Connecting the Dots: UUSM Transition Update #5

By Rev. Terri Echelbarger on behalf of the Transition Team

(Joan Cassman, Becky Howland, Tricia Dell

Rev. Terri Echelbarger, and Rev. Tovis Page)

There needs to be a balance between autonomy and interdependence that strengthens

autonomy by finding ways of sharing expertise.

~ Rev. Dr. Greg Mamula

Welcome to year 2 of our transitional co-ministry, in which we continue the work we began last year but in somewhat new ways and new forms. Many thanks to Diana Candee and John

Farrow who have left the Transition Team to participate in your Ministerial Search Team. As we begin this new program year, we welcome our new TT member, Becky Howland.

To guide our work for the coming year, the Transition Team created the following statement: “In Phase 2 of our Transition Planning, we are applying our learning from Phase 1 (which focused on Heritage, Culture, Shared Ministry and Intentional Development) to strengthen UUSM’s foundation for the developmental ministry to come. Our transition work this year will address: policies, processes, organizational development, lines of communication, and building covenantal relationships and trust.”

This month in worship we have been exploring “living with intention.” Kate Covey, who was the Soul Matters Director of Religious Exploration Resources in 2022 wrote: To set intentions, we must listen to our inner voice which tells us who we truly are.” She notes: “Self-improvement is not the same as self-alignment.” I think this is as true for organizations as it is with individuals.

Over the past year we have been listening to one another as we have explored who we are as a religious community. There have been some surprises, and many affirmations. We have learned how much you love quality worship, music, and good preaching and that social justice has been a central theme throughout your history that many want to re-awake. These are central to many people’s idea of what UUSM is and should be. We have heard that many of you value autonomy of leadership—that leaders should be able to do things their own way—and about a history of resistance to strict organization. We have heard how much RE has made an impact in the lives of people here, and the pain of a changing world that gives families so many other things to do on Sunday. We witnessed a miracle of success as you pulled through in a difficult time of transition, and we witnessed a growing generosity.

I (Terri) have witnessed what is mostly an individually centered organizational system …

“Whatever someone is willing to make happen, happens.” I doubt that this is really with

intention, I think it just is. The Transition Team is going to invite you to work on the collaboration part of what we can be together, and the ways we covenant with each other to share the load. We’ll be invited to clarify roles and expectations, improve our communication and improve the ways we can gift information to those who follow us. This will make us more capable, stronger and yes, more organized—but not in a restrictive way.

Over the next year we’ll be working to set ourselves up for greater success and to do it in a way that aligns with who we are. Success is capacity building (if it feels good, we want to do more of it). Success is leadership building (if I can participate and feel good, I am more open to leading later). We feel successful when we know what success looks like, before we face judgment about how we did.

What does that look like? Come to the workshops, be a part, and we’ll build together!