Sharing is Caring
As the church year winds down and summer approaches, things can get a little precarious in congregational life, especially in this time with the continuing effects of the pandemic. While keeping in touch with faith formation ideas on various Facebook pages this past month, it quickly became apparent that things are not so well in many of our congregations. I went back to these posts and counted eight – yes, eight – colleagues who have been forced from their positions as religious educators. The reasons shared were varied, but generally fell into two groups: the pledge drive/budget fell short and we have to let you go, and the “irreconcilable differences” between a minister and staff. While there is some legitimacy to both of these scenarios, it’s the processes that led to these decisions that caused me great sorrow and some anger. To put it simply, covenants were not followed and right relations went by the wayside.
These are heart-wrenching experiences to professionals who are usually female-identifying, sometimes a single parent, and sometimes a person of color. They are often part-time employees as well, so may be seen as more dispensable. It makes this issue a social justice one. How do we treat our staff? Are we paying them a living wage? Do we have realistic expectations of what their job entails? Some of these colleagues felt unheard and insignificant in their roles. And what is sadder, is that many of these colleagues are not just leaving this profession, but are leaving our Unitarian Universalist faith altogether.
However, because religious educators have a history of being innovators and collaborators, there is hope! The professional organization, Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), will be planning ways to address this issue during General Assembly next week. This, of course, could take quite a while, but there is something that congregations can do to avoid such turmoil: shared ministry. When we truly share the work and have a shared mission and vision, the sense of ownership and the actual balance of relationships evens out and is spread across the whole congregation.
When we have that sense of pride and ownership, we tend to take care of things and each other. Shared ministry is not just for adults, either, but ideally happens at all ages and stages of life. Young people can share their voices as well as their helping hands just as much as us older folks. When we had cottage groups during the pandemic to get the congregations’ vision on what they wanted congregational life to be, part of the vision was that the young people would be a part of everything that happens within the congregation.
In order to do so, we need experienced people to guide and mentor our newer members as well as our youngest. We need to be transparent about not just what we do and why we do it, but how we do it. Are we inviting others to join us and helping them feel welcomed? Are we respecting one another? Are we in accordance with our covenant? If not, how do we correct our ways? And if we don’t do this, who are we hurting or excluding from our community? Furthermore, what does this do to the future of UCE and our faith as a whole?
I am so grateful that Rev. Eileen and Rev. Susan are exemplifying shared ministry here. They prioritize relationships and processes over outcomes – not because outcomes are not important, but because relationships are the foundation of a covenantal faith and community. While UCE might not be perfect (who is?), I know that by sharing the vision, mission, and work, we can create Beloved Community and a world made whole.
Sharing IS caring.
In Faith,
Kathy