As previewed two weeks ago, I was fortunate to be at General Assembly in person this year. President Nan’s previously reported on the “business” we did at GA! This year’s theme was “Meet the Moment” – and I believe we did that, and will continue to do so as the year unfolds.
Some of the most important business was the election of two new co-moderators, Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson and Bill Young. Here is a photo of the entire Board and some staff covenanting to support them for the next six years.
“Carrot of Care”
My previous “teaser” story encapsulates so many of the elements that made GA this year so memorable for me. Reconnecting with old friends, savoring our musical heritage, lightheartedness and irreverence, catching up with the changes in our youth, ourselves, our movement.
“UU Bling” and setting the scene
I chose my wardrobe joyfully and gleefully – my Pride Flags dress and Side with Love socks for one day, my Constellations dress with the thrift store dangling star earrings to celebrate science with a sparkle, a dressier tee with gold splotches and flowers to go with my black jeans and ofc my black Side with Love socks for the Meadville Lombard Partners in Ministry breakfast, where I hosted a table. For the fabulous Sunday worship I refreshed my stash of UU-values and UUA gear from the vendors’ area! InSpirit -the popup UUA Bookstore there – did not disappoint! Here are some of the books I scored:
Scored some great socks! And new chalice earrings FTW plus my new Side with Love with its rainbow heart tee. (I wore it last Sunday. “Wow, some powerful words there,” said Geri Silk when she read the back. “Do you feel the weight of them on your back as you walk?” I do indeed.
I am always up for listening to differences, and wear my rainbows and raised fists in diverse places, but in these fraught times I did feel a little lighter gliding around the halls, in the midst of a coterie with shared values. I knew some conversations might include disagreement, but I knew I would not smash into walls of anger. Instead, I knew we would carry forward to a next level exploration of the means to find justice, and further the joy of the liberal religious spirit.
Friends
The Baltimore Convention Center is in the Inner Harbor area and the hotel was right next door. SO MANY CRABCAKES …! Had lunch with Elias Ortega and Mandi Huizenga, former members now moved on to President of Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary and settled minister at DuPage UU Church in Naperville IL respectively. DuPage was founded in 1955 – the same year as our Fellowship (oh and me, cause I was born in September of that year …). I came with a gift book for Elias called “Asking” about how to umm ask for money …. Remember this for later.
I lunched with Christine Reynolds, who was a longtime activist at MUUF and now lives in Delaware to be near her grandchildren! So nice to catch up! And deepened my friendship with Lynn Schaefer – chair of the Finance and Admin team for Meadville, and local to Baltimore area. Caught up with Alison and her family as mentioned, and they seem to be thriving, though she’s got a veeerrrrry big job now as Senior Minister to UU Portland, one of our largest congregations. I reconnected with Tawanna Grice, the very capable admin at First UU Houston, where I grew up (partly) and where my parents’ joint memorial service was held in 2023. And was privileged to listen in on her exchange with Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt about finding a home as a black woman in a (still, most places) majority white religious community. (Led me to order Rosemary’s memoir: Unafraid of the Dark, once I got home.)
Faithful Learning and Exploring
In addition to the “business” of the meeting (again, see Nan’s article), there were many opportunities to learn from one another in small groups … and also – books …! And the people who wrote them! Historic sessions like one featuring Rev. Bray McNatt, a retrospective of her 11 years as President of Starr King School for Ministry, presented in dialogue with her successor, Dr. Stephanie L. Krusemark. Starr King is the second divinity school grounded in our UU tradition, where such luminaries as Alison Miller (now Chair of the Board of the School) and Joel Miller (recently our interim minister here, now Co-Minister at First UU Society of Newton, Mass) and many other ministers not surnamed “Miller” did their studies.
I attended an online series of 3 seminars on UU fundraising, a Star Wars-themed worship, a workshop on how to do Social Justice work led by author Deepa Iyer (see pictures below for her books, here is one of her pithy slides)
and another called “Is it Racist? Is it Sexist? Why Red and Blue White People Disagree, and How to Decide in the Gray Areas.” Presented by author and researcher Betsy Leondar-Wright, who co-wrote the book with Jessi Streib. (Of which I obtained a signed copy from Betsy … )
Sunday Worship and Ministers
The shining products of both Starr King and Meadville were everywhere apparent and spreading their light. Here is some bling … featuring the Meadville mascot, the Honey Badger!
As mentioned, as a Meadville Board member I did host a table at the Meadville Partners in Ministry breakfast – where we did meet our target for the morning! President Ortega surprised me during his remarks by lifting up my work with our youth, and with the former UU-UNO. He said my work had inspired his personal tradition of gifting each Meadville student by purchasing one of their textbooks for the year. Every year. (Not knowing he planned this, I had brought him that book on fundraising and gifted it to him at lunch the day before!)
The Service of the Living Tradition – GA Sunday Worship – was led by a team including my friends Rev. Nicole Kirk, Frank and Alice Shulman Chair of UU History at Meadville, who has taught there for 13 years, and Rev. Connie Simon, Meadville alum and Board member, as well as Rev. Verdis LeVar Robinson, another Meadville grad. Their music and words were transporting. (Rev. Verdis led a 100-voice choir in some old favorites and some new ones as well!)
Please set aside some time – about 90 minutes – to soak it in!
Have only 5 minutes? Here’s Rev. Nicole again, taking 5 to tell the story of “the Baltimore Sermon,” in which Theodore Parker launched American Unitarianism 200 years ago in – yes, Baltimore!
Imara Jones and the Ware Lecture
Finally – there was the transformative Ware Lecture presented by Imara Jones. Hopefully in the Fall we will stream this lecture at the Fellowship! Imara presented a riveting backstory to how suddenly the fewer than 1% of Americans who are transgender became the wedge issue selected – starting about 10 years ago – by The Heritage Foundation. It was identified as the issue most likely to make just enough progressives and liberals and left-leaning folk just uncomfortable enough to tamp down their enthusiasm for whoever the competition to the right’s chosen candidate was to be, that they would stay home, not vote, and … here we are. Besides recounting this frightening history, she challenged us and made us laugh and remember who we must be to meet this moment.
Please consider attending GA next year! As Nan reported, next year’s GA will be virtual, held June 14-21, with business meetings June 19-21, 2026. GA2027 will be a multiplatform event hosted in San Jose, California June 23-27, 2027.
