Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley on starting new inner city urban UU congregations.

Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley submitted this comment to my "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." I will follow up with some discussion on this idea in a forthcoming post.


"Clyde Grubbs' discussion of the growth of liberal religion raises questions that suggest a new way of thleinking for Unitarian Universalists.

If we paid more attention to mission (as do many mainstream Christian churches), we might learn that what brings in the crowds in. Communities are transformed through transforming people. It is a dual/-interactive process.

Our Association has chosen a model of building large churches, with 300 or more attending worship soon after start-up. We are told that starting new congregations of this kind in urban areas is too expensive, and therefore not viable. So, we abandon the cities and, as Clyde says, "accept the suburban captivity of our movement?"

It may be that the way to build liberal religion in urban areas is to start small. The success of the small group ministry movement suggests to me that with enabling support (i.e., religious professionals trained and committed to a model of empowerment from below), small group ministries in urban areas can grow our faith among people we are not presently reaching. In my congregation, for example, our strongest small group focuses on anti-racism and multiculturalism. This covenantal group meets in homes and has attracted people who have not joined our church. Some have told us that the Sunday morning service simply doesn't meet their cultural needs, but they are committed to this covenant group and to its work.

If we look at the ministry of Jesus, he did not wait for the masses--300 or more--to do his ministry. Not coincidentally, his ministry grew through house churches that yes, sometimes were supported by patrons--including women of means.
If the Association gave the same support to religious professionals committed to urban and community ministry, we might see the growth of Unitarian Universalism among a constituency that does not mirror our current demographic."