Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo 2014 Congregational Record
Describe the character of the surrounding community:
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo is located in a neighborhood known as the Elmwood Village, a walkable neighborhood and one of the most vibrant areas of the city with a rich collection of historic homes, parks, farmers’ markets, colleges and schools, restaurants, arts and cultural centers, and retail businesses.
While the city is quite segregated in terms of where people of different ethnicities and classes live, the Elmwood Village is situated between a predominantly African American East Side and the predominantly Latino/a and growing refugee populations (including Asians and East Asians as well as Africans) of the West Side.
Buffalo itself is undergoing a renaissance, with much new construction in a medical corridor and at the waterfront. Brown fields are being reclaimed, new attention has been given to restoring architectural gems of the city, new living spaces are being developed, and there is an increasing emphasis on job development. Like other rust belt cities, however, economic development is slow, and the area is in need of infrastructure and job development. In the meantime, theatre is vibrant, restaurants are high-quality, galleries welcome visitors, and music of all sorts abounds. The following link provides an idea of the renewed development in our region. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-YgcN-en3U
Provide here your profile of the minister you seek (500 words recommended):
We seek an inspiring spiritual leader. The mission of our church is “We gather in loving community, inspiring one another to transform ourselves to create a more just and compassionate world.” This sentence holds the aspirations we have for our church community. Our minister will walk with and guide us into this spirit. They will foster our spiritual development through dynamic preaching and worship. Our minister will be the face of our church in the community, standing for UU values while also offering creative solutions and a willingness to partner for the greater social good.
Individual church groups provide great meaning and energy within our congregation. We would, however, open our arms to a minister who can create synergy between these smaller communities and bring them all into alignment with our common mission.
For our church community, we envision an effective administrator who respects the value of collaborative leadership and also recognizes when to be decisive. As head of staff, our minister would demonstrate healthy leadership by giving clear direction and empowering staff to feel their work is valued.
Our minister will skillfully galvanize members to serve the church and the community in the spirit of our mission and vision. Stewardship, while led by the congregants, will need the minister’s supportive voice.
Our minister will be a catalyst, encouraging us to reach beyond our walls and neighborhood, to become broader and more inclusive. The minister we envision recognizes and responds to generational differences, a diverse population, and the realities of the contemporary world.
We realize that having one minister for our congregation is a tall order. Our minister will have the capacity to discern their own vitality, and, with our support, be willing to set boundaries to keep themselves healthy. We have created a link on the UUCB website with a list of social agencies and groups whose work could serve to sustain a community for our minister. (link with social justice agencies being developed)
We are passionate about our journey, and invite you to join us.
Provide your profile of your congregation (500 words recommended):
Currently, our membership is 375 about. The majority of our members live within about a 3-mile radius of the church. Some live within 5-15 miles from the church (the suburbs), while a smaller group comes from outlying and rural communities within a 30-mile radius.
The majority of our congregation is well-educated (college degree or above), middle class (either close to the median household income for New York State or above), white, over 50 years of age, and female. About a quarter of members identify as LGBTQ. A small number of families are interracial.
Generally, we celebrate an impressive legacy, as many noteworthy Buffalonians have played a significant role in the history of UUCB. A prominent value of this congregation—regardless of age, sexual orientation, income, or number of years in attendance—is community. The sense of community is often heightened by involvement—all ages participate in the choir, the auction, and respond to Share the Plate, and Family Promise. The younger generation is more often involved with Religious Education, while the older generation is more often involved with other activities (the Women’s Society, committee work, governance). They express also a desire for more congregational diversity, a stronger presence of young adults, and ways to deepen involvement, both socially and in leadership roles.
People come to UUCB, whether on their own or invited, and find others who share their values. Very often the values are found reflected in UU beliefs. Newer members have kept coming because of a growing sense of belonging – for both themselves and their children. They value especially the Lifespan Faith Development program, opportunities for support of social action, and the potential for joining others in “making a difference.” The younger generation appreciates UUCB’s (and UU’s) acceptance of a multitude of sources.
Sources for personal growth sources vary with the different age groups. Although all ages find “Family Relationships” and “Service to Others” to be important, the younger generation finds personal growth from “Nature” more than the older generation, while the older generation finds that the “Arts” provide more personal growth.
Congregants look forward to well-integrated Sunday services. Most find comfort and value in the rituals of the church year and service (i.e. Chalice Lighting and Extinguishing, the Water ceremony at Ingathering), while the younger generation does not want the rituals to take way from opportunities for different kinds of inspirational and challenging services.
Music during the Sunday Service has been a very important part of our congregation’s identity. We have had a vibrant, innovative music program for many years. Congregants of all ages want a variety of music (to listen to and to sing), with the younger generation looking for more contemporary and/or popular music.
More generally, we are open to cultivating a new generation of leaders and to treat our staff with the same esteem we extend to our members and friends. We seek guidance in these areas.
What role do the congregation and its leaders expect the minister to play in relation to the other paid staff?
The Minister will be the head of staff, with authority and responsibility to hire or recruit, to train, to evaluate, and to dismiss both paid and volunteer staff. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Minister the authority and responsibility for leading the spiritual, programmatic, and administrative work of the church.
Congregational History
How and when was the congregation founded?
The Unitarian and Universalist churches in Buffalo were each organized in 1831. Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States, was a founding member of the Unitarian congregation. In 1953, they merged locally and began services at a building that originally was built (1906) as the First Unitarian Church, where the congregation now known as the Unitarian Universalist Church continues today. Nationally, the two denominations merged in 1961.
Note the three or four most important events in the congregation’s history:
While on route to Washington, DC for his inauguration in 1861, Abraham Lincoln, a guest of Fillmore’s, worshiped at the Unitarian church. In 1906, our current building was designed by architect Edward Austin Kent, who died in the sinking of the Titanic.
The Rev. Paul Carnes, our minister from 1958 to 1977, was a noted social activist and served as the third president of the UUA from 1977 to 1979. Barbara Wagner served our congregation for 50 years as Minister of Music. She was instrumental in the creation of both Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey, and a prominent member of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network.
In 1968, the church served as the site for a demonstration against the Vietnam War draft, providing physical and symbolic sanctuary for draft resistors. At the onset of bombing during the Second Invasion of Iraq in March, 2003, the church hosted a candlelight prayer service in the Sanctuary for the troops and civilians in harm’s way, while a teach-in took place simultaneously in the Parish Hall led by demonstrators opposing the outbreak of hostilities.
List, most recent first, all clergy who have served since 1950 and earlier ministries of great importance, and interim ministers since 1980 (minister name, date arrived, date departed, reason for departure):
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo:
Mary Hnottavange-Telleen, 2014-present, Interim
Margret A. O’Neall, 2011-14, Interim
Joel Miller, 2000-11, Senior Minister, Left of own accord
Nancy Roemheld, 1999-2000, Interim
Daniel Budd, 1984-99, Senior Minister, Left of own accord
Rod Brown, 1987-89, Assistant Minister
Rudy Gelsey, 1983-84, Interim
Glyn Pruce, 1978-83, Senior Minister, Resigned to return to UK
John K. Hammon, 1977-78, Interim
Paul Carnes, 1958-77, Senior Minister, Became UUA President
Stephan Papa, 1975-78, Associate Minister
James B. McKelvey, 1972-73, Assistant Minister
Losing B. Prosser, 1970-71, Associate Minister
Frank W. Carpenter, 1968-69, Assistant Minister
Jerry d. Wright, 1966-68, Assistant Minister
Robert E. Wolf, 1963-66, Assistant Minister
George K. Beach, 1961-63, Assistant Minister
Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Buffalo (1953-58):
Herbert Hitchen, 1953-1957, Co-minister, Left for new pastorate
Robert L. Cope, 1953-1957, Co-minister, Left for teaching position at St. Lawrence Theological School
First Universalist Church of Buffalo:
Robert L. Cope, 1950-53, Became Co-Minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Buffalo
First Unitarian Church of Buffalo:
Herbert Hitchen, 1950-1953, Became Co-Minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Buffalo
Current congregational life
Does the congregation have a mission -- not a mission statement, but a glowing coal at its center -- and if so, what is it?
At our core, we are a loving community. We manifest this “mission”—to give and receive love—in a variety of ways.
1. We are a UUA “Welcoming Congregation.” In 2001, and resulting from an application by Interweave (formed in 1990), we were certified through the UUA process. But many congregants participated in the 1993 “March on Washington,” a clear sign of the integration of LGBTQ people in our congregation many years before the formal certification. Interweave dissolved because many felt it just was not needed any longer, due to full integration into church life from governance to ministry teams, from Faith Development to Worship Associates.
2. We seek to open our building to many who have been marginalized and to those who serve them. In concert with another local church, we host families who are part of the Family Promise (a national organization). For a week each quarter year, we provide round-the-clock hospitality to homeless families who would be separated by gender in traditional shelters. Each month, we donate half of our weekly collection plate to a selected community group whose work connects to the values we hold. Since “Share the Plate” was introduced in 2012, our weekly collections have nearly doubled. A number of AA and NA groups meet regularly in the church, including one that addresses the unique recovery needs of those identifying as LGBT. One day each week, we offer our kitchen to Food, Not Bombs, a group which cooks and serves meals to the homeless; the food is provided through local donations. As an urban church, we seek effective ways to provide hospitality to individuals who come to us on Sunday mornings with significant drug problems or untreated mental illness.
3. We find a multitude of opportunities for gatherings of our members and with interested community members. Food is a bonding element in our congregation! The Women’s Society has been hosting luncheons for years, and is known for speakers who share their cultural and social expertise. This church group also hosts music appreciation courses conducted by an expert member of the congregation and choir. Potluck dinners are in abundance. Members of the church welcome these opportunities to gather, supporting each event with their attendance and enthusiasm. As part of our annual church auction, attendees have the opportunity to bid on a variety of fellowship dinners, outdoor events, helping services, and all sorts of activities hosted by other congregants. These dinners are both popular and profitable. A folk dancing group, open to the community, has met regularly for 40 years. We are always seeking new ways to increase both the attendance and variety of our community experiences.
Congregational strengths:
We are a congregation whose leaders are both grounded and forward-looking. They are dedicated to addressing not only the business of making changes in the way we manage congregational processes and finances, but also the ways in which we can more effectively extend the spirit of welcoming and belonging to our members, friends, visitors and the community.
1. Through three years of intentional interim ministry (2011-2014), we have transformed our governance structure and our methods for budgeting, using the model developed by Dan Hotchkiss in Governance and Ministry. This was a goal we set for ourselves following the Long Range Plan we developed in 2011. Our Board of Trustees is now knowledgeable and empowered with a Board Policy Book and a committee structure through which the Board’s work can be thoughtfully and efficiently accomplished. The Board Policy Book is on our website http://www.buffalouu.org/board-policy-book.html. As this model was newly implemented in 2014, we are growing into our understanding of its use as we move through a year with a new interim minister.
2. The Board of Trustees Finance Committee has developed a budget that is clear, timely, and realistic for meeting our financial obligations. In addition, a strong Stewardship Team has developed an annual budget drive strategy that includes visiting stewards, a data-driven goal that is both aspirational and realistic, and creative education for the congregation. Further, the Finance Committee and the Stewardship Team collaborated on a five-year financial plan ensuring congregational needs will be identified, planned for, and achieved. The budget for the last fiscal year, and again for this year, includes a planned, temporary use of the church endowment to fund our transition to a settled ministry.
3. In 2012, we made a commitment to staff a part-time Membership Coordinator. We recognized the need for intentional outreach to and welcoming of newcomers, and a more defined path toward membership. Partially funded by a Chalice Lighter grant, the budget drive will fully fund this position in 2015.
4. We have increasingly understood the wisdom that is available from the UUA and the CERG. We have welcomed initiatives and invited consultants to introduce us to best practices. These included “Appreciative Inquiry” (2012), developing stewardship (Barry Finkelstein in 2013), and opening up our music program to include more participants (Mark Slegers in 2013). In 2014, we embraced the creation of accessibility in our hearts and in our building through the Disability/Ability Action Program. We are one of 10 congregations selected by the UUA to pilot this program).
Willingness to transform is evident in the collective development of a newly articulated church Mission (adopted 2012) and Vision (adopted 2014). Integration of these ideals into daily church life is a work in progress, as we seek strategies for best increasing our strength and potential as a loving community.
Congregational challenges:
Our greatest challenges are 1) sustaining the momentum in our governance transformation, 2) enhancing fundraising, 3) creating a cohesive environment where individual spiritual transformation is possible, and 4) developing more opportunities for inclusion.
1. The attention of the Board of Trustees has been focused on policy and management, transferring the oversight of congregational operations and programmatic minutiae to designated entities in the church organization. We are now moving into the phase of fully functioning Ministry Teams, whose respective roles are becoming more definitive. We are working to clarify functional relationships between each Team and the staff assigned to support its activities, and to addressing whatever is needed for our fledgling Ministry Teams to stabilize and thrive.
2. Informed by work in the Finance and Endowment Committees, the Board and the Stewardship Team continue to educate us about the need to depend more on fundraising (budget drives and grants) and less on endowment draws. Work has been done to move more congregants to the UUA Fair Share Giving Guide.”
3. We have a strong Faith Development program for our children, staffed by a full-time Credentialed Religious Educator. We take pride in our strong music program, staffed by a talented music director, accomplished soloists, and an expert accompanist. Our worship, supported by a team of trained Worship Associates, is varied and responsive to the church seasons. We welcome the direction of a minister to integrate these elements into a cohesive, spiritually inspiring worship experience.
4. Although we hear from new people how much they enjoy the congregation, we also consistently hear that they would like more opportunities to be involved. Covenant Groups and the Membership Coordinator are focusing on the many facets of this challenge.
What congregational issues are likely to be most pressing within the next couple years:
1. We long to support our congregation with the right number of fairly compensated staff. We recognize that a single minister is not sufficient to staff this church in the long term. In preparing our budget, we now regularly consult the UUA “Salary Recommendation Guidelines.” Our five-year financial projections represent a path to appropriate pay and staffing levels.
2. While the Stewardship team has made important progress, communication and education about the Annual Budget Drive needs grow more intentional related to maintaining fiscal health.
3. Our governance structure is new and untested. There is uneven understanding in the congregation about what policy-based governance is and how it affects church life. The Governance Committee is working with the Board and staff to clarify roles and to educate the congregation.
4. Our new governance structure, with a policy-oriented Board of Trustees and functional ministry teams, requires a deeper bench of lay leaders. We will need more leaders who are effective and find enjoyment in helping their church community to thrive.
What congregational issues are likely to be most pressing over the next ten years:
Our historic building will require ongoing attention over the next ten years and beyond. The building is a source of inspiration to many in the congregation, as well as an architectural treasure of the Elmwood Village.
1. Our annual budgets and the five-year financial plan now include realistic maintenance and capital repair allowances. The congregation will need continual updates about the actual costs of upkeep of the building.
2. Our building is on the State Registry of Historic Landmarks, and we are preparing an application to the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. The Board of Trustees will make it a strategic priority to use the church’s status, along with the non-profit 501(c) 3 status, to garner more funding.
3. Space utilization needs to be addressed now, and it will need to be re-visited as we are able to grow membership. Capital campaigns to address renovation will likely be necessary. Specifically, the church kitchen is outdated, and funding to pay for a major renovation will be necessary.
What congregational issues may never be resolved?
Our location in the City of Buffalo brings challenges that will require ingenuity and creativity to resolve.
1. Our building is architecturally and spiritually significant, our gardens are beautiful and lovingly well-tended, but our geographic footprint is actually very limited. We cannot easily expand the building or the small parking lot.
2. Our city remains historically and significantly racially segregated and is also incredibly diverse in terms of income level, education level, and new immigrant cultures. Like our congregation, the immediate neighborhood is predominantly white and middle class. While we cannot change the location of our church, nor that of the many geographical pockets of diverse cultures that enrich our city, we are working to reach out and to let our presence to be known in the wider community.
To what degree does the congregation possess a dominant theology?
Based on the survey conducted in 2013, the spiritual, faith, or personal-growth paths UUCB congregants follow are significantly non-creedal, humanistic and/or naturalistic. (It is not clear from the survey, however, that any of these groups are mutually exclusive).
1. Only 9% of those responding indicated that they follow some creedal path as a “source for personal growth.” However, in response to that same question, 52% of those surveyed do consider “UU Principles” as a major source for their growth.
2. In response to “Which of the following viewpoints come closest to your own,” a significant majority of respondents said that they believed “human beings are responsible for goodness and meaning, and that we must rely on one another for support” (76%); that they “find support and value in the fullness and the connectedness of all things, with or without God” (70%); and that they “celebrate the sacred circle of life which instructs us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature” (50%).
3. Some equate “God with the forces of nature and laws of nature” (31%), a belief which comes closer to the more naturalistic sentiments expressed in the same question. Some believe that any “knowledge” of “whether God exists or not” is “beyond human capabilities” (20%). Some are “undecided about whether or not God exists” (10%), even though another minority (16%) “find support and challenge in a God with whom” they “[long to] feel a personal relationship.” An even smaller minority (7%) “deny the existence of a god of any kind.”
From the short survey administered in 2014, we have learned that the spiritual practices and interests of the younger and newer members accord well with the results of the earlier survey.
Describe the role of music and the arts in the life of the congregation:
Music is an integral part of Sunday worship. On any Sunday morning, our community is welcomed by music offered chorally and instrumentally from the 40+ member choir, talented church members and guests. Genres vary broadly from jazz to Bach, spirituals to operatic, multicultural to multi-faith and a Capella to orchestral. Cherished hymns from Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey are a part of all services.
The choir is comprised largely of volunteers with several professional section leads, and is supported by a Choir Ministry Team. The choir performs most Sundays from September through the beginning of June. Two worship services, one around Easter and one at the beginning of December, are wholly given over to music, with full choir and orchestral parts played by members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and other local musicians. The choir performs occasional concerts during the year to reach out to the community, and the choir holds an annual fundraising dinner to support the church.
Music for children has taken several different forms recently. On some Sundays, children begin their Sunday mornings in the sanctuary with their families. During this time, they are included in the singing of hymns and our shared enjoyment of choir or instrumental performances. Every Sunday, the children ages 5-10 meet together for a half hour before going to their classrooms for a worship service which includes singing and learning hymns.
It has been a tradition of our church to invite members and friends of all ages to bring their musical talent to the services and church activities. We enjoy supporting our members in performances, recitals, or music at potlucks. Several of our music and arts programs reach out into the larger community.
The Women’s Society sponsors a lecture series led by a church member on different musical topics as well as a luncheon series that often features presenters from Buffalo’s arts community. Both the lecture series and the luncheon presentations are popular and well-attended. There is a play reading group which meets irregularly to stage public readings at the church. Around Valentine’s Day each year, the church donates its space for two nights for the staging of Eve Unsler’s The Vagina Monologues, a fundraiser for Crisis Services’ Advocate Program. Congregants who are experienced belly dancers have brought their talents to church events and fundraisers. The church owns and displays several paintings by several mid-20th Century local artists.
Describe the religious education programs for children, youth and adults:
Our Lifespan Faith Development program is directed by a full-time Credentialed Religious Educator and supported by a Faith Development Ministry Team. The program draws on the many educational resources available through the UUA. Teachers are carefully selected and well-trained through a series of on-going workshops.
We have a professionally staffed Nursery, a Pre-K with two dedicated volunteers who have staffed it for approximately the last 20 years, and a growing population in the K-4 Spirit Play program. We offer Tapestry of Faith Riddle and Mystery for 5-6 grade, as well as Coming of Age for our 7-8 grade class. Our Youth Group follows the YRUU model, and they organize a church service for the congregation once a year.
Currently, children attend family- or community-oriented services in the sanctuary about once a month, either for part of or the whole service. In other weeks, children attend a Children’s Chapel, with about a half hour of music before and a structured, child-friendly service (including lighting a chalice, joys and sorrows, and wisdom circle/lesson of the day, and closing words/extinguishing the chalice).
Children are involved in the larger life of the church in a variety of ways. Through the monthly Souper Sunday, different classes and their parents assist in preparing and serving lunch, which the congregation purchases for a nominal fee. The children have planted a vegetable garden, a multi-generational effort to prepare, plant, tend and harvest the garden. The garden teaches lessons about cooperation, the seasons, and is rich with metaphors from many faith traditions. The produce is used to prepare snacks for children and adults at church as well as providing donations for the group Food Not Bombs (described in the “Congregational Life” section of this Record),as well as raising money for the Haitian 100 Gardens program of the UUSC. This last component teaches children how to be involved in social action, and that lesson is reinforced pop-top tab collection for the Ronald McDonald House. Older children, including the Youth Group, select age-appropriate service projects as well.
In addition, we offer the Our Whole Lives curriculum for all ages every other year, with a volunteer staff of about 10 people who are trained to teach at the various levels.
Adult Faith Development:
At present, there is an adult education program on ethics, led by the Director of Lifespan Faith Development. In the past, the DLFD has drawn on UUA resources, including “Parents as Resident Theologians,” “What Moves Us,” “Resistance and Transformation,” and “Harvest the Power.” In addition, we used the UUA Common Read of The New Jim Crow and Behind the Kitchen Door for book club discussions. We are hopeful that with a new settled minister we can expand our Adult Faith Development program.
Informally, adult congregants meet for a book club and for a grief and renewal support group.
Lay Leadership
In practice, are responsibilities for governance widely shared or confined among relatively few members? Give some examples.
Governance is not as widely shared as would be best for the congregation. When our settled minister departed in 2011, several concerns came to light. While many considered the church to be their spiritual home, we were not retaining enough new members to grow. The church had become increasingly “ungoverned” due to undefined and confused lines of authority. Annual giving was shrinking. In response, concerned members attended District workshops, but there was no clear connection between these efforts and the actual Board of Trustees. A survey to determine our needs and direction was commissioned; a Long Range Plan emerged from that work, but it was not grounded in a clear mission and governance structure.
Later that year, in concert with our first Interim Minister, congregational leaders joined with the Board in setting three goals for the interim time. These goals directly reflect key priorities in the long range plan:
1. Clarify mission, values, identity, and image. To achieve this goal, we used Appreciative Inquiry to engage the congregation in articulating a revitalized mission, values and vision. Interested volunteers formed a 10-member AI leadership team which decided to call the process "Hearing Each Other.” The AI Team took over a worship service on a Sunday morning to run a process in which 150 congregants interviewed each other about their experience in the church.
2. Create a governance structure and process that works (that is relational and flows). To achieve this goal, the Board created the Governance Task Force, a mix of leaders involved in different aspects of congregational life. Through discussion and education with the Board of Trustees, they developed systems of authority and accountability.
3. Educate the congregation on covenantal relationship and stewardship. To achieve this goal, thirty congregants participated in a 5-session Healthy Congregations workshop offered by the District staff and consultants to build skills for addressing systems issues in a covenantal church. Our Stewardship Team has utilized UUA resources to develop a more positive approach to the annual pledge drive.
Following from Goal 2 above, UUCB has concluded an extended effort to reshape our governance structure, delineating the responsibilities of policy and visioning from those of ministry. Our Board is now policy-based and has delegated to the Minister and staff authority and responsibility for ministry, administration, and operations. The Board and its committees have assumed fiduciary responsibility for finances and endowment, have created policies to guide and evaluate ministry, and set the mission and vision of the church, in consultation with the Senior Minister. Ministry Teams composed of volunteers, with the support of paid staff, enact church activities and events functioning within the spirit of the Board-determined Mission and Vision.
In this interim time, we are discerning what our capacity for leadership is and how to develop and support it. We are eager for a settled minister who will lead us through this process.
Describe the process you used to complete this form:
The process for gathering the information needed to complete the CR involved conversations, surveys, and interviews with congregants and staff. Much of the information gathering was done by last year’s Ministerial Search Committee. The current MSC re-examined and updated the information through more interviews, fact checking, and a brief survey of new members and others who had not participated in the previous survey.
All of the information was discussed and revised by the MSC and put into a draft which was then reviewed by our Ministerial Search Consultant and our current Interim Minister. More discussion and another review by the MSC was done before the CR was ready for publication.
Information came from the Long-Range Strategic Plan, adopted by the Congregation in 2011, as well as the following:
Surveys:
1. Congregational Self-Assessment Surveys – 2009 and 2011
2. Music Survey - 2012 (173 responses)
3. Survey for the previous Congregational Record - 2013 (155 responses)
4. Mini-survey of new congregants and RE families - 2014 (32 responses)
Conversations:
1. Historical Timeline created in 2011 during the Appreciative Inquiry Process
2. Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop (39 participants)
3. Cottage meetings (121 participants)
Interviews:
1. Appreciative Inquiry process with congregants
2. Groups active in UUCB: the Board, the Governance Task Force, the Women’s Society Board, the Transition Team, the Music Committee, the Lifespan Development Committee, and the Stewardship Committee
3. Staff members
4. Congregants who did not participate in last year’s survey (32 participants)
Committees
Name the committees that have recently had the greatest success:
The Board of UUCB now has an oversight system for discerning success in congregational functions. On a monthly basis, the Board is using the system to review the organization of selected Ministry Teams, a process that both informs the Board about how Teams enact the church’s mission and vision, as well as educating Team members about the new governance model. We are just in the nascent stages of this process, and we are all still learning what works, what needs to be improved, and what will need to be changed in larger ways.
One of our most successful groups is the Covenant Group Program, which remains strong as we transition to a more diverse menu of group options. Previously led by the Interim Minister, the program is now coordinated by a four-person steering committee. Other innovations include a partnership with the Membership and Welcoming Team to facilitate a venue for newcomers, potential members, and fringe members to become more deeply involved in the church community, a Covenant Program Orientation session, and a St. Patrick’s Day Pot. For those interested in becoming facilitators, a six-hour in-house training is required.
Several other ministry teams have been created or reorganized and are showing signs of strength:
The Membership/Connection Team is expanding its perspective with new paid staff leadership. Our Membership Coordinator keeps track of visitors and conducts both “Exploring UU” and “Becoming UU” classes on a regular basis.
The Religious Education Team is strong and committed, collaborating well with the Director of Lifespan Faith Development in both program development and implementation.
The Access and Inclusion team appears to be functioning quite well. It has a consistent membership with energy and sense of purpose, with the members working well together.
The Worship Team has developed confidence and skills for participation in worship. It is growing into new roles and working toward flexibility for supporting a new settle minister and any who preach from our pulpit.
Name the committees that have recently had the least success:
The Care Network ministry team seems to be struggling. The Care Network has a broad intent to provide care for congregants during times of crisis, or to help overcome barriers such as lack of transportation. The committee has sometimes been stalled by a lack of the necessary training, resources, and organization to achieve its generous vision. Although, there is a consistent group of individuals at the Joys and Concerns table every Sunday, the work and coordination is done primarily by one person.
In fall 2013, the Stewardship Team, with the help of a UUA consultant, undertook a complete rethinking and implementation of the Annual Budget Drive under a very ambitious time frame. It appears that the processes were incompletely implemented, making it likely that the Annual Budget Drive will have to be extended. With more complete and careful planning, and an earlier start, it is anticipated that next year’s campaign will produce greater success.
The Music Team is not yet fully developed, with only a Choir Team in place. This means, in part, that the Music Program has not developed into other areas of the church. The Choir Team endeavors to find new ways to support the Music Director.
Major financial support
List the dollar amounts of the ten largest operating pledges received in the most recently completed fiscal year:
Final Pledges for 2014 budget drive:
10,500
7,700
7,500
7,500
6,400
6,200
6,000
6,000
5,800
5,200
Give the dates of the last two capital fund drives, and the funds raised (a) by contribution and (b) by debt:
(a) 1991: $100,000, for roof repairs.
(a) 1997: $750,000, for accessibility (garden entrance and elevator)
(b) None
What is the condition of the church buildings, and what funds may need to be raised in the future?
While the church is in good repair generally, it is old and in need of constant attention. In our new budgeting process, funds are regularly set aside for both capital and incidental repairs. Many projects have been completed in the last three years, including: upgrades to sanctuary lighting, sound system, and carpet; the elevator; the heating and cooling system; roof repairs; and the church bell.
A new list of priorities is in the process of being developed. Rather than respond reactively to emergencies, various areas of concern, such as the roof and plumbing, are now being monitored regularly.
Since the building is historic, we are in the process of seeking preservation funds to assist us in making needed repairs and upgrades to windows and doors.
Ministry
Describe the process by which the minister will be called:
After selecting one prospective candidate from the pool of those prospective ministers interested in our Congregational Packet, the MSC will notify the candidate of the decision to present him/her to the UUCB Congregation as the Search Committee's final choice. A UUCB negotiating team—composed of Dave Batt, the representative of the MSC, the board President, and a member of the congregation appointed by the Board—will then work out the details of a contract. If the UUCB Board approves, the Board and the minister will execute the agreement subject to the extending of the call by the UUCB Congregation and the acceptance of the minister. The Ministerial Search Committee will then announce its candidate to the UUCB Congregation.
The candidate will visit UUCB for a two-Sunday candidating week. After the second Sunday service, the UUCB Congregation will vote on a motion by the
MSC to call the minister on the terms proposed. If the call is strong (Bylaws require 90%) and the minister accepts, the ministry begins as specified in the agreement.
Describe the process by which the Ministerial Search Committee (or its equivalent) was chosen:
In 2013, a Ministerial Search Committee was appointed through a process of gathering from the congregation the names of congregants trusted to serve, then securing their ability to serve. In 2014, the Board returned to the original list, which now included those could not serve in the previous search but were now available and willing to serve. The Board appointed these seven members, one of whom had served on the 2013 Ministerial Search Committee.
Ministerial skills and enthusiasms most needed by the congregation: 4-Crucial 3-Significant 2-Modest 1-Of little consequence
(Note: use no numeral but "1" more than four times)
3 Administration
1 Adult religious education
1 Children's religious education
2 Committee work
4 Community building
3 Denominational activities
1 Facilitation
3 Stewardship
1 Home visitation
1 Hospital calling
3 Leadership Development
2 Membership growth
1 Music & liturgical arts
1 Personal counseling
4 Preaching
1 Scholarship
4 Social action
2 Spiritual guidance
2 Staff relations
4 Worship
1 Youth work
Assess the capacity of the congregation to exercise forbearance and nurture in assisting a minister's development:
Ours is a supportive and nurturing community. This congregation has an amazing capacity to provide support to members who have been willing to take on new leadership responsibilities so that they succeed in their endeavors. People can be low-keyed but proactive to assist and support when it's needed. We have loved and nurtured our seminary interns during their time with us, as well. They have also helped us to grow.
The past four years have brought numerous changes to this church, so we also realize that, while change can stimulate us, it may have its uncomfortable aspects. We know this is a normal part of growth. We know that our capacity to love and accept will help us to nurture the work of our new settled minister. We also realize that it may take time for us to get used to a new minister's leadership style and the changes it may bring.
This congregation has gone through an extended interim period with two very different interim ministers, both of whom received great support from the congregation. It has been a time of deepening growth and change for us. The Board of Trustees has been very supportive of our ministers' leadership, and we expect that this supporting role will continue for a settled minister, whom the congregation eagerly awaits.
Although we treasure the legacy of our own traditions here, we realize that to be sustainable over the future we need to be willing to change and accommodate new voices and perspectives. We are a diverse congregation and not always of one mind, but our ministers have always enjoyed a strong body of support from the congregation.
What expectations, however silent, may there be about the minister’s family and personal life?
As far as unspoken expectations are concerned, we would be happy if the minister’s personal and family life reflected Unitarian Universalist values and if they wanted to be involved in the congregation.
Participation in the life of the church, however, is not expected and is a private decision between the settled minister and their partner and/or family. Our congregation has supported the decisions of previous ministers. We recognize the stress that serving as settled minister to a congregation of our size can bring to both the minister and their family. We encourage the minister to take full advantage of the Settled Ministerial Agreement that specifically spells out times for rest and renewal. We will work together with our new minister to ensure mutual accommodation, appreciation, and growth.
Describe the worst mistake your new minister could make:
The most injurious mistake a new minister could make is to violate her/his professional integrity. This has happened in our congregational past, and the effects of those actions have had repercussions for our church and its members. Our congregation is seeking a minister to lead by example and walk with us into a future where we live out deeper, more purposeful callings.
Describe the character of the surrounding community:
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo is located in a neighborhood known as the Elmwood Village, a walkable neighborhood and one of the most vibrant areas of the city with a rich collection of historic homes, parks, farmers’ markets, colleges and schools, restaurants, arts and cultural centers, and retail businesses.
While the city is quite segregated in terms of where people of different ethnicities and classes live, the Elmwood Village is situated between a predominantly African American East Side and the predominantly Latino/a and growing refugee populations (including Asians and East Asians as well as Africans) of the West Side.
Buffalo itself is undergoing a renaissance, with much new construction in a medical corridor and at the waterfront. Brown fields are being reclaimed, new attention has been given to restoring architectural gems of the city, new living spaces are being developed, and there is an increasing emphasis on job development. Like other rust belt cities, however, economic development is slow, and the area is in need of infrastructure and job development. In the meantime, theatre is vibrant, restaurants are high-quality, galleries welcome visitors, and music of all sorts abounds. The following link provides an idea of the renewed development in our region. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-YgcN-en3U
Provide here your profile of the minister you seek (500 words recommended):
We seek an inspiring spiritual leader. The mission of our church is “We gather in loving community, inspiring one another to transform ourselves to create a more just and compassionate world.” This sentence holds the aspirations we have for our church community. Our minister will walk with and guide us into this spirit. They will foster our spiritual development through dynamic preaching and worship. Our minister will be the face of our church in the community, standing for UU values while also offering creative solutions and a willingness to partner for the greater social good.
Individual church groups provide great meaning and energy within our congregation. We would, however, open our arms to a minister who can create synergy between these smaller communities and bring them all into alignment with our common mission.
For our church community, we envision an effective administrator who respects the value of collaborative leadership and also recognizes when to be decisive. As head of staff, our minister would demonstrate healthy leadership by giving clear direction and empowering staff to feel their work is valued.
Our minister will skillfully galvanize members to serve the church and the community in the spirit of our mission and vision. Stewardship, while led by the congregants, will need the minister’s supportive voice.
Our minister will be a catalyst, encouraging us to reach beyond our walls and neighborhood, to become broader and more inclusive. The minister we envision recognizes and responds to generational differences, a diverse population, and the realities of the contemporary world.
We realize that having one minister for our congregation is a tall order. Our minister will have the capacity to discern their own vitality, and, with our support, be willing to set boundaries to keep themselves healthy. We have created a link on the UUCB website with a list of social agencies and groups whose work could serve to sustain a community for our minister. (link with social justice agencies being developed)
We are passionate about our journey, and invite you to join us.
Provide your profile of your congregation (500 words recommended):
Currently, our membership is 375 about. The majority of our members live within about a 3-mile radius of the church. Some live within 5-15 miles from the church (the suburbs), while a smaller group comes from outlying and rural communities within a 30-mile radius.
The majority of our congregation is well-educated (college degree or above), middle class (either close to the median household income for New York State or above), white, over 50 years of age, and female. About a quarter of members identify as LGBTQ. A small number of families are interracial.
Generally, we celebrate an impressive legacy, as many noteworthy Buffalonians have played a significant role in the history of UUCB. A prominent value of this congregation—regardless of age, sexual orientation, income, or number of years in attendance—is community. The sense of community is often heightened by involvement—all ages participate in the choir, the auction, and respond to Share the Plate, and Family Promise. The younger generation is more often involved with Religious Education, while the older generation is more often involved with other activities (the Women’s Society, committee work, governance). They express also a desire for more congregational diversity, a stronger presence of young adults, and ways to deepen involvement, both socially and in leadership roles.
People come to UUCB, whether on their own or invited, and find others who share their values. Very often the values are found reflected in UU beliefs. Newer members have kept coming because of a growing sense of belonging – for both themselves and their children. They value especially the Lifespan Faith Development program, opportunities for support of social action, and the potential for joining others in “making a difference.” The younger generation appreciates UUCB’s (and UU’s) acceptance of a multitude of sources.
Sources for personal growth sources vary with the different age groups. Although all ages find “Family Relationships” and “Service to Others” to be important, the younger generation finds personal growth from “Nature” more than the older generation, while the older generation finds that the “Arts” provide more personal growth.
Congregants look forward to well-integrated Sunday services. Most find comfort and value in the rituals of the church year and service (i.e. Chalice Lighting and Extinguishing, the Water ceremony at Ingathering), while the younger generation does not want the rituals to take way from opportunities for different kinds of inspirational and challenging services.
Music during the Sunday Service has been a very important part of our congregation’s identity. We have had a vibrant, innovative music program for many years. Congregants of all ages want a variety of music (to listen to and to sing), with the younger generation looking for more contemporary and/or popular music.
More generally, we are open to cultivating a new generation of leaders and to treat our staff with the same esteem we extend to our members and friends. We seek guidance in these areas.
What role do the congregation and its leaders expect the minister to play in relation to the other paid staff?
The Minister will be the head of staff, with authority and responsibility to hire or recruit, to train, to evaluate, and to dismiss both paid and volunteer staff. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Minister the authority and responsibility for leading the spiritual, programmatic, and administrative work of the church.
Congregational History
How and when was the congregation founded?
The Unitarian and Universalist churches in Buffalo were each organized in 1831. Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States, was a founding member of the Unitarian congregation. In 1953, they merged locally and began services at a building that originally was built (1906) as the First Unitarian Church, where the congregation now known as the Unitarian Universalist Church continues today. Nationally, the two denominations merged in 1961.
Note the three or four most important events in the congregation’s history:
While on route to Washington, DC for his inauguration in 1861, Abraham Lincoln, a guest of Fillmore’s, worshiped at the Unitarian church. In 1906, our current building was designed by architect Edward Austin Kent, who died in the sinking of the Titanic.
The Rev. Paul Carnes, our minister from 1958 to 1977, was a noted social activist and served as the third president of the UUA from 1977 to 1979. Barbara Wagner served our congregation for 50 years as Minister of Music. She was instrumental in the creation of both Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey, and a prominent member of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network.
In 1968, the church served as the site for a demonstration against the Vietnam War draft, providing physical and symbolic sanctuary for draft resistors. At the onset of bombing during the Second Invasion of Iraq in March, 2003, the church hosted a candlelight prayer service in the Sanctuary for the troops and civilians in harm’s way, while a teach-in took place simultaneously in the Parish Hall led by demonstrators opposing the outbreak of hostilities.
List, most recent first, all clergy who have served since 1950 and earlier ministries of great importance, and interim ministers since 1980 (minister name, date arrived, date departed, reason for departure):
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo:
Mary Hnottavange-Telleen, 2014-present, Interim
Margret A. O’Neall, 2011-14, Interim
Joel Miller, 2000-11, Senior Minister, Left of own accord
Nancy Roemheld, 1999-2000, Interim
Daniel Budd, 1984-99, Senior Minister, Left of own accord
Rod Brown, 1987-89, Assistant Minister
Rudy Gelsey, 1983-84, Interim
Glyn Pruce, 1978-83, Senior Minister, Resigned to return to UK
John K. Hammon, 1977-78, Interim
Paul Carnes, 1958-77, Senior Minister, Became UUA President
Stephan Papa, 1975-78, Associate Minister
James B. McKelvey, 1972-73, Assistant Minister
Losing B. Prosser, 1970-71, Associate Minister
Frank W. Carpenter, 1968-69, Assistant Minister
Jerry d. Wright, 1966-68, Assistant Minister
Robert E. Wolf, 1963-66, Assistant Minister
George K. Beach, 1961-63, Assistant Minister
Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Buffalo (1953-58):
Herbert Hitchen, 1953-1957, Co-minister, Left for new pastorate
Robert L. Cope, 1953-1957, Co-minister, Left for teaching position at St. Lawrence Theological School
First Universalist Church of Buffalo:
Robert L. Cope, 1950-53, Became Co-Minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Buffalo
First Unitarian Church of Buffalo:
Herbert Hitchen, 1950-1953, Became Co-Minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Buffalo
Current congregational life
Does the congregation have a mission -- not a mission statement, but a glowing coal at its center -- and if so, what is it?
At our core, we are a loving community. We manifest this “mission”—to give and receive love—in a variety of ways.
1. We are a UUA “Welcoming Congregation.” In 2001, and resulting from an application by Interweave (formed in 1990), we were certified through the UUA process. But many congregants participated in the 1993 “March on Washington,” a clear sign of the integration of LGBTQ people in our congregation many years before the formal certification. Interweave dissolved because many felt it just was not needed any longer, due to full integration into church life from governance to ministry teams, from Faith Development to Worship Associates.
2. We seek to open our building to many who have been marginalized and to those who serve them. In concert with another local church, we host families who are part of the Family Promise (a national organization). For a week each quarter year, we provide round-the-clock hospitality to homeless families who would be separated by gender in traditional shelters. Each month, we donate half of our weekly collection plate to a selected community group whose work connects to the values we hold. Since “Share the Plate” was introduced in 2012, our weekly collections have nearly doubled. A number of AA and NA groups meet regularly in the church, including one that addresses the unique recovery needs of those identifying as LGBT. One day each week, we offer our kitchen to Food, Not Bombs, a group which cooks and serves meals to the homeless; the food is provided through local donations. As an urban church, we seek effective ways to provide hospitality to individuals who come to us on Sunday mornings with significant drug problems or untreated mental illness.
3. We find a multitude of opportunities for gatherings of our members and with interested community members. Food is a bonding element in our congregation! The Women’s Society has been hosting luncheons for years, and is known for speakers who share their cultural and social expertise. This church group also hosts music appreciation courses conducted by an expert member of the congregation and choir. Potluck dinners are in abundance. Members of the church welcome these opportunities to gather, supporting each event with their attendance and enthusiasm. As part of our annual church auction, attendees have the opportunity to bid on a variety of fellowship dinners, outdoor events, helping services, and all sorts of activities hosted by other congregants. These dinners are both popular and profitable. A folk dancing group, open to the community, has met regularly for 40 years. We are always seeking new ways to increase both the attendance and variety of our community experiences.
Congregational strengths:
We are a congregation whose leaders are both grounded and forward-looking. They are dedicated to addressing not only the business of making changes in the way we manage congregational processes and finances, but also the ways in which we can more effectively extend the spirit of welcoming and belonging to our members, friends, visitors and the community.
1. Through three years of intentional interim ministry (2011-2014), we have transformed our governance structure and our methods for budgeting, using the model developed by Dan Hotchkiss in Governance and Ministry. This was a goal we set for ourselves following the Long Range Plan we developed in 2011. Our Board of Trustees is now knowledgeable and empowered with a Board Policy Book and a committee structure through which the Board’s work can be thoughtfully and efficiently accomplished. The Board Policy Book is on our website http://www.buffalouu.org/board-policy-book.html. As this model was newly implemented in 2014, we are growing into our understanding of its use as we move through a year with a new interim minister.
2. The Board of Trustees Finance Committee has developed a budget that is clear, timely, and realistic for meeting our financial obligations. In addition, a strong Stewardship Team has developed an annual budget drive strategy that includes visiting stewards, a data-driven goal that is both aspirational and realistic, and creative education for the congregation. Further, the Finance Committee and the Stewardship Team collaborated on a five-year financial plan ensuring congregational needs will be identified, planned for, and achieved. The budget for the last fiscal year, and again for this year, includes a planned, temporary use of the church endowment to fund our transition to a settled ministry.
3. In 2012, we made a commitment to staff a part-time Membership Coordinator. We recognized the need for intentional outreach to and welcoming of newcomers, and a more defined path toward membership. Partially funded by a Chalice Lighter grant, the budget drive will fully fund this position in 2015.
4. We have increasingly understood the wisdom that is available from the UUA and the CERG. We have welcomed initiatives and invited consultants to introduce us to best practices. These included “Appreciative Inquiry” (2012), developing stewardship (Barry Finkelstein in 2013), and opening up our music program to include more participants (Mark Slegers in 2013). In 2014, we embraced the creation of accessibility in our hearts and in our building through the Disability/Ability Action Program. We are one of 10 congregations selected by the UUA to pilot this program).
Willingness to transform is evident in the collective development of a newly articulated church Mission (adopted 2012) and Vision (adopted 2014). Integration of these ideals into daily church life is a work in progress, as we seek strategies for best increasing our strength and potential as a loving community.
Congregational challenges:
Our greatest challenges are 1) sustaining the momentum in our governance transformation, 2) enhancing fundraising, 3) creating a cohesive environment where individual spiritual transformation is possible, and 4) developing more opportunities for inclusion.
1. The attention of the Board of Trustees has been focused on policy and management, transferring the oversight of congregational operations and programmatic minutiae to designated entities in the church organization. We are now moving into the phase of fully functioning Ministry Teams, whose respective roles are becoming more definitive. We are working to clarify functional relationships between each Team and the staff assigned to support its activities, and to addressing whatever is needed for our fledgling Ministry Teams to stabilize and thrive.
2. Informed by work in the Finance and Endowment Committees, the Board and the Stewardship Team continue to educate us about the need to depend more on fundraising (budget drives and grants) and less on endowment draws. Work has been done to move more congregants to the UUA Fair Share Giving Guide.”
3. We have a strong Faith Development program for our children, staffed by a full-time Credentialed Religious Educator. We take pride in our strong music program, staffed by a talented music director, accomplished soloists, and an expert accompanist. Our worship, supported by a team of trained Worship Associates, is varied and responsive to the church seasons. We welcome the direction of a minister to integrate these elements into a cohesive, spiritually inspiring worship experience.
4. Although we hear from new people how much they enjoy the congregation, we also consistently hear that they would like more opportunities to be involved. Covenant Groups and the Membership Coordinator are focusing on the many facets of this challenge.
What congregational issues are likely to be most pressing within the next couple years:
1. We long to support our congregation with the right number of fairly compensated staff. We recognize that a single minister is not sufficient to staff this church in the long term. In preparing our budget, we now regularly consult the UUA “Salary Recommendation Guidelines.” Our five-year financial projections represent a path to appropriate pay and staffing levels.
2. While the Stewardship team has made important progress, communication and education about the Annual Budget Drive needs grow more intentional related to maintaining fiscal health.
3. Our governance structure is new and untested. There is uneven understanding in the congregation about what policy-based governance is and how it affects church life. The Governance Committee is working with the Board and staff to clarify roles and to educate the congregation.
4. Our new governance structure, with a policy-oriented Board of Trustees and functional ministry teams, requires a deeper bench of lay leaders. We will need more leaders who are effective and find enjoyment in helping their church community to thrive.
What congregational issues are likely to be most pressing over the next ten years:
Our historic building will require ongoing attention over the next ten years and beyond. The building is a source of inspiration to many in the congregation, as well as an architectural treasure of the Elmwood Village.
1. Our annual budgets and the five-year financial plan now include realistic maintenance and capital repair allowances. The congregation will need continual updates about the actual costs of upkeep of the building.
2. Our building is on the State Registry of Historic Landmarks, and we are preparing an application to the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. The Board of Trustees will make it a strategic priority to use the church’s status, along with the non-profit 501(c) 3 status, to garner more funding.
3. Space utilization needs to be addressed now, and it will need to be re-visited as we are able to grow membership. Capital campaigns to address renovation will likely be necessary. Specifically, the church kitchen is outdated, and funding to pay for a major renovation will be necessary.
What congregational issues may never be resolved?
Our location in the City of Buffalo brings challenges that will require ingenuity and creativity to resolve.
1. Our building is architecturally and spiritually significant, our gardens are beautiful and lovingly well-tended, but our geographic footprint is actually very limited. We cannot easily expand the building or the small parking lot.
2. Our city remains historically and significantly racially segregated and is also incredibly diverse in terms of income level, education level, and new immigrant cultures. Like our congregation, the immediate neighborhood is predominantly white and middle class. While we cannot change the location of our church, nor that of the many geographical pockets of diverse cultures that enrich our city, we are working to reach out and to let our presence to be known in the wider community.
To what degree does the congregation possess a dominant theology?
Based on the survey conducted in 2013, the spiritual, faith, or personal-growth paths UUCB congregants follow are significantly non-creedal, humanistic and/or naturalistic. (It is not clear from the survey, however, that any of these groups are mutually exclusive).
1. Only 9% of those responding indicated that they follow some creedal path as a “source for personal growth.” However, in response to that same question, 52% of those surveyed do consider “UU Principles” as a major source for their growth.
2. In response to “Which of the following viewpoints come closest to your own,” a significant majority of respondents said that they believed “human beings are responsible for goodness and meaning, and that we must rely on one another for support” (76%); that they “find support and value in the fullness and the connectedness of all things, with or without God” (70%); and that they “celebrate the sacred circle of life which instructs us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature” (50%).
3. Some equate “God with the forces of nature and laws of nature” (31%), a belief which comes closer to the more naturalistic sentiments expressed in the same question. Some believe that any “knowledge” of “whether God exists or not” is “beyond human capabilities” (20%). Some are “undecided about whether or not God exists” (10%), even though another minority (16%) “find support and challenge in a God with whom” they “[long to] feel a personal relationship.” An even smaller minority (7%) “deny the existence of a god of any kind.”
From the short survey administered in 2014, we have learned that the spiritual practices and interests of the younger and newer members accord well with the results of the earlier survey.
Describe the role of music and the arts in the life of the congregation:
Music is an integral part of Sunday worship. On any Sunday morning, our community is welcomed by music offered chorally and instrumentally from the 40+ member choir, talented church members and guests. Genres vary broadly from jazz to Bach, spirituals to operatic, multicultural to multi-faith and a Capella to orchestral. Cherished hymns from Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey are a part of all services.
The choir is comprised largely of volunteers with several professional section leads, and is supported by a Choir Ministry Team. The choir performs most Sundays from September through the beginning of June. Two worship services, one around Easter and one at the beginning of December, are wholly given over to music, with full choir and orchestral parts played by members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and other local musicians. The choir performs occasional concerts during the year to reach out to the community, and the choir holds an annual fundraising dinner to support the church.
Music for children has taken several different forms recently. On some Sundays, children begin their Sunday mornings in the sanctuary with their families. During this time, they are included in the singing of hymns and our shared enjoyment of choir or instrumental performances. Every Sunday, the children ages 5-10 meet together for a half hour before going to their classrooms for a worship service which includes singing and learning hymns.
It has been a tradition of our church to invite members and friends of all ages to bring their musical talent to the services and church activities. We enjoy supporting our members in performances, recitals, or music at potlucks. Several of our music and arts programs reach out into the larger community.
The Women’s Society sponsors a lecture series led by a church member on different musical topics as well as a luncheon series that often features presenters from Buffalo’s arts community. Both the lecture series and the luncheon presentations are popular and well-attended. There is a play reading group which meets irregularly to stage public readings at the church. Around Valentine’s Day each year, the church donates its space for two nights for the staging of Eve Unsler’s The Vagina Monologues, a fundraiser for Crisis Services’ Advocate Program. Congregants who are experienced belly dancers have brought their talents to church events and fundraisers. The church owns and displays several paintings by several mid-20th Century local artists.
Describe the religious education programs for children, youth and adults:
Our Lifespan Faith Development program is directed by a full-time Credentialed Religious Educator and supported by a Faith Development Ministry Team. The program draws on the many educational resources available through the UUA. Teachers are carefully selected and well-trained through a series of on-going workshops.
We have a professionally staffed Nursery, a Pre-K with two dedicated volunteers who have staffed it for approximately the last 20 years, and a growing population in the K-4 Spirit Play program. We offer Tapestry of Faith Riddle and Mystery for 5-6 grade, as well as Coming of Age for our 7-8 grade class. Our Youth Group follows the YRUU model, and they organize a church service for the congregation once a year.
Currently, children attend family- or community-oriented services in the sanctuary about once a month, either for part of or the whole service. In other weeks, children attend a Children’s Chapel, with about a half hour of music before and a structured, child-friendly service (including lighting a chalice, joys and sorrows, and wisdom circle/lesson of the day, and closing words/extinguishing the chalice).
Children are involved in the larger life of the church in a variety of ways. Through the monthly Souper Sunday, different classes and their parents assist in preparing and serving lunch, which the congregation purchases for a nominal fee. The children have planted a vegetable garden, a multi-generational effort to prepare, plant, tend and harvest the garden. The garden teaches lessons about cooperation, the seasons, and is rich with metaphors from many faith traditions. The produce is used to prepare snacks for children and adults at church as well as providing donations for the group Food Not Bombs (described in the “Congregational Life” section of this Record),as well as raising money for the Haitian 100 Gardens program of the UUSC. This last component teaches children how to be involved in social action, and that lesson is reinforced pop-top tab collection for the Ronald McDonald House. Older children, including the Youth Group, select age-appropriate service projects as well.
In addition, we offer the Our Whole Lives curriculum for all ages every other year, with a volunteer staff of about 10 people who are trained to teach at the various levels.
Adult Faith Development:
At present, there is an adult education program on ethics, led by the Director of Lifespan Faith Development. In the past, the DLFD has drawn on UUA resources, including “Parents as Resident Theologians,” “What Moves Us,” “Resistance and Transformation,” and “Harvest the Power.” In addition, we used the UUA Common Read of The New Jim Crow and Behind the Kitchen Door for book club discussions. We are hopeful that with a new settled minister we can expand our Adult Faith Development program.
Informally, adult congregants meet for a book club and for a grief and renewal support group.
Lay Leadership
In practice, are responsibilities for governance widely shared or confined among relatively few members? Give some examples.
Governance is not as widely shared as would be best for the congregation. When our settled minister departed in 2011, several concerns came to light. While many considered the church to be their spiritual home, we were not retaining enough new members to grow. The church had become increasingly “ungoverned” due to undefined and confused lines of authority. Annual giving was shrinking. In response, concerned members attended District workshops, but there was no clear connection between these efforts and the actual Board of Trustees. A survey to determine our needs and direction was commissioned; a Long Range Plan emerged from that work, but it was not grounded in a clear mission and governance structure.
Later that year, in concert with our first Interim Minister, congregational leaders joined with the Board in setting three goals for the interim time. These goals directly reflect key priorities in the long range plan:
1. Clarify mission, values, identity, and image. To achieve this goal, we used Appreciative Inquiry to engage the congregation in articulating a revitalized mission, values and vision. Interested volunteers formed a 10-member AI leadership team which decided to call the process "Hearing Each Other.” The AI Team took over a worship service on a Sunday morning to run a process in which 150 congregants interviewed each other about their experience in the church.
2. Create a governance structure and process that works (that is relational and flows). To achieve this goal, the Board created the Governance Task Force, a mix of leaders involved in different aspects of congregational life. Through discussion and education with the Board of Trustees, they developed systems of authority and accountability.
3. Educate the congregation on covenantal relationship and stewardship. To achieve this goal, thirty congregants participated in a 5-session Healthy Congregations workshop offered by the District staff and consultants to build skills for addressing systems issues in a covenantal church. Our Stewardship Team has utilized UUA resources to develop a more positive approach to the annual pledge drive.
Following from Goal 2 above, UUCB has concluded an extended effort to reshape our governance structure, delineating the responsibilities of policy and visioning from those of ministry. Our Board is now policy-based and has delegated to the Minister and staff authority and responsibility for ministry, administration, and operations. The Board and its committees have assumed fiduciary responsibility for finances and endowment, have created policies to guide and evaluate ministry, and set the mission and vision of the church, in consultation with the Senior Minister. Ministry Teams composed of volunteers, with the support of paid staff, enact church activities and events functioning within the spirit of the Board-determined Mission and Vision.
In this interim time, we are discerning what our capacity for leadership is and how to develop and support it. We are eager for a settled minister who will lead us through this process.
Describe the process you used to complete this form:
The process for gathering the information needed to complete the CR involved conversations, surveys, and interviews with congregants and staff. Much of the information gathering was done by last year’s Ministerial Search Committee. The current MSC re-examined and updated the information through more interviews, fact checking, and a brief survey of new members and others who had not participated in the previous survey.
All of the information was discussed and revised by the MSC and put into a draft which was then reviewed by our Ministerial Search Consultant and our current Interim Minister. More discussion and another review by the MSC was done before the CR was ready for publication.
Information came from the Long-Range Strategic Plan, adopted by the Congregation in 2011, as well as the following:
Surveys:
1. Congregational Self-Assessment Surveys – 2009 and 2011
2. Music Survey - 2012 (173 responses)
3. Survey for the previous Congregational Record - 2013 (155 responses)
4. Mini-survey of new congregants and RE families - 2014 (32 responses)
Conversations:
1. Historical Timeline created in 2011 during the Appreciative Inquiry Process
2. Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop (39 participants)
3. Cottage meetings (121 participants)
Interviews:
1. Appreciative Inquiry process with congregants
2. Groups active in UUCB: the Board, the Governance Task Force, the Women’s Society Board, the Transition Team, the Music Committee, the Lifespan Development Committee, and the Stewardship Committee
3. Staff members
4. Congregants who did not participate in last year’s survey (32 participants)
Committees
Name the committees that have recently had the greatest success:
The Board of UUCB now has an oversight system for discerning success in congregational functions. On a monthly basis, the Board is using the system to review the organization of selected Ministry Teams, a process that both informs the Board about how Teams enact the church’s mission and vision, as well as educating Team members about the new governance model. We are just in the nascent stages of this process, and we are all still learning what works, what needs to be improved, and what will need to be changed in larger ways.
One of our most successful groups is the Covenant Group Program, which remains strong as we transition to a more diverse menu of group options. Previously led by the Interim Minister, the program is now coordinated by a four-person steering committee. Other innovations include a partnership with the Membership and Welcoming Team to facilitate a venue for newcomers, potential members, and fringe members to become more deeply involved in the church community, a Covenant Program Orientation session, and a St. Patrick’s Day Pot. For those interested in becoming facilitators, a six-hour in-house training is required.
Several other ministry teams have been created or reorganized and are showing signs of strength:
The Membership/Connection Team is expanding its perspective with new paid staff leadership. Our Membership Coordinator keeps track of visitors and conducts both “Exploring UU” and “Becoming UU” classes on a regular basis.
The Religious Education Team is strong and committed, collaborating well with the Director of Lifespan Faith Development in both program development and implementation.
The Access and Inclusion team appears to be functioning quite well. It has a consistent membership with energy and sense of purpose, with the members working well together.
The Worship Team has developed confidence and skills for participation in worship. It is growing into new roles and working toward flexibility for supporting a new settle minister and any who preach from our pulpit.
Name the committees that have recently had the least success:
The Care Network ministry team seems to be struggling. The Care Network has a broad intent to provide care for congregants during times of crisis, or to help overcome barriers such as lack of transportation. The committee has sometimes been stalled by a lack of the necessary training, resources, and organization to achieve its generous vision. Although, there is a consistent group of individuals at the Joys and Concerns table every Sunday, the work and coordination is done primarily by one person.
In fall 2013, the Stewardship Team, with the help of a UUA consultant, undertook a complete rethinking and implementation of the Annual Budget Drive under a very ambitious time frame. It appears that the processes were incompletely implemented, making it likely that the Annual Budget Drive will have to be extended. With more complete and careful planning, and an earlier start, it is anticipated that next year’s campaign will produce greater success.
The Music Team is not yet fully developed, with only a Choir Team in place. This means, in part, that the Music Program has not developed into other areas of the church. The Choir Team endeavors to find new ways to support the Music Director.
Major financial support
List the dollar amounts of the ten largest operating pledges received in the most recently completed fiscal year:
Final Pledges for 2014 budget drive:
10,500
7,700
7,500
7,500
6,400
6,200
6,000
6,000
5,800
5,200
Give the dates of the last two capital fund drives, and the funds raised (a) by contribution and (b) by debt:
(a) 1991: $100,000, for roof repairs.
(a) 1997: $750,000, for accessibility (garden entrance and elevator)
(b) None
What is the condition of the church buildings, and what funds may need to be raised in the future?
While the church is in good repair generally, it is old and in need of constant attention. In our new budgeting process, funds are regularly set aside for both capital and incidental repairs. Many projects have been completed in the last three years, including: upgrades to sanctuary lighting, sound system, and carpet; the elevator; the heating and cooling system; roof repairs; and the church bell.
A new list of priorities is in the process of being developed. Rather than respond reactively to emergencies, various areas of concern, such as the roof and plumbing, are now being monitored regularly.
Since the building is historic, we are in the process of seeking preservation funds to assist us in making needed repairs and upgrades to windows and doors.
Ministry
Describe the process by which the minister will be called:
After selecting one prospective candidate from the pool of those prospective ministers interested in our Congregational Packet, the MSC will notify the candidate of the decision to present him/her to the UUCB Congregation as the Search Committee's final choice. A UUCB negotiating team—composed of Dave Batt, the representative of the MSC, the board President, and a member of the congregation appointed by the Board—will then work out the details of a contract. If the UUCB Board approves, the Board and the minister will execute the agreement subject to the extending of the call by the UUCB Congregation and the acceptance of the minister. The Ministerial Search Committee will then announce its candidate to the UUCB Congregation.
The candidate will visit UUCB for a two-Sunday candidating week. After the second Sunday service, the UUCB Congregation will vote on a motion by the
MSC to call the minister on the terms proposed. If the call is strong (Bylaws require 90%) and the minister accepts, the ministry begins as specified in the agreement.
Describe the process by which the Ministerial Search Committee (or its equivalent) was chosen:
In 2013, a Ministerial Search Committee was appointed through a process of gathering from the congregation the names of congregants trusted to serve, then securing their ability to serve. In 2014, the Board returned to the original list, which now included those could not serve in the previous search but were now available and willing to serve. The Board appointed these seven members, one of whom had served on the 2013 Ministerial Search Committee.
Ministerial skills and enthusiasms most needed by the congregation: 4-Crucial 3-Significant 2-Modest 1-Of little consequence
(Note: use no numeral but "1" more than four times)
3 Administration
1 Adult religious education
1 Children's religious education
2 Committee work
4 Community building
3 Denominational activities
1 Facilitation
3 Stewardship
1 Home visitation
1 Hospital calling
3 Leadership Development
2 Membership growth
1 Music & liturgical arts
1 Personal counseling
4 Preaching
1 Scholarship
4 Social action
2 Spiritual guidance
2 Staff relations
4 Worship
1 Youth work
Assess the capacity of the congregation to exercise forbearance and nurture in assisting a minister's development:
Ours is a supportive and nurturing community. This congregation has an amazing capacity to provide support to members who have been willing to take on new leadership responsibilities so that they succeed in their endeavors. People can be low-keyed but proactive to assist and support when it's needed. We have loved and nurtured our seminary interns during their time with us, as well. They have also helped us to grow.
The past four years have brought numerous changes to this church, so we also realize that, while change can stimulate us, it may have its uncomfortable aspects. We know this is a normal part of growth. We know that our capacity to love and accept will help us to nurture the work of our new settled minister. We also realize that it may take time for us to get used to a new minister's leadership style and the changes it may bring.
This congregation has gone through an extended interim period with two very different interim ministers, both of whom received great support from the congregation. It has been a time of deepening growth and change for us. The Board of Trustees has been very supportive of our ministers' leadership, and we expect that this supporting role will continue for a settled minister, whom the congregation eagerly awaits.
Although we treasure the legacy of our own traditions here, we realize that to be sustainable over the future we need to be willing to change and accommodate new voices and perspectives. We are a diverse congregation and not always of one mind, but our ministers have always enjoyed a strong body of support from the congregation.
What expectations, however silent, may there be about the minister’s family and personal life?
As far as unspoken expectations are concerned, we would be happy if the minister’s personal and family life reflected Unitarian Universalist values and if they wanted to be involved in the congregation.
Participation in the life of the church, however, is not expected and is a private decision between the settled minister and their partner and/or family. Our congregation has supported the decisions of previous ministers. We recognize the stress that serving as settled minister to a congregation of our size can bring to both the minister and their family. We encourage the minister to take full advantage of the Settled Ministerial Agreement that specifically spells out times for rest and renewal. We will work together with our new minister to ensure mutual accommodation, appreciation, and growth.
Describe the worst mistake your new minister could make:
The most injurious mistake a new minister could make is to violate her/his professional integrity. This has happened in our congregational past, and the effects of those actions have had repercussions for our church and its members. Our congregation is seeking a minister to lead by example and walk with us into a future where we live out deeper, more purposeful callings.