Fellow congregants,

My name is Cir L’Bert, Jr. my pronouns are he/him/his, and I’m proud to be serving as president of your board of trustees.

As we enter the complex season known as Ohio summer, with all its mixture of heat, thunderstorms, and cool nights, I am always struck by two things: the power of perspective and varying perceptions, and how we gather in community while holding those differences.

This summer, as vaccinations seem to increase and fall short at the same time, many of us wonder, when will we reopen, while others question, “are we really safe? Many wonder, “will things go back to normal?” while others wonder and hope, “will things finally change for the better?”.

In our church, we have the same kinds of questions: When will we go back to the sanctuary? What’s going on with this ministry and that ministry? Who will I see, hear, and hug again? Will it be like I remember? Will my whole self be accepted? Will I be accepted as a newcomer? How do we do church again, after so much has changed?

The Board of Trustees is committed to helping our congregation work through and answer these questions as we consider how to restart our programs and reopen the church.

We are upgrading our WiFi network and tech setup for better online and hybrid services. We’re preparing our building for reopening; power washing the sanctuary steps and the keystone, applying fresh paint, and continuing to develop our garden space.

We’ll upgrade our Black Lives Matter banner and Pride flag. And at our last meeting, the board discussed ways we can add to the McKeeman Room and amplify the legacy of our church.

Our life saving ministries are also in full swing, with the Community Meal and Whole Foods distribution continuing to thrive. We’re also beginning construction of a Donation Shed, grown out of our partnership with Margie’s Hope, a trans youth advocacy network.

And our Immigration Committee has successfully begun a bi-lingual help hotline, where Spanish speaking folks can access assistance.

Beyond our church building and ministries, we are also working on our wellbeing as an organization. The resignation of two long term staff members in our sexton and administrator have necessitated an employment search.

The BoT recognizes the long commitment by Carolyn and Brittney, and the deep affection the congregation held for them.

While no one is replaceable, and change can be jarring, we will work diligently to find candidates that provide our congregation the service it needs and who reflect our values and aspirations for growth.

We are also focused on the intangible structural well being of our community.

The BoT is aware and engaged with the discomfort and discontent within the congregation. We have been, and remain in close contact with the UUA through our regional staff leads, Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, and Beth Casebolt, as well as the Transitions Office, through Christine Purcell.

They have been very helpful and are willing to offer the congregation any support we need. Specifically:

• Direct assistance and guidance for the board and committee leaders
• Our interim retreat with the UUA, scheduled for August 1st, where the board, staff, and committee leaders will learn how we can successfully complete our transition period,
• UUA training and help for our excellent Right Relations team
• And a congregation-wide workshop called Beyond Categorical Thinking. This workshop is required for congregations in search and will help the congregation learn to think outside their own habits and preconceived notions as they are in transition.

As usual, there is a lot going on in our church. And as we work through it all, I think it’s important to remember some key points…

“Ministry is all we do together”. It takes all of us to maintain community, to maintain our covenants, and maintain our processes.

Patience is critical. We are all affected by the pandemic and in many different and complex ways. We must have patience with one another, with our leaders, and with ourselves.

The reality that there are varying perceptions, perspectives, and expectations we all have about how ministry should and or does work. There is a big difference between others making decisions differently than how we would make them, and others making improper decisions.

During my two years working with the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, from 2018-2020, I was able to study our over 600 member congregations.

Each one of those congregations is unique…some have ministers who send out a crisp Order of Service with a finished homily to every member of the worship committee weeks in advance of the service date, some reverends produce reflections from their hearts at the pulpit, in some congregations the minister is the primary administrator, and some reverends are chief ambassadors and activists in the wider community, while some churches have more than one reverend, and some congregations have no reverend at all.

None of those ways is the right way, none are more professional, or correct than others. They are the way that particular leader and or community operates.

Each one of those churches came to their process through trial and error, committee report and conversation, tradition and change. Our transitional ministries help congregations experience and examine what needs to be updated, what needs to be replaced, what needs to be held, what needs to be given.

In my experience, what remained consistent in most of those groups was an understanding that we are bound by principles and covenants, a desire for justice and love in the spaces we inhabit, and a commitment to working together to solve problems.

I believe wholeheartedly that The UU Church of Akron is a community capable of navigating through moments of joy, sorrow, disagreement, growth, and change with a commitment to our highest principles.

Finally, as we enter this board year, there is a quote I have kept as a roadmap that I will share with you (and expect to hear more from me about):

A community is made up of the following parts: spirit, children, elders, responsibility, gift-giving, accountability, ancestors, and ritual.” – Sobonfu Some (author, counselor, priest of the Burkinabe of Burkina Faso)

What is the spirit of our congregation? How are we raising our youth in the principles we hold? How are we exchanging wisdom and sharing power? How are we responsible for the work we do together? What do we give and receive from one another? How are we accountable to our principles & covenants? What learnings do we take from those who came before us? What rituals do we have to hold all of the above?

As I stated above, I and the Board of Trustees are committed to asking and answering those questions, together with the congregation, and in turn, together we will find answers.

Take good care of yourselves, and each other,

Cir L’Bert, Jr.

President, UU Church of Akron, Board of Trustees