President's Message January 2010
Elsewhere in monthly magazine, Sparrow addresses the modern philosophy of UU religious education. One bullet in particular resonated with me: “Liberation religious education promotes critical consciousness, and engages us in a process of inquiry, reflection, and action to transform our communities and ourselves. Religious Education helps us see beyond our own limitation...”
Several activities and interactions in which I’ve been involved at the UUCUV fall within this description of RE, but none more so than acting as the president of your board. What an education this has been! As you probably know, I have served on boards before and acted as the Lebanon School Board Chair for years. That work was helpful for this position, but only to a point. Significant differences exist between a school board and a church board. Both attempt to inquire, reflect, and act, but the emphasis on transformation and covenant associated with Unitarian Universalism certainly sets them apart. Our decisions and actions are made in the context of the UU seven principals, and the mission of our UUCUV. At least we try to remember that, as we slog through some of the “stuff” necessary to keep a congregation going! Also, we don’t have a CEO (or Superintendent) hired by the board, reporting and responsible to the board. Rather, since our board is elected by the congregation and our minister is called by the congregation, we have a dual leadership. That relationship between the minister and the board is very new to me, and I’m trying to consider and understand ways to better utilize the expertise, understandings, and experience Rev. Bruce brings to the table.
Acting as board president has certainly helped me to “see beyond [my] own limitation” and to learn much about myself, and definitely to learn much about the workings, wonders, and strengths of this remarkable congregation. I invite others to try a leadership role, to likewise experience the gratifications to be gleaned from this form of religious education.
Joan Nierenberg, President