Leadership Schools Build Congregational Spirit
April 15, 1998
Trina Wheeler and Betty Welsbacher were expecting "just another conference" when they attended a Unitarian Universalist (UU) leadership school last August. What they got changed their lives and put their church on a new path."At 72 I've been to hundreds of conferences and I'm too old to be excited about anything, but this was one of the most fantastic experiences I ever had," said Welsbacher, a retired music professor and vice president of First UU Church, Wichita, KS (168 members).
Wheeler, the Wichita president, called the week "more challenging than the Outward Bound mountaineering course I took." The two women paid their own way to the New England Leadership School after they decided their congregation needed some help.
Then they came home and went to work. They organized training sessions for the board of trustees and the canvass committee. They brought in consultants. They made board meetings more spiritual and more organized. They started a leadership council and set up focus groups.
"We've done a whole lot with the help of others," said Welsbacher. "And many of the ideas and all of the impetus came from leadership school." In January the Wichita board voted for the first time to pay the entire cost for two more people to attend leadership school this summer.
There are 11 UU leadership schools in the US and Canada and a twelfth in Great Britain. Most meet for a week in the summer, except for the Florida District's, which is in November. Each can accommodate 25 to 40 people. The fee is generally $600 to $1,000 and congregations often pay part. When Sharon Blevins signed up for Midwest Leadership School she was a little doubtful of its benefits. She already had experience in organizational development and it seemed that this school might be more of the same. But having just been elected to the board at All Souls UU Church, Kansas City, MO (426), she thought it worth a try. She was pleasantly surprised. So much so that after her first year she joined the school's staff and went back for three more years.
"Part of what was helpful," she said, "was hearing about other UU congregations and committees that had faced situations similar to the ones we were facing. It was also a good reminder that life isn't just about slugging our way through the day-to-day details of church life. The school was a good way to step back and remind ourselves about the UU principles and all the positive aspects of church life that we sometimes lose track of." She also noted that UUs she met at school have become valuable sources of advice on congregational issues.
Congregations are encouraged to send one person a year so that that expertise will build on itself over time. It's been shown that churches with multiple leadership school graduates tend to be more involved in the movement and to grow."
Janet Ernisse attended the Eastern Great Lakes Leadership School (EAGLES) in 1989, the year she was president of her UU fellowship at Big Flats, NY (64). "I had only been to two different UU churches and it was extremely useful and enriching to be exposed to people with a breadth of UU experiences and religious bents," Ernisse said. She used her experience to help her fellowship make the decision that it wanted to grow.
A typical day at leadership school includes a worship service put on by participants and sessions on UU history and organizational development. There is also a credo session where participants develop their own particular philosophies. For specific information on schools, contact your district office.
For more information contact interconnections @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
