Comments on: Democracy in Our Congregations http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/democracy-in-our-congregations Religion and spirituality from a Unitarian Universalist perspective Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:48:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Shelby http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/democracy-in-our-congregations#comment-917 Shelby Tue, 08 May 2007 18:10:49 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/democracy-in-our-congregations#comment-917 Uugrrl, Thank you for sharing your insights on clergy misconduct. I often read your blog, and from your writing have learned about the experiences of survivors, and the devastating impact that abuse has on individuals and congregations. Our congregations use a democratic process, and through that process select ministers as well as lay leaders. We give these people a certain amount of power, in order to make our congregational life more rewarding. When ministers and lay leaders use their power appropriately, a congregation and its members flourish. When that power is abused, it is a deep betrayal for the congregation, and for the individuals targeted by the abuser(s). Please continue raising awareness of clergy misconduct, and of what steps Unitarian Universalists can take to reduce misconduct, and to care for survivors and congregations when it does occur. Uugrrl, Thank you for sharing your insights on clergy misconduct. I often read your blog, and from your writing have learned about the experiences of survivors, and the devastating impact that abuse has on individuals and congregations.

Our congregations use a democratic process, and through that process select ministers as well as lay leaders. We give these people a certain amount of power, in order to make our congregational life more rewarding. When ministers and lay leaders use their power appropriately, a congregation and its members flourish. When that power is abused, it is a deep betrayal for the congregation, and for the individuals targeted by the abuser(s).

Please continue raising awareness of clergy misconduct, and of what steps Unitarian Universalists can take to reduce misconduct, and to care for survivors and congregations when it does occur.

]]> By: uugrrl http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/democracy-in-our-congregations#comment-835 uugrrl Mon, 07 May 2007 13:41:34 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/democracy-in-our-congregations#comment-835 When UUism is operating well, as it is in my congregation and I gather in yours, then I agree. Unfortunately, I think especially the commitment to shared power is weak at 25 Beacon St. I have one of those perspectives that calls the question. You learn both the worst and the best about a faith when having to deal directly with clergy misconduct, which generally is lumped into the sexism category. There have been points where our leaders were doing better in this arena. I do hope there will be either a change of leadership or a change of heart at 25, but the pace has beeen somewhere between glacial and non-existent for a number of years. For now, they aren't coming close to modeling justice. They have a quite destructive power-over model which I flowcharted in my blog. The net result is abusive ministers are not held adequately accountable, congregations torn apart by misconduct have little or no help, and victims of UU clergy misconduct have nowhere to turn. 25 won't even give victims the findings in their cases, much less ask them to the table to discuss how to improve their procedures. It's kind of like a group of white people telling African-Americans what's best for them. Sorry for the rant. As best I can tell they do good work in other areas. When UUism is operating well, as it is in my congregation and I gather in yours, then I agree. Unfortunately, I think especially the commitment to shared power is weak at 25 Beacon St. I have one of those perspectives that calls the question. You learn both the worst and the best about a faith when having to deal directly with clergy misconduct, which generally is lumped into the sexism category. There have been points where our leaders were doing better in this arena. I do hope there will be either a change of leadership or a change of heart at 25, but the pace has beeen somewhere between glacial and non-existent for a number of years. For now, they aren’t coming close to modeling justice. They have a quite destructive power-over model which I flowcharted in my blog. The net result is abusive ministers are not held adequately accountable, congregations torn apart by misconduct have little or no help, and victims of UU clergy misconduct have nowhere to turn. 25 won’t even give victims the findings in their cases, much less ask them to the table to discuss how to improve their procedures. It’s kind of like a group of white people telling African-Americans what’s best for them. Sorry for the rant. As best I can tell they do good work in other areas.

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