[UUPoly-L] FWD: Blog Posting on Recent Independent Affiliate Decisions Made by UUA Board

[Steve Caldwell <stevecaldwell@bellsouth.net>]

Hello,

Here's a blog posting from a UU minister about the recent decision to  
reduce the number of UUA Independent Affiliate (IA) groups.

When the Unitarian Universalist Men’s Network, Unitarian Sunday School  
Society, Lambda Ministers Guild, Unitarian Universalist Retired  
Ministers and Partners Association, Unitarian Universalists for the  
Ethical Treatment of Animals, District Presidents’ Association, and  
Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans have all had their IA status  
removed, it doesn't look good for UUPA getting affiliate status any  
time soon.

==============================================
More on the IA Mystery --Going a Little Deeper
http://thelivelytradition.blogspot.com/2007/05/more-on-ia-mystery- 
going-little-deeper.html

Unitarian Universalism is an organizationally anxious denomination.

* We know that we are not growing fast enough to keep up with the  
population.

* It is hard for us to articulate what we feel are our shared message,  
mission and goals.

* We feel weak in the overall religious environment of the country.

* We are diverse in our understanding of what we are and are doing,  
enough so that when we look around at other UU's, we often feel that we  
are not sure that we belong. It is easy to imagine that the whole thing  
could go in a direction where we would no longer feel comfortable.

In sum, most of us want Unitarian Universalism to be stronger, more  
organized, more powerful and more united, and more capable. At the same  
time, we see other UU's as potential threats and rivals and obstacles.

I would love it if Unitarian Universalism grew more bigger and more  
powerful and more organized, IF it still includes me, and the kind of  
church I serve. If on the other hand, it grows more powerful and  
strong, but is composed of congregations, theologies and social stances  
that don't include me, then I am a bit more skeptical.

The Independent Affiliates are the "identified patient" in this anxious  
system right now.

For a start, the IA's include almost every kind of group.

* When person X says that they think that the IA's need to be culled,  
they are thinking "Good, let's get rid of those theological caucuses  
like CUUPS and the UUCF and the UUBF, who are preventing us from  
uniting theologically."

* Person Y is in complete agreement with culling the herd, but is  
thinking "Great, let's get rid of the weird cause groups: the  
Polyamorists, the Ethical Animal Crowd, and everybody who creeps me out  
and stands between me and the bookstore in the exhibition hall."

* Person Z is thinking, "Get rid of them all, they are distorting GA  
and keeping it from being a representative body of congregational  
leaders."

We should understand that no one is stopping us from doing what we need  
to do, and that culling the herd of Independent Affiliates is not going  
to strengthen our congregational role in association decision making,  
nor bring about the discussion that creates greater theological clarity  
among us, nor strengthen our sense of mission. The IA's are at worst a  
small distraction to those tasks, if we let ourselves be distracted,  
but could be important assets in that work.
==============================================

Take care,
Steve
=======================
Steve Caldwell
Home:  stevecaldwell@bellsouth.net
Work:  steve.caldwell@barksdale.af.mil
URL -- http://members.aol.com/uuwebman
Blog -- http://liberalfaith.blogspot.com

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