The rain was heavy last night, and my early morning walk was washed out. The sun came out just before lunch.
This evening, I walked up Bourbon Street with its many t-shirt shops, bars, strip joints, bars, rib joints, bistros, bars, creole bistros, bars, oyster houses, bars, jazz venues, and hotels. It was noisy and crowded. It is a great place for people watching.
I walked away from Bourbon Street up quite streets such as rue St. Louis, and the noise and crowds were behind me. I found the contrast between the hustle of Bourbon Street and the tranquility of the neighborhood educative. I circled back and came around to a part of Bourbon Street several blocks from my hotel.
The meetings were intense, today was budgeting and event planning. Yesterday's meetings were big questions, struggling with how the Unitarian Universalist ministry will respond to the future of the UUA.
Before the decade is over the UUA will begin changing the way we govern ourselves, and what we expect of our leadership. Policy governance is coming to our Association of Congregations. That will mean that the Board assumes more of a role than has been true since the merger, and the executive will become more accountable for clearly articulated goals.
I predict that some of our venerable institutions will be shaken to the foundations. Are twenty districts the best way to deliver services to the local congregations? Does proximity give rise to lateral relationships? Are solo ministries the best way to grown small churches? Change is coming to a denomination near and dear. Don't be afraid of some change.
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