The Davidoff Fund for Lay Leadership Training and Development
The Davidoff Fund for Lay Leadership Training and Development honors both Jerry and Denny Davidoff for their skilled and devoted lay leadership in our movement. Both have played key roles at their home congregation, the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, and at the continental level.
Jerry and Denny began their continental service to the Unitarian Universalist Association as delegates to the 1968 General Assembly at Cleveland. Denny returns to Cleveland this year, 33 years later, having been a delegate to the General Assembly throughout that time. Jerry would return to Cleveland but for his recovery from a long-term illness and surgery .Over the years, the role of GA delegate has been a central part of their service to Unitarian Universalism.
Jerry Davidoff has served on the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, the Unitarian Universalist Association's continental credentialing body, since 1994. He was a member of the Commission on Appraisal from 1987 to1993. During his tenure on the Commission, it issued its path-breaking report, Our Professional Ministry: Structure, Support and Renewal. Jerry has chaired several other committees for the Board of Trustees including the Elections Review Committee. He also chaired the Election Campaign Practices Committee for the 1985 UUA elections.
At the continental level, Denny Davidoff has served an almost unprecedented twelve years on the Board of Trustees, the past eight as Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Prior to her service on the Board, she led the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, chaired the General Assembly Planning Committee, and served on the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.
Both Jerry and Denny have held numerous other leadership positions at the Unitarian Church in Westport. Both served on the Board of Trustees, and Denny eventually served as its chair. They have both been on search committees and played many, many other roles.
The DavidoffFund, created through the generosity of their sons and daughters-in-Iaw, Doug and Amy Davidoff of All Souls Unitarian Church of Indianapolis and John and Jacki Davidoff of Second Unitarian Universalist of Chicago, enables the UUA to train lay leaders to share the ministry of community building with religious professionals and each other. The Fund makes possible training in the wide variety of skills to support, maintain and grow a congregation effectively, including training lay leaders to build covenental relationships of love and support for the people and families within congregations, fund raising, recruiting, managing day-to-day church operations and maintaining relationships with other congregations and the UUA.
The Davidoff Fund forms part of the Unitarian Universalist Association' s Campaign for Unitarian Universalism. For further information please contact:
Robert Snow
Vice President for Development
Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108
Telephone: (617) 948-6508 Email: rsnow@uua.org