A Letter from the New UUHA President and Vice President

Dear friends,

You may not know us yet, but we are so delighted to write our first letter to you as your newest UUHA President and Vice President. Our world, and certainly our country, is at a crossroads. This is not the first time we have been asked to choose together how we will shape our world, nor will it be the last. And yet each time it is also true that this is the first time we have been in this particular spot together. The first time we have made this particular set of choices together.

We all have some pretty weighty choices in front of us—how we will react to the twin scientific crises of pandemic and global warming—both made so much worse by human irresponsibility. How we will choose to be together as the mounting evidence of systemic supremacy and inequality confirms the prophetic voices of queer people and Black people that have gone unrecognized for too long. And how we as an organization will respond to the calls for justice within and around us. This litany of ills is not meant to call you into despair, but hope—not the false hope of flippant optimism in the face of tragedy, but the deep and abiding hope of committing to each other and to our world with determination. Of choosing each other again, and again, and yet again.

When we met with the UUHA board for our most recent board retreat, we heard some common threads, ones you will see running through our UUHA programming for the year. We talked together about science, of course, and justice. Of the ways we can build community to be of service to each other and to the world. We spoke of curiosity and wonder, and the ways in which our humanist worldview calls us into covenant with each other, with you, and with the universe. As we spoke together, we considered the ways in which we, as a board, can be in better and more frequent communication with you, our members.

A few days after you receive this letter, we will make available for our current members a digital copy of our Journal of Religious Humanism (the first time we have done that for every member). We hope you will support this transition, understanding that the ever-increasing costs and environmental impact of maintaining a small print run and mailing cannot be responsibly sustained. A limited number of print copies (mostly for library subscribers) will be available also to members who have come to treasure the printed version, on a first come, first served basis. Please let our editor, Roger Brewin, know if this is your situation (Email Roger). But first, try the digital version and see if you find, as we have, that the content is what counts.

Additionally, we hope to bring you more frequent content updates to our website in the months ahead, as well as dedicated programming—opportunities to learn from and connect with other UU Humanists—via the online gathering tools that congregations have come to rely upon in this pandemic era. Right now, we’re planning a monthly discussion on a topic of interest to our members, monthly online meetups to connect socially, and also dedicated spaces for special interests. We want to involve more people in the process of connecting, so if you are a naturalist who is interested in connecting with other naturalists, let us know so we can provide platforms to support you! We are also looking forward to connecting with our Ambassadors more often, beginning with a virtual Ambassadors meetup on Sunday, October 25th. If you’re an Ambassador, look out for more details on that in another email. And we want to hear from you on what you want and need more of from the UUHA!

Although sometimes seen or defined primarily for what it is not, we think that Humanism as a faith or lifestance offers not less, but more. We deeply believe that it is truly a worldview that offers good news, especially for the many people around us who have become disenchanted with faiths that don’t fit, for so many reasons. For people who have felt alone in their seeking, in their questions. For people who want to do good in the world but may not have—or may not want—a connection to a faith community. For those of us who have called UU humanism home for a long time, and can still discover more. We are so glad you’re a part of this community and we look forward to many opportunities to know you better.

In Community,

Leika Lewis-Cornwell, UUHA President
James Witker, UUHA Vice President

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UUHA Annual Meeting: Agenda, Zoom Login Info & Election Slate

This Saturday the UU Humanist Association will hold its Annual Meeting. This is one of our organization’s most important events, as it gives the UUHA Board of Directors a chance to meet directly with its membership and it gives members a chance to vote on the proposed UUHA board slate.

This year will be one of our most unique Annual Meetings as well. Due to the public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the 2020 Annual Meeting will be hosted via the Zoom Conferencing Application. Though conducted remotely, our hope is this allows far more of our members the chance to meet with us! If you are a member of the UUHA, we really hope to see you. And if you are not a member, but you are interested in the UUHA, we hope you’ll attend the meeting as well.

Instructions on how to attend the Annual Meeting via Zoom are below, as well as details on our agenda for the Meeting.

HOW TO ATTEND:

WHEN: Saturday, July 11 
TIME: 4:00pm Eastern Time (3:00pm Central Time | 2:00pm Mountain Time | 1:00pm Pacific Time)
DURATION: 60 minutes, with a possibility of going longer.
ZOOM LOGIN INSTRUCTIONS:
Join our Zoom Meeting via the link below:

https://zoom.us/j/97332367124?pwd=ZkI5TlkvVmVLWE1jMGpHSVVyZlc1QT09

Meeting ID: 973 3236 7124
Password: UUHA

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Meeting ID: 973 3236 7124

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MEETING AGENDA:

Opening Remarks
UUHA President Amanda Poppei, along with other Board members, will welcome attendees by discussing the UUHA’s progress as an organization in the last year. They will also discuss where the organization stands in a dramatically changing world, why that makes the UUHA relevant, and will also present a greater vision for the next year.

Presentation: Humanists of Past and Present
Ordinarily the UUHA selects a Religious Humanist of the Year, who often attends the meeting and gives a presentation pertinent to their outstanding work. This year, in lieu of honoring just one person, the Board will give a presentation highlighting significant humanist figures of the past and of today, showing the history and the legacy of religious humanism the UUHA is advancing.

Board Slate Elections
The election of new board members is the most vital part of Annual Meeting business. A nomination committee, charged by the UUHA Board of directors, has worked hard to present a slate of outstanding UUHA members and leaders of the UU Humanist community to fill openings in the UUHA Board of Directors. All active members of the UU Humanist Association have voting privileges. (Not yet a member? Consider joining or renewing.) The proposed Board slate that will be voted on, along with brief bios of proposed board members, is listed below.

Opening the Virtual “Floor”
This is the chance for members and non-members alike to speak at the Annual Meeting. If you have questions about the UUHA, proposals for future work, or personal touchpoints or insights you feel resonate with anything discussed at the meeting, we want to hear from you!

PROPOSED ELECTION SLATE:

Below is the list of open positions, term details, and a brief bio for each proposed addition to the UUHA Board of Directors:

PRESIDENT OF THE UUHA: LEIKA LEWIS-CORNWELL

  • TERM: 2 Years (July 2020 - June 2022)
  • ABOUT LEIKA:Leika Lewis-Cornwell is a consultant and a minister in formation, pursuing her Masters of Divinity online through Chicago Theological Seminary. She is currently serving as the Summer Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis as she ends a two-year ministerial internship with the congregation. As a strategy and leadership consultant, Leika has engaged with organizations in DC and across the nation to help them grow toward their best versions. Leika’s humanism is rooted in the liminality of deep space, although she confesses to hugging the occasional tree. Leika comes to this role from the UUHA position of At-Large Member, and she looks forward to a bright future ahead for the UUHA!

VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UUHA: JAMES WITKER

  • TERM: 2 Years (July 2020 - June 2022)
  • ABOUT JAMES: James Witker is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, where he serves as a leader of the Faith In Action and AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists) groups. A long-time member and champion of the UUHA, James comes to this role from his position as an At-Large Member of the UUHA. When he’s not traveling to promote humanism or spending time with his spouse and infant son, James works as a producer and editor in film, TV, and documentaries.

AT-LARGE MEMBER: MARTIN WOULFE

  • TERM: 3 Years (July 2020 - June 2023)
  • ABOUT MARTIN: Rev. Martin Woulfe has served as the minister of the Abraham Lincoln UU Church of Springfield since 2003. He has identified as a religious humanist since his days at Meadville/Lombard Theological School. He earned a Master of Divinity from Meadville/Lombard in 1998. His wife Angela is from Spain & works for the State of Illinois. They have one daughter, Celeste, who will soon be a senior at St Louis University. Throughout his career, Martin has been active with local interfaith groups and social justice efforts, especially related to promoting racial justice and LGBTQ issues.

AT-LARGE MEMBER: JEN RAFFENSPERGER

  • TERM: 3 Years (July 2020 - June 2023)
  • ABOUT JEN: Jen Raffensperger is pursuing her Master of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School. A strong naturalist with a pragmatically humanistic approach, Jen also brings to the UUHA her years of experience working as a religious educator and OWL facilitator for children and youth.

AT-LARGE MEMBER: BLASIE NTAKARUTIMANA

  • TERM: 3 Years (July 2020 - June 2023)
  • ABOUT BLASIE: Blasie is a standout in the UUHA’s Ambassador Program with a long history of building humanist communities, beginning in his native Burundi. We are particularly excited for Blasie to bring the perspective of humanists whose country of origin is outside the US, as the UUHA continues to expand its reach.

COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH ADVISOR: ALIX KLINGENBERG

  • TERM: 3 Years (July 2020 - June 2023)
  • ABOUT ALIX: Rev. Alix Klingenberg is a community-focused minister in two Massachusetts congregations, and brings to the UUHA some wonderful ideas about how we can reach out to humanists, including youth and young adults. In addition to her work as a humanist minister, Alix is also a writer, designer, and photographer. In her newly-created role as Communications and Outreach Advisor, Alix will be responsible for programming and efforts to promote the UUHA and UU Humanism within and outside of Unitarian Universalism.

CHAPLIN TO THE UUHA: CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT

  • TERM: 3 Years (July 2020 - June 2023)
  • ABOUT CHRISTIAN: Rev. Christian Schmidt most recently shared a co-ministry in Berkeley with his wife, and is now living in Maryland and remotely ministering to the UUs in College Station, Texas. Christian has a very broad, modernist perspective of humanism, and his approach will appeal to humanists across the spectrum of experience. In his newly-created role as UUHA Chaplain, Christian will be responsible for programming to support the personal growth of humanists, and for coordinating resources for humanist chaplains and ministers.

UUHA LIAISON: JOHN HOOPER

  • TERM: 2 Years (July 2020 - June 2022)
  • ABOUT JOHN: A former president of the UUHA, John Hooper is well-known and well-respected across the humanist community. In his newly-created role as UUHA Liaison, John will engage with humanist organizations and the UUA, working with the UUHA Board and Executive Team to develop partnerships and help the UUHA increase its profile.
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Find the UUHA at the "All Virtual" General Assembly

Dear UUHA Members,

The UUA’s first-ever all-virtual General Assembly is happening this week! Ordinarily, the UU Humanist Association looks forward to its presence in the Exhibition Hall to meet and to expand our membership. But just because we can’t meet in person this year doesn’t mean those attending GA online won’t see us! Here’s where you can find the UUHA at GA, from the comfort of your computer:

A “Virtual" Exhibit Booth

The UUHA will participate in the GA Virtual Exhibition booth. If you registered for GA, you should have received information on how to attend. Just log into the GA Participant Portal, and click on the “Exhibit Hall” channel on the left menu bar. Scroll down just a little bit and you’ll find us!

Learning Stage Presentation

Members of the UU Humanist Association Board will also give a webinar as part of GA’s “Learning Stage” video series. If you’re interested in hearing from the UU Humanist Association Leadership, our presentation will be held on the Zoom Video Conferencing App.

Details are below:

  • Date: Friday, June 26, 
  • Time: 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm (EDT)

Log in to the GA Participation Portal to access the meeting. 

New Items in Our Bookstore

Even if you can’t make it to General Assembly, we still have some updates for all members! We've doubled the number of books for sale on our website, and added wearable fabric art items (ties and stoles) with UU and Earth Justice themes. Just head to our store anytime to browse and purchase the increased offerings, and take out or renew your membership, at huumanists.org. Just click on "store" when the site opens, then "merchandise" for the fabric art, or "books" for such offerings as Jonathan Tweet's beautifully illustrated Grandmother Fish: A Child's first Book of Evolution or Religious Humanism: The Good Life lived in Community, by Andy Reese and Peter Kandis.

New Journal issue coming out

We've completed editing the latest issue of the Journal of Religious Humanism, featuring Humanist Elevator Speeches, and have sent it to production. UUHA members can expect to see it - our first all-digital issue - in the next few weeks. More than two dozen UUHA members and friends wrote original remarks answering the question "What is Humanism?" assuming you had just a few floors of an elevator ride to respond; nearly a score more allowed existing words they had penned in other venues to be repurposed to the same end. We sprinkled in a handful of quotes from more well known Humanists and fellow travelers, plus a few bits of Humanist wit and wisdom from buttons and bumper stickers we have sold at our General Assembly display booth. All told, a varied collection to help you frame your answer, on your next elevator ride.

We all hope to have the opportunity to do this in person next June in Milwaukee, but till then - see you online!

Categories: 
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Save the Date: UUHA Annual Meeting

Dear UUHA Members,

 

Each year the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association Board hosts the UUHA Annual Meeting. This is a vital opportunity for members to meet directly with UUHA leadership. Items on the Annual meeting agenda include, but are not limited to, elections for open UUHA Board positions, announcement of our UUHA Person of the Year, and a chance to brief members on programming and general updates.

Usually this meeting is held concurrently with the UUA's own annual meeting, General Assembly, held each June. As you might have heard, GA is no longer going to take place in Providence this year due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, and will instead be an all-virtual event. With no physical space to hold our meeting, UUHA has decided to do follow suit.

The UUHA Annual Meeting will be held a next month (after GA) via the Zoom Video Conference Application. Members will be able to log in or call in from the comfort of their home and attend the meeting fully online. Specific details about the meeting -- Log-in/Call-in information, agenda items, election ballots, possible Zoom training opportunities -- will be provided in advance of the meeting; likely sometime after General Assembly.

But for now, you can mark your calendars with some important general information:

  • What: The UUHA Annual Meeting
  • When: Saturday, July 11, 2020 -- 4:00pm Eastern Time (3:00pm Central)
  • Where: Zoom Meeting (general information here)
  • Who: Intended for all members of the UUHA, but non-members interested in Humanism in a UU tradition are welcome to attend!

 

Again, stay tuned for more information. We will announce further details on the meeting here, on Facebook, on Twitter, and through our Email Newsletter (you can sign up at the right of our homepage).   

We are sorry we will not be able to see you this year at GA. But we are also hopeful an all-virtual meeting will result in a more accessible meeting for all UUHA members, especially for those who do not make it each year to our meetings at GA. 

We hope to see you on Zoom next month! In the mean time, watch this space for more updates, and be safe.

 

The Board of the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association

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Get to Know Some of Our UUHA Ambassadors

Last year we launched the UUHA Ambassador program. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the connection between the UUHA board and congregations. We hope to identify at least one person in each congregation to be an Ambassador. The role of the Ambassadors is to inform their congregations about UUHA and to increase membership in UUHA and thereby help strengthen humanism in Unitarian Universalism. Below you will find information about some of these Ambassadors

If you would like to apply to be an Ambassador, you can learn more about the program and apply online.

Eric Townson

UU of Winston-Salem

I'm the Chief Technology Officer for a company that produces and sells supply-chain planning software. I left Christianity at age 13 with my parent's blessings. My parents taught me progressive values that were in stark contrast to the bigotry, sexism, and homophobia I was exposed to practically daily growing up in a remote town in Appalachia. I've been an atheist my whole adult life with a focus on the intersection of scientific materialism and spirituality. I consider myself a spiritual atheist and a religious humanist.

I came to UU through my wife, who had been involved in it along with her daughter for many years prior to us getting together. I appreciated the welcoming, compassionate nature of UU and our congregation in Winston-Salem in particular. Our minister is a religious humanist and over half of our members are expressly humanists. We are a Freethinker Friendly Congregation. I started Humanism with Heart, our Fellowship's humanism group, in order to make connections with other humanists that are interested in exploring and discussing a wide range of topics through the lens of natural philosophy.

Our group promotes on social media and has been very successful with Meetup. We get a lot of newcomers to both UU and humanism at our meetings. I plan on providing some brief info at the start of meetings to make a better connection between our group, our Fellowship, UU in general, the UU Humanist Association, and the American Humanist Association.

Kari Reynolds

UU Society of Oneonta, NY

I am a retired fundraiser, having worked for a number of public health and human rights organizations in New York City for over 25 years. I retired to a small upstate New York college town three years ago. I was raised Southern Baptist but was not baptized at twelve after telling the minister I was agnostic. He asked what that meant to me. I told him and he told my parents to leave me to my own spiritual journey. In my 20s I began reading about humanism. In my mid-30s I heard Rev. Forrest Church interviewed on PBS by Bill Moyers, which opened the door to reading his books and becoming a member of All Souls NYC, were I was active for over 25 years and refined my spirituality to humanism.

Edward White

Unity Temple UU Congregation, Oak Park IL

 

I have been a UU for 36 years with my first congregation in Upper Montclair, NJ. I had just left the Catholic church and was looking for a more human and tolerant religion. I am currently a member of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Oak Park Il, the largest UU church in Illinois. I have been a member for 11 years at UT. I have served as Treasurer and currently chairman of the Peace Team among other things.

I came to UU Humanism by facilitating a course on the book: Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism. I joined UUHA last year. I am also a UU Lay Minister to the Great Lakes Naval Recruit Base where my emphasis is our Humanist roots.

Our Congregation has a strong Judeo-Christian focus. I am trying to make inroads by establishing a Chapter of UUHA and doing the Ambassador program. Also, I got a nod from our minister to do a Humanist service in the summer.

Jack Secrest

The DuPage Unitarian Universalist (DUUC) Church

DUUC was founded in the mid 1950s by the Rev. Gene Kreves as a Humanist congregation. From the beginning DUUC was to be an affiliate of both the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the American Humanist Association (AHA).

I had spent three years at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and two more at Aurora University before returning to Northern to work on a Th.B. Doubt eroded my zeal. I dropped out of seminary and joined DUUC where the UUA and the AHA were important for the congregation.

I renewed my membership in DUUC after attending the 1999 AHA conference that year. Mike Werner and I co-founded the Humanist Discussion Group. The Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland has now completed 20 years as a active chapter at DUUC, Also, we were recognized as the Chapter of the year by the AHA. I have served on several committees, and three years as a member of the Church Board.

The HWSC meets on the 2nd Wednesday each month. Also we have an Adult RE forum called Science Sunday that meets on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. We expect about three dozen people in attendance.

A welcome to all and the Mission statement and the Seven Principles are on display in big letters for all to see. We have an interim minister, Mike Walker, who is building our church community to be able and ready to call a settled minister in a year or so from now.

Devin Carroll

UU Church of Fresno, CA

I became a humanist in Junior High in the 1960s and learned about Humanism in College. After marrying and having a few kids, I founded the Family of Humanists, which published Humanist material for children including Humanism for Kids and several periodicals.

I did not live in a city with a Humanist Chapter or a UU Church until I moved to Fresno in 1989. Together with William Young, I restarted the Humanists of the San Joaquin Valley, which was loosely associated with the UU Church of Fresno. I taught various UU church school classes including nine sessions of Our Whole Life.

I consider myself a Humanist philosopher and keep a webpage of various essays and talks I have given over the years. Topics include Humanism, Pantheism, how to evaluate scientific and religious claims, and "Enriched Determinism". I have a PhD in Entomology, and a deep interest in all science, particularly the basis for physical reality, life, and the mind. I wrote a booklet called "Why Evolution?".

In 2017 I started UU Humanists of Fresno at our church. We have monthly meetings where we discuss a wide range of topics. We meet together with HSJV, with a typical attendance of 15-25 people. I am a Humanist Celebrant and have performed five weddings including two authorized by the Family of Humanists. I am mostly retired from a career as an agricultural pest management consultant. I play the piano and compose music.

Our church welcomes us. Probably close to half of the church members are humanists to some degree. We do not have a Freethought Friendly designation, but probably would if I asked.

I like the UU Humanist website and appreciate your support.

 

Interested in becoming an Ambassador?

If you would like to be an Ambassador for your congregation, you can apply online or contact Jim Barnett.

 

Jim Barnett
Treasurer, UU Humanist Association
UUHA Ambassador Program Leader

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