Speaking For Us All

There are limits to how much General Assembly speaks for member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association. And yet, the process of expressing our concerns and voting on how we will proceed with our work in the world is encouraging to me, and helps me to feel I'm a part of something bigger than myself.

The independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, with which I was affiliated before coming to Unitarian Universalism, make a point of not having any organization above the local church that makes decisions or takes actions on behalf of the churches. This came about as a reaction against the restructure carried out in the 20th century by the churches that became the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The dissenting churches maintained an adherence to congregational autonomy that allowed for state and national conferences, so long as there was no voting and no delegates. Their gatherings are solely for the purpose of having workshops and worship together. So, I experienced some pretty sharp culture shock the first time I attended the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly two years ago. 

The rules lawyers were the first to grab my attention. At the procedural mic, they asked for clarifications and fussed over every detail of the printed rules for discussion and voting in the general sessions. Every year I have been amazed to observe them poring over the rules and sifting them carefully. At first I found them offensive — and indeed there can be white cis/heteronormative discrimination behind persistent quibbling — but then as the sessions progressed I began to see their place in the ecosystem. They help keep debate on track, attempting to avoid the way that passionate church people can make everything go sideways. At one point last year I even saw one read from a dictionary in order to rebut an argument against changing the UUA bylaws to a more inclusive 'they' and 'them' use of pronouns. 

Overall what struck me then and remains with me now when general sessions take place is the fact that in a denomination as committed to congregational autonomy as the UUA, we still attempt to speak with something resembling one voice. This is in distinction from other religious groups, such as our cousins in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, who have an annual national gathering with delegates but does not make pronouncements on specifics of social justice or particulars of theology. The UUA and this other denomination are both congregational, and yet differ on the role of the national body in representing the congregations. There is no one, universal 'congregational polity.'

Among so many other delegates my voice and vote may seem insignificant, and yet, the fact that we set aside time annually to discuss, debate, and seek consensus on important topics actually feels empowering to me. During my approximately 20 years with the independent Christian Churches I attended many conferences and gatherings outside of the local church, but never felt as though I had a voice. Instead, I was a spectator, witnessing what had been put together by the organizers. My outlets for discussion of what was going on (in those days before Twitter) were one-on-one encounters while there, the Q & A sessions of workshops (and I am smart enough to ask questions and not 'more of a comment than a question'), and my blog (back when people still read those). Lacking any mechanism for collaborating with others and helping set a denominational agenda, what I experienced was alienation. A specific group of insiders, who were straight, white men like myself, defined the agenda for the national conference, and this was much the same on the state levels. They were the ones who created the narrative and controlled the resources of the conventions.

The decisions and declarations of General Assembly are not binding on individual UU congregations, except insofar as it touches on the function of the denomination in relation to the congregations. Still, it is in the national gathering that significant shaping of the denomination's story takes place. It is there that delegates and attendees hear and are heard, hard conversations and happy encounters take place. By being a part of it, I and everyone who attends has a part to play in the grander narrative.