Evolving Evolve

by Beth Lanier, Secretary of the Evolve Chesapeake Board of Directors 

Evolve is on the threshold of another evolution in our existence. We are considering the invitation of the United Church of Christ of Annapolis to join with them on their journey. We would be joining not as renters, using their space on Sunday evenings, but as one of their ministries, a full part of their congregation, if we so desire it.

UCCA is offering us a stake in their future as well, with a voting member on their Board of Trustees and a voice and vote on their Council. Along with this we would be granted autonomy to run our own services and set and control our own budget. We would also be able to retain our 501(c)(3) corporation if and until we decided to fully merge with UCCA.

There are some things that we are giving up. Mostly it has to do with the business side of running our community. There would be financial oversight, but since we already follow good accounting procedures, this is an annoyance we should be able to live with. We are being asked to run our operating budget on an account set up through their bank and under their EIN, and their Treasurer would be writing our checks to pay our bills from our money. It would still be our money, our account, and could not be used for anything other than what we approve. Is this something we can handle? It will be an adjustment, but both of these things will make Sylvia's job much easier...

This process seems to be taking away some of our freedom, but is it really? Last year we looked at hiring an accountant to take over the nitty-gritty of the Treasurer's job before Sylvia stepped up and volunteered to learn the job of Treasurer. We can think of using the UCCA accounting and Treasurer as having hired an outside service to handle the finances. We can still track them and control how we spend our money. We just don't have to directly write the checks any more.

Then there is the 10% tithe to UCCA. I think that this is entirely reasonable. We're using their facility, we should contribute. We're not paying rent, we're not being asked to pledge to their operating budget on top of our own. Our expenses will be going down. We can handle this. It is the right thing to do.

Here's the real kicker in what we're giving up: We would be truly lay led. Wayne would no longer have a vote. In the United Church of Christ, the Pastor is the spiritual leader of the church and acts as an advisor but holds no official place on the Board of Trustees or Council. They attend all or most meetings, and may voice opinions, but may not vote. Our background as MCC/Pentecostal/non-denominational is such that the Pastor is often the one that started the church and thus had a great stake in the business side as well, therefore being head of the Board was the norm. While this is a huge change for us and for Wayne, it is not an unusual position for a church to have. In addition to the UCC Church, I believe that this is also standard practice in some other larger protestant denominations, but we should be sensitive to this loss for Wayne.

There are things that we are not losing and many things to gain. I believe that we will not lose our identity. We will still be holding Sacred Gatherings as we always have. We will also have access to a much larger audience. Current members of UCCA will visit out of curiosity, out of a desire to be part of what we offer, or maybe just to welcome us to their church. We will have the resources of a much larger denomination to voice our message. We will be in a more visible, easily findable location. We will not have to have such a tedious set up and put away process. Yes, they have pews, but we have always kept more of our guests when we were in rows anyway. We will have full access to the facilities of UCCA. Best of all we will have a community that wants us, that is excited about us, that wants to partner with us to do good things!

UCCA has already shown a desire to partner with us by participating in bringing a transgender speaker to one of our services, by inviting us to their community dinners, by inviting us to participate in their community garden and as part of their CROP Walk team. We are wanted.

What are the fears? Will we be judged for our spirituality? Possibly. But to think that we aren't being judged for it now is silly. We're too church like and Christian for most of the Creation Spirituality Communities when we go to the conferences or when they visit us. We're not Christian enough for many of our walk in visitors. Some come and say how wonderful we are, but never come back. We're judged every time someone visits us. We'll still have our own place to hold sacred gatherings. UCCA is not expecting us to hold an evening UCC service. They are inviting us to hold our service. This is what they expect of us. Yes, many UCCA members are on a different faith path than we are. Some people may think that we are too far out there. I don't expect that they will be the ones coming to our gathering more than once. We call ourselves Progressive Christians. We are called to understand that everyone has their own path to the Holy and to accept that other people may not respect our path.

What about our sexuality? Those of us in the LGB community at Evolve Chesapeake have been used to being very open in expressions of affection within our community. Will we be judged? Within our own Sacred Gatherings, I expect that we won't be. We should continue on as we always have. When we are at events with the larger UCCA community? We should continue on as we always have. Will there be those who will judge us? Raised eyebrows? Shocked silences? Perhaps, but we'll be part of their family. UCCA has invited us not only to diversify their spiritual message, but to diversify their congregation and reach out to the LGBTQ community. They want us! Affection is a good thing. We shouldn't change who we are. No bait and switch from Evolve Chesapeake! Start as we mean to continue! Pretty soon they'll live up to their message of acceptance and we'll be a non-issue.

I don't think that we are going to find a lot of negativity at UCCA. I think that we are going to add diversity of Spirit to their community. There are 90 people that we don't know. Some of them are going to like us; some of them are going to be indifferent. Some might not like us at all, but they are willing to open their community to us nonetheless. Unless we go into their Sunday morning Worship Service and push to add our language and ritual, while pushing out their traditional language and practice, I think that we'll be fine. They have invited us to be ourselves. There is language in the Mutual Covenant document that basically promises that we get to be ourselves. We're not changing UCCA, we're adding to their community. They aren't changing Evolve Chesapeake; they are offering us a home.

I strongly believe that this is a good and positive move for Evolve Chesapeake. It is the next evolution on our path. Not a loss, not a giving up. I encourage every member to vote to affirm the agreement with the United Church of Christ of Annapolis. There are still some things to be worked out, but I believe that they will come together because your Board and the UCCA Council and Trustees are willing to work together and listen to each other.

Bill Mitchell, the UCCA Council Chair, stated that the essence of the covenant is "to advance spiritual seeking through fellowship, ceremony, inquiry, humility and strength. To reach more people!"

I believe that the heart of our covenant with UCCA is that we will travel a path based in Love and Trust to make both groups stronger as we create a new community.

AN INVITATION FROM THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF ANNAPOLIS:

"Continuing the Journey Toward Wholeness"

Intercultural Competency Workshop

  Phyllis Braxton, PINK Consulting, LLC

 333 Dubois Road, Annapolis, MD  21401

FRIDAY, NOV. 7 from 7 PM to 9:30 PM:

--Meet and greet gathering with team building activities. Discuss expectations for the workshop; get to know the keynote speaker.

SATURDAY, NOV. 8 FROM 9 AM TO 4 PM: 

--Break down barriers and preconceived notions about diversity, and leave with a greater awareness about the differences of others.  Presentation, lecture, small group and experiential activities will be used.   

Contact the UUCA office if you have questions about registration or the workshop.

Erine Sedicum

Hoffa's Trunk

So today I cleaned out my trunk. To my surprise it was an adventure.   First I must address the Hoffa's Trunk.  Back around 1975 Jimmy Hoffa disappeared and has never been found.  There were many tabloid stories like working at McDonald's, LOL, or whatever was made up.  So I, being the kid I was, paid attention to stories like Jimmy Hoffa.

Here is a partial inventory of my trunk: 7 umbrellas, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 board games, a stuffed Cat in the Hat, hedge clippers, golf balls, a set of ski poles, and more.  Isn't it just like life as we jam everything into one place until we are forced to face it!  I faced it and I see a lot that must go, and so must some of the things in the external and internal trunk that is me, so that I won't feel like Hoffa's Trunk...

"There's no question about the reality of evil, of injustice, of suffering, but at the center of this existence is a heart beating with love. You and I and all of us are incredible. I mean, we really are remarkable things. That we are, as a matter of fact, made for goodness."

- South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

 Joelle Novey of Interfaith Power and Light

 Brooke Harper of Chesapeake Climate Action Network

 Dave Hackett of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry

 Phil Favero of the Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis  

Discussion will follow panel presentations.  Refreshments will be served. 

Find out who you state legislators are and get help in writing them a letter to indorse this bill in the 2015 legislature.  Learn how to create a petition.

Contact Liz Vanden Heuvel at liz2vh@comcast.net  or by phone at 410-267-9009 for more information or directions. 

Visit our website:  www.EvolveChesapeake.com