Meck Groot

A woman with short grey smiles against an orange background. She is wearing black rimmed glasses, silver earrings and necklace, and a purple shirt.

Meck Groot’s lifework has largely been at the intersection of faith and social justice. She has delivered her gifts in administration, teaching, consulting and facilitation as a UUA employee on district and regional staff in New England. Her passion has been to inspire and support vital, faith-centered justice ministry through the practices of Spiritual Leadership.

Prior to joining UUA staff, Meck acted as Co-Director for the Women’s Theological Center, a multiracial, multicultural community of staff and partners devoted to supporting Spiritual Leadership in individuals and organizations working for social transformation.

She is a graduate of the Episcopal Divinity School where she earned a Master’s in Theology concentrating on feminist liberation theology and ethics.

One of her favorite quotes comes from her teacher the Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon, “Don’t preach to people you don’t love.”

From Meck Groot

Displaying 1 - 10 of 19

To change, you must face the dragon of your appetiteswith another dragon: the life-energy of the soul.~ RumiI remember sitting in the foyer of the conference center of my first ever General Assembly after I was hired to work for Mass Bay District....

By Meck Groot | September 1, 2023 | From Practice Makes Possible Blog

To change, you must face the dragon of your appetites with another dragon: the life-energy of the soul.~ RumiI remember sitting in the foyer of the conference center of my first ever General Assembly after I was hired to work for Mass Bay District. I watched as someone constructed a tower out of...

By Meck Groot | August 1, 2023 | From NER News

[This post is a follow up to "When We Wonder Together" (Practice Makes Possible - March 7, 2023)] In March, the theme for the bi-monthly gathering for our community of practice Spiritual Leadership for Culture Change (SL4CC) was "Discernment for Faithful Risking." We distinguished discernment fro...

By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | June 21, 2023 | From Faithful Risking

Among the things that has kept regional staff busy lately is conducting transition interviews. When a settled ministry ends, we meet with the departing minister to get their responses to a set of questions designed by the Transitions Office. We also meet with the board and ask them the same...

By Meck Groot | May 31, 2023 | From Tending to Tradition

In our experience, most Unitarian Universalist congregations are not culturally predisposed to using discernment as a way to determine direction, focus or action. Our congregations generally use "the democratic process" in which group decisions are made by majority vote....

By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | March 7, 2023 | From Faithful Risking

In 2020 General Assembly delegates voted to begin a review of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Article II is the covenant between and among UU congregations. It currently contains our seven Principles and six Sources. It also has language about inclusion and freedom of belief....

By Erica Baron, Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | November 21, 2022 | From Practice Makes Possible Blog

The point of a community of practice is for people who want to get better at something to learn from each other through regular interaction. Even people new to a field can help the group learn. Their observations and questions can identify unrecognized practices and raise awareness of which...

By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | October 20, 2022 | From Practice Makes Possible Blog

For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyard and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest....

By Meck Groot | July 20, 2022 | From Doing Our Inner Work

Last year, at their request, I met with Follen Responds to Racism (FRR), an anti-racism team at the Follen Community Church in Lexington, MA. We had an animated conversation. They told me about their work and the many ways they are addressing racism within and beyond their congregation. I was...

By Meck Groot | March 22, 2022 | From Practice Makes Possible Blog

According to Movement Strategy Center (1), community transformation depends on: power analysis: understanding who has access to resources; who influences and participates in decision-making; and whose standards, stories and worldviews are valued; community organizing: working together across our...

By Meck Groot | November 22, 2021 | From Practice Makes Possible Blog

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