Unitarian Universalists: September 2005 Archives

In a previous post, I made the distinction between credentialing and ministry formation. Formation has to do with "spiritual and personal development. It is gaining the skills, personal habits, and awareness necessary to be a reflective practitioner of ministry."

A reflective practitioner is one of the defining characteristics of a professional. To reflect on one's experience is think about one's experience doing worship. providing pastoral care, administrating with a vision, witnessing justice and all the other practices of a minister. It is to think about that experience in the light of one's theological understandings, and one's knowledge of the history of religious movements. It is to think about that experience with understanding about how it is impacting the people of faith community and the larger community as well.

Thus formation that involves becoming a reflective practitioner requires experience in actually doing ministry. In the 1960s, Unitarian Universalists began to experiment with internships as a way to gain some experience before graduation and actually taking up a post as a professional minister. Another immersion in practice is known as Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), which involves working in a hospital, prison, family court, or other setting where people are in crisis and providing pastoral care under supervision and reflecting on these experiences in a peer group. By the 1970s both CPE and internship were required by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee before a candidate was could apply for an interview. Internship and CPE are designed to help a candidate become a reflective practitioner.

But the experience of actually being a minister is radically different from being a trainee, whether in a clinical setting or in an internship. The expectations that are projected unto a minister and the conflicts that arise in congregations in which the minister is the symbolic center are much more intense than the supervised practice ministries of internships and clinical experiences. The number of ministers who experience crisis and leave the ministry in the first few years has become an area of concern, and that concern is reflected in the greater attention to the period between awarding preliminary fellowship and the granting of final fellowship after three years of successful settlement.

Many of the ideas that we learned in CPE and internship have been extended to some ideas for continuing formation during the first years of professional ministry. We now require mentorship during these critical years, hoping that some of the experience with internship supervision can help continue the process of reflective process as the new minister experiences their initial settlement. Some ministers voluntarily form support groups with colleagues and engage in peer group reflection on the problems that arise in ministry.

I am convinced that continuing education, and continuing reflection with colleagues is a key to ongoing growth in ministry. Formation in ministry does not end with theological school, the certification of preliminary fellowship is just the beginning of becoming a reflective practitioner of a very complex profession.

Unitarian Universalists take stands on issues of the day. This is not new. It is a practice that has deep roots in our faith tradition. We don't take stands on the issues of the day because we have substituted "liberal politics" for "liberal religion" as some would contend. Unitarianism and Universalism were both ethical religions, and Unitarian Universalism is decidedly ethical in its stated principles, and as a preferred orientation of most of its adherents. When Unitarian Universalist congregations are searching for a minister they take a €˜theological orientation poll." This consists of choosing from among a group of possible Unitarian Universalist positions what best describes ones theology. One can choose more than one. In most congregations, Ethical religion and Ethical Christian have been high vote getters. Ethical Christians believe that the ethics taught by Jesus are important to living ones life, while Ethical Religionists do not need to specify which ethical teacher they follow. I suspect a lot of people check both.

We distinguish between personal ethics and social ethics. Personal ethics has to do with how we as individuals conduct our lives in relation to the world, and how we relate to other people. For religious people, personal ethics would involve how the apply the precepts of their religion in the choices that they make in life.

For example, our religion might teach the virtue of generosity. What does that mean in practice? What do we give to others? how much? to whom? and why? What do we expect in return. To we give with conditions? To we give to deserving poor? What does it mean to be generous to a fault?

But most religious communities also have teachings and traditions relative to how we relate to the larger community. If the religion teaches that one must do justice and walk humbly with that which abides, how does a religious community respond to injustice in society. If the religion teaches that it is the peacemakers who are blessed, how does one contribute toward a more peaceful world.

Our considered ethical responses to social injustice, war and the misuse of power by authorities constitutes our social ethics, and Unitarian Universalists have historically been a religious community that understood their responsibility toward the larger community. Some have said this is gift of the Puritans, who labored to bring about a Holy Commonwealth. Whatever the source, we have never been a tradition that cultivated inner peace, and personal virtue, and ignored community.

Some criticize Unitarian Universalists for being too political. If I understand, the criticism is that they experience their congregation as being overtly partisan for political liberals and against political conservatives. I think that it is possible that some congregational leaders are unclear about religious community and social ethics, and engage in Democratic Party politics in the church. I have never seen open partisanship by a minister or board member, but I believe that it happens.
I have seen a lay persons abuse candles of joy and concern to make a political action announcement, or blast some political leader for their politics. (I have always found support when I openly criticized the practice and asked the congregation to covenant not to allow such abuse.) There are those who abuse our faith community, congregational leaders must set firm guidelines to prevent such abuse.) Most congregations in my experience know the difference between ethical witness and political mobilization.

It is also possible that some Unitarian Universalists are uncomfortable with social ethical stance taking. For a congregation to conclude that the war in Iraq is wrong is consistent with our faith communities historic values. Some might accuse that congregation of being involved in politics, but they are wrong.

Gandhi once remarked "To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself.  And a man who aspires after that cannot afford to keep out of any field of life.  €¨€¨That is why my devotion to Truth has drawn me  into the  field  of  politics;  and I can say without the slightest hesitation, and yet in all humility, that those who  say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means."

I have witnessed Unitarian Universalists becoming involved in opposition to war and injustice for forty years, and at every juncture I have also witnessed considerable resistance on the part of some Unitarian Universalists to their congregation or their Association taking a stance no matter that the decision was democratically decided according to the established procedures of the Association.

A more serious criticism concerns how our community converses about differences relative to social ethical stances. There is too much divisive squabbling and self righteousness that these procedures. How we talk with one another about social justice, anti-oppression and the justice of a particular war is too often charged with emotion. Our goal must be to discuss these questions and come to a majority vote without raising our differences to the level of emotional conflict. Some good people who have social consciences with draw from the process because some emotionally changed opponent has just read them out of the faith because of difference over words and their meaning.

We must creating safe communities for discourse and creative conflict, we must learn to base our procedures on religious principles.

In a previous post, I began this series of essays on ministerial formation and credentialing. These essays are in response to a post by Joey Lyons at Radical Hapa where he raises some profound questions about our process of ministry formation. In my previous post, I made the distinction between formation for ministry, and meeting the requirements for fellowship with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I also indicated that our credentialing process was designed to establish uniform standards for ministry, and so while the individuals who are involved in administering the process may be very supportive of individual students, the system is intended to screen out unsuitable applicants, rather than support formation.

There is an old maxim: Many are called, but few are chosen. Individuals, either by divine inspiration, by a quiet voice within, or by rational calculation of how best to use their assorted talents find themselves "called" to ministry. But to be a minister is to be in service to a particular faith community and that faith community must choose who will be and who will not be a minister.

Each particular faith community has a process for choosing among the many who feel called. Many faith communities select who and who will not go to seminary, there is considerable individual counseling, and clerical supervision of this process. The seminarians are supported financially and supervised throughout the process of their preparation. Other faith communities, including our own allow those who feel called to begin the process and then engage the selection process after the aspirant has had some education and experience. Bishops do not select our theological students, our students self select to go to school, with the understanding that the UUA will grant them candidate status only after they have completed the following requirements:

1. Career assessment program at a career center approved by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. (MFC)
2. Candidacy status granted by a Regional Sub Committee on Candidacy.(RSCC)
3. Sponsorship by a UU Congregation.
4. a year of theological school.

This means student must make a considerable investment before they reach the first stage of qualification, meanwhile our students observe their fellow students from a presbyterian, or episcopal polities to be "in care" in their more supportive but more controlling denominations.

Our Regional Sub Committees are recent innovation, before they were instituted students had no denominational feed back about their prospects before their interview with the MFC. The student could have a M.Div. and complete internship and be surprised that they were rejected.

Once upon a time, which wasn't so long ago, almost all Unitarian Universalist theological students went to a Unitarian Universalist theological school. The faculty and administration were Unitarian Universalist ministers, and the school was committed to forming liberal ministers. Most of the students were known and supported by their home congregations, and in relationship to the minister in their home church. Informal and formal mentoring and support for ministry formation came from the schools and the congregational ministers. Students were adopted into the ministers association by friendly gatekeepers who would spot a promising young man and invite them in. (The sociological name of this informal system is called an "old boys network.")

Now most Unitarian Universalist aspirants and candidates for ministry are enrolled in non-Unitarian Universalist schools, and located in geographical areas where there are only a few Unitarian Universalist congregations and ministers. The result is that these students have no formal support for Unitarian Universalist ministerial formation and experience themselves as isolated and neglected. In many of our non-UU theological schools the students have formed a UU students support group and UU ministers have been invited to be 'advisors' and teach polity courses, UU theology courses, etc. The UUA has limited funds available to support courses at non-UU schools, but has provided grants to support such efforts. While these efforts can not provide the same support as a UU theological school, they do provide some support.

Is a limit to the number of theological schools that we can support? I will be so bold as suggest that at best a UUMA chapter can provide support to two schools, because of geographical dispersion some of our chapters would not be able to do that much. If we are going to try to build a system of support for ministry formation, we must select which schools we can provide support services to, and which we can't. Students should know before they apply, what we can do, and what we can't.

There are other possibilities, such as retreats and special on line classes which we can explore. I think the UUA and the UUMA need to organize a consultation with some representative students to explore some of these non traditional possibilities.

I think it is time to embark on a whole new approach to theological education, ministerial credentialing and ministry formation. But that is the subject for a different essay.

Joey Lyons of Radical Hapa reflects that his Ministerial Formation and in an earlier entry he laments the number of his fellow students that drop out of the process of becoming UU ministers.  He writes that he has been intentional "about developing my ministerial skills and theology from a community based accountability, but honestly, I recognize that this is purely because I've chosen to do so.  Ultimately I am primary in shaping and negotiating my ministerial formation, almost to the point that I'm uncomfortable and a bit surprised at the level of individual responsibility necessary to achieve each level of UU Ministerial Credentialing."

I think a lot about the formation of ministers, and the Unitarian Universalist community of ministers  As a member of the Executive of the Unitarian Universalist Minister's Association (UUMA),  I have a small role in shaping policy relative to formation, and collegial community.  In our polity, no one individual has a determining role, the UUA Board of Trustees,  the UUA staff, the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) members, the theological school boards and faculty, the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, the search committees, the internship congregations, the colleagues who mentor students, the UUMA chapters and the UUMA executive all participate in shaping policy and helping to oversee the process.  But it is the students in formation who determine the success or failure of all of those efforts.

Joey Lyons alludes to our reality, our polity is associative, rather than hierarchal.  Our Association of Congregations has established requirements for credentialing,  but we don't direct the process of ministerial formation.  In this essay, and in several to follow I will analyze this reality, examine the necessary limitations of institutional guidance, and propose some ideas that might contribute to a more supportive, community based ministerial formation in the future.

There is a distinction to be made between formation and the process of credentialing.  As I understand that term, formation is spiritual and personal development.  It is gaining the skills, personal habits, and awareness necessary to be a reflective practitioner of ministry.  For example,  if we think of a minister as a spiritual leader, we might ask what is this candidates spiritual practice?  How is this candidate engaged in deepening the quality of personal relationships to self, cosmos, spirit and other creatures?  What disciplines of self care and spiritual nurture does this candidate practice? Credentialing on the other hand has to do with an institution certifying competence.

Ideally we would meet with each candidate for ministry and discern what skills, knowledge, experience, spiritual and personal qualities that candidate would need to acquire in order to function and thrive as a minister.  One candidate might need to develop a sense of humor, another might need to develop more discretion when it comes to sharing their visions, another might need to cultivate their inner boldness.  But alas, the institution needs to make judgments based on uniform standards, so the MFC proposes standards and the UUMA has decisive input, and UU theological schools make contingency plans, and the non UU theological schools ignore the process, and the UUA Board of Trustees adopts the standards and the students adjust to the new requirements.  Over the last four decades, the requirements have changed significantly and there are plans and discussions to change them again.

The basic requirements for UU ministry are:

1. Career assessment program at a career center approved by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee
2. Candidacy status granted by an RSCC
3. Sponsorship by a UU Congregation
4. Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent;
5. Approved internship;
6. Basic unit of Clinical Pastoral Education;
7. Completion of the Reading List;
8. Interview with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.

We might question the efficacy of any and all of these requirements towards actually forming a minister.  Channing read with the minister in Lancaster, Massachusetts while he taught school, there was no Divinity School to attend. Couldn't our students just read with a tutor?  Do a little apprenticeship with a wise old cleric, and when ready for prime time, do some circuit preaching?  One of the little churches on the circuit would grab the aspirant up, ordain and install their find and a pastor would be formed.  That is the way it was,  it gave us great ministers.

We have established credentialing, and we have requirements.  But our students do not have uniform experiences in meeting these requirements.  Some schools that give Masters of Divinity degrees are part of major Universities, and some are smaller and intimate and deserve the name "seminary."  One school provides its students with access to famous scholars, the other provides directed spiritual and ministerial formation.  Some schools are UU friendly, some are not.  Depending on the peer group and the supervisor, as well as the maturity of the student, Clinical Pastoral Education can be nurturing experience through which a student learns pastoral skills and awareness or it can be an traumatic and destructive experience.  I have known students who dropped out of the process because of a personality conflict with one of the gatekeepers as they were moving along the process of credentialing.  We might blame the victim if the student has repeated conflicts with authority figures, we might blame the gatekeeper if many students have found that functionary problematic, or we might write this students loss off to serendipity.  My point is that the process has been created to make judgments of competence, based on uniform standards.  It is a screening process.  We are trying to institutionalize fairness, and encourage  a qualified ministry.  But these requirements do not help a student in the process of ministerial formation.  That has been left to the schools, to the mentors, to the intern supervisors, and most of all to the students.

Coming soon my second reflection will ponder our system of "self selection" of aspirants.  The UUA provides little or no support for students in the first year of theological school, and little guidance as they enter the process of credentialing.  This weakness is built into our polity, and the history of our ministry.  In order to make changes, we must begin by examining our polity.

One year ago Hurricane Jeanne crashed into Stuart, Florida causing wind damage, severe flooding, and disruption for miles up and down the adjacent coast that lasted for weeks.  One of the UU congregations North of us lost their building, others had serious damage.  Our building is four years old, and it stood up the storm, but we lost all our trees.  This was the second major hurricane to come ashore in our little city in two weeks Schools reopened in November, many schools systems lost so many class rooms that they are reopened last month on double sessions.  Because of the labor shortage repairs to homes took months,  the porch of my house was repaired in June.  Many of my congregants were getting insurance checks in March to repair serious roof damage.  Three congregants homes were totaled, and have subsequently relocated.  The shock remains.

So you can understand my "Yes" when I checked the Hurricane maps this morning.  No tropical depressions in the Atlantic Basin!  Cooler dry air is filtering into Florida.  I know the "hurricane season' ends eight weeks from now, but September is the peak.  And I keep thinking that Greenland needs some rain.

Calvinism had a concept that Universalism absolutely subverted, and the Unitarians liberalized.  Calvin argued that one could not know who was chosen and who was not, but one could make a good estimate. If God had rewarded that person with wealth, with a noble profession, with talents, then they were probably among the elect. The poor, the addicted, the laborers, the slaves were not favored and were probably damned. €¨€¨The Universalists by proclaiming God's salvation for all were also saying "God loves you just as you are, and we humans have an obligation to each other to overcome poverty and illiteracy. The Universalist preachers went to the poor, went to the frontier, not out of noblesse oblige, but because God's love compelled them to reach everyone.€¨€¨The Unitarians on the other hand saw potential in every one, but believed with Calvin that wealth was a blessing bestowed on those further along on the road to salvation, "salvation by character of course."  Since each individual Unitarian self cultivated the soul through vocation, and learning, the Unitarians ended up being elitists, and the Universalists ended up being democrats. (Voting patterns indicate differences along class politics between the two relgious movements.) €¨€¨Of course that was in the first decades, the Universalists helped enough poor people to become stable and self reliant to become a middle class organization in their own right.  I surveyed the history of the one Universalist church that I served from frontier radicalism, to becoming the oh so polite church of the town gentry. €¨

My results are pretty much the same on that politics test that Cranky Cindy, Lawperry, Chutney, Peacebang and John Cullihan have taken and commented on their blogs. The test designed to go beyond Democrat and Republican labels and report on what people actually believe reports that I am a " Social Liberal and and...Economic Liberal and I am best described as "a Socialist." The test reports that I exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness. [ loc: (56, -150) modscore: (6, 39)]

I am not and never have been a Democrat. I don't think of myself as a "socialist" as that word is ordinarily used either. But I do believe in public solutions to public problems, and that we have a responsibility to make equality real in society. The Unitarian Universalist Principles and Purposes are not simply good intentions, they are meant to lived and promoted in society at large.

Many UUs actually believe that our Unitarian Universalist values are guide to personal and social ethics, and yet we view the Democratic Party with some skepticism. I asked several of other UUs at the church I am serving to take the test, and they all produced similar results. I think we share a common social ethics rather than being party line "socialists."

I am a Unitarian Universalist and I vote. So do lots of other UUs. Maybe that is why we pass resolutions critical of both establishment parties at General Assembly, and maybe that is why Bill Sinkford is President of our Association.

Every place is unique and special. And in that sense Québec is no different than anyplace else in North America, except that the people of Québec are intensely aware just how special they are. The St. Lawrence has seen continuous French settlement since 1608, New France was prior to New England! French place names on the map of North America give testament to the Québécois of their ancestors roles as explorers, settlers, missionaries, and founding politicians of Canada. Most Québécois feel a need to preserve this unique French cultural society. The English cultures of North America surround, interact and overwhelm Québec. As a result French Canada fears assimilation, and will resist becoming just like the rest of North America.

How does one write a biography? If we explore the complex and contradictory life of a man do we diminish him, or do we deepen our understanding of our subject, ourselves and all humanity? I am thinking of doing a biographical sermon on Horatio Alger.

According to American Dreams "Horatio Alger captured the essence, emotion, soul and especially the spirit of an emerging America. His books all had the same message: no matter who they were, poor, orphaned or powerless, that if they would persevere, if they would do their best, if they would always try to do the right thing, they would succeed. Through honesty, hard work, and strong determination, the American Dream was available to anyone willing to make the journey.

Alger wrote more than 134 enormously successful dime novels targeted primarily at young boys. In each of his books, the theme was pretty much the same. It usually focused on a young teenage boy, from a poor and disadvantaged family who would overcome numerous obstacles along the way and triumph to build his own American Dream against the odds."

Alger had an impact on America, and his novels reflect the ideas of his Unitarian upbringing, especially the idea that progressive development of character is the key to success in life. But what of Alger's life? The Dictionary of Unitarian Universalist Biography and Wikipedia reveal more about Alger's life before he became a popular novelist, some of which I am learning for the first time. This sermon is getting more and more complex.

Did Alger overcome his pedophilia? The wisdom today is that such behavior is incurable, yet it seems the Unitarians covered up his abusive behavior, and he went quietly away and became a best selling novelist.

We arrived at the Woolworth's
and the picket line was already in motion.
The demonstrators Black, White, young and old,
were singing songs I had never heard before,
shooting slogans about Freedom, 
holding signs accusing the five and dime chain of Jim Crow,
Segregation, Racism,  Bigotry,

It was 1958
and I had come to believe
that Segregation was very, very wrong
so very wrong that I must act.

They say that it takes about six miles for an ocean liner moving at full speed to change course.  Religious movements are a lot like ocean liners, they have a momentum such that once movement is established in a certain direction it is difficult to change.  At the same time, history teaches us that change happens.  We can talk about turning points and radical breaks with the past, we have seen nations, communities and even religious movements make qualitative change.  Yet, when a community changes it maintains much of its character, its traditions, its past.  Thus the historian who examines a community over time examines the interplay of change and continuity.

When I look at Unitarian Universalism as religious movement with a history I am struck by the truth of the maxim:  "the more things change, the more they stay the same."  Still, I have seen many changes since I first identified as a Unitarian. My guess is I was twelve, and Eisenhower was President.  I might have been eleven.  I was playing a board game with a Jewish child, and the conversation turned to Jewish/Christian differences.  He told me what Christians believed, assuming that he was informing me of my theology.  I don't remember ever thinking about theology before that moment, but I must have listened to my mother and my Sunday school teachers.  I told him no,  I was a Unitarian and we believed that Jesus was a Jewish prophet.  That he taught peace and love between people.  My religion and my religious family had taught me values! That was over fifty years ago!

A few years later, and  I was a teen in Liberal Religious Youth.  I had already participated in a peace march, and a civil rights demonstration.  My LRY group was totally supportive of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  We were scared during the Cuban Missile Crisis and we turned out to stand vigil for a peaceful solution.  We were not divided along political lines, witnessing for peace and witnessing for justice were things Unitarians did.  It is what we had always done, all the heros that we learned about as children in religious education had witnessed for liberal religious values, and so would we.  We believed that poverty could be eliminated, and we volunteered through the Service Committee's work camps to tutor, and refurbish housing.  That was forty five years ago!

Most of my Unitarian friends were Republicans.  There were Democrats, but in 1960 my congregation and my friends were not for Jack. We were too young to vote, but we had opinions, and we didn't like Jack and we didn't like Dick.  Our parents voted for Nixon, yet they seemed sympathetic to our idealistic support for Civil Rights and Peace.

Recently I read a relatively new Unitarian Universalist argue that UUA President Bill Sinkford is trying to turn Unitarian Universalism into the religious wing of the Democratic Party.  That is strong charge, it would be shocking if it were true, and it would be outrageous if it were happening to us and we hadn't even noticed.  The Democratic Party's 2004 Presidential nominee supported the war against Iraq,  the national leadership of that party have been absent in the struggle for an sustainable economy and against global warming.  The last Democrat in the White House presided over the dismantling of the social support system condemning millions to hopeless poverty, and his legacy includes  "Free Trade"  that has worked to undermine labor standards in the Americas.  I would hope that we would remain independent and critical of the Democrats as well as the Republicans.

I ask is there any evidence for the charge?  Is there evidence that Bill Sinkford is leading us into the party of Kerry and Clinton?    No!  Today, just as we have done since the merger, we develop our policies through a democratic process based on the religious values of Unitarian Universalism. The President of the UUA is elected to articulate those values to the public. Every UUA President has done that since Dana Greeley.  Our liberal religious values have political consequences, just as they have for two centuries.

Something is different, but it isn't the UUA.  What has happened since the merger is a realignment of the political parties. At the time of the merger, it was possible for Unitarians and Universalists to be for peace, for civil rights and for the elimination of poverty and be enthusiastic Republicans.  But over the last five decades the Republican Party has become an ideological party, and the party of the Religious Right.  The values that religious liberalism had championed over the last two centuries are now being directly challenged and liberalism experiences itself in retreat. This change in the political landscape has led many Unitarian Universalists to identity the values of religious liberalism with the Democratic Party, which in my view is a mistake.

More immediately, when John Buehrens was President of the UUA, the President of the United States was William Clinton, and the UUA was critical of the policies of that administration.  Bill Sinkford was elected President soon after the Supreme Count installed George Bush in the White House and the UUA has been critical of the Bush administration.  Religious critique unfolds in the historical context in which a particular religious people find themselves - Isaiah and Amos were critical of particular kings and particular policies.

I first encountered Bill Sinkford when he was President of LRY in the late 1960s, and I have had many conversations with him over the last ten years.  He is devoted to Unitarian Universalism, and nothing he has said or done could warrant such a charge.  On the contrary his statements indicate that he is grounded in our heritage of religious liberalism, and that his pastoral statements have been consistently based on our articulated values.  I have differed with him on occasion, but our differences were based on our estimate of the possibilities, not on values.
Given the values (direction) and the momentum (the dynamic power of our liberal heritage) it was inevitable that Unitarian Universalism would emerge as religious movement in opposition to the political direction of Right.  Our ship was on this course long before Bill Sinkford was elected President.

Our Unitarian Universalist religious movement arose in the context of the American revolution, and the ideal of a democratic republic founded on principles of equality and the common good was integral to the Unitarian and Universalist message.  Taking responsibility for society, and holding political authorities accountable for their conduct has been and continues to be central to our ethical response to the world. 
We make the distinction between partisan politics, and liberal religious ethical response to the world.  Partisan politics seeks to take advantage of "issues" to advance the interests of politicians, partisans are defensive about their own conduct, and criticize their opponents with an interest in replacing them in the halls of power.  Religious liberals witness their values in the world as an act of love and without regard to  seeking the advantages of office. 
When we review the conduct of political leadership during the crisis unfolding on the Gulf Coast, the basis for our judgments must be our Unitarian Universalist values, we must hold the political leadership accountable for how they responded in light of those values.

Last year when 4 major hurricanes hit Florida and the Mid South the UU Trauma Response Ministry was on the spot offering help, and counsel.  I offer here the information about the UU Trauma Response Ministry and its preparations to respond to the crisis in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Our congregations and the many refugees will need their expert help.

Who We Are:
UU Trauma Response Ministry is composed of Unitarian Universalist ministers, lay members of UU congregations and others who respect the vision and beliefs of Unitarian Universalism.  Trained in trauma response, these people desire to assist those involved in traumatic situations. This assistance may take the form of:

€¢ direct, on-site ministry at the trauma scene, whether national, or local;

€¢ crisis counseling for those who have experienced various levels of trauma;

€¢ hospitality and respite care for victims;

€¢ debriefing and other stress management skills;

€¢ administrative assistance, telephone answering, on-site greeters, office support;

€¢ pulpit supply for ministers engaged in trauma response.

Emergency Contact (toll free) 1-866-730-8181

The Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry Statement on Hurricane Katrina


The people of our nation once again find themselves in a time of trauma, this
time in the wake of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Within our
religious movement, the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry is
especially aware of the broad scope of such a disaster. The members of our
ministry offer our thoughts and prayers for the millions of people affected by the
devastation that has followed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Our volunteer
group of lay leaders and ministers, established in 2002, was begun to offer
spiritual and psycho/spiritual support to our congregations, their members, and
religious leaders in the aftermath of a disaster. When invited to do so, we
have also provided pre-education and preparation, and post event consultation for
methods of effective trauma response. All of us have had specific experience
and training in disaster response; if the UUTRM is asked to respond directly
to a disaster scene, our volunteers are coordinated by a team leader so that we
can provide safe and organized support. Our approach is unique: we are a
religious response team responding to the spiritual needs of those affected by
disaster.

As men and women who provide disaster spiritual care, we are acutely aware of
the several stages of a disaster and the difficulties they present for those
affected. We are living through the first stage right now, as local ministers
and district executives in the Southwest and Mid-South Districts assess the
damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Making such assessments include locating
survivors, taking inventory of property, taking stock of losses, and seeking
medical, psychological, and spiritual assistance.

Once the initial assessment is done, it becomes important to determine what
services need to be sought and delivered. Obviously, physical and safety needs
are the first priority. The Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
local fire departments and other emergency management teams are best equipped to
handle such needs. Finding safe housing, locating relatives, bringing back
dislocated persons and families, and providing food and water becomes the main
concerns at this stage. Here is where your financial donations can provide
immediate help, and we hope that you will join others in giving generously to
groups with a proven record of assistance in these circumstances.

Cleaning up the wreckage is a long term project. In the case of Hurricane
Katrina, the physical presence of others may be most valuable as that work
proceeds, but it is too soon to consider this stage. In the meantime, all of us can
continue to hold the affected communities in our prayerful thoughts; we can
donate money and/or supplies as we are able; for those of us prepared to offer
disaster-related services, we can make ourselves available, if our services are
requested.

Members of UUTRM were in communication with one another even before Hurricane
Katrina hit. We continue to be in touch with one another, with our colleagues
at the UUA, with the district executives of areas impacted by the hurricane
as well as some of the ministers of the affected churches. We will continue to
assess the appropriateness of onsite support by members of UUTRM, should our
services be requested.

In the meantime, we ask that each of you find time to think lovingly of those
who have died in this disaster. Let us pray for the safety of the rescue
workers, response teams, and care givers . Let us pray that the victims find
strength, support and compassionate care while they begin the long, slow process of
achieving a new normalcy. It is never possible to return to the way things
used to be in the wake of a disaster of this magnitude. Yet human beings have
been blessed with an amazing resiliency. The greatest gift we can offer, in
service to that resiliency, is our prayerful presence, our financial resources and
a willingness to be there if we are needed.

We welcome further inquiries about our work; please visit our website at
www.traumaministry.org .

For the UUTRM,

Rev. Danita Noland

Rev. Dr. Susan Suchocki Brown
Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt
Rev. Dr. Jan Carlsson-Bull
Rev. Joel Miller
Rev. Kate Bortner
Rev. Lisa Presley
Sr. Rosemary Chinnici
Rev. Aaron Payson

I just spoke to José Ballester, co-minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, Texas.  Houston is the first site of the mass relocation of 25000 refugees from New Orleans.  Most of the people coming to Houston are coming from the SuperDome and will be put up at Astrodome.  The churches of Houston have mobilized people to greet the buses to give that human touch that these people need so much.

The churches are organizing to provide showers, food, water and care for these people who are suffering from traumatic stress (nothing post about it.)  The churches in many parts of the South, Southeast, and Southwest will be mobilizing to help provide hospitality and support for evacuees.  Below is the information being sent to members of that congregations.  First UU is also working closely with the other churches in the city.

Other churches might find elements in FUUC plan helpful.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Many are asking what you can do to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  I'm summarizing a dozen or so opportunities here.  As future plans are made, we will do our best to keep you posted.

1.  To offer living space for a UU family (or others), go to the Southwest UU District website, www.swuuc.org, and click on Hurricane Katrina Resources, then on Locating and Housing UU's Displaced by Hurricane Katrina (or just click on this hyperlink or copy and paste to the address line of your web browser).  Or, call the church office and we will pass the information on to the folks coordinating this effort.

2.  To give a financial donation, write a check to First UU Church, with "UU Gulf Coast Relief Fund" in the memo line.  You may send it to the church, bring it by, or put it in the offering plate on Sunday.  We will also be donating the entire offering collected on Sunday, September 11, to the Hurricane Relief Fund.  We will forward these funds to the Southwest UU District and the UUA who will use the funds to support UU congregations in need, to support their members in need, and following that, other worthwhile relief efforts as determined by a grants panel.

3.  Volunteer at the Emergency Aid Coalition, located close to First Church, by contacting its Volunteer Coordinator, Carol Burrus, cburrus@eachouston.org or 713-522-0879.  They need help in making lunches.

4.  Volunteer at the Astrodome, which is being prepared to house thousands of refugees, by visiting the web site for Harris County Citizen Corp: http://www.harriscountycitizencorps.com/.

5.  For direct hands-on support in Louisiana, perhaps you can assist the North Shore UU Church in LaCombe, about a 7-8 hour drive, this weekend (yes, Labor Day weekend).  They need to tie down a huge tarp (assuming someone donates one) over the exposed part of the church building.  Several chain saws are needed to clear out fallen trees.  Since phone lines and wireless towers are down in the area, contact the Baton Rouge UU Church at 225-926-2291 or email minister@peacestones.org for directions and/or more information.

6.  Donate one or more of the following items (bring to First Church or take directly to Interfaith Ministries on Montrose at Westheimer):
    Paper Goods - plates, cups, diapers, tissue
    Cleaning Supplies - bleach, Top Job, Mr. Clean type products
    Water - bottled drinking water (NO glass containers)
    Single Serving Snacks -- Pop Tarts, Cereal Bars
    Peanut Butter
    Heat and Eat Foods - Chili, sew, canned pasta with sauce, canned vegetables, etc.
    Lunchables or other single serving foods that DO NOT REQUIRE REFRIGERATION
    Meals Ready to Eat
    Personal Care Items
    Formula

7.  Donate phone cards (bring to First Church) so evacuees can contact their families.

8.  Donate one or more backpacks for children to use for school; many have registered and will continue to register at schools in the area (as homeless children, they do not have to be residents). Bring to First Church.

9.  Tell any gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender evacuees who are staying in the Houston area about the support group on Tuesday, September 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Montrose Counseling Center at 701 Richmond (on the 25 Richmond Avenue and the 34 Montrose Boulevard crosstown bus lines).

10.  While Jose is coordinating relief efforts, Gail is setup up Chalice Circles, as well as Grief and Support groups, for survivors and their families, for volunteers, and for others of us who need support as we process our emotions during these heart-breaking times.  We will provide more information on these in the next few days.

11.  To learn about the fate of fellow UUs and their church homes in the path of Hurricane Katrina, visit the update page at the Southwest UU District website: http://www.swuuc.org/hurricaneupdates.html

12.  Every chance you get, say a prayer (or throw your positive thoughts out to the Universe) for the victims and those of us who are trying to help in any small way we can.

We are in the process of updating our website, www.firstuu.org, with this information and will add new information as it becomes available.  We will limit the number of our batch emails we send -- so make a point to check out our web site for up-to-date relief information.  If you have any information you would like for us to post to our web site, please send an email to newsletter@firstuu.org with INFO FOR WEB SITE in the subject line.

By the way, the First Church office is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  So you can bring by your donations during these hours.  Mail donations to First UU Church, 5200 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77004.

Rev. Jose Ballester
Minister
First Unitarian Universalist Church
5200 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77004