A Message from the Team (July 2022)

By the Leadership and Design Team of International U/U Collaboration July, 2022

Initial Thoughts & Impressions

When a flying trapeze artist leaves one bar for another it is a moment of great excitement and anxiety for those who are watching their act. 

On the one hand they hope that the gap between A and B will be successfully and gracefully navigated. On the other hand, they are afraid that artists may not grab hold of the next bar successfully. 

Similarly, we can imagine that those dedicated to the work of the former International Council of Unitarian Universalists (ICUU) and Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council (UUPCC) are also both anxiously and excitedly waiting for the newly formed Leadership & Design Team to give direction in this new phase of cooperation within our global Unitarian, Universalist, and Free Church community.

During our initial conversations the Leadership & Design team concluded that a new metaphor is needed. Therefore, we would like to suggest that we take a leaf from the book of the beautiful world of honeybees to imagine the future cooperation in our community. In a honeybee community thousands of bees cooperate in nest building, food collection and brood rearing. At the same times honeybees are responsible for cross pollination between the dazzling variety of plants that occurs in nature.

We see the community of the honeybee as a call for a new form of cooperation between Unitarian, Universalist, and Free Churches all over the world.

We would like to invite you to become a participant rather than a spectator in this process. 

In this way we can together forge a new kind of cooperation and participation amongst ourselves that will bring new vitality to all involved.

Our Mandate

We, the Leadership & Design Team, have been mandated by the former ICUU and UUPCC to create a new organizational framework our global Unitarian, Unitarian Universalist, and Free Church community.

As part of this mandate the International U/U and Free Church Collaboration Group (with members form both the ICUU and UUPCC) through its conversations with the different role players concluded that the Leadership & Design Team should focus on the following needs that live within our global community:

• Mutual partnerships of all kinds

• Theological and spiritual development 

• Capacity building and organizational development 

• Engagement across and within Unitarian/Universalist communities 

• Exploration of cultural and power dynamics 

And that the following should receive priority: 

• Developing partnerships in new and creative ways 

• Training lay and professional leaders with culturally adaptive and accessible programs 

• Supporting existing and emerging groups towards sustainability 

• Exploring mutually supportive justice-based initiatives

Since receiving our mandate the Leadership & Design Team met six times with our facilitators. At some of the meetings we were joined by Shelley Adams, Rev. Alicia R. Forde, Rev. John Gibbons, Derek McAuley (Co-chair), Rev. Morgan McLean (Co-chair) and Rev. Fred Muir formed the International U/U and Free Church Collaboration Group. 

During our conversations, the following themes emerged that we would like to invite you to consider:

Relevant To Culture, Context, Global Cooperation & Today

• We wish to explore what Unitarian, Universalist & Free Christian mean today and who it needs to be to serve the needs of today’s world and the needs of the distinct cultural and continental contexts in which it lives.

• We wish to remain open to the emergence of a “new” Unitarian, Universalist & Free Christian community that have adapted to the realities of today and the future.

• We wish to make sure that the new organizational or collaborative structure that emerge will serve the needs of our global community and will be more inclusive, just, and culturally sensitive.

• We also wish to ensure that groups outside of the dominant culture within our UU and Free Christian Community get their voices to be heard, valued, reflected, and included in the collaborative work and partnerships of the future.

Learning, Celebrating, Cooperating & Cross-Pollinating

• We wish to cherish and celebrate the difference that exist within our global UU, Free Christian community, and explore its possibilities through partnership and inclusive participation.

• We wish to learn from each other and the different contexts and continents that various UU and Free Christian communities exist.

• It offers a wonderful opportunity to gain experience, share, borrow and cross-pollinate for a more vibrant global community. 

Building global relationships both equitable and inclusive

• We also wish to develop our unitarian and universalist ideas and practices for an international context so that we may be more influential in the world.

• We wish to build deeper relationships through listening and sharing so that we better understanding the challenges the different UU and Free Church groups face, as well as their context, history, and their future.

• We also wish to explore how we share money and other resources in a way that supports the creation of a more equitable and inclusive community.

Past & Future Structure

Firstly, we wish to honor those you preceded up in leading and directing the work of the ICUU and UUPCC. We acknowledge the hard work and dedication they offered to the task in building relations in our global UU community. It is because of their work that we are at this moment of transition and maturation in our international circle.

Secondly, in reflecting on a new organizational or collaborative structure we came the conclusion that we first need to have a clearer idea of who we want to be together. Only then can we decide on a structure that can serve the needs of our global community on the best possible way.

Therefore, we all my feel as though the work in hanging in the air as we work together to create a more equitable and collaborative hive that will serve our future needs.

Next Steps

In view of the above in the next couple of months we will create a variety of channels through which you will be able to share more about yourself, your community and your thoughts and intuitions for the future cooperation of our global community. 

It is also our intention to broaden the representation of the Leadership & Design Team soon.

As the initial group suggested in their concluding report called “New Vision – Concluding Recommendations” our present circumstances are both challenging and opportune. It presents us with the opportunity to invent ourselves anew! Let us together and build a new hive of relationships, partnerships, and activity! And let’s heed the words of the Persian lyrical poet Hafez: “Stay close to what makes you feel alive!”

In The Meantime

Lastly, we wish to assure you that international relationships continue to be supported in this time of transition. The International Office of the Unitarian Universalist Association is acting as a place of support. Existing formal Partnerships continue to be supported by the UU Partnering Consultant, and funds and scholarships are transferred through the UUA. Your ongoing contributions are being used to support this current and future work, and we are grateful for your gifts.

Love and Light,

Leadership & Design Team of International U/U Collaboration

Renee Hills  (Australia)

Juban Lamar (India)

Roux Malan (South Africa)

Elias Ortega (United States)

Liz Slade (United Kingdom)

Elekes Zsolt (Hungary)

Carol Maciel (Brazil)