TJ CONNECTION
Thomas Jefferson District
Unitarian Universalist Association
Dates to Remember
The Eno River UU Fellowship Durham, NC,
is seeking a Director of Religious Education. For information, call 919-489-2575.
The UU Church of Greensboro gathered on Nov. 1 for a special ground-breaking ceremony for their new building, now under construction and scheduled for April completion. Having outgrown their second church building, they sold it and purchased a 7-acre parcel of land. In the interim, they are meeting at the Guilford Technical Community College.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the
TJ District's Chalice Lighter Program, which has raised more than $215,000
and has helped 23 congregations. Their work has made us the fastest growing
district on the continent. Congratulations to Extension Committee co-chairs,
Sandra
Clipp and Rev. Wyman Rousseau and their committee for all their
hard work. Look for a mailing from them with some exciting suggestions
for possible future expansion.
CONGREGATIONS ASKED FOR
MEMBERSHIP FIGURES
Each year about this time the UUA asks each congregation to update its membership information, due by February 1. The number of members is used to certify the number of delegates to General Assembly and district business meetings. It is also used to calculate the amount of the congregation's "Fair Share" for the UUA and TJ
district dues. The UUA "Fair Share" for example this year (July 98 - Jun 99) is $39 per member. The TJ District "Fair Share" is $15 per member. What this means is that an average member of a congregation "costs" its church $54 plus the cost of various mailings. Your annual pledge must cover that cost plus all other church expenses.
Questions are raised from time to time about how to determine
the number of members that is used for so many important pieces of business.
The Bylaws of the UUA are clear: "a member of a member society is any individual
who, pursuant to its procedures, has full or partial voting rights at business
meetings of the society and who is certified as such by an authorized officer
of the society." For more information contact Paul Clipp (864-654-6307)
or paulclipp@aol.com,
the new Annual Program Fund chair for the TJ District.
Building Right Relations
Workshop Offered Again
A second Right Relations Workshop will be offered at the
Roslyn Conference Center, Richmond, Virginia, Friday, December 4th
to Sunday, December 6 for congregational teams of two or more. The goals
for participants are 1) to understand and evaluate your congregation as
an organizational system, 2) to improve cooperation between lay and professional
leaders, 3) to learn skills for volunteer management related to shared
ministry, and 4) to discuss key points of congregational development in
relation to paid staff. For more information, call 704-549-0750.
ANTI-RACISM TEAM UP AND RUNNING
By Leslie Takahashi Morris
Members of the TJ District Anti-Racism Team have completed the third phase of training given by Chicago-based Crossroads Ministries. Forty Team members, selected from across the District because of their individual and/or their congregation's commitment to improving race relations, have now spent more than a week's time in training.
At their meeting last month, the Team organized itself for its work: a multi-year effort to aid congregations in developing anti-racist multi-cultural identities. An organizing committee was formed consisting of Michael Freeman and Paul Johnson from Savannah, Linda Brooks and Leslie Takahashi Morris from Eno River/All Souls, Elandria Williams from Tennessee Valley and Linda Berry of Norfolk, who will serve as chair. District Executive Roger Comstock will serve in an ex officio capacity, and the District Board will appoint the final member.
In January and February congregations have been asked by the UUA to take a special collection for race relations work. Two-thirds of the money collected on "Journey Toward Wholeness" Sundays will be retained in the local congregation and can be used to subsidize the travel and materials costs of anti-racism training by the Team. In the next few months, congregations will be contacted about the resources available to them through the team.
Though the training on the systemic power imbalances resulting from our nation's--and our region's--history around race was demanding and stressful at times, Team members gained an appreciation of the struggles of both people of color and potential white allies over issues of race and inclusion in our congregations. The team environment gave people of color a chance to come together in caucus¾ a powerful gift for people who are generally isolated in their home congregations. The training also gave white team members a space to reflect on how their past efforts to build better race relations failed to acknowledge the privileges they have simply based on their skin color. They were also able to try on a new way of discerning the many ways that historical injustices still limit the lives of people of color today.
As the Anti-Racism initiative started, a few individuals complained that the term "anti-racist" is too negative or unfair to whites. Crossroads trainer Anne Stewart, an African-American who has led this work in her Mennonite Church, stated that those who could not stand against racism in whatever form it appears, could not work on her behalf with true understanding. This work challenges us to be introspective and self aware: to look inside our own congregations and see the ways in which we use our institutional power to reinforce prejudices ingrained in our culture.
The training also provided a forum in which team members could reflect
on the importance of this work in realizing the true potential of the UU
message¾ particularly as reflected in
our Purposes and Principles and our aim to "affirm and promote the inherent
worth and dignity of every person."
ANNUAL MEETING IN WILLIAMSBURG
TO HONOR ROGER COMSTOCK
Williamsburg, VA will be the site of the TJ District Annual meeting, this year with a special twist: it will be Roger Comstock's last official business meeting. Roger will be our keynote speaker, and he will be honored that evening with a special banquet. Ministers, former and present TJD Board members and committee chairs, members of congregations that he has helped form, and friends from across the Southeast and even from UUA headquarters in Boston will gather to recognize the contributions Roger has made.
The meeting is in April, the weekend after Easter and
a high-tourist time for Williamsburg, so those of you needing hotel rooms
will want to make reservations as soon as the packets arrive in February.
Mark your calendars now if you wish to be part of the festivities.
Other District news is available by e-mail at listproc@uua.org.with message:
Thomas Jefferson District Office:
9704 Mallard Creek Road, Charlotte NC 28262
Phone: 704-549-0750; fax: 704-549-0751
District Executive: Roger Comstock,Rcomstock@uua.org
District Administrator: Krissa Palmer, KrissaTJD@aol.com
President: Linda Lane-Hamilton, llaneham@widomaker.com