This article is a follow-up to the announcement made from the pulpit by the chair of the Board of Trustees on December 20.

The current board of trustees met recently and each of us has decided it is time to step down. Stewardship calls, bake sales, and budget management have been labors of love for us and we have been honored to have had the privilege of serving this community. However, each of us is now unsure about our relationship with the church and that is neither a meaningful or responsible way to lead. Suffice it to say that this was a painful decision that each of us struggled with in our own way. We hope you understand. **

The good news is that the congregation will be in excellent hands. Marva and Jeff have agreed to lead the congregation through the end of the church year, which is the end of June. We reached out to Marva and Jeff because they are widely respected in the congregation and have the leadership gifts that are so needed in this time. Marva has been attending 2U since 1997, was a past member of 2 Interim Minister search committees and has served on the nominating and membership Committees.  Jeff is currently involved in the capital improvements committee and is the immediate past treasurer.

The current trustees are serving until the next board meeting, which is January 13. Jeff and Marva are identifying 3-4 more members to appoint to the board, so that there  will be a quorum to serve with them for the rest of the year. Many people have expressed their willingness to help during this time of transition. Please allow Marva and Jeff to focus on some immediate transition issues, mostly related to the budget and church operations. But please stand ready to help when they or the other new leaders call on you.

We wish nothing but the best for 2U and hope that the community continues to comfort, challenge, and inspire everyone who walks through its doors. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve."

** After the live announcement, some congregants expressed concern that the trustees resignations were a result of Jennifer's leaving, suggesting that we were serving her rather than the congregation. In actuality, each and every decision we have made, including the one to step aside, has been guided by what we thought was in the best interest of the whole congregation.

We were very saddened when given the news that all current Board members desire to step down.  We regret their decision and thank them for their commitment and hard work during a very challenging time.   We respect their knowledge of themselves and we find the courage in ourselves to step into this interim leadership role until the congregation has an opportunity to elect a new board.  It is our hope that our hearts and their hearts can reconcile and that 2U can provide us all what we need spiritually.

We know that during this challenging time that some of you are feeling sad, angry, or disillusioned with our church community.  We ask you to trust the principles that bind us and be assured that the support you need to heal can be found here.   We recall the eloquent words in Rev. Rudra's sermon a few weeks ago.  He helped us to remember that 2U has seen far tougher times and yet has survived and flourished.  There is something in these bricks that keeps us going; but there is one other thing as well.  And that "thing" is what we have been most impressed with since joining 2U: it is the amazing passion demonstrated in each of "you" for our beloved community.  Witnessing that passion provides us with the utmost confidence that 2U will live on to fulfill our ever-important mission as a Unitarian Universalist beacon in Chicago.

The current Board has already received advice and support from the UUA Central Midwest District on this unprecedented transition in church lay leadership.  In the weeks ahead, we will be reaching out for your help.  We ask for your patience and support as we work to fill temporary Board positions, refine committee roles, and establish a stewardship plan to support 2U.  Please know that we are deeply committed to supporting diversity of the church community-diversity of all shapes and sizes.  We will strive to facilitate open dialog and inclusion as well as transparent decision-making.

We look forward to hearing your ideas and welcome your support.  Please bring forth that passion that we've seen in all of you!  We look forward to the work ahead

by Jonathan

I have been both a Unitarian Universalist and a member of Second Unitarian for over 29 years.  Recently, much has been made of the fact that our church has had nine ministers since 1971.  I would like to clarify a few points on this matter in order to help those unfamiliar with our history to put this fact into its proper perspective.

While it is true that we have had nine ministers over this time, it must be noted that of these nine only four were settled ministers.  These four were Rev. Bart Gould, who served for thirteen years, Rev. Charles Kast, who served for nine, Rev. Lynn Unger who served for four, and Rev. Jennifer Owen-O'Quill who served for seven.  The remaining five were all interim ministers, which typically serve no more than one year while the church searches for a settled minister.  There was a one year gap between Rev. Gould and Rev. Kast, but a two year gap between Rev. Kast and Rev. Unger due to the first interim during this period having left early in order to take a settled position.  There was another two year gap between Rev. Unger and Rev. Owen-O'Quill due to the first candidate selected having decided to accept an offer from another church.

So what does this say about our congregation?   On that I cannot truly say.  If you care to research this history on your own, you can reach your own conclusions.  I was going to deluge you with facts, figures and statistics derived from various reports which can be found on the internet, but then serendipity stepped in and delivered unto me a sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. John H. Weston in 2007 to the Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist of Palatine, Illinois following the apparently unsettling departure of a short lived settled minister.  I believe that this sermon speaks directly to what many of us are struggling with in the wake of Rev. Owen-O'Quill's unexpected resignation.   I hereby submit the following link as New Year's gift to us all in the hope that it will help guide us through this troubling time.  Rev. Dr. John H. Weston is the current Transitions Director of the UUA.

http://ccuu.org/sermons/2007-03-04_Dr._John_Weston_Sermon.pdf

Our congregation is made up of a diverse collection of good hearted individuals who come together in search of a spiritual home which can encompass the full range of belief from the Holy to the Human.  Though we have stumbled, I continue to have faith that we have what it takes in order to regroup and re-establish the delicate balance between minister, lay leadership, and congregation.

Faithfully Yours,

Jonathan