District Assembly - St. Lawrence District of the UUA

Every April, UUs from every corner of the St. Lawrence District enjoy gathering for District Assembly. Often referred to as a "mini General Assembly," this wonderful Friday evening/all day Saturday conference combines training, networking, inspiration, celebration, and a brief business meeting. It culminates with a Bridging Ceremony for senior youth.

Unitarian Universalists should affirm the worth and dignity of our congregations as well as ourselves, and our language should reflect that affirmation, Rev. Joel Miller of the UU Church of Buffalo told a large crowd of ministers and lay persons in his 2008 Gould Discourse on April 25, 2008.

“In spite of our diversity, I think our movement struggles with resentment, with sadness and fear because we cannot speak well to one another,” said Miller, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. “We Unitarian Universalists are highly-skilled doubters, and we have an effective language for it.”

Our seeming inability to speak positively about each other may have contributed to what Miller called “ a surprising amount of hurt and anger about large and small churches in our movement.” Though he cited examples of disagreements based on congregation size, Miller called that conflict “overblown.”

As we work to offer gratitude and appreciation to each other, Miller suggested that we use the process of Appreciative Inquiry, which aims to find the best in an organization by drawing on its style and values. “Let’s take the well-tested tools of Appreciative Inquiry,” Miller said, “and use their power to heal ourselves and heal this world.”

The discourse, named for Josephine Gould, a religious educator in the St. Lawrence District for many years, is held the evening following the end of the SLD ministers' spring retreat and preceding the District Assembly. The Gould lecturer is chosen by the Iroquois Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association.

Yes, it is possible to eradicate poverty while maintaining the earth’s resources, Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen told those gathered for the St. Lawrence District Assembly April 25. “The well-being of the planet is intimately connected to the well-being of poor people,” said Pinstrup-Andersen, the 2001 World Food Prize laureate.

Noting that in poor countries, one-third of the wealth is in natural resources, while in high-income countries, natural resources comprise just 2% of the wealth, Pinstrup-Andersen pointed out that this leaves the poor particularly susceptible to water pollution, climate change, and the food policy decisions of high income countries. In response, the poor do cause environmental degradation – by cutting down trees for wood, for example – as they make decisions so that their children will live. “Don’t blame the poor. They’re trying to survive,” he said.

We can achieve change in this area, Pinstrup-Andersen said. As Unitarian Universalists who stand for social justice, he said, we can influence our government and others by letting candidates know we are concerned about sustainability and poverty eradication. In addition, he said, we can support local, national, and international UU programs and the work of non-governmental organizations to reduce poverty and protect the environment.

Applying Unitarian Universalist values in community life was a consistent theme at this year’s St. Lawrence District Assembly.

In addition to a follow-up conversation with keynote speaker Per Pinstrup-Andersen and a conference for congregation presidents, those at the Assembly participated in workshops focusing on the environment, social justice, and other aspects of congregational life. Links to workshop materials made available by presenters are included here.

• Members of the Glens Falls congregation reported on their experience with the Northwest Earth Institute’s Choices in Sustainable Living discussion course. www.nwei.org, http://grandparentsgiftofearth.org

• In "Peak Oil Awareness," Richard Pertz discussed our diminishing oil supplies and alternative energy strategies. MORE> Click here for a copy of the Peak Oil workshop slides

• Janet Allen explained how to use earth-friendly landscaping and gardening practices and create Habitat Gardens on our own and church property. See www.hgcny.org and www.stewardshipgarden.org

• What churches can and can’t do in political campaigns, holding voter registration drives, and the moral dimensions of political issues were covered by Robb Smith, Executive Director of Interfaith Impact of NYS, Dick Dana, Rev. Dick Gilbert and Rev. Sam Trumbore in "Democracy as a Religious Principle: UU Values in the 2008 Election." The UUA website has the most important information at: www.uua.org/documents/washingtonoffice/real_rules.pdf

• "Multicultural Congregations" featured Rev. Lyn Ashley and Jacqui Williams of Catalyst, the District's Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression team, describing the group’s work and leading an exercise aimed at helping participants to identify and understand white privilege. MORE> Click here for a copy their handout on white privilege.

• Gary Pudup and Barrie Gewanter of the NY Civil Liberties Union discussed "Civil Liberties and the War on Terror," including the right to counsel, privacy rights, and the effects of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Real ID Act. www.aclu.org/

• Membership Coordinators Lynn Lekakis of First UU of Albany and Mary Jones of First Unitarian of Rochester discussed welcoming, integrating and retaining newcomers in "The Role and Advantages of a Paid Membership Coordinator." MORE> Click here for a copy of Membership workshop slides

• Robbie Brydon, SLD Young Adult-Campus Ministry Consultant, offered a short "Contemporary Worship Service" and led a discussion of how elements of this worship style could be incorporated to broaden the appeal of more traditional worship. MORE> Click here for a copy of Contemporary Worship handouts

• Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education at First UU Albany offered "Teaching as a Spiritual Practice," based on the work of Dr. Barry Andrews and his seven principles essential to teaching religious education. MORE> Click here for a copy the 7 Principles summary and of Dr. Andrews article.

Serve others & open up to grow,
District Executive tells UUs at 2008 Annual Meeting

When congregations are open, they grow, Rev. Tom Chulak, St. Lawrence District Executive, told those gathered at the District’s annual meeting April 26. “If you’re only serving your members, you’re likely not growing,” Chulak said, “but if you serve others, you open up.”

A congregation that wants to grow, according to Chulak, should emphasize shared visionary leadership, be open to restructuring, and focus on trusting relationships. In addition, he said, a congregation must be grounded in its story. “Pay attention to your story,” he said. “Don’t try to skip three chapters.”

To identify new ways to serve, connect and grow congregations, the district board has established a Futures Team, Chulak said, which will bring to the 2010 District Assembly a plan to create beloved communities that are “sustainable, theologically inclusive, multigenerational, multicultural, and justice-oriented.” Dave Munro of Albany will chair the team.

Ernie Hall, District President, spoke of the district’s progress during 2007-08, highlighting the work done through its clusters. The district, he said, “is at the cutting edge of thinking about how to best help our congregations be successful and to be good stewards and evangelists of Unitarian Universalism.”

The meeting was held during the 2008 District Assembly, hosted by the UU Congregation of Binghamton. 155 persons attended the Assembly, among them nine congregation presidents and nineteen ministers. Twenty-one congregations sent representatives to the annual meeting, which approved a $180,261 budget for 2008-09. Ernie Hall and Bill Parke were elected to three-year terms, and Rev. Frances Manly and Taylor Longo (youth representative) to one-year terms on the SLD board. Dave Munro and Debby Herman were elected to the nominating committee. In addition to business items, the meeting included a Bridging Ceremony for high school seniors who will move from youth programs into the young adult community.

A proposed safety policy for the district was not submitted for approval by the assembly. It will be revised to meet concerns expressed by some members and brought to next year’s meeting. In the meantime, sections of the policy will be enacted as necessary on a temporary basis.

Choir members of the host church, the UU Congregation of Binghamton, provided delightful music before the Gould Discourse to start District Assembly 2008 on a moving spiritual tone.

T-shirts with UU or environmental themes were plentiful at DA 2008 in keeping with the day's "Sustainable Earth" theme as Tamara Hill (left, Big Flats "Where all are welcome") and Nancy Peterson (Schenectady "Renewable energy is homeland secuity") demonstrate.

Jack Maniloff of Rochester describes the activities and resources of the UU Service Committee to a DA attendee. At the SLD Annual Meeting, Jack also honored 13 district congregations for their work to support the UUSC.

In the day's final event, youth members (above) describe what UUism has meant to them.

Then high school seniors symbolically "bridged" to young adult status as they walked under the raised arms of all in attendance amid joyful music and cheers.