This week has been so full that I haven't had the time or energy to blog.
The UUMA's Committee on Ministry for Anti Racism, Anti Oppression and Multiculturalism completed its three day retreat yesterday. The five of us who were able to attend really worked and the creativity was enormous. We looked at situations involving our ministers and seminarians, and we initiated interventions and policy recommendations. Some of the recommendations will be discussed soon with the UUA's Ministry and Professional Leadership Staff group. They have always given us a good ear and we find ways to implement our best thought out proposals. Some of our ideas are not ready for prime time, and we find that out as we discuss them with our colleagues and propose them to the UUA. Our relationship is critical and engaged, not antagonistic.
In the last twelve years we have increased the number of ministers from other than the dominant culture from a handful to sixty ministers in fellowship. Based on theological school enrollments we will double that number in less than seven years. I am assuming that we will continue to have a significant number of theological students who do not continue their studies, either because they discover another religious approach is more attractive, or they discover that ministry is not a match for their talents. If all who ever enrolled in a theological school with the intention of being a Unitarian Universalist minister continued with their studies and was successfully doing Unitarian Universalist ministry we would have well over a hundred ministers of other than the dominant culture in our ranks. And we would have over two thousand ministers in fellowship!
The growth of the Unitarian Universalist ministry in the last years scares many people, they argue that there are not enough pulpits for so many ministers. Of course, the growth of the Unitarian Universalist ministry also means the growth of non traditional, community based ministries. Over half the students in theological schools today intend ministries outside of traditional parish settlements.
What will change and what will stay the same? I believe that when more of our ministers are community ministers than parish ministers we will begin to change the nature of congregations and our relation to the world as well. History tells us, what exists now has not always been, and what exists now will change. A true traditionalist expects transformation, because radical change and renewal is the only constant in history.
I have observed that those who are on the road to ministry who engage with others in building community are most likely to succeed in ministry. I am active in the Unitarian Universalist Minister's Association because that association enables me to engage with my colleagues in our common work of building the community of ministers. It would never occur to be to look at my professional association and ask "what does it give me." An minister who values collegiality knows the answer, it gives us the community that we in turn engage in renewing.
Consumerism is destructive tendency eroding the democracy of our nation, and consumerism is now challenging many of our congregations. If it erodes our ministry then with what will the earth be salted?
Leave a comment