These thought-provoking questions will help UUs think about what is important to them about their faith, and what will move Unitarian Universalism forward faithfully into the future. These questions will be the basis of our April 24 Community Conversation, but can be used at any time. The Study Commission welcomes thoughts and comments from groups and individuals as they prepare to write their proposed changes to Article II. You can provide answers to questions using the links below, or email to:

What is essential to you about being a Unitarian Universalist?
Click here to answer What is Essential?

What language helps you describe the heart of Unitarian Universalism to other people?
Click here to answer Core Language.

What is missing from our current conversations or faith language?
Click here to answer What is Missing?

What must we do now to pave the way for the future Unitarian Universalism we imagine?
Click here to answer What Must We Do?

What do we need to help us act on our deep commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression?
Click here to answer Acting on Our Commitment.

In what specific ways are we asked to transform lives, communities, and the world in these times?
Click here to answer Transforming Lives.

How does our shared life in congregations and covenanted communities prepare us for transformation?
Click here to answer Life in Communities.

What questions should the commission be asking in order to re-imagine Article II?
Click here to answer Questions for Re-Imagining.

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If you have questions stemming from the Congregational Conversations that occurred on April 10 and April 24, please email:

The Midwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly (MUUSA) is an annual, intergenerational UU retreat for fun, fellowship, and personal growth. This year it runs from Sunday, July 3, through Saturday, July 9, at YMCA of the Ozarks, outside Potosi, Missouri. Learn more and register at https://www.muusa.org/.

Heritage member Terri Gaitskill is looking to find folks who are going to MUSSA this year, to possibly make plans to carpool, share a room, etc. You can contact Terri at:

Posted 3/18/2022.

Objects of UU Council

To provide a central organization to address common concerns and needs of the Unitarian Universalists in the Greater Cincinnati area.

To promote the wellbeing of member congregations through the provision of programs, training and services.

To emphasize the importance of participation in denominational affairs and to enlist and develop leadership from participating congregations.

To increase awareness of the principles and concepts of the Unitarian Universalist movement in the Greater Cincinnati area.

To encourage engagement in the Greater Cincinnati community based on Unitarian Universalist Principles.

To serve as the public face of Unitarian Universalism in the Greater Cincinnati area through participation in interfaith organizations.

Members

The members are First Unitarian Church, the Gathering at Northern Hills, Harmony Unitarian Universalist Community, Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church, Hopedale Unitarian Universalist Community, and St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church.

Meetings

The UU Council met four times in 2021 (February 13, May 8, September 11, and November 13). All meetings took place using online Zoom technology because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Meetings included updates from each of the six congregations and from the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati (MARCC), Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio (UUJO), and the Kentucky Unitarian Universalist Justice Action Network (KUUJAN). The council continued the practice of having discussions of topics of interest to the member congregations. Vice President Carol Fencl facilitated the discussions. The topics for 2021 were the following:

Is Our Democracy in Danger?, February 13

MARCC Court Watch, May 8

Anti-Racism, September 11

Decision Making by the UU Council, November 13

MARCC

The UU Council was originally formed so that local UU congregations could have a united voice as a member of MARCC. As a part of MARCC, we participate in annual meetings with people from many faith traditions to choose two major issues to focus on for the coming year. Currently MARCC is concentrating on displacement/affordable housing/homelessness and on community-police relations/justice reform. MARCC has established a court watch program, and judges and attorneys have praised the program for helping to shine light on our criminal justice system.

Joint Service

Members of the local congregations participated in a joint YouTube worship service on Sunday, May 9. The service included participation of lay and clergy representatives of the Greater Cincinnati UU congregations. Speakers and music shared the good news of Unitarian Universalism, and an offering was taken for UUJO.

Bylaws Revision

The Executive Committee proposed a revision of the Bylaws that had been most recently amended in 2012. The proposal was discussed by those present at the February 13 meeting and unanimously approved by those present at the May 8 meeting. Many of the changes were designed to give greater flexibility to future leaders of the council, and others were designed to bring the Bylaws in line with current practice. Important changes included the following:

Not naming specific congregations.

Removing the specific dollar amount per member for dues and stating that the dollar amount would be approved each year as part of the annual budget.

Stating that the fiscal year begins on July 1.

Stating that the council meets at least four times per year.

Replacing reliance on Robert’s Rules of Order with a statement that decisions would normally be arrived at through consensus. Votes would be taken when electing officers or amending the Bylaws, or when a consensus of those present could not be reached.

Workshop at General Assembly

MJ Pierson facilitated a well-received workshop on the MARCC court watch program at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in June.

UU Council Anti-Racism Circle

As a follow-up to the anti-racism discussion at the September 11 meeting, the UU Council formed an anti-racism circle that has been meeting regularly by Zoom.

Leadership

President, Dan Schneider
Vice President, Carol Fencl
Secretary, Libby Earle
Treasurer, Rae Jane Araujo
MARCC Representative, Carole Womeldorf

Our Unitarian Universalist Association has established a commission to draft revisions to UUA Bylaws Article II. This is the bylaws article that contains the Seven Principles and the Six Sources (among other things). The Article II Study Commission would like input from you.

One way the Study Commission is collecting information is through a survey of individuals.

The Study Commission has identified four areas of inquiry: Shared Values, Inspirations, Purpose, and Covenant. The Article II Individual Survey includes questions for each of these areas. Toward the end of the survey, there are questions to collect demographic information. Lastly, you will have an opportunity to share any other input you’d like as well as ask any follow-up questions you have for the Commission.

You can review a list of the questions beforehand to give yourself time to think of your answers. Go to Questions in the Article II Individual Survey.

To provide your input, click this Article II Individual Survey Link now. The survey will remain open until April 30, 2022.

If you’re interested, you can find the words of Article II of the Bylaws, along with some background on it, at About Article II: The Principles and Purposes of the UUA. For more information on the Study Commission, visit the UUA website section on the Article II Study Commission.

To speak with someone at Heritage about Article II and potential changes, talk with a recent General Assembly attendee: Rev. Bill Gupton, Rae Jane Araujo, Russ Araujo, Bob Lamb, or Rebecca Pace.

12/19/2021. Updated 1/23/2022.

General Assembly is June 22 through June 26, 2022.

Online or In-Person in Portland, Oregon.

Please join other Unitarian Universalists for General Assembly 2022! General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists for conducting business of the Association, exploring the theological underpinnings of our faith, and leaning fully into our mission and principles.

In 2022, attendees will have the option of meeting online or in-person! For those who enjoyed the convenience and accessibility of remote participation, General Assembly will continue to offer a virtual experience with robust programming and enhanced delegate discussion tools. For those who miss the in-person experience, GA 2022 offers opportunities to re-connect with friends old and new, local site attractions, and more.

View the 2022 Summary Schedule.

Registration is now open for in-person attendance. Full-time registration is $475 for adults, and $250 for high school youth and retired and candidate ministers. Financial support for registration, lodging credit within the GA room block, as well as a payment plan are available. In-person registration rates will increase on March 1 and again on May 1. Registration for virtual participation will open March 1.

Go to the GA Registration information page, with access to the registration form.

You can become a GA Volunteer. Each year, General Assembly is made possible by the contributions of hundreds of volunteers who do everything from editing videos to hanging banners. There will be many Volunteer Opportunities for both onsite and offsite participants. Volunteers are eligible to receive a fully funded GA registration.

View volunteer opportunities.

11/16/2021.

by Rebecca Pace

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the 2021 Universalist Convocation in Sandy Springs, Georgia. It was an upbeat event—mainly a reunion of clergy and historians who research and appreciate our rich Universalist history, before the 1961 merger.

The day was packed with speakers, live and remote. A couple of them focused on the first Convocation, in 1990. Notes from that initial meeting and the memories of those who attended, remark on the spirit and enthusiasm generated by worshiping together.

Other speakers focused on the relevance of Universalism today. Rev. Peter Morales’ theme was “Blow on the Coal of the Heart: The Universalist Sensibility in an Unbelieving World.” “Community develops from doing together,” he said. A congregation needs to focus on relationships, community with each other. “This is holy.”

I had the opportunity to ask him, “What makes a healthy congregation; Strident social justice activism, protests and publicity, or quieter work, like working in food pantries and building Green Sanctuary congregations?”

He reminded us that he had been in Colorado at the time of the Columbine shooting. “Some situations demand an immediate, robust response,” he said. But things change slowly. “Over the long term the search for justice leads to bitterness. Anger becomes consuming.” Anger will not sustain a loving, spiritual community.

Recently some UU congregations have been faced with disagreements about how active they should be on social justice issues. I saw a post the other day that said, “Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion, not a religion for liberals.” Let’s make sustaining sacred community our goal.

By the way, the 2022 Universalist Convocation will be in Bellville, Ohio. Perhaps you’ll want to be there.

8/23/2021.

by Rebecca A. Pace

I love being a member of Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church. Recently I had a bout of Covid-19. I was overwhelmed by the number of you who reached out to me with concern and offers of support. That is the Spirit of Love that “is the Spirit of this Church.”

To me, that Spirit of Love is defined by our Seven Principles, from the First Principle, “The inherent worth and dignity of every person”, reaching outward through community, with justice and encouragement, and into the world with the Seventh Principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

The Seven Principles are a deeply spiritual touchstone, but did you know they are actually enshrined as Article II of our Unitarian Universalist Association Bylaws?

Our bylaws also require us to periodically review Article II, to be sure it remains relevant over the passage of time.

An Article II Commission has been established to review our Principles, make recommendations for changes in wording, and perhaps even to add or remove some Principles. During the annual UUA General Assembly in June, I attended several workshops on the function of the Principles and how they apply to us today.

On the last day of the Assembly there was a vote, which passed, to call for the inclusion of an accountable action statement, on anti-racism, as a part of our Principles. Although the vote on this Responsive Resolution is not binding, it represents a change in tone at our core.

Recommendations for revisions to Article II will be voted on at the General Assembly in June 2022 and again in June 2023.

There were other initiatives promoted at General Assembly. We agreed on a response to the inequities exposed during the pandemic. Titled “The Covid-19 Pandemic: Justice. Healing. Courage,” the UUA Commission on Social Witness will help congregations connect and implement ideas for congregation-based programs for mutual aid, education, advocacy, healing and wellness. We will also be working together to seek changes through legislation.

And here, at Heritage, several of us have signed up for the August 7 webinar on Environmental Justice, exploring actions we can take at the intersection of racial justice and environmental health. See information on that elsewhere in the August Heirloom, or go directly to the HUUC website article Connecting the Dots.

Together we can take that Spirit of Love into our world.

7/27/2021.

by Rae Jane Araujo

Unitarian Universalists are stronger and more effective working together than separately. The Unitarian Universalist Council of Greater Cincinnati meets quarterly and includes delegates from all six of the UU congregations in Greater Cincinnati. We share news and ideas on how to effectively achieve our missions and live the UU principles.

The UU Council originated in the 1960’s as leaders of many diverse religious traditions came together to address serious issues facing our city. An interfaith organization, the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati (MARCC), was formed to speak with a strong, united voice to address social concerns such as racism and poverty. Local UU congregations decided to form a local united organization so that we could be a significant part of MARCC.

As a part of MARCC, we participate in annual meetings with people from many faith traditions to choose two major issues to focus on for the coming year. Currently, MARCC is concentrating on displacement/affordable housing/homelessness and on community-police relations/justice reform. In cooperation with the Catholic Archdiocese, MARCC has established an identification card that can be carried by any resident of Hamilton County and is particularly valuable for undocumented immigrants and recently incarcerated people. MARCC has established a court watch program that a number of members of First Unitarian Church and St. John’s UU Church have participated in. Judges and attorneys have praised the program for helping to shine light on our criminal justice system.

The UU Council has taken the lead on important joint UU projects. On March 4, 2012, Lee Meyer, from First Unitarian, was the project chair for the March Forth for Justice event on immigration justice at the Sharonville Convention Center. The keynote speaker was Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, at that time Minister of the UU Congregation in Phoenix, Arizona (and now President of the national Unitarian Universalist Association). The UU Council coordinates local UU participation in the Cincinnati Pride Parade and in the Festival of Faiths. The council contributes financially to Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio (UUJO), and at our September UU Council meeting UUJO representatives led a conversation on UU the Vote.

Local UU Council leaders and others met recently to discuss a united local participation in Beloved Conversations, an anti-racism program from Meadville-Lombard Theological School that a few of our members have already been involved with. Ann Jarboe, Vicki Freimuth, and I are the Heritage representatives to the UU Council, and we would welcome others. To learn more, please contact the three of us at the email address below, or call me at 513-638-5746. Contact us at:

Rae Jane Araujo

1/14/2021.

Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio (UUJO) is a UU social justice network organization, and Heritage UU Church is a member congregation. On Saturday, November 21, 2020, UUJO held its annual assembly—via Zoom, of course. You can watch three videos from the meeting here.

Opening Remarks, followed by an address by Rev. Connie Simon, Minister of First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati.

Business Meeting, led by Tadd Pinkston, UU Church of Cleveland, UUJO Board of Trustees.

Remarks by Rev. Dr. Susan Smith, founder and Minister of Crazy Faith Ministries, Columbus.

Posted 11/24/2020.

Even in a time of social distancing, when participants cannot meet together, the ceremony of ordination and installation of a Unitarian Universalist minister can still be a moving experience.

On Saturday, August 15, 2020, the congregations of Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (MVUUF) and St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church (St. John’s) jointly ordained Alice Diebel into the Unitarian Universalist Ministry. Rev. Diebel was also installed as Affiliated Community Minister at MVUUF. Clergy, lay leaders, music providers, family and friends joined in via Zoom and Facebook Live.

Diebel’s home congregation is MVUUF in Dayton, Ohio. She recently received a Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School, a UU seminary in Chicago, and did her ministerial internship at St. John’s in Cincinnati. Her focus has been and will continue to be on ministering to women who are returning home from serving time in prison.

As with any UU ordination or installation, many clergy participated or were included in the virtual processional. These included Rev. Kellie Kelly (MVUUF), Rev. Mitra Jafarzedeh (St. John’s), Rev. Connie Simon (First Unitarian Church, Cincinnati), Rev. Bill Gupton (Heritage UU Church, Cincinnati), Rev. Leslie Woodward (Heritage), Rev. Sharon Dittmar (MidAmerica Region), and Rev. Jessica James (Dayton area), along with ten other ministers.

Some typical components of a UU minister’s ordination and installation were included, such as the hymns “Wake Now My Senses” and “The Fire of Commitment.” These gave a continuity with the past. Other components could not be included. One speaker lamented the inability for clergy to gather around Diebel in a circle and lay on hands. Another speaker noted that one segment of the ceremony was typically titled “The Right Hand of Fellowship,” but the speaker changed this to an invitation to spirit. This was because not only could a handshake not be physically performed over distance, but the old ritual could be seen as ableist, and the word “fellowship” could be heard as not being gender-inclusive.

Rev. Bill Gupton was able to find a way to merge technology and ritual. Speaking near the end of the ceremony, he noted to Alice that she was now ordained. He invited her, at that time and while he spoke, to use her computer to change her Zoom name from “Alice Diebel” to “Rev. Alice Diebel.” When she next appeared on screen, she had done so.

We wish Rev. Alice Diebel all possible joy and success as she continues her service in the new role of minister.

8/15/2020.