A Partner Church in the Jaintia Hills of India?
In our Unitarian Universalist tradition, the authority to ordain ministers resides within each local congregation, rather than with a bishop or some regional body such as a synod or presbytery. Those individuals who desire to become UU ministers may feel a deep inner personal calling; they may pursue advanced degrees from theological schools; they may receive the stamp of approval from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, our national credentialing panel. But in the end, it is the local assembly that has the power and privilege of conferring ordination.
More than 200 UU congregations in North America have partner congregations in Tansylvania, India, or the Philippines. Phil and Claudia Kern have recently returned from a visit to Meghalaya in northeast India, during which they stayed for three nights with Unitarian family in two small villages in the Jaintia Hills. They attended six church services and sang, sang, sang, hymns in the Khasi languages; visited the homes of several church families, and met dozens of people. These congregations are crowded with children and well-educated, English-speaking, church-going young adults. Their Unitarian schools are free and open to all in their villages. The people lead active congregational lives with inadequate facilities, little money, and limited resources.
A partnership with one of these congregations would offer us both unique opportunities and challenges for deepening our understanding of what it means to say we are Unitarian Universalists. Partnering has the potential to enrich our lives by allowing us to acquaint ourselves more fully with life as it is lived by most people on the planet. The villagers of Padu and Mukhap are eager to hear our stories and tell their own.
March Update:
On Tuesday evening, January 15, following a Sunday service on the Khasi Hills Unitarians, 19 members of UUCUV met for a spirited discussion of the promise and pitfalls offered by the possibility of church partnership. The sense of this gathering was that a church partnership is an intriguing idea and that we should proceed slowly, gathering more information, meeting again, and continuing the process of educating ourselves. The following action steps are the result of this evening:
- UUCUV affirmed our potential interest by taking a one-year congregational membership in the Partner Church Council.
- A proposal will be made that some of our UUCUV charitable giving for 2007-08 be given to assist the Padu and Mukhab congregations in Meghalaya.
- We posted photos, links, and updates on Unitarians in Meghalaya and the UU Partnership Church at http://picasaweb.google.com/uucuv1/MeghalayaAndThePartnerChurchProgram
What’s next? Join us March 9 at the Sunday Service with Cathy Cordes to learn about the Partner Church Program in general and then at the Pot Luck lunch and further discussion about the UUCUV possibilities. All of you are invited to share your thoughts and ideas. (and good food!)
April Update:
In our service on Sunday, March 9th Ms. Cathy Cordes, executive Director of the UU Partner Church Council told us about the UUPCC partner church program. Ms. Cordes also joined some of us after the service for a potluck lunch at the Meeting House, where we continued the conversation on the joys and challenges of partnership. She answered many questions, including the following:
- Can we afford this? Apart from our annual UUPCC membership, we are not obliged to spend money on this partnership. It is about developing a relationship, it is not about the money. We will have much to learn from one another, through correspondence and visits. It is up to us to decide whether, or how much, financial assistance may be sent to our partner church.
- Will it detract from social action needs closer to home? Surprisingly, churches entering into partnership have seen an increase in all their social action efforts across the continuum. This is not about having one pie to divide in only so many ways, but about discovering abundance beyond pies.
- Most importantly, this program is a tangible contribution to the cause of world peace.
Our discussion after the potluck progressed to a decision to recommend to the Board that we enter into partnership with the Unitarian Church of Mukhap in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya in northeast India. The Board will consider this recommendation at its March 27 meeting.
In the meantime, a small steering group will continue to provide the congregation with information and opportunities to discuss the proposal, leading to a congregational vote on or before the Annual Meeting in June.