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Omd IN THE LARGER MOVEMENT

Phil Reed, Rev. Joan van Becelaere , Rev. Susan Ritchie. Omd IN THE LARGER MOVEMENT.

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Omd IN THE LARGER MOVEMENT

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  1. Phil Reed, Rev. Joan van Becelaere, Rev. Susan Ritchie Omd IN THE LARGER MOVEMENT

  2.  There are lots of different things happening at the UUA, regional, and district level. There has been lots of discussion, talk about changes and lots of questions. Come to this event to learn what is going on with CERG (Central East Regional Group), the Unitarian Universalist Association and the OMD and how this might affect your congregation. Bring your questions to ask too. Overview

  3. Phil Reed What are the big Questions?

  4. How were Districts created? Why do we care? • What is CERG? • What is going on with the UUA Board? • Are they messing with GA? • What about district services? How will this affect my congregation? • All I care about is S.I. What about that? • What is the Orlando Platform? Questions Hopefully Answered

  5. Rev. Susan Ritchie History of the Districts

  6. Phil Reed What are we Doing?

  7. CERG – Central East Regional Group • Districts: • Ohio Meadville (OMD) • St. Lawrence (SLD) • Joseph Priestley (JPD) • Metro New York (MNY) • Geography • Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio (except for Cincinati and the southwest corner), Pennsylvania, northern Virigina, and West Virginia CERG region

  8. CERG Consultants • Faith Development – Pat Infante • Growth Development – Mark Bernstein • Leadership Development – Rev. Renee Ruchotzke • Communications & Social Media – Beth Casebolt CERG Staff

  9. The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany NY Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton NY Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton, MD Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, Media PA The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County, Lincroft, NJ The Central Unitarian Church of Paramus, NJ First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, PA Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, MD UU Fellowship of Stony Brook, NY CERG Threshold congregations

  10. Staff collaborates on Service Delivery • District Executives lead CERG Group Staff Team • CERG Consultants report to District Executives • CERG Group Staff Team regularly reports • CERG Group Staff Team advised by the four District Presidents • Requests for CERG services to District Executive CERG Functioning

  11. Districts keep own District Assemblies • District Boards retain own Governance • District Boards and Staff hold joint regional meeting once annually • 2011 meeting: May 20-21 in central PA CERG Functioning

  12. $$$ • Districts each pay into pool for CERG Budget based on District Membership • CERG Consultants co-employed between CERG and UUA • District and CERG Events and Webinars open to all Congregations in all four Districts • CERG publishes shared calendar • CERG Website for information (http://www.cerguua.org) and Resources CERG Functioning

  13. UULTI on the Hill – Kenyon College (Jul 7-10) • This is weekend before SI • UULTI by the Lake – Canandaigua NY (Jul 24-27) • UULTI by the Sea – Ocean Grove NJ (Aug 18-21) CERG Leadership Schools

  14. Continue relationship with CERG • Hire Social Justice Coordinator • Joint plan with SLD to offer Healthy Congregations Training to Clusters • Responding to changes in broader Association • Change Bylaws next year to conform to UUA Trustee changes OMD – Current Plans

  15. Phil Reed What are Other Groups Doing?

  16. UUA • Board (led by the Moderator) • Staff (directed by the President) • District Presidents Association (DPA) • General Assembly • 19 Districts • Staff and Boards • 5 Regions • Staff and Board Representatives Various Groups

  17. Board creates the ENDs of the Association and is the foremost governance board in the UUA • ENDs: The difference the UUA will make in the world • With transition to Policy Governance - recently re-imagined their own work (see UUA Trustee Report) • UUA of Congregations – Congregations are very important • Focus on Linkage to Congregations • Linkage is about Vision – it is not talk about Services UUA Board of Trustees

  18. Very large Board – 25 members • One trustee for each District (19) • Three trustees at large • other officers including Moderator • Voted to create a plan • Goal: shrink the Board to 13 members • At GA: Expect bylaws amendment • Would end district election of Trustees • Result for Ohio Meadville • No direct election of UUA Trustee UUA Board of Trustees

  19. The Staff performs the day-to-day activities in order to make progress towards the goals specified by the ENDs • Service Delivery belongs to this group • UUA staff reports to President, Rev. Peter Morales • District staff led by Director of Congregational Life, Rev. Teresa Cooley UUA Staff

  20. Each district has a District Executive (DE) who is co-employed by District and UUA. Many districts also have co-employed Consultants. • Report to both the District Boards and Rev. Cooley • UUA: co-employment is problematic and would like alternatives to be considered by the Districts • CERG added Regional Staff to this mix • Reality of co-employment – Both District and UUA are needed to hire. Only one need to fire. Unclear review processes based on different objectives • Recent conflict in Pacific Central District (PCD) Co-Employment

  21. General Assembly may change to an every other year event (earliest possible is 2015) • Shift focus to delegate work and Plenary • Shorter event • Maybe – Full reimbursement for delegates • Options for the off-year include: • Social Justice Assembly • UU University / Leadership School • Workshop GA • Regional Assemblies • Other UUA General Assembly

  22. Each District sends highest elected officer as representative • OMD, the President of the Board • Cost sharing for the expenses • Agreements • Equitable Funding (UUA/District Funding) Task Force • Freeze $$$ for 2011/2012 Fiscal year • Cooperate with UUA Board Linkage efforts • Experiment with new possibilities – share learnings District President’s Association

  23. Districts: Southwest Conference, Florida, Mid-South,Thomas Jefferson • Created Orlando Platform • Acknowledged that our faith is at crossroads, not growing, little influence • Reaffirm Cambridge Platform of 1648 congregations cooperate and are accountable to each other through Covenants Possibility from Southland Region

  24. UUA Board is only Policy Board • UUA Board sets ENDs which the Districts adopt • End co-employment – UUA employs District Staff • District Boards are creating new roles – still to be determined – free sitting leaders up for the new • Elders: • called on to be witnesses to the faith • augment shared ministry with district and UUA staff • hold congregations accountable to our covenants Orlando Platform - Functioning

  25. Phil Reed What Might the Future Hold?

  26. Congregations receive Service Delivery • Includes – but not limited to • Transitions • Leadership Development • Lifespan Faith Development • Growth Initiatives • Summer Institute and Winter Institute This Will happen

  27. Purpose of District Board of Trustees • May become more Advisory to DE • Will continue to be elected and democratic • Name may change to reflect new roles • Co-employment where District and UUA both hire, evaluate and pay District Executive • At minimum, Districts will remain in advisory role • UUA Board of Trustees election process • General Assembly – schedule and purpose Expect Change – Details Unknown

  28. This is not yet decided • Districts have a strong voice in the decision • The UUA must have an intermediary group between itself and Congregations • Congregations MUST retain a connection to the UUA • Congregations MUST have a connection to each other • UUA Board is committed to linkage with congregations • Reason Districts will NOT go away • Strong resistance – a different compromise will be necessary • Districts may change • Borders • Name of the intermediary group • May become Cluster, Region focused • Or based on another Affinity: Size, Social Justice, etc. What Will Happen to Districts?

  29. Investment funds from Ohio Universalist Convention and for congregations in the District • Not the Region or the UUA • Need to answer "What will happen to the investments with the other Association changes?" • Presidential Task Force which will make recommendations to Board and 2012 District Assembly will be created ASAP • Talk to Phil Reed if you are interested in Participation OMD's Investments?

  30. Suggestions: • UU World • UUA Board Minutes • DPA Minutes and Board Observation • adopted UUA Transparency guidelines at last meeting • OMD and CERG websites • Periodic District Reports/Blogs/Minutes • District email lists – talk amongst ourselves Keep Track of the Changes

  31. Phil Reed, Rev. Joan van Becelaere, Rev. Susan Ritchie Panel Discussionfeaturing: Audience Questions

  32. OMD District Website • http://www.ohiomeadville.org/index.html • CERG Website • http://www.cerguua.org • UUA Board Minutes • http://uua.org/aboutus/governance/boardtrustees/minutes/index.shtml • UUWorld • http://uuworld.org/news/topics/denomination.shtml • Orlando Platform • http://www.tjdistrict.org/news/orlandoplatform.html Resources

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