Rev. Barr was ordained and installed at the Church of the Unity in Winchendon, MA, where he served for 2 years. In 1956, he was called to the First Unitarian Church of Albany, NY.

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In 1962, he returned to the South of his childhood, serving the First Unitarian Church of Memphis from 1962 to 1982. Under his leadership, the congregation built an award-winning church designed by church member, Roy Harrover. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, its wall of windows allows full view of the Mississippi. Upon his retirement from the Memphis "Church of the River," Rev. Barr was named minister emeritus by his congregants. Rev. Barr was active in denominational affairs, serving in the Southwest District as Settlement Representative, Good Offices Repre- sentative, member of the Southwest District Board of Directors, and as Chair of the Summer Institute. His community activities while in Memphis included membership on the boards of Tenn-Ark-Miss Council of the Girl Scouts, Urban League, and the Heart Association. He was also a member of the Memphis Community Relations Commission. His friend and colleague, Rev. Burton Carley, current minister in Memphis, said "any minister stands on the shoulders of the minister who precedes him. Jim's shoulders were very broad. He had a deep mind and wonderful spirit. It was a privilege to succeed him." Rev. Barr is survived by his daughters, Betty Barr McClure and husband, Clifton McClure, of Charlottesville, VA; Mary Alice Barr Colo and husband, Michael S. Colo, of Rocky Mount, NC; and Sally Barr Alexander and husband, Arlie A. Alexander, of Monti- cello, IL. He leaves his grandchildren, Sarah McClure Gfroerer and husband, Wesley Gfroerer, of Charlottesville, VA; Catherine E. Colo of Atlanta, GA; Christian A. Colo and wife, Amber, of Morristown, NJ; Craig M. Alexander and wife, Leslie, of Monticello, IL; and Lindsay Barr Alexander of Monticello, IL. He also leaves six great grandchildren and his beloved cat "Jesse". Please send messages of condolence to Betty Barr McClure, 309 Dover Rd Charlottesville, VA 22901. The Reverend Forrest Church 1948 - 2009 The Reverend Forrest Church , acclaimed author of more than two dozen books and longtime minister of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City, died on September 24, 2009, following a three-year battle with esophageal cancer. He was sixty-one years old. Church is survived by his children, Frank, Nina, Jacob and Nathan, and by his wife, Carolyn Buck Luce. “I join thousands of Unitarian Universalists and Americans in mourning the loss of Forrest Church,” said Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President Peter Morales today. “We have lost a brilliant and articulate thinker, a champion of democratic values, and a compelling advocate for liberal religion. More importantly, we have lost a kind, thoughtful, and loving spirit. What courage and grace he showed in his final years. Even as we feel our loss, let us be grateful for his enduring legacy.” The son of former U.S. Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho) and grandson of former Idaho Governor Chase A. Clark, Forrest Church earned his Ph.D. in early church history from Harvard University in 1978, and began his career at All Souls that same year. Selected from approximately twenty-five applicants for the position, Church was twenty-nine years old. He served All Souls from then until his death. During Church’s tenure at the congregation, All Souls flourished. Over the past three decades, membership at All Souls has more than tripled. With over 1,400 members, All Souls is one of the largest congregations in the Unitarian Universalist Association today. As All Souls grew, so too did Church’s prominence as a public voice for Unitarian Universalism and for social justice. He was a strong proponent of both religious and political liberalism. In 1985, he led All Souls Church in learning about AIDS and providing direct services to AIDS sufferers. New York reporter Bernice Kanner wrote that year, “The mobilization of All Souls was among the first religious responses to the disease.” In 1986, Church told the Boston Globe , “…generally, politicians try to change society for the betterment of the individual. I like to change the individual for the betterment of society.” Through his work as a minister and a public intellectual, Church profoundly influenced both individuals and society. Church reached a wide audience through the approximately two dozen books that he authored or edited in the course of his career. He published his first book, Father and Son: A Personal Biography of Senator Frank Church of Idaho , in 1985. His other prominent works include Our Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism (1989, co-authored with John Buehrens), The Ameri- can Creed (2002), So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle over Church and State (2007), and Love and Death (2008). Church’s final book, The Cathedral of the World : A Universalist Theology , will be published by Beacon Press in No- vember. At the UUA’s 2008 General Assembly, Church received the Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Unitarian Universal- ism , the most prestigious award given by the UUA. “Let us never forget what a privilege it is to be part of this great movement and (Continued on page 13)

Page 12 UUMA NEWS (Continued from page 12) to pronounce its saving faith: one Light (Unitarianism) shining through many windows (Universalism),” Church remarked upon re- ceiving the award. “Let us continue our quest together, with awe and humility, with saving openness and saving doubt, never forget- ting to honor those who charted our way.” New York Times reporter Cara Buckley talked with congregants at All Souls in the fall of 2008. “They spoke of Mr. Church’s gift with words, his ability to connect with others and his seemingly endless capacity for empathy and compassion,” she observes. “Unitarian Universalism is a theologically liberal religion, and to many, Mr. Church embodied the very best of the religion.” His friend, NBC newsman and former Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw said, “Forrest Church made all of our lives so much richer with his friendship, his faith and his optimism. He was a leading citizen in the world of all of God's children.” Church spent his final years reflecting on the importance of living each day with love and gratitude. He writes in Love and Death , “The goal is to live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for…The one thing that can’t be taken from us, even by death, is the love we give away before we go.” All Souls has posted a web page in tribute to Forrest Church; all are invited to view photos, post remembrances, and more. Those who wish to make a donation in Dr. Church's memory may do so by contributing to the Forrest Church Fund for the Advancement of Liberal Religion . Galen Guengerich preached a sermon on Sunday, Sept. 27, in honor of Dr. Church: Amen. I love You . (pdf) The sermon is also available on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2 .

The Reverend Jean Lois Witman Gilpatrick 1925 – 2009 The Reverend Jean Witman Gilpatrick died on June 4, 2009 in Bethesda, Maryland. She was 84. Rev. Gilpatrick was born on April 4, 1925, in East Orange, New Jersey, to Margaret Jeanetta Nietman and William Uhler Witman. She graduated with a BA in Sociol- ogy from Connecticut College for Women in 1947. After college she received a Danforth Graduate Fellowship for one year of inter- denominational religious work at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. In 1949, she traveled with her husband, Thomas Gilpatrick, to Denmark where they participated in a Danish program called Folkhighschool. During the 1950’s and 60’s, while raising her children, Rev. Gilpatrick earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago. She also held a variety of positions. She was Assistant Minister for the Wesley Foundation in Chicago; directed the In- terns in Industry program for the American Friends Service Committee in East Chicago, Indiana; and taught bible classes through the Universal Christian Association at Penn State University, among others. In 1966, she traveled with her family to Hyderabad, India, where she conducted independent study in the philosophies and religions of India. Upon her return, she was Assistant Professor at both the Virginia Seminary of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Central Virginia Community College teaching courses in Philosophy and Religion. Early in the 1960’s Rev. Gilpatrick, with her husband and his colleague from Sweet Briar College, drafted a letter to the editor signed by about 70 faculty and staff members from three white Lynchburg area colleges supporting the rights of blacks to picket stores, lunch counters, and movie theaters. Many black leaders later said this was the first evidence they had seen locally of group support for civil rights. She continued her college teaching during the 1970’s; worked as an art therapist; and offered workshops in Death, Grief, & Loss, and Feminist Theology. In 1977 she earned a Doctor of Ministry from Meadville Lombard Theological School. In 1981, Rev. Gilpatrick was ordained at the First Unitarian Church of Lynchburg, VA. She was called to the First Unitarian Church of Alton, Illinois and served there from 1983 until 1985. In 1987 she served as Interim minister to the UU Society of Northern Fair- field County in West Redding, Connecticut. When she wasn’t serving these congregations, Rev. Gilpatrick was a visiting and con- sulting minister to various congregations. She preached, taught adult education classes, chaired district committees, was an active member of the National Organization for Women and the UU Women’s Federation and served on the executive committee of Citi- zens to Save Civil and Religious Freedom. Rev. Gilpatrick is survived by her daughters, Diana Gilpatrick of Potomac, MD, and Morgan Gilpatrick of Bowie MD; her grandchildren, Charlotte Andrea Albrecht, Thomas Brian Gilpatrick Dagget, and Samuel William Gilpatrick Dagget; her brother, William P. Witman of Locust, NJ; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jefferson Choral Society, P. O. Box 4623, Lynchburg, VA 24502, the Alzheimer’s As- sociation, 225 N. Michigan Ave, Fl 17, Chicago, IL 60601, or the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers’ and Partners’ Associa- tion, c/o Nancy Doughty, 12055 S Woodwinds Circle # 13, Traverse City, MI 49684. (Continued on page 14)

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The Reverend Kenneth C. Hawkes 1913 - 2009

The Reverend Kenneth C. Hawkes died on July 26, 2009, while in the loving and gentle care of staff from Allegiance Hospice. He was 96. Rev. Hawkes was born to Maurice W. and Inez Clark Hawkes on June 3, 1913 in Portland, ME. He attended Gorham Teachers College and graduated from Colby College in 1942. While serving as acting pastor of the Pride’s Corner Union Church of Westbrook, ME, and the Universalist Church of Scarborough and South Buxton, ME, he trained for the Universalist ministry under the Rev. Dr. Harry E. Townsend using a program of studies outlined for him by John Murray Atwood, Dean of the Canton Theologi- cal School of St. Lawrence University. Rev. Hawkes was ordained by the Universalist Convention in Livermore, ME, in 1938 and served the First Universalist Larger Parish of Canton and Livermore and the First Universalist Church in Waterville, both in Maine. In 1942, Rev. Hawkes was elected Superintendent of the Universalist Churches in Maine and served in that capacity for 8 years in the 1940’s and for two additional years in the 1960’s. His parish ministry took him to Massachusetts where he served at the First Universalist Church in North Attleboro, the Unitarian Universalist Church in Lawrence, and the First Church in Leominster, Unitar- ian Universalist. Rev. Hawkes also served as a District Executive in the Northeast District of the UUA from 1962 until 1967. Rev. Hawkes participated in many denominational activities, serving as vice president of the Maine Young Peoples Christian Union, trustee of the Universalist Publishing House, executive board member of Ferry Beach Park Association, and vice president of the Massachusetts Universalist Convention, among other roles. Rev. Hawkes took satisfaction in recalling that in 1965, he was one of a few persons from Maine who supported the civil rights movement of the late Rev. Martin Luther King by marching with him in Selma, Alabama. After retirement from the Leominster church, Rev. Hawkes served as treasurer and trustee of the endowment funds of the Northeast District and as Elder of the Maine Society of Mayflower descendents. He was also honorary director of the Adam Hawkes family association in Saugus, MA. June A. Wheeler, Rev. Hawkes first wife, died in 1987 after 53 years of marriage. In 1989, he married Janet Hall Beiling Hawkes, who survives him. He is also survived by his son, Dr. Roland K. Hawkes of Gorham, ME; his daughters, Carolyn Gaines of Tucson, AZ, and Margaret St. Pierre of Falmouth, ME; a sister, Claris J. Russell of Portland, ME; two step-daughters, Leslie Erikson of Leominster, MA, and Audry Shea of Ware, MA; and 33 grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Please send messages of condolence to Janet Hawkes, 229 Flaggy Meadow Rd Apt 3, Gorham, ME 04038. The Reverend Stephen Davies Howard 1930 – 2009 The Reverend Stephen D. Howard. He died on Monday, July 15, 2009, of cancer at Fisher House Hospice in Amherst, MA. He was 78. Rev. Howard was born on November 26, 1930 in Greenfield, MA to Lee and Rachel Howard. He graduated with a BA in His- tory from American International College in Springfield, MA in 1953 and from Harvard Divinity School in 1959. He was ordained in 1957 while serving as assistant minister to the First Congregational Church, Binghamton, NY. While seeking fellowship as a Unitarian minister, Rev. Howard served the First Religious Society of Carlisle, MA in the early 1960’s, In 1964, he was called to All Souls Church in Greenfield, MA where he served for 18 years. From 1982 until 2003, Rev. Howard served numerous congregations as Interim Minister including those in Worcester, Lincoln, Sa- lem, Littleton, Leominster, Fitchburg, Northborough, Amherst, and Palmer, MA. He also served in Akron, OH; Woonsocket, RI; Harrisburg, PA; Oneonta, NY; and Keene, NH. He preached his final sermon at St. Paul’s Church in Palmer, MA on Father’s Day of this year. Rev. Howard was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association, with terms as President and Vice President of the Connecticut Valley Chapter in the 1960’s. He served as an incorporator and trustee of Rowe Camp; trustee of Big Brother-Big Sister Association; and Advisor for Parents Without Partners. An avid reader, writer, and outdoor enthusiast, he enjoyed the local libraries, bookstores, and beauty of western Massachusetts. Over the years, he loved hiking with his dogs at Highland Pond, Notch Mountain, and the Warwick Swamp. He most loved the writings of Thoreau, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson. An ardent football fan, he followed Greenfield High School, local college, and Patriot's games. More than anything, he loved time with his five grandchildren. Rev. Howard is survived by his wife, Ann Jolly Howard; his three children, Catherine Howard Nicholas of San Diego, Dr. Elisabeth Davies Howard of Providence, R.I., Matthew Anson Howard and daughter-in-law, Tammy, of Southampton, MA; and grandchildren (Continued on page 15)

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Casey, Annelise, Emily, Nicole and Jackson. He is also survived by his brother, Carl, and sister-in-law, Beverly, of Albany, N.Y., his nephew, Craig, and niece, Wendy. Please send messages of condolence to his wife, Ann Howard, 68 McClellan St, Amherst, MA 01002-2039. The Reverend Timothy Ward Jensen 1956 - 2009 The Reverend Dr. Timothy Ward Jensen. He died on Sunday, August 9, 2009 of lung cancer in the presence of family and friends at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA. He was 52. Rev. Jensen was born on October 22, 1956, in Seattle, Washington, to Gerald and Betty Jo Jensen. After graduating from Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington, he attended the University of Washington earning a BA in English in 1978, the first of his five college degrees. He moved east, attending Harvard Divinity School where he earned an M Div degree in 1981. While at Harvard, he interned at First and Second Church in Boston under the supervision of Rhys Williams, a relationship that continued to inform his ministry for years to come. He was ordained there in 1981. Returning home, Rev. Jensen enrolled in a Masters program in English and Creative Writing at Western Washington University in Bellingham. He also served as intern assistant minister at University Unitarian Church in Seattle. In 1985 he was called to the UU Church of Midland, Texas where he served for 3 years. In 1988, he was appointed New Congregation Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County in Hillsboro, Oregon, and served there until 1990. Rev. Jensen then held a series of part-time ministries, worked as a bookseller, and held graduate teaching fellowships while earning his last two degrees, an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies at Oregon State University and a PhD in American History from the Univer- sity of Oregon. He also spent a semester as a visiting scholar at Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark. Returning to full-time ministry, Rev. Jensen was the interim minister to the Second Congregational Meeting House on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts. He was then called to the First Religious Society of Carlisle, Massachusetts where he served for 4 years. Shortly after being called to the First Parish Portland Maine Unitarian Universalist, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. With support from the congregation and his colleagues, Rev. Jensen continued to serve until his health forced him to retire. Rev. Jensen loved to read and write. His library numbered over seven thousand volumes and since 2006 he shared his wisdom and his wit through his blog, The Eclectic Cleric. He also enjoyed sailing, playing basketball, and playing with his loyal Boston terrier, Parker. Rev. Jensen is survived by his father, Jerry Jensen, and Jerry’s wife Debra; his two brothers, Kurt and Erik; his former wife Margaret Weddell; and his two children, Stephenie and Jacob. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Jo. Rev. Jensen wished any remembrances to be made to the American Cancer Society or the SPCA. Messages of condolence may be sent to Jerry Jensen, 5043 Primrose Drive, Fair Oaks, CA 95628.

The Reverend H Kyle Nagel 1929 – 2009

The Reverend H. Kyle Nagel died on November 18, 2009, at the age of 80. Rev. Nagel was born on May 4, 1929 in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Southwestern University in 1949 and earned his divinity degree from Duke Uni- versity in 1952. He also studied at Harvard Divinity School and Tufts University in the 1960’s. Rev. Nagel was ordained by the Southwest Texas Conference of the Methodist Church on May 30, 1954, in San Anto- nio, Texas, and served congregations within the Conference from 1952 to 1962. He entered Unitarian fellowship in 1962, serving First Church, Unitarian, in Jamaica Plain, MA, and St. Paul’s Church, Unitarian Universalist, of Palmer, MA, before moving to North Carolina in 1968. There he served as Ministerial Superintendent of the Universalist Con- vention of North Carolina, Inc. As superintendent, he ministered to several churches throughout eastern North Caro- lina including those in Clinton, Red Hill, Outlaw’s Bridge, and Kinston. Later, he resigned as superintendent and ministered exclu- sively to the Outlaw’s Bridge and Kinston congregations. While living in Kinston, Rev. Nagel served as president of Environment Unlimited and taught World Religions and Philosophy at Lenoir Community College. After moving to Houston in 1974, Rev. Nagel became a financial planner as there were no suitable ministerial positions available. However, he never stopped thinking of himself as a minister and continued his ministry through many community activities and by officiating at weddings and memorial services and occasional preaching and counseling. He was a founding member and president of the Humanist Association of Houston and served as president of the Tomball Area Shrine Club for 5 years. (Continued on page 16) WINTER 2009/10 Page 15 (Continued from page 15)

When the Outlaw’s Bridge congregation celebrated their centennial in 2006, he and his wife, Barbara, were invited to the celebration. Although they were unable to attend, Rev. Nagel’s sermon was delivered during the service by Gerald Simmons, one of the congregants. Rev. Barbara Cheatham, a former congregant, said of him, “Kyle was an inspiration and a role model to me… Kyle courageously practiced and preached the principles of Religious Liberalism in a part of the country which feared and denounced such principles… Every Sunday morning, no matter how many members were in the pews, he gave us all that he had to give.” Rev. Nagel is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barbara, of Spring, TX; his son Louis Nagel and wife, Patsy, of Morgantown, WV; and four grandchildren, Louis Martin Nagel, Jr. of Fort Worth, TX, Daniel Scott Nagel of Morgantown, WV, Steven Lee Nagel of Houston, TX, and Karen Alicia Nagel of Baytown, TX. His son, Curtis Lee Nagel died several years ago. Please send messages of condolence to Barbara Nagel, 8423 Burwood Park Dr., Spring, TX 77379-5703.

The Reverend Arnold Farrow Westwood 1921 – 2009 The Reverend Arnold Farrow Westwood died on Sunday, August 16, 2009, at Bay State Medical Center in Spring- field, Massachusetts, as a result of injuries sustained in a fall the previous day. He was 88. Rev. Westwood was born on May 19, 1921, in Toledo, Ohio, to Unitarian minister Rev. Horace Westwood and Elizabeth Farrow Westwood. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and Tufts University graduating in 1942. He earned his STB from Crane Theological School at Tufts in 1948. While attending Tufts, Rev. Westwood served as continental president of the Unitarian Young Peoples Religious Un- ion. He also served as student minister under the Rev. Harold G. Arnold at the Theodore Parker Unitarian Church (now First Parish) in West Roxbury, MA. It was there that he met Carolyn Freeman Arnold, daughter of Rev. Arnold. They were married in 1945. In 1944, he served as Student Minister of the First Parish (Unitarian) in Brewster and the Universalist Church in Yarmouthport, both on Cape Cod, MA. He was ordained in 1947 in the Brewster church by both congregations. Rev. Westwood was called to the Uni- tarian Church of Urbana, IL, serving from 1948 to 1958. He established the Channing-Murray Foundation at the University of Illi- nois, at the time one of the most active and best organized liberal religious organizations in the country. Rev. Westwood also served the Unitarian Church of Westport, CT; the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, OH; the Unitarian Universalist Society of East Man- chester, CT; and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, MA. Both the Westport and Manchester congregations built their own buildings under his leadership, the first for each congregation; in Westport he worked with the noted architect, Victor Lundy. He served the Manchester, CT, and Amherst, MA, congregations at the same time and both named him minister emeritus upon his retirement in 1984. In retirement, Rev. Westwood and his wife, Carolyn, operated Windfields Farm Bed and Breakfast in Cummington, MA. In addition to hosting hundreds of guests from all over the world, they produced maple syrup which won four blue ribbons at the Cummington Fair. Rev. Westwood also organized The Friends of Windsor, Inc., to publish the town of Cummington’s community newsletter, Windsor Now and Then , as well as the town's free annual community telephone directory. He served as editor and publisher until 2002. After Carolyn died in 2001, Arnold found comfort, support, and a new outlet for his talents in the West Cummington Congregational Church. He instituted the church's newsletter and annual directory, organized and ran the annual goods and services auction, and worked enthusiastically on the conversion of the parish house into a heated, year-round, handicapped-accessible center for church functions and other community events. In all these endeavors, he gathered and groomed others to take over after him. He made many beloved friends through his experience in the church, including the second love of his life, Mary Hale, with whom he loved talking, reading, traveling and just being together. Rev. Westwood was a devoted supporter of Rowe Camp and Conference Center in Rowe, MA, where he served eight years on the board of directors, four as chair. He was an enthusiastic early supporter of Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA, and of VIA Dance Collaborative, a New York-based company founded in 2001 by his granddaughter, Adrienne Westwood. He was thrilled to witness the company's performance at Jacob's Pillow the night before he fell. Beloved by family and friends, he lived life with zest and enthusiasm and embraced death without fear or regrets. In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by three older siblings, Horace, who was also a Unitarian Universalist minister, Florence, and Lucy. Survivors include son John F. Westwood of Plainfield, MA; son Jefferson Westwood and his wife, Wendy, of Fredonia, NY; daughter Phoebe Bushway and her husband, Stephen, of Plainfield, MA; son Harold A. Westwood and his wife, Barbara, also

(Continued on page 17) Page 16 UUMA NEWS (Continued from page 16) of Plainfield; and seven grandchildren, Jody and Ethan Westwood; Adrienne Westwood and her husband, Seth Easter; Phoebe Westwood; Hannah Bushway and her husband, Felipe Aedo; Mason Bushway and Willow Westwood. Please send notes of condolence to Jefferson Westwood, 53 Maple Ave, Fredonia, NY 14063.

2010 Unitarian Universalist Sermon Award submissions invited United Nations Office For the best sermon relating Unitarian Universalist commitment to social justice and human rights to

Greeley Award Sermon Competition The quest for a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis

Ministers, Religious Educators, Seminarians, and lay $300 will be awarded at the UUA General Assembly in Minneapolis, leaders are encouraged to enter the 2010 UU-UNO June, 2010. The contest is sponsored by Unitarian Universalists for Greeley Award Sermon Competition with an award prize Justice in the Middle East. UUJME members and congregation-based of $500. The winner of this competition will deliver the Chapters work to raise awareness of the decades-long conflict between Dana Greeley Sermon at the 2010 UU GA. Israelis and Palestinians and our responsibility as Unitarian Universal- There is latitude for diverse themes and subject matter, ists to be a voice for a just peace. and a variety of approaches- both theological and social- The sermon must have been presented in a UU congregation for a are possible. The UU-UNO expects that the theme or regular service or other program between May 1, 2009 and April 30, subject of the address should speak variously to Unitarian 2010. Open to UU ministers, layperson, or seminarians. (Note to min- Universalists' concerns for world peace, democratic gov- isters: You may invite an informed and concerned member of your ernance, economic justice, human rights, and sustainable congregation to speak.) Submit full text by e-mail attachment no later development. Preference will be given to those addresses than May 1, 2010. that relate to the purposes and activities of the United Nations and to the work of the Unitarian Universalist On a separate cover page include name and congregation membership United Nations Office. of presenter, and location and date of the presentation. In case of a scoring tie two winners will be awarded $200 each. Winner will be The UU-UNO Greeley Award honors a minister who has selected by three knowledgeable UU judges (cover page removed). submitted the best sermon for promoting international UUJME officers and Board are ineligible. cooperation and supporting the work of the UN and of the UU-UNO. Each year at GA, the UU-UNO is given a Too hot to handle? Our experience shows that, while some consider place in the schedule for the minister to deliver the this subject “too controversial,” most UUs welcome sermons that ad- Greeley sermon (20 minutes) that addresses the need for dress it forthrightly, conscientiously, prophetically. They know it is individuals and countries to cooperate in seeking solu- not “their problem, over there,” but our own. tions. Usually, this sermon is heard by 80 UU's at General The winning sermon will be presented at a UUJME program at the Assembly. 2010 General Assembly and posted on the UUJME website. Travel For more information, please consult www.uu-uno.org subsidy to Minneapolis may be grated, if needed; or if the winner can- or contact UU-UNO Executive Director, Bruce Knotts not be at the GA, a substitute may deliver the sermon. at [email protected] and 212-986-5165. Sermon awarded questions and submissions: Rev. George K. Beach, Deadline: Feb 1, 2010 [email protected] . Visit www.UUJME.org for more information. TWO CONFERENCES FOR MINISTERS Call For Papers Several presenters of will be chosen from among theological Ministers Conference students, ministers and lay theologians who have registered for July 9-12, 2010 Rolduc Center, Netherlands the Symposium and wish to submit papers for consideration. A first-time gathering of Unitarian, Unitarian Universalist, and Papers should be specific to Unitarian or U-U organizations liberal ministers from around the world, to meet one another, share within the ICUU, and should focus on the questions outlined the similarities and differences of our callings, make collegial above. Papers should be suitable for presentation in one hour connections, and open new avenues for communication and col- or less. The Symposium planning committee will choose those laboration in ministry. which best meet symposium goals. Authors of chosen papers will be notified by early February. ICUU Theological Symposium 2010 July 13-17 Rolduc Conference Center Papers are due to the committee (via e-mail) by January 31, 2010. Those chosen to present will be notified in February. Belonging: Our Unitarian Identities and the Nature of our Relations For information about submitting a paper, contact Rev. Jill Join with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists from around the McAllister, [email protected] . world for theological exploration and discussion, as we go deeper towards definitions of who we are as U-U’s, and how we belong – to each other, to our global movement, to the world around us, to God or Life.

WINTER 2009/10 Page 17 Member Announcements: Meadville Lombard Thanks: Dear Colleagues in Ministry, On behalf of Meadville Lombard Theological School, I want to thank you for the contribution made to our school through the offering at a worship service at CONVO 2009. Your act of great generosity demonstrates the importance our UU identity based schools holds in our faith tradition and our ministry. Over the past few months Meadville Lombard has convened a series of roundtable discussions with colleagues in which the greatest majority , alums of non-UU seminaries and UU seminaries alike, expressed our movement’s need for vital UU seminaries. They realized that the work we do has an impact even beyond the new ministers who graduate from our schools. Indeed, UU scholarship, culture and practice are carried by our institutions. This is a challenging time for all seminaries. Even so, Meadville Lombard is committed to the future of Unitarian Universalism and our ministry. Your support helps to provide the will to fulfill that commitment with innovation and rigor. Again, thank you. Lee Barker, President Meadville Lombard Theological School Invitation to join Murray Grove Please join Colleagues and become a Religious Professional for Murray Grove. This is a special group of people who believe in the importance of preserving the Universalist heritage embodied in Murray Grove and in promoting the Unitarian Universalist message of inclusive love through education and outreach. Foundation memberships are just $100/year, Cornerstone memberships are $50/year. Please give what you can, so more if you can, less if you can’t. Mail your check, with RPMG in the subject line, to Murray Grove, P.O. Box 246, Lanoka Harbor, NJ 08734; or donate by credit card by calling the office 609-693-5558. Rev. Ken Beldon, Rev. Carol S. Haag, Rev. Addae Krabba ISAUU Clergy Grants to fund attendance in 2010 at a Star Island Conference The Isles of Shoals Association, Unitarian Universalist, for the fifth straight year is offering grants to UU ministers and their families to spend a week on Star Island at a conference of their choice. The grants fund room and board; clergy fund transportation and registration costs. To apply visit the web site www.shoals.org click on the link, Clergy Grants, and send your request to Rosemarie Smurzynski, coor- dinator, at [email protected] . Deadline for requests is February 15, 2010. This grant is for ministers and their family who are first time attendees at Star Island. The grant is intended for rest and renewal at the Star Island Conference Center off the coast of New Hampshire. For the 2010 Star Island conference schedule visit www.starisland.org ISAUU Weeks Grant to fund attendance in 2010 at a Star Island Conference The Isles of Shoals Association, Unitarian Universalist, is offering a second grant, the Weeks Grant. The grant of $ 1000 to attend a Star Island conference is offered to a single/ family of a clergyperson who has died. It covers room and board and is open to new and old attendees of Star Island alike. Details for applying are the same as for ISAUU Clergy Grants.

New Books by Members: Archetype of the Spirit by Peter Tufts Richardson Sunday Meditations Rescued from the rarified and esoteric on for Liberal Religious Worship the one hand and the trance of everyday on by Peter Tufts Richardson the other, Archetype of the Spirit documents a presence in our lives very near to us Written and spoken for public worship these 65 and of remotely ancient tradition. Employ- meditations follow the seasons, celebrating the ing images found universally in local tradi- joys and sorrows of our lives. In poem form 20 tions world around, Archetype of the Spirit are for religious holidays. Themes include child- correlates these with psychological type, the hood, mystic experience, human kinship and MBTIÔ, Jung’s compass and the Four compassion, the imagination and dreams, bread, Spiritualities of our humanity. sound, water, snow, hunting, violence, gratitude, sexual orientation, the Divine. Two are stories. The Archetype of the Spirit, behind a multitude of motifs, myths, Content is inspired by Hindu, Buddhist, Chris- narratives and practices in the many religious traditions of our hu- tian, Jewish, Muslim, Confucian, Taoist tradi- manity, provides a model for spiritual development towards a life tions and, most important, our everyday experi- goal of “spiritual poise.” $24.95. ence. 102 of the author’s photographs accompany the meditations enriching and giving nuance to the reading experience. $19.95. Both books can be ordered from [email protected] or 22 Mechanic St., Rockland, ME 04841.

Page 18 UUMA NEWS UUSCM Declares the First Sunday in February as CM Sunday We want as many Community Ministers in the pulpit as possible on February 7, 2010 UUSCM asks congregations to reflect upon the role Unitarian Universalists play in these times as catalysts for justice, peace and interfaith collaboration. Recognize your own congregational leaders, lift up the 9-5 ministries of lay members in the world of work, and honor UU ministers past, present and future who carry our liberal religious message beyond parish walls. This special Sunday is inspired by the Four Chaplains of the USS Dorchester, who on February 3, 1943 gave up their life vests that others might live. Arms linked they prayed together and went down with the ship. The selfless actions of Rabbi Alexander Goode, Father John Washington, Rev. George Fox and Rev. Clark Poling are a legacy to all who believe it is possible to live together regardless of race, class or creed. Resources for planning your Community Ministry Sunday observance are on our website www.uuscm.org . Please share with us your own litanies, sermons or prayers to add to our growing collection of community ministry worship resources. For more information about the Four Chaplains, go to www.immortalchaplains.org

Please check out the new Addictions Ministry website at Vacation in Beautiful Tampa Bay! www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/addictionsministry Spirit of Life UU Church in Odessa, Florida offers a free Members of the Addictions Ministry Team are: stay to visiting parish, community, and religious education ministers. A two-room suite with full bath and kitchen, 15 Rev. Alex Holt, Chair; Rev. Jory Agate; miles from Tarpon Sprigs and 5 miles from Tampa, this Drew Brooks; Nancy DiGiovanni; rural setting provides access to cultural events, the beach, Dr. Russell K. Elleven; Rev. Stephanie Etzbach-Dale; solitude and privacy. First two weeks of every month. Your cost? Pulpit supply an or/workshop leadership. Diane Martin; Margaret Montore; Call the church for further details (813) 792-1622 or email: Nan Moore; Julie Sullwold [email protected] .

Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago is seeking applicants for its Ministers in Residence program. Application The Church of the Larger Fellowship Deadline is January 30, 2010. (CLF) John Lester Young Minister in Residence : a UU congregation by mail and internet John Young Fellows will teach one class, study in any of Meadville Lombard course offerings (tuition free), and provide a professional and pastoral presence to Meadville Lombard CLiF Notes RE Curriculum on CD students for one academic semester. The successful applicant Is your congregation looking for Unitarian Universalist will receive the use of a one-bedroom apartment on the ML ready-to-go curricula to use at home, in a multi-aged campus, an honorarium for teaching one course as a member of our adjunct faculty and an expense allowance. Applicants small group, or in your RE program? The CLF’s popular may apply to teach in either the fall semester (September “CL iF Notes” religious education sessions, now avail- through mid-December), the spring semester (February able on CD, may be your answer. This resource would through mid-May) or during the School’s J-Term (January). be a rich addition to your RE Library. The successful applicant will provide a course description that Each CD contains 10 months of full lessons, with con- links academic subject matter to ministerial practice. Courses tent for each week including opening and closing words, may be offered in fifteen week (one semester) or in shorter, a centering exercise, informational stories, activities, and intensive formats. Applicants are requested to submit a letter of interest, a course proposal and a resume to Dr. Sharon discussion questions. Currently, two curriculum years Welch [email protected] are available: “Going to the Sources,” focusing on the sources of our living tradition, and “The Big Questions,” Meadville Lombard Minister in Residence: which centers on helping children to explore theological In residence on our Chicago campus for one academic semes- questions from a Unitarian Universalist perspective. ter, Meadville Lombard MIRs participate in different aspects Each month also contains a worshipful celebration of a of ML community life and serve as an informal chaplain to holiday, as well as a lesson focused on someone from students. MIRs are able to enroll in ML classes (tuition free), our UU heritage. Each CD sells for $99. use the School’s library, and cultivate insight into the ministerial role of teacher/scholar. This is an ideal opportunity for To order your CD(s) contact Beth newly retired ministers and those on sabbatical, but all inter- Murray at [email protected] or at ested ministers are encouraged to apply. The position is open 617-948-6150. for the fall and spring semesters. Applicants are requested to submit a letter of interest and a resume to Dr. Lee Barker at [email protected] .

WINTER 2009/10 Page 19 UUMA Newsletter Submission Deadlines

♦ When is the Deadline? March 15 for the Spring edition (posted late Mar) May 15 for the Pre GA electronic edition (posted June) August 15, for the Fall edition (posted Sept) Nov. 15 for the electronic (holiday) edition (posted Dec) - 2009 edition posted in January. ♦ I just missed the deadline; can you edit the posted edition to include my item? We can, but in almost every case we won’t. This is one of those things that are technically possible, but humanly very messy. Besides the newsletter, only documents approved by the UUMA Exec are posted to the UUMA website. To allow exceptions would be to expose our web person to a potentially continuous stream of requests. ♦ If I’m not happy reading it on line, can you send a print version too? As of September 2009 the UUMA has, in a effort to save trees, printing and postage costs, moved to online Newsletters. Hardcopies of the newsletter will be sent to all members without an email address on file. If you are not on that list and would prefer a hardcopy send an email (be sure to include your full name) that says: “SEND NEWS IN HARDCOPY” to [email protected] .

To contact the UUMA Office:

Janette Lallier, Administrator 25 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108

Phone: 617-848-0498 Fax: 617-848-0973 Email: [email protected]

Questions, Comments, Submissions? Email : [email protected]

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