Event:  B2017 0622 General Session II 845AM CST
Captions Provided by:
Hear Ink
Http://www.hearink.com
Phone: 314 427 1113

**********DISCLAIMER**********
THE FOLLOWING IS AN UNEDITED ROUGH DRAFT TRANSLATION FROMN THE CART CAPTIONER'S OUTPUT FILE.  THIS TRANSCRIPT IS NOT VERBATIM AND HAS NOT BEEN PROOFREAD.  TO DO SO IS AN EXXTRA FEE.  THIS FILE MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.  PLEASE CHECK WITH THE SPEAKER(S) FOR ANY CLARIFICATION.

THIS TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE COPIED OR DISSEMINATED TO ANYONE UNLESS YOU OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE OFFICE OR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS PROVIDING CART CAPTIONING TO YOU; FINALLY, THIS TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE USED IN A COURT OF LAW.
**********DISCLAIMER**********

>> I now call to Order the Second General Session of the Association. Are the delegates ready to do the business of this Association of Congregations?
>>  We are ready for business.  Our chalice has been lit in worship.  Let us center ourselves for this work today with these words from board trustee Reverend Patrick McLaughlin.
>>  We gather in in this rich, complex, convoluted, amazing culture and history.  We come here together in hope.  A people of high aspirations learning to be gentle with ourselves.  Learning to be kind to each other.  Committed to answering the call of love.  Committed to being the people we have been waiting for.  Committed to being people who are here for the long haul, not the short fix.  Committed to building, can cultivating, growing the Beloved community.  We come excited, breathing inspirations, embodying faith, seeking to learn, looking for connections.  We come carrying anger, carrying concerns, carrying feeling of loss and betrayal.  We come hurting.  We come together to find the way again.  We come to find ways to do justice, to heal, to make reparations, to reconcile, to struggle through together.  Stay in the struggle, holding each other up.  We come to be heard.  We come to listen to each other.  We come to do the work, our work that must be done.  As we do our work, let us remember our commitments and aspirations.  We are people who commit to doing justice.  To healing.  To doing the hard work.  Loving more and more and more.
>>  Thank you so much, Patrick.  This morning it gives me great pleasure again to reintroduce our Co‑presidents, Rev. Sofia Betancourt, Rev. Bill Sinkford, and Leon Spencer. With them is Jesse King, who will facilitate the conversation. Jesse consults in the areas of organizational development and leadership, and is the founder and managing director for Fulcrum Advisors LLC. He also serves as Chair of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.  Welcome Jesse and the co‑presidents.
[Applause]
>>  Hold it.  Can't get away.  Good Morning.  Thanks for that wonderful introduction.  I have the honor of facilitating a short conversation with these wonderful leaders who have been serving as your co‑presidents for the Unitarian Universalist association.  As an association, we benefited from the thoughtfulness and wisdom of our board of trustees when they called these three leaders.
[Applause]
>>  They stepped in and provided leadership after the resignation of Reverend Peter Morales, and we are so bless today see these three leaders accepted the call.  I'm going to give you a little more background about our presidents.  Be very brief, but just so you know that Reverend Sofia Betancourt serves as the assistant Professor of the Unitarian Universalist theology and his ethics at the Starr King school for the ministry.
>>  They're all back there.
>>  She also served as Director of racial and ethnic concerns for the Unitarian Universalist association and her ministry centers on the work that is empowering and counter oppressive.  Dr. Leon Spencer is a long‑time lay leader in our movement and the recipient of the 2009 Unitarian Universalist distinguished service award.
[Applause]
He has served the association as a congregational, regional, and associational level.  Dr. Spencer is Professor emeritus in leadership and technology development at Georgia southern university.  And then there is Reverend Bill Sinkford.
[Applause]
Do I need to say anything?
>>  Probably not.
>>  Oops.  Sorry.  Bill is on loan from the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Portland where he serves as senior minister, and Reverend Sinkford, for those of you who may not be aware, served as our president of this Association for the first time from 2001 to 2009.
[Applause]
Our co‑presidents wish to share a little of their experience that they've had over the last seven weeks.  Candidly, they said it felt more like 11 years.
[Laughter]
They also would like to share some of their hopes and challenges for our faith and the intent is to have an informal conversation here.  You will hear a more formal report tomorrow morning.  Sofia and Leon and Bill ask that you hold your applause until the conversation is completed.  We know this is a big ask, considering that you are UU's and very expressive.  However, during the conversation, if you can limit your appreciation perhaps to hand waving and maybe a few shout‑outs, that's okay.  We don't want to break up the flow too much.  It would greatly honor our co‑presidents and also honor the limited time that we have.  So we jump in.  First question.  What made you say yes and why did you agree to these roles?  Who would like to speak first?
>> I've asked myself that question.
[Laughter]
And my reason to saying yes is because I saw it as another opportunity to come home, and that was specifically related to a gathering of blue here in New Orleans on the Mississippi River.  And at that gathering, I saw a number, oh, a room full of black people actually, and I said, who are these people?  And they were me.  And they were from our pews.  And I thought with that, I cannot say no.  It was an opening of a door to come home.  That's why I said yes.  >> that's pretty good.  That was good.
>>  Good job.  Good job.
[Laughter]
>> all right.
>>  You know, I think I should maybe be candid.  I'm looking at a friend of mine who is out in the crowd and serving beautifully on our Board of Trustees that I actually said a preemptive no, or I tried to.  You know, just kind of weighing in on what I thought the board might do in this particular moment.  I had conversations about whether there should be people of color picking up this moment at all.  Might we be better served with a white interim president?  Might we take on the word differently, if that were the case?  But I woke up to a very early morning e‑mail from our Beloved moderator, Jim Key.  He was asking for a phone conversation, but I knew.  I called Jim and I asked him why he explained why he was calling me, asked him what the job was.  Can you imagine?  How do you answer that question?  What the job was?  He tried to about 15 minutes.  He tried, and then he said, Sofia, I'm calling to ask you to hold the faith for 10 weeks and I need to know if there is a part of your calling as a religious leader that feels the need to answer yes to that question.  What do you say?  You hold the faith.  And part of the conversation I had with some of our religious leaders this week was to say, I don't think that's just my question.  We need you to hold the faith.  It doesn't exist without all of us and it's not a 10‑week question.  Right?  So will you continue to hold the faith?  In Jim's honor.  What is there but yes?
>>  So I had a conversation with Jim Key, too.  And I had some reservations.  You know, I've done this gig before.
[Laughter]
And so I wanted to hear from him what he wanted me and us to do.  An 11‑week interim?  I mean, really.  And he struggled for a bit.  I think he did with you, Sofia.  He struggled for a bit.  What he finally said was, Bill, we need you, and that's a pretty powerful thing here.  And then he said, we need you to help set the table for the future of this faith.  We need you to help set the table for the future of this faith.  And I said, that's powerful language, Jim.  What does that mean to you?  And he said, you know, in part, it's an acknowledgment that the table that we have set, that we thought was perfect in every respect or at least nearly so, has some big flaws that need mending.  And we need to find a different way to set some open chairs at that table.  We need to find some ways to bring the real experience of a people of color toward the center of the table rather than making them sit at the kiddie table.  Now, he didn't say that.  I'm making that up.
[Laughter]
But that was what convinced me to say yes.  The opportunity, the need, the challenge to set the table for the future of this faith.
>>  In some of your updates and in the messages you've been giving us, you've been talking about this time as a moment of opportunity.  What is that opportunity?  And is it all about black people?
>>  I'll go first on this.  It was critical to me, and I think it should be critical to you, to understand this time in the life of Unitarian Universalism not just as a time where there are these series of problems that we need to deal with, but as a time of opportunity where we can chart a different, a more inclusive, a more grounded course forward.  We use the language of opportunity a lot, but there are problems that need dealing with, too, and part of the way I understand the opportunity is to shift our focus away from the persons, because when you're dealing with individual persons, it's easy to begin demonizing and critiquing and having all kinds of opinions about how she or he or they may have done their work, to shift attention away from the persons to the patterns.  From the persons to the patterns so that we can begin inspecting how it is that we embody this fabulous faith and make some changes so that we can live into a hopeful future.
>>  I think that the opportunity that I see is that we have such a history of pain and we have such a history of success.  And I think that perhaps we've lived in our pain.  And I'm certainly not saying we should ignore it.  Grow from that.  And I think that we run from success.  I hear frequently about we have another opportunity or we have a second chance is what I hear.  No, folks.  Second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth chance.  The opportunity would be to do it different by looking at who owns the table that we're inviting people we know how.  How do we come together?  This is the opportunity in our differences.  In our pain and in our healing.  Is it for mostly black people?  I think that this is an opportunity to look at if we talk about dismantling a white supremacist culture, white people wouldn't need to ask that question, because it's about them, also.  It's about all people.  What's the picture of dismantling white supremacist culture?  That isn't just about my black brothers and sisters of color.  That's about you white folks, also.  That's an opportunity.  If you think about what would it looks like to be able to let that go?  Knowing that there are benefits in not letting it go.
>>  I think we're in a moment of incredible opportunity, and it comes from the coming together of so many groups of Unitarian Universalists responding in a different way.  I saw three Beloved religious educator colleagues in a moment when religious he had other indicators were being talked about in a public square that I would like to have never happen again, and instead of responding with simple rage they provided us for tools with faith development, which is what religious educators to, and more than 700 congregations Nate a white supremacy teach‑in.  That kind of grassroots response.  I'm looking at Christine Rivera, Asa Hauser and BLUU and everyone who supported them.  I'm thinking of the Board of Trustees who responded to a crisis with this kind of opportunity and resilience.  We came into 2004 and found loss and heartache, steadfastness, determination, faithfulness.  Right?  We're seeing she felt, resourcing, conversations leading into a you this way.  I also think it's important to remember, the question about, is this just about black folks?  I think we know where this session comes from.  It comes from a worry, a fear.  What I'm going to actually name a culture it of scarcity, in addition to all the racial injustice issues that we're talking about, this fear that there's only so much energy to invest in the work of justice and what if not all of us will be whole at the supposed end of this work, whatever that means?  I think instead, we become more whole right as we lean into the full humanity of all people while remembering that anti‑black racism, oppression against our Indigenous family in particular, that this is a foundation of what we're talking about when we talk about white supremacy.  That extends and spreads to a culture of domination that impacts everyone.  Right?  So the many ways that we are made small so that some small group of people, in advance above everybody else, that is what I understand is white supremacy.  Was it all about black people?  No.  Will it ever be addressed if we don't dig into the foundation of anti‑black racism and intentional attempts at genocide for our native brothers and sisters?  No.  We have an intersectional approach and it centers on race and this is how we become more whole.
>>  All right.  You have been talking about the future.  You've described it.  Several of you have talked about it as setting the table for the future.  What is the work of setting that table and what are the questions that like this GA to wrestle with as it goes forward?
>> I love saying coming to the welcome table.  And I bet many of you do.  Black, white, gays.  Whatever, we all are going to come to the welcome table.  My thought goes to who owns the table that we're coming to, and I want to know, where am I going to sit at the table, because that's important.  Some people get more than others, depending on where they're sitting at the table.  So I want to come to the welcome table, but I think we need to build a welcome table, and this time, to build it on a structure that is not the structure, and I'm going to repeat it over and over, of white supremacy culture.  Where all of us can be welcome.  We don't have to walk to the table.  We can roll to the table.  However.  Somebody else can bring us to the table.  But that's the piece I get about the welcome table.  We have to do more than sing it.  We have to restructure it.  And I'm going to go back to something I said earlier.  I think we know how to do it.  We really do.  We know how to do it.  But how do we risk restructuring the table and what do you bring to the table?  Like a bit potluck really.  Who is preparing it?  Who's cleaning up?  I'm sorry.  I deal in images.  Do I have to clean the table up?  I don't want to clean the table.  Okay?  Not anymore.  And I'm going to go into a Spencer ramble, so I think I've answered the question.  I'm going to leave it there.
>>  I think I'd like to invite folks to spend some time thinking about what the heart of Unitarian Universalism really is.  Not what it looks like, not the old familiar comforting expression of it, but what is Unitarian Universalism to you?  What are the central values?  Not necessarily the messages of how they're expressed.  Where is the faithfulness?  Where is spiritual practice for you?  Where is interwoven community and relationality?  What are the things that can never be set down?  What's inherent to us?  I think we focus a lot on the words we use, but the music sounds like expressions of ourselves and while we have amazing people leading us in new ways, actually in all of those areas, too often we get hung up in the structures without realizing the way that they impact other people as if the structures are the heart of our faith.  They're not.  There are thousands of us in New Orleans.  What is Unitarian Universalism at its core?  And how might that richness that calls so many of us in community be carried forward in ways that are actually universalist, that actually make us more whole, that feed our full humanity and might actually impact the world in new ways?  If the house was on fire, and I might say that it is, I think it's on fire with opportunity, but if the house was on fire, what's the one thing you'd carry with you?  Find the heart of Unitarian Universalism.  Find a way to share it with more than you.
>>  I want to affirm what my co‑presidents, colleagues have said, and then offer two more thoughts.  One of them built on what you were talking about, Leon.  I hope that this gathering can take in, can listen and take in the truth that Unitarian Universalism, as it has been lived out, has been a struggle for some of us to commit to.  Not because of the problems of our theology, not because of the promise that's offered by the Unitarian and the universalist heritage.  It's not about the promise six our theology.  It's about the practice of our faith.  And because it's about the practice of our faith, we actually have a chance to change it.  We can remember the center of our failing.  Remember that there is nothing in universalism which insists on sameness, and some of the high points of the history that I have lived through in this faith have dealt with honoring individual identity.  This was the marriage equality movement that energized our faith for a couple of decades.  We have the theological strength if we can remember that how we practice this faith makes a huge difference in terms of who can take part.
>>  All right.  What do you hope that people will take home from GA and what will they take back to the pews and the pulpit as we move forward?
>>  I'm do some of the easy stuff.  We've been focusing a great deal of our attention on the UUA, on the staff, and providing pastoral support and the Key close in leadership and changes immediate to be made there, but that's the easy part of the task, the real task is what we Ail do in our congregational settings.  What does that mean?  That means you need to start asking some different questions in your congregations, questions about who you hire and who you welcome and who you buy from.  You know these questions.  This is not beyond your scope.  Right?  But also, to move in our congregational systems and in our voluntary organizations to a place where it is always okay to ask how race and culture impacts this conversation.  Where that's the way we do things around here.  That's where we need to move, back home.
>>  I think carrying back to the pews, some of this has happened with us, and so the pews are ready.  It's our leadership and carrying it back to the pews.  Not in this hall.  What we had?  800 congregations or so to really respond?  Gosh, you've never seen people so ready with things that some people thought we shouldn't do this.  It would rock the boat.  Taking it back, naming it, claiming it, what the it is, who we are, who we aspire to be as a faith community.  Name it and claim it.  But I think something that's really critical that we take back is that it's an inside job.  Not the job of us as Unitarian Universalists just doing the outside work.  That this is the opportunity to do the inside job.  Right in our little fellowships, congregations, there's lots of inside work to be done and it is rich when you do the inside work.
>> I think to build on that and say the inside job is really important, and I also want you all to know that we are hearing from our family of liberal religious traditions that folks are watching.  They're paying attention to what we're doing right now.  I think there's some worry about all the very real pain and struggle in the world that we're somehow pausing.  Right?  To reflect on ourselves, but actually, we are hearing from leaders, and I mean leaders of all kinds of other faith traditions to say, you are taking on white supremacy head‑on.  We're wait to see what you come up with.  Right?  We're looking for leadership.  And I think we've understood ourselves to be on this edge of doing the work on racial justice and it's time to be on that forward moving edge again and to not believe that this is just about our one congregation or our one staff group or our one classroom.  This is actually an invitation to our broader communities to do this long needed work of justice and redemption in this nation.  It has to be driven by our values and can there by be supported by our faith.  I hope you will also take invitation home with you.  You're going to hear more about a commission on institutional change as we move forward.  These good folks are committing to be with us for two years to help quited vision, to guide new resourcing, to guide conversations.  They can't do that without you.  I hope when you hear from us and from them that there are more and more invitations to how we do this work.  Remember that it allows us to do the work together
>>  I think sometimes it's incredibly stressful.  My one congregation has this percentage of this type of ‑‑ it's not about that.  We are a community of faith.  We're going to do this together.  So when you get an invitation, say yes.  Go up.  Participate.  Be faithful.  We believe in you.
>>  Would you like to share some closing comments?
>>  Yesterday I had an opportunity to go in for just a minute to say hello to a group of religious educators.  And I had a new peace come to mind for me that connected with this.  I wanted to know, what was I running from?  And I decided to be a Unitarian at that time.  I was a Unitarian Universalist.  I've been a Unitarian Universalist.  And what I had hoped I was running to.  I served as a religious educator, only male, in the basement of a church I attended.  I stayed there for two years.  Because there I could learn about Unitarian Universalism in a very uncontaminated way.  The minister invited me upstairs.  He said, come up and be with the big people.  The big people were downstairs.
[Applause]
I hope that my little people at that time will grow to be Unitarian Universalists that they are, that they don't come to [inaudible] and what this has to do is that I realize that religious education is truly a life span piece.  When you take and you connect this with the work that we are doing today, we have a huge educating of both adults and children.  And people see that from the outside, too.  That's an invitation.  I'm glad I'm upstairs, but let's not forget.  It never strict me until yesterday when I was speaking for a few minutes.  That's the work.  That's anti‑oppression work.  Oh, what a gold mine.
>>  I am very mindful that as we engage this work that looks inward, there is a world out there where black people and people of color are getting killed everyday.
>>  Yes.
>>  And it's a real tension for me as to whether to invest all of my energy here or out there.  And I know it's a tension for many of you.  And the place that I've had to define in my own spirit is to understand that the work, it is one piece of work.  It's not out there and in here.  It's a piece of work.  It's what we're called to do.  It's what the spirit, the spirit is asking us to respond to.  And so I've found that space.  I hope that you can as well, because for me, given my commitment to this faith, it could not be more important to me for this faith to redeem its history, because a lot of it's history that I've lived through.  And I had to leave at one point and I don't want to have to leave again.  And I don't want the people of color, the Indigenous folks, the queer folks, I don't want anybody to have to leave because we refuse to do the work.  And so that's my commitment.
[Applause]
>>  I think I also wanted to touch on history.  We do keep talking about a moment of opportunity.  I just want to acknowledge that there are so many among us who so many more no longer among us who gave so much of themselves for decades to get us to a point where we even could respond to this moment as a moment of opportunity.  Think about not just the history that needs to be, but the heft of leadership, of sacrifice, of investment.  We also have mentors who have invested in this work for racial justice, for wholeness, completeness in our faith tradition, and I want to remind you that we are those people of this moment.  I particularly want to lift my colleagues, all the religious professionals who identify as people of color, as Indigenous folks, lay leaders who identify as people of color who are Indigenous.  We are not the only ones who need to be invested in this work.
>>  Amen.
>>  Right?  The work of leaning into solidarity is real and the work of leadership is real.  I wanted to remind you that even though you have three people of color who said yes to this moment and a moderator of color who said yes to this moment, we are a predominantly right denomination.  If white leadership does not participate in this work, we will continues to burn out our leaders of color and lose them.
[Applause]
I am here because of mentors who stayed long enough to mentor me.  Some came back.  Some will never come back.  Let us leave pathways to the future that are whole, invitational, robust, risk taking, faithful, present.  And may we remember those days that we might come to this day.
>>  Thank you for your wisdom, thoughtfulness, time, and your hearts.  Do please join me.
[Applause]
>>  Well, that's a mighty hard act to follow.  Thank you all so very much.  I just have to add a moment of commentary here and let you know that in the boardroom, as we were making decisions about how to fill the role of the presidency, some of us were blinded.  I was blinded by my whiteness.  And it was our colleagues on the board of color and others with great wisdom who saw a different way.  Had it not been for that vision and had it not been for some mighty big sunglasses to help with that blindness, why then we would have not wound up with this fabulous group of co‑presidents.  So I just wanted you to know how grateful the board has been as well for your support.  It's fabulous.
[Applause]
>>  Thank you.  Our preliminary credentials report is now available from our secretary of our association, Reverend Rob Eller‑Isaacs.
>> Good Morning, everyone, and welcome to the conversation.  Conversation in which we place our faith, because you know, this conversation we're having here and that we're having all over the movement is the heart of our practice.  At the moment, there are 4,069 registrants at this General Assembly, 318 of whom are youth.
[Applause]
Youth are in the house.  We have 269 off‑site registrants.
[Applause]
There are 1506 ministers here in New Orleans.
[Applause]
Gives you a sense of how significant this conversation is.  25 ministers participating off‑site.  All 50 states are in the house.  A number of International representatives are here, and we'll give you more information about them later in the General Assembly.  And at the moment, 604 of our congregations are represented in this conversation.  Thank you for being here.
[Applause]
>>  So here is a practice that I want to offer to you.  I just made a giant mistake.  For those of you that have visual problems, I apologize for my analogy to blindness.  Sometimes we can see with our eyes.  Sometimes we can see with our minds.  And my metaphors, please forgive mow for that and I will do better next time.
[Applause]
>>  Before I introduce our right relationship team this morning, I did want to remind you, for those of you who are interested in submitting responsive resolutions, again, those are due by 6:00 p.m. sharp on Saturday.  You have two options if you would like to submit a printed resolution.  They go to the GA volunteer office, which is right across the lob any room 101.  There will be a box where you can drop them off.  If you need to print them, you can certainly do that in the cyber cafe.  If you would like to submit it electronically, the address is board@UUA.org.  Simple enough.  So I would have ask the right relationship team this morning has anything to report?  I invite Stephen and Hannah back to the stage for their report.
>>  Good Morning, y'all.  So first, I want to offer two apologies.  First, to Jim Lewis, who is a member of our team whose name was omitted from our report last night.  Jim, we love you and you are absolutely on the team.
[Applause]
And secondly, to anyone who tried to call our phone number last night, we had some technical difficulties.  Our phone number is working now and our apologies if you tried to call last night and were routed into a black hole.  And when you reach out to us, when you call that number or find somebody in an orange T‑shirt, you might wonder what will happen.  One.  A few things might happen, other than basking in the orange glow.  A team member will listen openly and openheartedly to your story.  They might become a thought partner for you as you prepare to do the work of rebuilding a broken or damaged relationship with another person or persons here at General Assembly.  They might physically or in an electronic sense accompany you as you do that work.  And if needed, they might facilitate that conversation with you.  So we have been here but a short time.  We've already witnessed how uncomfortable it can be when we engage with race, culture, oppression, and do not presume to have a single right answer or a single right way to do the work.  Last night's opening banner parade included a Mardi Gras Indian, a cultural expression that derives from a long and layered history of relationships among black folks and among Indigenous people in this region.  And it brings hurt to Indigenous folks here in our Unitarian Universalist city to see their sacred traditions in their way.  And white supremacy culture wants an exact answer as to whether this is receipts or wrong.  So we invite all of us to educate ourselves and I've already probably exceeded my 300 words, so I can't do it here, but I invite you to open heart engagement with this General Assembly.  Like many of the folks who have spoken from this stage and this podium have urged, I want us to resist the temptation to lean back into comfortable ways of being and older patterns, and he want us to rejoice at the profound possibilities to do better.  Thank you.
[Applause]
>>  Such good work.  Thank you very much.  Before I introduce our General Assembly Planning Committee, I want to say a few quick words about our being together.  We are all here because we are Unitarian Universalists.  That means we are in covenant with one another; that is, we promise to uphold our principles and values with respect and dignity. It means we will listen deeply and HEAR, trying to focus on intent, but realizing that impact and intent frequently don't match in the midst of passionate debate. As human beings and UUs, we often fall short. Our communities of color Are tired of watching the news every night, but particularly our communities of color short. Our communities of color are tired…tired of being minimized, marginalized, and ignored, and in way too many cases, killed.  The white community must work harder and longer to learn to be in right relationship. Let us make this General Assembly a teach in on how to listen, hear, discern and learn. This is the only way to move forward on the path to Beloved Community.  In that regard, I would like to make 2 introductions.  Process observation is an integral part of how we learn together.  This year, we have 2 process observers who will help us reflect at the end of each general Session on how we are doing both with how we are getting our business done and how we are treating each other as a larger group.  Slightly different work than the right relationship.  Natalie Jeffers is the founder and director of Matters of the Earth ‑ an international collective of educators, creatives and multi‑sector practitioners who create strategy to transform organizational spaces and design materials that build intersectional consciousness and direct action, around issues concerning: anti‑blackness; LGBQTI+ rights; mental health; decoloniality; and environmental politics. Natalie is also an activist and organize with Black Lives Matter UK and Network.  John Sarrouff was first exposed to the work of Essential Partners while studying in the masters program in dispute resolution at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Since then John has facilitated dialogues on issues.
Such as sustainability, gender, Israel‑Palestine, religious pluralism, and technology and sexuality. He served as the Assistant Director of Difficult Dialogues at Clark University, where he taught dialogue to faculty and students. John teaches in the departments of Communication and Peace and Conflict Studies at Gordon College. John's private consulting work has focused on mediation and transforming conflict in small work groups and non‑profit boards. To all of his work he brings a background of 15 years in the theater as an actor, director, and administrator.  We are grateful for their support and we'll hear more from you will meet them at the end of the session.  We're very glad they're here.  The board will actually be holding office hours.  We'll be in room 203.  Members of the board.  Not the whole board.  On Thursday from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., I believe.  Friday from 4:00 to 5:00.  And Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00.  If you are interested in having a discussion about things that the board has been working on, I urge you to stop by and spend a little time.  Phoebe, ads chip as waited patient, according to Article V, Section 5.8, of our bylaws, the General Assembly Planning Committee is responsible for arranging General Assembly, and all the "programs and meetings…held in connection therewith."so I give you our fabulous chair of the planning Committee, Chip Roush.  Let's give hem a billing round of applause for fabulous work.
[Applause]
>>  Thank you, Acting Moderator Rimes.  I am honored to work with a very talented, very dedicated group of people on the General Assembly Planning Committee‑and it should be obvious that, as remarkable as they are, the committee does not actually create our General Assembly. Nor do we create all of the programs and meetings held "in connection therewith"‑ during the days before or after GA.  Rather, the committee creates the structure within which the speakers, musicians, officers, ushers, vendors, staff personnel, dancers, delegates and thousands of other Unitarian Universalists go about creating transformational experiences for each other.  This week we have gathered to do the business of our Association; we will also mourn and celebrate; we will witness for justice; and we will share an uncountable number of ideas and best practices. Many of us will leave GA feeling that our lives have been changed in profound ways.  Helping to create the space for all that to happen is one of my favorite things.  The work of the Planning Committee can be difficult, challenging, exhausting, and immensely rewarding. We and the rest of our Unitarian Universalist Association are always looking for new leaders‑especially talented leaders who help us to more closely resemble the society in which.  We live. If you think you would like to serve on the Planning Committee, please do look up the Nominating Committee process online‑by the August deadline!  Finally, allow me to introduce this year's General Assembly Planning Committee. It is truly my pleasure to serve with these good people:
[Names appear on screen]
[Applause]
>>  Thank you, Chip, and thank you to the planning Committee for the immense amount of work this year and every year.  Always, always a good thing and a good time to welcome our fabulous youth caucus deans Jaidyn Bryant from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Baton Rouge and Eric Broner from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.
[Applause]
>>  Hello everyone! My name is Eric Broner.
>>  And I'm Jaidyn Bryant!
>>  As the Deans of the Youth Caucus, Jaidyn and I are in charge of all youth programming at GA.
>>  There are over 300 youth at youth caucus.
>>  We invite people of all ages to share the space we have in room 217‑219 of the convention center. All week, we will be hosting workshops and worships, which can be found in your program book.
>>  We've got all sorts of programming that directly engages with our GA theme.
>>  We are offering workshops, panels, worships and night activities with themes from racial justice to community organization.  We also want to introduce Elliot Ferrell Carretey, the Thrive@GA Youth Coordinator, a new position this year supporting youth of color. If you are a youth of color who wants to know more about programming for UUs of color, find Elliot! He and the Thrive Staff will be wearing silver bandannas.As demonstrated.
>> And if you have any questions about the Youth Caucus, our staff members can be found wearing pink bandannas.
>>  Thank you.
[Applause]
>> And now we get to hear from the
co‑facilitators of Young Adults at GA, known as YA@GA: Cameron Young and Aisha Ansano.
[Applause]
>>  Hi, everyone! My name is Cameron Young, Director of
>>  And I'm Aisha Ansano from First Church in Boston and First Parish UU in Arlington, Massachusetts. We are the co‑facilitators for Young Adults at General Assembly, also know as YA@GA.
>>  We are so excited to offer a variety of programming to young adults who are attending GA! While the young adult age range is 18‑35, we invite people of all ages to spend time with YA@GA in room 214 in the convention center, where we will have worship, workshops, and informal events in our effort to connect and support young adults here at GA, and to transform our faith.
>>  We also want to introduce Vanessa Birchell, here on stage With us.
[Applause]
>>  Vanessa is the new young adult half of the new Thrive@GA team, and she'll be supporting young adults of color at this GA. We also have 3 other YA@GA staff members, doing community engagement, worship and pastoral support and connecting with bridging youth.
>>  All YA@GA staff will be wearing these blue bandannas and the Thrive@GA staff will have silver bandannas on during GA.
>>   We look forward to being here in New Orleans with you all. Have a wonderful GA!
[Applause]
>>  It's always a pleasure to I know produce this portion of our program.  It's an honor this year to present to you two new covenanting communities.  For those who live in castle rock, Colorado, area, being progressive‑minded can be isolating.  It is the mission of the castle rock Unitarian Universalist community, also known as CRUUC, to provide a supportive sanctuary and a sense of community to such individuals, as well as a philanthropic/volunteer presence, with the beliefs, principles, and sources of Unitarian Universalism at its cornerstone.  In the words of the people of sun point farm sanctuary in Derry, New Hampshire, by transforming our own lives, we create a clearing and an opening within us, whereby we can serve others and heal the brokenness that is so prevalents in our world today.  The opportunities for growth and community engagement at sun point farm are many.  We are engaging in a variety of activities including daily mindfulness practices, working with adults with disabilities, and can farming with refugee communities from Bhutan and Burundi.  We welcome these.
[Applause]
>>  It's also joyful for a couple of other categories of newness, if you will.  We have two new aim‑certified congregations.  Aims is the acronym that stands for the accessibilities and inclusion ministry.  AIM certification helps congregations become more inclusive and accessible it people living with disabilities.  The first congregation was certified in 2016 and this year, first parish in bedford, Massachusetts, and the Unitarian Universalist church of Los Cruces both received their certification.  We applaud their dedication to this work and congratulate them on this important achievement.
[Applause]
I also wand you to know last, but certainly not least, about our sanctuary congregation.  The sang two wary movements is a growing movement of faith and immigrant communities working to protect immigrants facing deportation by literally offering sanctuary to people who are at risk of being deported.  The list is a little bit too long to read, but we have 2063 Unitarian Universalist congregations and organizations.
[Applause]
>>  These congregations now support the sanctuary movement and are or will be offering sanctuary.  We left up the work you do to save vulnerable people.
our next presentation is a little bit about the space, the land, the area that we now occupy.  Dr. Edwin Lyon is a web of the Unitarian church of Baton Rouge.  He worked for 25 years in New Orleans on historic preservation projects as an archaeologist and historian, and taught Mississippi River and public history courses at Tulane University in New Orleans. let's learn about the space that we are visiting.  Please become Dr. Lyon.
[Applause]
Welcome to sunny New Orleans.  We all survived yesterday's deluge and that's a good thing and I hope you enjoy your time in New Orleans a little more.  After living in New Orleans for 30 years, yesterday was just a normal day.
When you think of New Orleans and the Mississippi River you May think about the Mississippi River.  This is a beautiful view of the river in the French quarter.  And you may think about Mardi Gras this is the rejoice part.  But I'm going to visit a different part.  You want to see the resist part of it.  I'm your tour guide.  This will be an easy tour. You won't have to go outside in the 100‑degree temperature or the 125 percent humidity. You won't have to leave your seat. And you don't even have to tip the tour guide.
But. But.  In some ways, this will not be an easy tour. New Orleans and the Mississippi River are the result of some very, very difficult history. The tourism industry doesn't want you to know this for fear of spoiling the experience of the tourists who visit the city.  But your experience in New Orleans should be different. You are Unitarian Universalists and not the normal tourist. Your New Orleans should include the buried, the hidden, the unmarked, the neglected, the repressed.  And this is what I did for 25 years in historic preservation in New Orleans and along the Mississippi River. I uncovered buried and neglected histories: historic districts, the drainage system, urban archaeology, African‑American cemeteries and many others. I may be an old white guy but as a result of my years of experience, I have a multicultural approach to New Orleans and the Mississippi River. The Mississippi river the Mississippi River covers 41% of the United States.  Many of you are part of the river valley.  This brings problems to Louisiana, primarily environmental problems, and Louisiana continues to send its weather to other parts of the country.  In the antebellum period before the Civil War, this was cotton.  Now petrochemical.  Under not think of Louisiana as an isolated part, isolated from the rest of the country.  You should not think of the racial, economic, environmental problems as separate from your every day life.  We're going to look at some of these national problems as they're expressed in New Orleans.  To help you understand the difficult history of New Orleans the UUA has a link to a Google Map titled New Orleans for Unitarian Universalists.  This will give you the location of each site I discuss. You can find the link on the GA site. I hope this will help you put New Orleans and the Mississippi River in a broad historic context. And for more of this, The Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge on Living Downstream: the Mississippi River and New Orleans at 5:00 today.if you can stand any more of me and others.  So, let's get started on our very quick and incomplete tour.  Let's begin with the recent history of Hurricane Katrina and what is called the federal flood that inundated 80 percent of New Orleans. I flooded during Katrina. When I came back to the city and worked on the recovery, I won't tell you what agency, I was able to see at first hand devastation all over the city. But it was the Lower Ninth Ward that I remember most.  This is the African‑American neighborhood that was destroyed by the failure of the Industrial Canal floodwall. The sight Of
of the houses moved into streets is burned into my memory.
The location of the failure of the floodwall has a historical marker and you can see the new floodwall in the background. But the neighborhood has not recovered. Yes, there is new construction, but you see many areas where the foundations of houses are all that are left.  But if you want another perspective on the Katrina disaster you should visit the Presbytere museum exhibit at Jackson Square titled Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and beyond R. beyond.  This is a beautiful exhibit and worth your time.  Let's go deeper into the past of New Orleans. The city was a major site of the trade in enslaved people. But these sites where the sales occurred are unmarked. There were approximately 50 of these areas in the city and New Orleans activists are working to have these historic sites marked and interpreted.
But there is some progress. If you go to Esplanade Avenue on the border of the French Quarter, you will see this empty lot which was the slave pen of Theophilus Freeman. This empty lot is part of the story of Solomon Northup, author of the book 12 Years a Slave and subject of a recent feature film. In the median, or the neutral ground, as we call it in New Orleans, you will see this recently installed historic marker for the slave pen where Solomon Northup was confined. But this is not what the tourist industry wants you to see.
Instead, this is the New Orleans the tourist industry wants you to see, Jackson Square. You can take a carriage ride, eat, drink, listen to music and sit for a portrait. You can see the Cabildo to the left of St. Louis Cathedral. But you should get outside the tourist narrative and do something else as well. In the portico in front of the entrance to the Cabildo is an area where human beings were bought and sold. This is unmarked. I would urge any of you visiting Jackson Square to go to this place and pause and contemplate the tragedies that took place there.  New Orleans is a city with a long history of white supremacy and a long history of resistance to white supremacy. You may know of the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision in 1896 that legalized the separate but equal doctrine, which served as the legal basis for segregation and the Jim Crow system. But you may not know that the case began in New Orleans as an act of deliberate civil rights resistance. In 1892, Homer Plessy was arrested for violating the Louisiana Separate Car Act at this location. So, separate but unequal became the law of the land and of New Orleans.  Skipping over many acts of resistance in the city and Louisiana, we come to the battles over desegregation of New Orleans public schools in 1960.
Two New Orleans elementary schools were selected for desegregation. Three students integrated the McDonough 19 school which is now closed but has a historical marker. One first‑grade girl, Ruby Bridges, became the first African American student at the William Frantz Elementary School. She had to be protected from white mobs by federal marshals. Ruby Bridges was made famous by Norman Rockwell's painting titled "The Problem We All Live With" that you will see in a moment.  But there is some progress. The school, now called the Akili Academy maintains the classroom where she was taught as the "Ruby Bridges Room" with period furnishings and decor to honor her. There is now a statue of Ruby Bridges on the campus.  Tonight, in this building, you can attend a performance of Step by Step: The Ruby Bridges Suite composed by Darrell Grant. I have watched a performance at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville on Youtube and it is quite an experience. I highly recommend that you experience it tonight.  If you have been following New Orleans news recently you have heard about the long‑overdue removal of white supremacy memorials in the city.  As a result of many years of effort by New Orleans activists.
[Applause]
The New Orleans City Council authorized the removal of four white supremacy memorials on public property in the City: statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard, the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, and a memorial to a white riot in 1874. You will be happy To know that they have all been removed. And here they are.  They are gone.  But the problem is national, not just in New Orleans. The Southern Poverty Law Center estimates that 1503 Confederate place names and other symbols are located in public places across the nation. So, the struggle not only to remove offensive monuments but to change public historical consciousness will go on.  And New Orleans will continue to lead the way with a major national conference on struggles to remove white supremacist symbols being planned for 2018. We have with us today two of the activists who have worked so long to remove the monuments: Leon waters of Louisiana museum of African‑American history.  Leon and Eric, will you stand?  Can we thank them for their good work?
[Applause]
>>  Thank you very much.  I'm proud of them and I'm proud of you, also.  They have a story to tell about lessons learned during the battle and they would like to talk with us about continuing The struggle and the conferences in to 202018 on removing white specialist symbols.  They have agreed
to be available in the Exhibit Hall from 1:30 to 3:00 at the tables at the end of the Hall and I hope that some of you will come by and talk to them and learn from them about the experience in New Orleans.  Maybe you have some stories to tell about our own area, if you're interested in working with them on a conference.  Talk to them.  They would love to talk to you.  I'll be there, also.  As we drive upriver along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge we find the chemical corridor. Sugar plantation land where enslaved people worked was converted into chemical plants and refineries.  This area is also called Cancer Alley because the air pollution produced by these plants has caused very high rates of a variety of cancers and respiratory problems. One community called Diamond, an African American neighborhood, in the Norco area was located between a refinery and a chemical plant. The residents endured both pollution and deadly industrial accidents. Eventually after a long battle Shell was forced to buy out the community. But many other environmental justice issues remain unresolved.  This area along the River is the location of the largest slave revolt in U.S. history in 1811, and despite years of publicizing the revolt by Leon Waters and others, few Americans know about it.  And right next to this plant is Bonnet Carre Spillway, a flood control structure to protect the New Orleans area from Mississippi River floods. During the construction of the Spillway after the Great Flood of 1927, two African‑American cemeteries, Kenner and Kugler, were "lost" and remained in the Spillway. They are still there and the issue of how to deal with them has yet to be resolved and Leon Waters and others are working for the relocation of the cemeteries.  But to end on a positive note, even the famous Oak Alley Plantation on the west bank of the River is changing to reflect the truly multicultural Mississippi River. You may have seen this photo of the 300 year old live oaks. But there.  Has been a change now. At the rear of the plantation house is a reconstruction of a collection of houses used by the enslaved people on the plantation.  It presents a much more accurate picture of life on the plantation including these instruments of confinement and torture. And there is even a wall with the names of some of the enslaved people identified by historical research.  Another plantation is Whitney Plantation on the west bank of the Mississippi River near Oak Alley.  Whitney is a sugar plantation converted into a museum of slavery. It is receiving many positive reviews and you should visit it if possible.  And the experience of slavery at Whitney is not whitewashed. This is the jail on the plantation. As I stood in the jail and looked through the bars at the plantation house, I tried to imagine what the life of the enslaved people was like.  Extensive background research has identified the names of many of the enslaved women, men, and children held captive on the plantation.The background, identified the names of slaves held captive.  We should remember and honor these people to resistance for their enslave men, but freedom did not end the racial economic environment of injustice.  Resistance now continues along the Mississippi River and we in this building should also be prepared to reset injustice in our time.  So, remember the theme of this General Assembly and Resist and Rejoice as you travel around New Orleans.  Thank you.
[Applause]
>>  We need to rewrite some history books, don't we?  Before I introduce the commission on social witness, I want to share with you and get you ready for some shifts we are making this year during the actual discussion and decisioning portions of our general session.  The board has been hearing for a long time from delegates and from the council on cross cultural engagement that the ways in which we have been doing Roberts Rules of Order and our business sessions are either stifling or at times overly conservative and not particularly pluralistic.
[Applause]
Thank you.
>> as a faith based association, we wanted all of our work together to be grounded in love, spirit, and as Beloved conversation.  We would call curious questions as opposed to judging, critiquing, and debating as a first step.  Our discussions will become moderated by three board members.  They have worked with our co‑president, so it can work for us.  I'd like to introduce Brad Boyd, Elandria Williams, and Kathy Burick, who will serve as the co‑moderators of our discussion and decision this go year when we get to our bylaw amendments and our discussion from the commission on social witness, as well as our responsive resolutions.  Our discussion time will be a little bit longer and we will spend most of our discussion time actually talking with and reflecting with others, small groups right here.  We are encouraging everyone to think of the pro and con mics or as agree and not so much or suggestion for improvement microphone.  We're going to focus on how to make each bylaw amendments or responsive resolution better.  In the discussion portion, we encourage proposals from small groups and then we will ask people their preference.  Not amendments.  Proposals.  There will be time to discuss the proposals in the seam small group before we move into decision‑making.  We hope to encourage generative discussion so that our decision‑making process simply encourages dialogue.  When we move to decision, we'll move Roberts Rules of Order, our usual process.  That's what we had last night.  This meet be a little uncomfortable.  It might hurt a little bit [Indiscernible].  This is how we will run the sessions.  We need our help.  Our team needs your help.  Together, we think ‑‑
[Applause]
>>  And speaking of our Beloved bylaws, some groups are required to submit reports to you‑all, the
delegates ‑ because they report to you, not to the UUA Board. they report to the congregations.
One of those is the Commission on Social Witness. The Commission has the responsibility for implementing the UUA Bylaws Section 4.12. UUA Statements of Conscience. Please join me in welcoming the chair of the Commission on Social Witness, Dr. Susan Goekler, to present that report.
>>  Thank you.  Volunteer Commissioners work all year.  Between the 2016 and 2017 General Assemblies of the UUA, the Commission on Social Witness (or CSW) drafted a statement of conscience, sometimes referred to as an SOC on Escalating Inequality, solicited comments on the draft, and revised the draft based on the comments Received from the congregations.  The issue of escalating Inequality was selected by delegates in 2014 for 4 years of study and action as a Congregational Study/Action issue.  In 2016, the delegates also selected a second issue called the corruption of our democracy.  So another task that the CSW had was that it solicited comments on what you, in the congregations, are doing in terms of study and action related to this congregational study action issue.  To help people navigate social witness opportunities, the CSW With the support of UUA staff,
created an online calendar with deadlines for submissions.  This October, for instance, congregations will have an.
Opportunity to submit new issues for consideration as a Congregational Study and Action Issue.
Each year the CSW works with the UU Ministers Association to sponsor a Social Justice Sermon contest ‑ we review the submissions.  This year, the CSW also considered alternative ways of engaging UUs in collective social witness work.  We created an online chat forum and are providing opportunities this year at GA for sharing your ideas.  So we are trying to be responsive to being less formalistic.  And I will discuss that opportunity shortly.  You can identify the elected and appointed members of the Commission on Social Witness by the blue baseball caps we wear when on duty that have the initials CSW.  We are here to help you navigate the opportunities at GA for doing social witness work.
For a Statement of Conscience to be voted on at GA, at least 25% of certified congregations must cast a vote in the Congregational poll which is closed in February to add it to the agenda.  By the February 3 deadline this year, 522 or 62% of certified congregations voted "Yes," "No," or "Abstain" to the question about adding the Statement of Conscience on Escalating Inequality to the final Agenda.  The vast majority voted Yes.  This meets the 25% threshold, so a proposed Statement of Conscience on Escalating Inequality is on this year's agenda for your consideration.
You can find the revised draft statement of conscience in the business agenda starting on page 80 of your program book or in the GA app.  Delegates will vote on adopting a statement about escalating inequality at the General Session on Saturday.So I encourage you to be prepared for that.
To meet our bylaw requirements, the CSW will conduct a mini‑assembly on the draft Statement of Conscience on Escalating Inequality.  This is the only opportunity to propose changes to the version of the Statement in your business agenda.  Delegates will have access to a CSW Alert ‑ both on the GA app and in paper form ‑‑ on Saturday morning with a revised statement based on suggestions from the mini‑assembly.  That's this afternoon.  There are also CSW alerts today in the back of the hall.  They will be available at our booth in the exhibit hall, also.  Last year, delegates voted to suspend Actions of Immediate Witness this year.  As an alternative, the CSW will provide a time and space where activists can meet, share insights and strategize ways of responding to common issues or concerns.  This is a pilot to see whether such an opportunity to meet and network is a viable alternative to AIWS in the future.  Anyone interested in meeting others passionate about their issue can come to the CSW booth and propose that issue for consideration at this networking opportunity.  The time for meeting with others is Friday at 3:15.
>>  One other thing that we are doing a little bit differently this year is really giving an opportunity for discernment about what we do related to social witness when we are gathered together.  I suspect that every UU congregation and many individuals engage in some type of social justice work.  Are there ways we can.
Magnify that when we come together in a body at GA?  If you have ideas for how that might happen, please bring them to this opportunity to share and Dialogue.  And that will be Friday at 1:30.  We can make a difference if we work together effectively.And the idea is can we be more effective?  The CSW is offering a third opportunity for witnessing this year.  We will offer space at the CSW booth in the Exhibit Hall (#406) for people wishing to collect signatures for social justice‑related petitions. Also This is not for an AIW.  But if you're passionates about something and you want to submit something to Congress or to moon is body or whatever and you want a place where you can collect signatures, you can leave them with us at the table and direct others to go there to find them to sign them.
As I said at the beginning, the CSW works all year in a volunteer capacity.  These are ways you can follow what we are doing and interact with us. Delegates should check the GA app or pick up a copy of the CSW Alert on Saturday morning to get the revised version of the proposed Statement of Conscience on Escalating Inequality that you will vote on that morning.You can also go to the website, which was exhibits on the slide.  UUA.org/CSW.  There's also an e‑mail, social witness at UUA.  And there is a CSW listserv.  So if you want to follow this and contribute during the year, we would love to have you do that.  Thank you.
[Applause]
>>  Have you heard about Love Resists? This joint campaign of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is inspiring people of faith and conscience to expand sanctuary, grow solidarity and raise our voices in this justice movement Moment.  That's sanctuary churches and sanctuary cities and sanctuary schools and communities and hospitals making safe spaces for people who are most under threat wherever they and we are.
[Applause]
Over 15,000 people signed Love Resists Declaration of Conscience, raise your hand if you were one of them!hundreds of churches.  Hundreds of clergy.  It's not too late.
Love Resists is hosting this year's public witness event, a distinctly New Orleans take on sanctuary. Wear your yellow Standing on the Side of Love gear, since SSL is also a sponsor of Love Resists!  There are three ways to participate in year's public witness event:  We'll start with a "second line" process.  We'll be joined by the young and talented band.  Second line is a tradition established by black New Orleanians to express grief and celebrate life which has offered cultural resistance to systemic oppression for generations. Step off with the band at 5:00 pm at the corner of Julia St. and Convention Center boulevard.  We have a rain plan.  We're hoping the rain will blow through by then.  Bring a water bottle.  And if the second line will be a cross‑cultural experience for you, we urge you to attend one of the excellent learning opportunities, trainings and workshops that address racial justice and the New Orleans context beforehand.If you don't want to March, you can go straight to the program location was called the Mississippi River Heritage Park, just down Convention Center Boulevard, to greet the second line as it arrives soon after 5. Featured speakers greet the seconds line as it arrives after five a.  Features speakers include the Reverend Juanita Ramos of the Congreso de Jornaleros New Orleans, local spoken word artist Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa, Joseph Santos Lyons, Darcy Roake, Sara Green, and the Young & Talented Brass Band.August plod for them.  And no matter where you are, you can watch the event livestreamed at loveresists.org, portions of the event will be livestreamed on the UUA Facebook page, and tweet with #loveresists.   Get ready for a faithful and festive call to action to join the loving resistance we are bringing forward together.  I'll see you Friday.
>>  We have been sitting if a while.  Shall we sing?  Lets let's sing.  We're going to sing here in just a moment.  The singing is coming.  The singer is coming.
>>  Good Morning, everyone.  Please rise as you are able and your oh conspirator this morning is the new president of the Unitarian Universalist musician's network.
[Applause]
>>  Thank you so much, Leon.  The Moderator's Report and the Board of Trustee's Report can be found on the UUA website and the GA app for your review.If you would like to read all of the details.  Let me say a few words about the moderators report.  Obviously the role of the moderator has shifted quite dramatically in the last few weeks.  So the words you will read will largely be those of our former moderator Jim Key.  But it's been a busy year.  We began the church year with a heavy workload and great optimism. Our board retreat in October at Shelter Rock in New York helped many of us open our hearts and minds to the work that lay before us in our anti‑racism and anti‑oppression work. We took a leap of faith , a huge leap of faith, and committed to raising $5.3 million dollars for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism.
[Applause] so it may be on the board, we know that wasn't a universally popular decision, but we were and still are deeply committed to.  Making that pledge come true.  In the spring of this year, we planned and executed different way of facilitating our in person Board meetings in a way that brought more voices into the discussion. While we were not patting ourselves on the back, we were beginning to nod to ourselves that change and transformation could be possible.
And then ….and then… the hiring process failed and we were complicit. Senior leadership stepped down, and we struggled mightily to find our way to a new paradigm. At times ‑‑ and severance packages were granted that we had no knowledge of until they had been legally executed.  We missed opportunities and with lost ground.  And Jim got sick and we lost him forever.  There is a lot of catching up to do, and lots of trust building that needs to happen with our communities of color and our congregations who we represent. We are and remain committed to moving forward to fix some of the brokenness. Our co presidents have served us so well, and have given us a taste of how we can move forward.  We hope you will join us on the journey.  One of the responsibilities of the board, as outlined last year energy a responsive resolution that was adopted, is to report back to you on how we and the denomination and the staff have supported Black Lives Matter, black lives of UU.
Pardon me.  Denominational responses to Black Lives Matter and particularly examines the year to year responses at General Assembly's 2017/2017, and 2019.  There is an extensive list of activities and successes in the moderator's report that will outline the work that has been done.  Lets me just highlight a few.  In October we committed $5 million to black lives of UU.
The board itself raised over $50,000 toward that goal from the board table.  Thank you.
[Applause]
In April as several of our senior leaders stepped down, we began to confront our own white supremacy and as part of bringing on three co‑presidents, we also developed the idea of a commission for institutional change and constituency outreach.  We have continued to pursue every avenue in that charge to make those dreams of how we might change who we are, we have pursued and continued to pursue every avenue possible.  The staff has done terrific work.  Every present issue of UU World in fiscal year 2017 has included prominent articles highlighting racial justice work and the experience of you want Us of color.  Standing on the side of love a very successful tour.  Fortification is also the brand of the podcast series as a platform where faith based organizers share the spiritual grounding for their movement work.  In our congregations, many, many congregations have visibly shared their support through black lives, through community partnerships, education, and social justice actions.  Over 160 congregations, for example, have hung black lives matters banners, some of them multiple times.
[Applause]
>>  Over 700 congregations have engaged in the white supremacy teach in and the ongoing conversations from that teach‑in that were inspired by that teach‑in continue to grow.  And even more important lesson is the significant amount of volunteer work that we religious educators did in a very short period of time.
[Applause]
>>  Which resulted in the widespread congregational adoption of the teach in and those conversations.  Those folks are teaching us how to do things not at the speed of church.  Many congregations are holding and attend and go supporting vigils for people killed by police violence.  We have much work yet to do.  Our policies, our words, and sometimes our deeds often fall short of Beloved community.  The actions taken since last year represent only a practicals of the road left to travel.  As Reverend Bill Sinkford reminded us in the forward, the arc to the universe is long, do we not ultimately want our faith to look like the world in which we live?  We must honor and celebrate the presence of those voices, those African‑American and other communities of color, those persons, but we can not ignore the formative nature of the black/white paradigm that informs so much of our conversation about race, earth necessarily, and culture.  There is knowing and healing about our national and personal history that is long overdue.  And we will continue the work.
[Applause]
Thank you.
>>  Typically we would also have a board report.  This is the time that is usually set aside for that report, and this year we're to go it a little bit differently.  We normally father at a pivotal moment for our nation and for our faith.  Our challenge, as we continue to say, is to he brace new ways of listening, new ways of speaking out.  New ways to road out the racism in the lives we all share.  The question now is are we willing to be changed by what we've started?  We've used this time to look into the courageous, often agonizing conversations in which your board will rise to these challenges.  Four trustees have agreed to speak to three powerful questions.  How has your faith repaired you for this moment?  What qualities will we need to embody together as we continue the work of building Beloved community?  And as trustees of our association, what do you need from our people, now and in the future, as you work to make our promises real?  We've asked these four brave souls to try their best to tell the truth in love.  And we ask no less of you.  Our partner, John Sarrouf, from essential partners, has agreed to moderate the panel and I will ask John and the panel up to have their conversation.
[Applause]
>>  Thank you so much.  It is afternoon honor to be a part that have pronounced and vital conversation in this courageous and caring community.  I not a UU, but the more time I spend with you all, the more at home I feel.  So thank you.
[Applause]
We only have 30 minutes and I've made some agreements for our time together.  We've agreed to stay within time limits that we'll be speaking.  Each of us has perspective to help us understand the fullness of this community.  Agreed to finish speaking, to speak of one another in ways that are within covenant, and to the audience, I'd just ask to do what you're already doing, which is to support the panel, to speak honestly by listening deeply and joyously, trying to hear everybody's voice and what they're saying.  So we'll start with the percent question, Christina.  Highway has your faith prepared for you this moment?
>> I would say that I'm definitely more universalist an Unitarian.  Shout out for the universalists.  I really feel like the fact that my foundation is bound up in all of yours.  We're not in this alone.  And that that journey into that I faith is to have cycles of accountability within the work that I do for the faith.  So many of those circles have people of color on them, not exclusively, but peers and youth who continue to hold me accountable to the work and to the truth that it is [Indiscernible] are an expression that have faith.  That's really easy to see, but it's a Unitarian Universalist faith itself that I am trying to hold up in my work on the trustees.
>>  Okay.  Thank you.  Andrea?
>>  So for 18 years of my life, I have been attending Unitarian Universalist congregation.  I've become a leader in the congregation and beyond, and I think when I really became familiar when he served on the youth caucus staff.
[Applause]
And I [Indiscernible] the work that we do together is so much bigger than individual congregations and it's so much bigger than just youth and it's so much bigger than just me, and I think that really, it inspires me to continue to work to bring us closer together to justice and all of the people.  So yeah.
>> thank you.
>>  So look at people, how do we think about the divine?  Sense I was in the fourth grade what that means in relationships and how we build.  And really pushed us.  A part of people in this room who gathered me from 15 and beyond, and they told held me and taught me what it meant and want so I know what whiteness looks like, but pushing against and not being in the space.
[Applause]
>>  The church I grew up in taught me to aspire to serve the church universal.  At the same time, it was teaching me to aspire to be sensitive to diversity of expression and form.  So from the beginning, there was some inherent tension between the one and the man, between Unitarian Universalism as the best possible church in the whole world, that exceptionalism that we are centric to, and a deep, deep respect for differences of opinion.  So I was prepared for this moment by people who recognize that though the cornerstone of the church might say truth on it, the truth was a very tangled thicket and we needed to first and foremost care about each other and listen.
>>  Thank you all.  So the second of these big questions, and we'll have up to three minutes each, and I know that feels sort of ‑‑ it's too structured, but we want to make room for conversation as well, so the question is what clarities, what qualities, what we need to embody together as we continue the work of building Beloved community.  And he'll start again with Christina.
>>  As I considered this question, it was difficult and a hard one for me, because the clarity that I bring is not always welcome in UU leadership.  So I come for the family that comes from south central Los Angeles in east L.A. and the way we move through and speak is not the way I'm moving through and speaking right here.  Right?  And so to bring that to the boardroom, it has no quality that we're really talking about.  Are we talking about the clarity that will get the work done and get through the white supremacy that is in our water at the board level or are we talking about the qualities that my culture values in terms of and collaboration and stepping away from us so that they can provide their leadership in a different way.  It's difficult to say what qualities we need together.  He think the quality I would hope most for is that we get to a point where any of those are not just America, but completely valued and embraced in UU leadership.
[Applause]
>>  And he think as a youth on the Board of Trustees, I share a lot of the same sentiment.  I come from a very ‑‑ pretty much all of my fellow trustees, and I wasn't aware of the institutional knowledge that they have, and I feel leaky sometimes step into the boardroom with a little bit behind, but we have to share together is never assuming that we know what's going on.  We're also confused, and with my confusion I knew others would be as well.  And I think just having the mutual respect to lessen to questions that people have and not say it was a silly question or something, that we should already know, is really important and something that [Indiscernible] being on the board this past year to really push myself to learn about other cultures and about other generations and about our regional references.  I'm from Florida.  I have a lot of different regional knowledge compared to people from the South or people from minute men and other parts of the world, and I just think that if we stay open to pushing ourselves to learn about our differences We're also celebrating what we want to do to help our religion move and a more accepting pleas.  It's something I really want to see happen on our board.
[Applause]
>>  Ill I thought it might get contentious and challenging.  That's why I keep my religion light.  It may come as a shock, radical transparency.  [Indiscernible] radical transparent, then we will never uncover.  Right?  So there's one around assessment of color called centering.  It's like [Indiscernible] that can't be done.  Right?  So I think the other piece is not to make it to UU in any way, shape, or form.  If we're going for transform it, actually in reality, is for people with the experience that comes in, am I able to be in this place?  And he can't, though we grew up in it.  What does that mean as a board member in shift this go culture so that brother can get help.  Right?  Because it's happening in the last thing you said, oh, goodness.  I'm going to put, some of the things that may come back in a way that is painful.  How we show in a way and hold each other in love.
>>  I need to be radically transparent about who I am and what I believe and what I think without being overwhelming, without taking up too much space, which is an issue for me.  He know there is a difference about being radically transparent of myself and the view of a situation and reading one another's inventory.  I think to be radically transparent in determining who it is we think is responsible, I don't know that that's the way to go, because I feel responsible.  And for us to hold hands and acknowledge both our obligations and our complicity, to try to engage one another at depth as human beings, these are challenging things.  This is religious practice at its deepest and its hardest.  I've got to tell you, and this is you I'm talking to now, I've got to tell you, this is not easy.  The quality of conversation that we do our best to achieve is often agonizingly difficult.  Qualities I want to embody, deep commitment to my practice and support for other people to take the time we need to bring their best self, to bring my best self to the board table and to the conversation out of which our future is being shaped.  So practice.  And I'm with you on the radical transparency thing, and that means not shrinking when I'm afraid I'm going to be called a racist patriarchal old minister.
[Laughter]
One of the tensions here is that the church that doesn't work for your brother has made my life what it is.  So when we talk about ‑‑ we're not talking about tweaking here.  We're talking about radically changing the very thing that has been the primary source of acknowledgement and inspiration in my life.  I go around and around this.  So threatening at its core in a way that's actually closer to fulfill his highest aspirations.  We wanted to make sure, and it's just a question and answer down the road, but to have some time for some genuine curiosity of one another and reflecting with one another and so we have about 10 minutes and I'll open the floor to you‑all.  I invite you to think about questions that might come from something you heard here in the last few minutes that you'd like to know more about, that you're curious to explore more with each other or a reflection that you have of your own.
>> I think get to go that question of what is at the core of Unitarian Universalism, and we heard some of that from Sofia this morning.  Right?  And I think that's where I disagree, because I think it's that core that is drawn out of these different people to Unitarian Universalism.  And it's that core that we're trying to express in a different way.  So I don't see the core being at risk.
[Applause]
I see the expression of that core being at risk.  And I see that that's where the push back is coming of saying I love that core.  I'm so glad that Unitarian Universalism has, at its deepest moments, the possibility of our mutual liberation globally.
>> That's right.
>> but it's that expression of it that prevents us from, as you say, reaching the aspiration and so I wonder if we were different in that expression, what minister would you be now?  And wouldn't that be even more?
>> the thing I think about, and I have it tattooed on my arm and the chalice is inside the oak, because Unitarian Universalism, it's a liberating ministry, like it has been if a lot of us.  We grew up UU, and so you don't think of as a UU free, but as a problem.  I think one thing that I think is a challenge, when you go from being a youth and you get to create your own universe, and then you rise into the church and we have no control whatsoever of what is about to get done, signed.  And you are not going to change it.  Right?  You constrict.  We constrict how we want our update to be lived in the world.  When it's you come and you leave and you're listening and ‑‑ UU church half the time.  When you move to another place and the church looks plenty different than the church you grew up in.  So you end up feeling like this space you've got.  So at the board level ash I moving together in the same way.  And like I am actually going to let go.  So somebody like me comes in who has been a UU for a long time, and [Indiscernible] to teach each other the history.  So this board [Indiscernible] also did a good job.  [Indiscernible]
>>  What you were saying about the called young he Verse and Unitarian Universalism is a whole different thing from me.  One thing I realized being on the Board of Trustees this year, Unitarian Universalism for me is so different than other generations.  And I think it's so interesting that I was consumed by the controversy of moving toward the left with the UUA, because that's something that the earth have been [Indiscernible]
[Applause] >> there was a hung near the congregations
>>  We got in the past two months.
>> the hung for the Board of trustees to be in to take hold that have leadership and knowing that that is going to be What are.  It is going to be uncomfortable.  Not just uncomfortable.  It is painful.  Right?  For many different reasons.  And we need to be in that together, and we can anybody that together, because we're Unitarian Universalists.  That core is what holds us together as we go through this pain and discomfort.  So yeah, I mean, I think we've been doing it.
>> and we can do it for a very long time.
>> that's right.
>> let the old man speak.  And so when you said the Word always, we've always been committed to this work, we've always been committed to building Beloved community, I chaired the first youth caucus.  And I'm talking about a time when we were as convinced as we are right now that we are in a leadership moment.  If we can just focus and move forward together right now, we can begin to be fully the people we claim we want to be.  And just as you did and you did, planning our own worship services and planning our own music.  And frankly, we're ‑‑ old ways and live our life in gratitude.  And that's another value that I think we need to embody all in each of us, each and every one of us.  Not falling in love with the old ways necessarily, but moving through the world with deep gratitude for the container, which is the church.  Moving through the world to change it and needing to be changed by it, but at the same time moving out of gratitude at least as much as we move out of outrage.  For me, that has been ‑‑ that balance, stroke that go balance between outrage, between social justice and spiritual development, if you want to frame it that way, has been the central traffic of ministry for me, and I think it's the central task of minute ministry for us as a movement.
>> yes.
>> I don't know if I believe that as a whole, but I believe in order to have spiritual formation, that is justice work.  [Indiscernible] is justice work.  So people come in, we're doing spiritual work, because even though in trauma, people are in grief, people are in pain, people are going out and happy and with joy.  But it's [Indiscernible] work.  We're UU's, but it's all the connected.
>> because the work that we do, that's what we hear from folks.  Well, I don't want to do social justice this week.  I want to do spiritual development.  I'm just saying, this is what we hear from the congregations.  And so the work of saying, you know, when I travel, they say this to me.
>>  The interception Al at this, the gratitude, but also moving people is the outrage.  And that's a hard place to be for a long time.  So I think [Indiscernible] absolutely.  We do this.
>> outrage is effective short‑term and it's not sustainable.  It is sustainable as a motivator and that's really all I'm talking about.  One more thing.
[Laughter]
When they went to the interim co‑presidents team and we proposed the creation of a mission?  Some people thought we were proposing the commission as yet another body or support body for the way should justice work.  And it was very important that one aspect of the work that we were asking them to look at when, in fact, what we were doing was asking that a commission be formed to reinvent the way we run together, it is way we make decisions.  Take a look, because our way of doing business is in the way of our faith.
[Applause]
>>  I don't think just being a professional interrupter of good conversation, but we only have a couple minutes left and we want to go out with about 30 seconds if we can.  If you can talk to us as trustees of our association, what do you need from our people now and in the future as you work to make our promises real?  As trustees of our association, what do you need from our people now and in the future as you work to make our promises real?
>>  I think a willingness to go into the difficult place and stay there, and stay there for a while I think, you know, we need ‑‑ I assume we don't need more politicians or bankers or folks in [Indiscernible] we need more Unitarian Universalist ‑‑ we don't need more Unitarian Universalist politicians.  We need Unitarian Universalists to be the core identity, not just on Sunday, but on every other day of the week.
[Applause]
>>  I think what I'm fining here, finding incredibly inspiring is the number of sheer correspondence, and it's never happened to the expense of and I think that trusting that and doing good things, but actually having the will to reach out to us and give us the information that you have did he late thinking about and just showing us what we're doing and keeping us driven to do things, because we're not just [Indiscernible] talking about machines or things, but we're doing good work.  It's upon for us to remember that we're doing it for a reason.
>> okay.  You want me to go?
>> all right.  I'm speaking to the old white people.  The rest of you can listen in if you're interested.  I'm not sure why you would be.  I don't know how to do this.  I don't know that you know how to do this either.  So that means we need to be humble, which is not our long suit.  It means that we need to set aside our exceptionalism and we need the seam stuff that everybody else needs, like breathe deeply, listen carefully.  It's really hard what we're trying to do, and it is going to change everything.  So what I want you to do is join me in stepping, in reeling in and stepping back.  It's something we learned from the youth.  That's what I need.  Don't you think you know, because you don't, and if you think you know the truth, you don't.  The truth is ‑‑
[Applause]
>>  So there are two pieces, and to all of my white friends in the room, and women and trans people in the group, I will ask that [Indiscernible] I don't want have the people willing to say this is the way to make it happen.  You know what?  Two weeks at a time?  You might spend a week.  And that's when for all of the people of color because it's really important.  When you step out of the arena, I saw and be grounded ‑‑
[struggling with poor audio quality]
‑‑ and I trust that people of color [Indiscernible]
>>  Join me in thanking Andrea, Rob, Christina, and Elandria.
[Applause]
>>  And you thought board work was boring.  That is not unlike some of the conversations we have had within the Board of trustees.  We certainly do a lot of work, a lot of heavy lifting.  We are really trying to learn from one another how to be in full relationship.  So my deepest thanks to my colleagues.  An amazing job.  Now my pleasure to introduce another wonderful colleague who will present our financial advisor's report.  Lucia?
[Applause]
>>  Good Morning, everyone.  Thank you, Denise.  I have the privilege of reporting to you broadly on the financial health of the Association.  I have observed the strong and steadfast leadership of both Larry Ladd and Dan Brody in this Position and their legacy is impressive.  I'm very grateful for their guidance and support and for the patience and kindness of my colleagues on the Board, the staff and the many, talented and committed volunteers.  The Financial Advisor serves as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Board, as well as on the following Committees: Audit Committee, Employee Benefits Trust (Health Plan), Retirement Plan Committee, Investment Committee (for Common Endowment Fund) and Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRI ‑ advises the Investment Committee regarding the Common Endowment Fund).  I will report briefly on the overall financial health of the Association, the financial Committees and Beacon Press. I note the relatively smooth, modest and well managed changes in most aspects of the Association's financial results. I also report to you, as I have reported to the Board and the Administration, that I believe the Board orientation and training program needs improvement with regard to fiduciary duty. This duty, broadly outlined as the duties of care and of loyalty, encompasses many key areas including stewardship and financial management. There is broad agreement to review and revise the training to include clear emphasis on these important topics and I am committed to working with those responsible to enhance future training in this area.  As you will see in the Treasurer's Report submitted by Tim Brennan, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, the Association's financial position remains healthy. While is it still too early to report on fiscal results for 2017, it appears that the Association's income statement and balance sheet remain in good shape.  The publishing industry has been buffeted by unrelenting changes in technology, distribution and consumption. The performance of Beacon Press through this chaotic and murky cycle of change has been impressive beyond rational expectation.
[Applause]
I encourage you to listen to Helene Atwan's presentation on Friday morning beginning at 9:15 or so. From Anita Hill to the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II to Eboo Patel, Beacon Press publishes outstanding books by important thought leaders that affirm and promote the values of Unitarian Universalists and the liberal religious community. Beacon's books continue to garner much favorable press and It is a critical asset of Unitarian Universalism.  And through astute leadership, beacon freeze has accumulated enough small surplus to his begin an endow men to be available in time of need, which is extraordinarily likely in the publishing field.  Publishing is a low margin business plagued by cyclical pressures and the vagaries of changing consumer preference. I We must submit to supporting beacon press throughout these cycles, and I'm please that had my husband and I are among the first to contribute to Beacon's Endowment, to help support it in leaner times, which are not at all unlikely in this industry!  My written report, which is available on the website, provides an overview of each of the financial Committees and their work. I am pleased to report that the Association is well served by experienced and knowledgeable staff and volunteers. There are risk management structures, including policies and procedures in place to ensure prudent financial management. These will continue I must note that policies and procedures are not always followed.  The bore has recently begun a series of reviews and changes to policies to ensure that they are abundantly clear and well connected and as well as clear about consequences for potential noncompliance.  A key responsibility of the Financial Advisor is to assess the needs of these Committees and to recruit highly qualified individuals to serve the  Association through their volunteer service on these Committees. Each of these Committees has significant oversight responsibility for important assets of the Association and services to Congregations, ministers, religious educators, and administrative staff. We seek to create a database of UUs with professional experience in these areas who may be willing to serve. We also seek to increase the diversity of perspective and Experience on these committees.  Please contact me through the UUA's website or at lsantinifield@uua.org if you would like more information or have suggestions or interest in this regard.we need you.
Of all the sources of income for our UUA, the APF or Annual Program Fund contributions from congregations is by far the most important, in amount and in representation of commitment to each other and the promotion of our values in the world.
[Applause]
>>  Thank you.  Our association has long sought to improve the formula based upon number of members to a more equitable and sustainable formula. We are most grateful for the leadership and flexibility of the Southern region.  Thank them very, very much.  We thank you for piloting a formula based upon operating expenses rather Than head count.  The taskforce learned a great deal about the wide variety of challenges and blessings of our congregations through this process. You will be hearing more about this, Honor Congregations and the Generosity Network from Mary Katherine Morn on Friday morning beginning at 9:30 or so. Please help us to ensure the strong support of our faith in this important time for our faith and the world.  This a critical
time for UU leadership and UU values in this country and around the world. We must remain committed to each other.
And our values, and demonstrate that commitment in our words, our actions and with our resources, spiritual, physical, emotional and financial, despite our differences, challenges and disappointments.  We are called on to summon our strength, our love, our compassion, and our forgiveness.  We must remain steadfast in our pursuit of Beloved community and we must learn to grow and lead in these turbulent times.  Thank you.
[Applause]
>>  Thanks, Lucia.  The financial advisors' role sometimes can be a thankless one, but Lucia works so very hard to keep us focused on our fiduciary responsibility to our faith.  It might be file a little bit more singing.  We're in the home stretch.  Let's particular a stretch and have some singing.
>> Please rise in body or spirit, and I don't know about you, but after hearing about financial things, I need a little comfort.
[Laughter]
Please join me in comfort me.
[Singing "Comfort Me"]
>>  Switch things up just a tiny bit here.  And I am going to introduce to you how do I say it?  Mrs. Reverend Dr. Susan Ritchie.
[Laughter]
Who will talk to us on the work of renewing the covenant taskforce.
>>  Thank you for remembering.
[Applause]
>>   On October 15, 2015, Moderator Jim Key called for the Board to consider 'how we might imagine moving the UUA from the notion of membership to covenant'. Jim Key proposed a Task Force, to be led by Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie to take up this initiative.I have Miller and Tom shade and Kathy Brook working with us and we've also had Elizabeth mount and reverend David Ruffin work with us.  So part of gip's charge to us was this.  He said let's imagine, "Let's imagine, rather than signing the book, people entered and were welcomed into a covenant that could be renewed periodically.  He also asked us to imagine, what if it were the same for congregations in their relationship to the association?  What if congregations came into covenant with each other, one again that would be renewed periodically.  Jim believed very much that this could provide much needed energy and direction for our movement.  We're here to tell you about our thinking and our progress and also here to make a proposal for your consideration.  And it is one that we truly believe can help move our associations and our congregations into a direction of greater mutual cooperation and accountability.  And importantly, more enthusiasm for our shared work.  So the first question we had to answer, well, what is this covenant?  And how would it be periodically renewed?  I knew right away that we wanted the covenant to be something more than a set of rote words that we might periodically recite.  I pledge to the allegiance to the flag.  No.  We want something more moving than that.  We often knew that the covenant must be more than promises about how we treat each other, although it would include that.  It must be agreement between ourselves and something larger than ourselves.  And we came to believe that this something larger is the content between ourself and the work we share.  It's our mission.  Not our mission statement, but our mission.  Along the way, we have been inspired by the work of the American Baptists who engage in a form of collective discernment they call "the mission table." The Baptists have a simple clarity of their overall mission, "spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, but we've learned a great deal about how they are with each other, and they have this vigorous and beautiful process for discerning how each of their entity in each of their collective world, how they can work together to fulfill collective mission.  What they do is they sit at a mission table and they discuss their work and their challenges and their obstacles, their strengths and capabilities, and they align that work together.  So upon reflection, the taskforce has come to understand that if we Unitarian Universalists are truly to covenant together, they might begin with theological reflection, broadly defined to include humanism and atheism and agnosticism, but theological reflection about what is the what and the why and the how of our shared work as a religious movement.  After all, to covenant is to note that engagement.  It's about agreeing to be mutual a countable to what comes of it.  We must renew our covenants periodically and continuously.  So our response to Jim Key's invitation to imagine moving from the notion of membership to covenant is to imagine all Unitarian Universalists, in all of our forms, actively building mutual account ability and collective discernment of what Unitarian Universalism is called to do in this world, in this cultural moment, at this time.  Covenanting is discerning together how we can be accountable to that mission.  Sounds fairly basic.  Right?  It is.  Right?  People joining together, just agreeing on purpose and mission and being accountable to each other to fulfill it.  Got you wondering, why would the taskforce think that this work isn't already happening?  Our congregations have a lot of regular meetings.
[Laughter]
And it takes so many votes here at General Assembly.  After all, we elect our president.  We elect our moderator.  Well, we believe that elections and debates are insufficient for the discernment of mission that we believe we need.
[Applause]
Unitarian Universalism, by some of these structures and processes, can sideline theological reflection, and we can keep mutual accountability to a minimal level.  In this sense, we really are a membership organization.  We have minimal expectations of each other.  It is too often a halfhearted religious movement.  The way we do things, of course, it's rooted in so much of the past.  The UUA itself is organized as a standard nonprofit enterprise and if we go back further, the standard nonprofit organizational structure, the one that, first evolved in the 19th century, that itself was a copy of the business corporation.  And in terms of the Unitarians, it was specifically the copy of the New England small business corporation that saw virtue in consolidating power in a limited number of patrons.  The 1825 establishment of the American Unitarian association was a part of that milieu, and the many changes over the years, the same core patterns of how we distribute power remain the same.  He know deed, much of the structure of our UUA maintains the structure that was given to it by Samuel Adkins Eliot, who was president of the AUA from 1900 to 1925.  He know deed, some people even call the UUA the house that Sam built, and what Eliot did was work deliberately to match the structure of the association to match business models, especially in terms of disempowering the Board of trustees, because that's what successful banks, insurance companies, and males do, unquote/quote.  I'm quoting directly.  In doing so, he was explaining the Unitarian association, even as wealthy New England families were used to operating their charities.  They reduced the discussion of mission and the work of the association.  They reduce it to the business of the association.  We need to discern together what the world needs from us and what we have to offer the world if when we come together we meet just as shareholders of a nonprofit corporation, if we hear only reports and elect preselected slates of candidates to line up at pro and con microphone for resolutions, what does all this do if it does not address fundamental question of mission and our alignment around it?
[Applause]
Indeed, our present structures two, way of relating this, way of talking together that we have developed, it only maintains the supremacy of white middle‑class upper class and male elites within Unitarian Universalism.
[Applause]
Your taskforce has come to the conclusion if Unitarian Universalists are to fully covenant with each other, we are going to need a different way of being together.  Fortunately we actually have an example of this in our history.  Did you know that it wasn't just that we used to have only general assemblies?  We used to have general assemblies, but also something that we called general conferences.  The General Assembly was the place to do the business of the association and it was the administrative body of this beautiful governance wing of Unitarian Universalism, but there was another wing to that body, Brooklyn Ecclesiastical body, which means we actually had delegates attend a general conference as representations from their congregations specifically to talk about theology and come together for the mutual strengthening of each other, the creation of relationships of aid and accountability, and for theological discernment.  Do you believe that in 1961, when the Unitarians and the Universalists consolidated, we completely forgot the general conference and in its stead placed only the General Assembly.  And so the taskforce is calling for a general conference specifically.
[Applause]
About gathering, where these discussions can be had, and we can imagine limiting the number of congregations and the organizations to a small number of delegates.  We want meaningful conversations.  We don't want too much outside a few large questions.  And we want to make sure, of course, that we actively engage south, young adults, UU's of color, and historically under‑represented groups.  So we welcome feedback from all Unitarian Universalists.  We are currently seeking feedback from all the different identity and professional groups that we know of and we're eager to hear what you have to say.  We invite you to talk with us here at General Assembly, or if you need to or can, to.  Mail your comments to SRITCHIE@UUA.org.  Okay.  So here on our summary recommendation.  If for any reason you have been distracted, here's the core.
[Laughter]
The force recommends that the UUA moderator call for a general conference of UU's as soon as possible and no later than the fall of 2018 for the purposes of exploring what the UUA is called to being in today's worth.  We further recommend that the UUA ‑‑
[Applause]
>>  That the UUA schedule general conferences on a regular basis, perhaps in biennial rotation with General Assembly business sessions.  The taskforce believes it is time for this sort of deep reflection and consideration.  The taskforce believes that the organization of the DNA of the UUA, that it is time to be reassessed, given the racist, sexist, and classist biases that are formed and which are reinforced by our structure which actually preclude the full realization of our covenantal relationships.  We so look forward ‑‑
[Applause]
Thank you.  We so look forward to being in touch with you and finding new ways to be with you in the future.
[Applause]
>>  That is some hard work that our folks have been doing and we are forever grateful for all of their efforts.  I believe that we have BLUU in the house.  And so as they make their way to the stage, I am very honored and privileged, I'm talking slowly as they make their way, I am honored and privileged to introduce you to our executive director.  He's not with us this morning.
[Applause]
>>  Hello.  Good Morning, everyone.  Good Afternoon.  What time is it?  I don't know.  Hi.  So my apologies.  I thought this was happening tomorrow, so people are texting me, where are you?  So I'm here.  No.  Today.  Sadly, we did I know right [Indiscernible] we call him Bubu.  He was part of the original back folks, back in 1968, but because we were thinking we were doing this tomorrow, he is not here right now.  So I have invited some others to join me on the stage.  Miss Paula Jones and Reverend miles.  Is he here?  Let's have a round of applause for me.  So we were asked to sort of give an update of all that's happening with BLUU, and in BLUU, we often start our happenings and events in gratitude.  And so we want to start by just showing a short video expressing some gratitude that we have for folks here in this room and folks who aren't able to be with us.  So if we can Watch that video now, that would be good.
>> video:
>>  So yes, so I just want everybody to know the background for Unitarian Universalism has deep gratitude for so many people who have made our work possible.  And the work has been life‑changing.  In March we had the first ever board convening, and we had just over 100 black UU's come.  We were here in New Orleans last March.  And when people came out of it, they said things like this was life‑changing for me.  I didn't know that I could be black and UU at the same time.  This was a place where I felt like I could live most deeply into my faith values, being who I am as a black person.  To us, that is of utmost importance.  It is especially important in this time.  One of the things I wanted to comment and share with all of you and our wider UU community, this is a heavy time for black Americans in mechanic.  We just had the verdict in the police shooting of Philando Castille.  That was not guilty.  Yeah.  The shooting happened 6 miles away from where I live.  And it affected our community really deeply.  On the heels of that, we had murders in Seattle, murders out on the other coast of a 17‑year‑old Muslim girl.  So it's a very heavy time and it's a hard time for black folks in particular.  So to be able to minister to folks, to support them, to love them, to show them all of our black family that we will continue to support people is of the utmost importance.  Since the convening, we've also launched the BLUU ministry network.  We call it BLUUMin.  We have cable I posts of an miles an hour factions, daily pastoral Caroline.  People are holding office hours.  We were able to help be a part of fundraising for more people of color to be able to come to General Assembly.  Yes.  And we're thankful for the board support in that and planning Committee in that.  And probably most of all, we're announcing based on our assembly is that we have hired as our BLUU community minister for worship and spiritual care reverend Michael Flack.  And we have also launched our elders council, which we are call the BLUU 360 elders council.  That conference was appointed to us when we launched last year.  We launched the seven principles of black lives, and one of those principles is having a 360 vision.  Making sure we are intergenerational, that we are both honoring our ancestors and working hard to our young people and the babies to make the future better for them.  And so to that end, we have established our elders council.  Two of the folks on the council are here.  Reverend Mel Hoover and Mrs. Paula Jones.
[Applause]
We also have Reverend Susan Linda Moore.
[Applause]
And then of course father Asneka, who is also a part of it.  So I want to just give, in honoring our elders and being with them in guidance and support, I want to give them a little time to just talk to you about the journey that we have been on, about the covenant that was broken in 1968, and about the work that ‑‑
>>  Work to maintain, saying in that place as an inclusive Beloved community, so it's intergenerational.  It requires many, many people to come forward and have a change ever heart.  And if our congregations are really going to live into the future, we absolutely must, must do this work.  We must embrace multi‑culturalism at its best.  I'm hoping that my grandchildren one day, who I don't have yet, I'm thinking about the future, but I'm hoping that they will also be able to grow up in a Unitarian Universalist church, but I can't guarantee that if we don't do our work.  I'm always one of six who went to Sunday school, but also I went to church with my mother and yet I'm the only one who is completely involved.  I have a brother who also plays with our church, but he doesn't come as a Unitarian Universalist.  So something needs to change around that.
>>  Amen.
>>  And let me say one more thing.  I have the utmost confidence in the organizing abilities and the clarity of mind of the BLUU leadership.
[Applause]
We thank the association and the board for partnering with them so that we can correct the wrongs from 50 years ago, so that we can reconcile this moment and have a different outcome for the future.
>>  It's interesting to me, because I wasn't coming to New Orleans to go to the BLUU event or this one.  It would have been a missed moments in my life.  I was on star for a number of years.  And one of the pains in my heart was the mistake the association made back in those years.  We had thousands.  It's probably hard for you to imagine.  GA like this, one‑third of the people there were people of color.  And we had some of the best lines in the country.  And they thought they had found a home, because in 1965, it was Unitarian Universalist ministers who answered the call and Marched with us and put their life on the line, and we said, white people really want justice.  And we couldn't handle it in this association.  Lots of reasons, but we weren't strong enough then to find a way into relationship with one another.  I was on an event last night and several people came up to me and said, they came to this GA, and many of them were white colleagues, and they said, I am so thankful.  This may, in fact, be the second most important event there UU history for our future.  We've been given a second chance, and I know that's going to be hard for some of you to understand.  I know a lot of folks who wonder if it's worth even talking about.  But trust me.  Our country is at a critical place.  Those areas of freedom and Liberty and whatever our value, whatever our color are at risk.  The country needs leadership.  It needs what we have to bring.  And it can't just be white now.  It needs to be colorized.
[Applause]
And when I was at the BLUU event, I saw these brilliant, committed leaders saying, this is not dead.  I'm not going to walk away.  In fact, we're going to walk into it.
[Applause]
We know how to do this it, because we've seen this culturally.  We have to survive.  So I'm going to bring everybody here who wants to survive in the kind of war we're in right now to understand this is a partnership of relationship.  It is not on our country.  It can start here.  We've got the leadership.
[Applause]
You have to be part of the process or we'll be where we were before.  So the gist they gave us, a couple that sat in the back row and we said, we want to be clear.  We're going to try and help and tell them what we think or try and correct anything.  We're here to experience their leadership and the gift of them bringing us into their midst, and at the end, my heart was so full and we actually spontaneously, some of the others at that point said, we can't just leave now.  We have to come forth.  We have something that we've never had before.  The chance to end up ‑‑ not to run away, but to pass on the new age of leadership.
[Applause]
So in February, you need to pass out the leadership, too.
[Applause]
>>  I'd like to say one last thing.  For some of us, Beloved community is a core theological principle.  It's a core spiritual principle.  And some of us are working toward that becoming perhaps one of our principles, so it's explicit, so we don't miss it.  Our presence pells were passed 12 years before we stepped in to the anti‑racist commitment of our association.  And we haven't gone back and really integrated that interest our principles.  What does it mean for us to live as an anti‑racist faith community?  So we need something explicit around the Beloved community and our work around dismantling racism and oppression, so pay attention.  You'll have an opportunity to support that work.  Thank you.
[Applause]
>>  So I just want to wrap up by talking about how my faith helps me make change outside of our denomination.  Many people may know I was a core leader in Black Lives Matter Minneapolis chapter for about three years.  Yes, you can clap for that.
[Applause]
But I have to tell you, it has been my BLUU family that has held me when I'm weeping, when I'm preparing to meet with the governor of Minnesota, with my Black Lives Matter Minneapolis folks and other black folks in Minnesota working for change.  It is my faith that helped me speak truth to power.  And when I talk about speaking truth to power, it is so dim to look into the face of people who could stop the killings, the state sanctioned murders of black people, and have them tell you it's too hard.  Right?  But these are my people that are being killed in the streets.  These are my people, my family members, and it's not okay.  And it is my faith as a UU, as a black UU that helps me be able to fight to keep black people alive.
[Applause]
So my challenge for all of you all today is to stop thanking me for my work and join me.
[Applause]
We have a long way to go.  We know that from this past weekend.  We have a long ways to go and we can't do it without your help.  We also don't need you to take it over.  Let's be more clear about that.  The last thing is just to talk about belief commitment, to always stay connected to movements, to the broader movement for social justice, which is a global movement for black lives that acts in solidarity with all oppressed people.  We are the ones that have been on the front lines and will continue to be there.  BLUU is able to remove about $30,000, with the help of other UU's, to help the Black Mama's Bailout Fund.
[Applause]
And we went to Standing Rock.  We went to the women's March.  And we've gone in so many local places as black lives of UU.
We want to grow that.  We want to keep going and we wanted to be able to make a bigger impact.  And just keep giving the gifts of our faith to movement.  So thank you to everyone who has stepped up and helped us in that, and I invite everyone who hasn't yet to do it, because we need you.  Thank you.
[Applause]
>>  Powerful, powerful words.  Powerful actions.  There is a time to call on the secretary of our association, Rob Eller‑Isaacs, for any announcements.
>>  I'm sorry.  This is just too much like a typical UU worship service.  We have some announcements to make.  In the wake that have deeply moving presentation, thank you BLUU.
[Applause]
>>  453 registrants here who identify as people of color.
[Applause]
>>  453.  Beginning the work.  Let me tell you that this is kind of an exquisite example of the way in which disregard becomes embedded systems.  I was given a number in the credentials report that said there were four directors of religious education here.  That number remembered the four who are identified as directors of religious education and who were credentialed to vote at this assembly.  And I said to a really competent and caring staff, the way we have always done this credentials report is actually of interest only to the what I want to know is are the religious educators in the house?  Are there religious educators in the house?  If they are, then next year we want to know how many religious educators are in the house and we will tell you that and we hope they are ever increasing numbers, and we value them deeply.  These are announcements.
[Laughter]
Our right relations team wants us all to engage as fully as possible in making this assembly as accessible as possible.  Spaces have been reserved in this grand hall for a variety of groups.  Should have these spaces have designate spots for wheelchairs.  Please look to your ushers to fine the best spot for you so we can keep those spaces available.  It is our pleasure and commitment to practice radical hospital pay tall at this, to work hard to practice laddie Cal hospitality, and we're glad to have accessibility serves here at General Assembly as we include everyone in our welcoming actions.  Please reserve the elevators for people with mobility or health needs and be cognizant of others as we enter, reside in, or leave the hall.  This means let folks who need to leave the hall first leave the hall first.  Be kind.  Thank you.
>>  Thank you, Rob.  As I introduced, we are to have a couple of process observers with us today to give us some feedback on how we did at this meeting.  So I would like to present to you Natalie Jeffers and John Sarrous.
>>  Thank you.  It has been an honor to witness this.  It is a deep belief of ours that community is an act of courage and I have witnessed a community doing hard beautiful courageous work of community.  I want to pull out a deep commitment that I have seen to people serving one another, to leaders holding their leadership as a form of service.  I want to call out the fact that I have seen people's gaze being on the horizon, that you are thinking and talking about the future, the possibility of what can be, and you also continued to recall, to sort of hard work of recalling your past.  I want to say that we've witnessed people catching themselves in the moment doing the hard work of publicly bringing themselves into alignment with their best selves, and Denise, I want to mention your work at that.
[Applause]
There are two things that I guess I would continue to encourage.  Actually, there are three.  A moment of pause, a reflection, an interval which grounds and deep he knows the offering and the receiving.  We witnessed it up here today.  That moment of pause is especially necessary when it is least accessible to us.  Continuing to commit to creating that habit of the mind and of the heart to give yourselves and others a moment of pause and reflection.  I've also heard an incredible holding of this creative and powerful set of tensions.  President Sinkford reminded us this is all one piece of working the pain and the success, rejoice and resist, opportunity and challenge, spiritual formation and social justice, work on the he side and work on the outside.  Reflection and urgency.  These tensions are not only a force that can pull things apart, but they are the force that holds them together and I offer that somebody earlier said the sense of your having an abundant community, helping you hold those tensions throughout this.  And the last one that I would mention is that assumptions about what others think and why can be difficult.  Assumptions and generalizations about others are hard to stay away from, but I wonder if we can use them sparingly and only after we've examined them, challenged them, and owned them.
[Applause]
Hi, everybody.  Peace, family.  Light Jon, I'm not a UU, but I'm so proud to be a partner of UU and so deeply honored to be here to share this moment with you all as you radically transform your organization and go on that journey together.  I echo everything John said, reflections, and throughout the last two or three days, we'll be building upon those and hearing is our thoughts with you.  I want you to remember as you grow in your discomfort and you run into the journey of unlearning, the white supremacist culture that lives within all of us, I want you to remember the oppressed, we don't need safe year.  We're not victims.  So please don't feel sorry for those stories that you hear and the lived experiences that you come into contact with it has required ‑‑ Christine touched upon it earlier, and it's one that I always holds deep in my heart from Lela Watson, an indigenous Australian woman.  She said if you have come here to help me, then you are wasting your time.  But if you have come here because your liberation is lined up with mine, then let us work together.
[Applause]
And finally, you can obviously, and I'm not from America.  I've been practicing this accent since I was born in Wisconsin.
[Laughter]
I just want you to know that this struggle is global and that's why I'm here.  We're connected up internationally, our strategies of resistance.  So the struggle is available and so is the solution.  We need to work together.  I would really ask you, and it's incredibly hard for us, particularly myself over the last few days, to be away from England, and I'd like to ask you to pray, please, for those who are lost and impacted in Grenfeld tragedy.  So I would like you to please come and share and learn more together around how the global struggles, how we can undo those, dismantle them, and rebuild a more inclusive international society, one that incorporates receive other knees, people who live beyond boundaries, beyond nations.  People who don't find themselves being seen by the state.  I just want to I know right you, one of the things I deeply believe in, and I'm a practitioner of, is art.  And art is a way of activism.  Act is a way of us connecting together and seeing each other.  You will see in the exhibit hall that we are creating a participation Muir Al with you all and we ask you to come in there and share your stories with us and we will together weave a story of UU, the past, the present, and vision together towards where you are going in your future.  So please, come and tell us your history and then build this beautiful pictured together throughout the week.  Thank you so much.
>>  Our closing remarks for today will be offered by Elandria Williams.
[Applause]
>>  Hello, everybody.  It's me.  I like to switch things up.  Let's have a prayer.  All right.  So please can we breathe in?  And out.  Put everything you've got on the ground.  Put your feet on the ground.  Sit like you're like sitting like you're in the dirt.  Like me, with an allergy attack.  Right?  And breathed in and breathe out.  Breathe in everything you've heard, everything you've felt in in it your body.  Everything that has touched you.  Even the things that you're like, I don't know.  Breathe that in.  And breathe out.  Breathe in the love that we share for everyone in this room, the people outside this space, the people across the pond, the oceans, and beyond.  And brought out.  Please rise?  Body and spirit.  We are going to sing a song.  You don't know it.  I don't think.  But you will in five seconds or less.  So repeat after me.  Here are the words.  We are the children of the people who did not die.
[Singing]
>> People who have accessibility needs, people who are on scooters, go ahead.  You go first, and then Denise is going to help us recess.
[Applause]
>>  What a great morning.  There being no further business to come before us, in accordance with the schedule set forth in your program book, I declare that this general session of the General Assembly shall stand in recess until 8:45 bright and early tomorrow morning.
[Session concludes]

**********DISCLAIMER**********
THE FOLLOWING IS AN UNEDITED ROUGH DRAFT TRANSLATION FROMN THE CART CAPTIONER'S OUTPUT FILE.  THIS TRANSCRIPT IS NOT VERBATIM AND HAS NOT BEEN PROOFREAD.  TO DO SO IS AN EXXTRA FEE.  THIS FILE MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.  PLEASE CHECK WITH THE SPEAKER(S) FOR ANY CLARIFICATION.

THIS TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE COPIED OR DISSEMINATED TO ANYONE UNLESS YOU OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE OFFICE OR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS PROVIDING CART CAPTIONING TO YOU; FINALLY, THIS TRANSCRIPT MAY NOT BE USED IN A COURT OF LAW.
**********DISCLAIMER**********

Event:  B2017 0622 General Session II 845AM CST
Captions Provided by:
Hear Ink
Http://www.hearink.com
Phone: 314 427 1113