Fulfilling the Promise Asks for Recovenanting

Anyone who attended General Assembly last year or has picked up any recent issue of World magazine could not have missed the continuing spotlight on the UUA initiative, Fulfilling the Promise. In case you've been busy with the day-to-day details of keeping a congregation going and need a refresher course, here's what Fulfilling the Promise is and what it asks of each of our congregations this year.

Fulfilling the Promise began last year by asking all of us to fill out the Needs and Aspirations survey in World magazine. This year FTP moves from the individual to the congregational level. Each congregation is being asked to "recovenant," to look deeply and thoughtfully at its covenant. The hope is that such an examination will help us channel some of our well-known religious individualism into the discovery of and commitment to some shared goals so that we can "fulfill the promise" of Unitarian Universalism's potential to the world.

Covenants haven't gotten as much attention in recent years as mission and vision statements. But they've been there all along. The most common type is recited on Sunday mornings: "Love is the doctrine of this church . . ." There are others–between the minister and the congregation, for example. What we are being asked to do this year is to thoughtfully examine all of our covenants, and to rewrite them, if necessary, but most importantly, just to gather in small groups and talk and think about how we behave with each other.

The UU Fellowship of Flagstaff, AZ (107 members), recently completed a covenanting process centered on the UU Principles and Purposes. No written document came out of the process, but it seemed to create closer bonds among the 70 participants, said Marian Armstrong, of the membership committee. "We focused on how we could put each of the principles to work every day in our church and our community." The  discussions also gave members an opportunity to explore each other's beliefs.

Armstrong added, "We had three objectives: to provide members an opportunity to reaffirm their commitments to this religious community, to give new members a way to connect, and to bring our shared principles to life rather than ignore, warehouse or merely celebrate them."

She noted an added benefit. Some of the groups of 10 to 15 members who met weekly to talk about covenant may continue to meet for other purposes. "We're hoping that after spending 10 or so hours together talking about very personal beliefs and ideas, we'll have some caring circles that grow out of this process."

The Unitarian Church of Victoria, B.C. (300), went through a difficult time a few years ago when, in a disagreement over financial matters, several families left. The break caused some hard feelings, said former president Keith Jobson. In an effort to heal the rift and move forward, the congregation did something that few others have done. With the aid of Pacific Northwest District Executive Anne Odin Heller, the congregation created a "Congregational Covenant of Good Relations."

The covenant spells out in great detail just how congregation members will be with each other, with their minister and members of their governing board. Talking about covenant seemed to empower people, Jobson said. "It helped them to understand how some problems arise and helped them develop skills to deal with those problems." He noted that members brought up problems that they had been reluctant to before. Jobson said, "A covenant says to people it's okay to talk about something, not in a complaining way, but in a problem-solving manner." Heller cautions other congregations against  copying an existing covenant, because much of its benefit comes in the process of creation. Some sample covenants can be viewed via this link.

When the First Unitarian Church, Cincinnati, OH, (232), recently installed a minister, the Rev. Sharon Dittmar, she and the congregation created a covenant. The covenant–to which the minister and congregation pledged themselves in the act of installation–clarifies their mutual obligations and responsibilities.

A member of the Cincinnati church, Walter Herz, has edited a new book on covenanting, Redeeming Time, Endowing Your Church with the Power of Covenant.  Covenants can help a congregation discover and celebrate the things they have in common, he says, and should include members' responsibilities and obligations to each other.

A covenant can make membership more meaningful, he says. "When you join a congregation it should be something more than just a place for you to sound off. It should be a place where you can agree on something. If you can't commit to living together in loving and supportive relationship with other members, then why be a member?

Congregations are encouraged to involve youth in recovenanting. FTP questions for youth are in the Fall '97 issue of Synapse, the magazine for UU youth.

A covenant puts everyone in the congregation, including new members, on equal footing, says Kay Aler-Maida, chair of the FTP committee. "It sets the ground rules and lets people know what the community requires of them. That way everyone is responsible for safeguarding the community's overall health," she says.

Resources

In October all parish ministers and presidents were mailed a Fulfilling the Promise packet which describes the recovenanting process. If they need copies of the packet, congregations are asked to make their own. For more information, contact the Fulfilling the Promise Committee, 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108; promise@uua.org; or go to the FTP web site.

Redeeming Time, Endowing Your Church with the Power of Covenant, 1999, 125 pp., Skinner House, Walter P. Herz. Available from the UUA Bookstore, (800) 215-9076, or click on the book's title.

Churchworks, A Well-Body Book for Congregations, by Anne Odin Heller, Skinner House. Covers all the vital congregational concerns–spiritual development, covenants and mission statements, growth, conflict resolution and more. Available in April at the UUA Bookstore.

Congregational Life pages, Jan./Feb. 1999 issue World magazine. Also The Congregational Handbook, p. 25, in your church office or from the UUA Bookstore #7017 $20.

The UUA initiative, Fulfilling the Promise, asks that each congregation give thoughtful consideration to its own covenant in the months ahead. As you do that, here are examples of other congregational covenants to inspire you.

A covenant once developed for the Universalist congregation at Gloucester, MA and then somewhat modified:

The Ames covenant, developed by the Rev. Charles Gordon Ames for a congregation in Philadelphia in the 1880s and modified variously by other congregations. It is perhaps the most widely used covenant among UU congregations:

Covenant of the First Unitarian Church of Portland, OR:

Given our long and distinguished history in Portland, we covenant together:

• To create a welcoming community of diverse individuals,
• To promote love, reason, and freedom in religion,
• To foster lifelong spiritual growth, and
• To act for social justice.

Covenant of All Souls Church of New York, NY:

In the freedom of the truth and in the spirit of Jesus we unite for the worship of God and the service of man.

Covenant of the UU Congregation of Columbia, MD:

We, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, a community that values and supports the search for spiritual growth and celebrates diversity within our congregation and world, covenants to:

• live our Unitarian Universalist principles in our daily lives
• show respect for one another during times of agreement and disagreement
• respect and value every woman, man, and child within our congregation
• actively minister to one another, celebrating together our joys and
  supporting one another in times of sorrow
• share our gifts and accomplishments with our congregation and the world
  We therefore pledge our money, our time and our voices to the common good
  of our congregation.

Covenant of the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, ON:

The Leading Principles of This Congregation

The Leading Principles of this Congregation shall be the free exercise of private judgment in all matters of belief. Members of the Congregation, while free to hold diverse beliefs concerning the nature of God, Humanity and the University, are each committed to the preservation of personal integrity, the continuing search for truth through the use of critical enquiry, the democratic method in human relations and the obligation to work together with love for the greater good of all.

This congregation shall be open to all people regardless of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, or handicap.

Unitarian Church of Victoria, BC, Policy on Good Relations:

The Covenant:
We the members of the Unitarian Church of Victoria agree to treat ourselves and each other fairly and respectfully. We are committed to improving the quality of our lives by supporting one another's self-development, spiritual growth and the use of our skills and talents in fulfilling and responsible ways.

1. Application:

1.1. The congregation agrees that by accepting and practicing the following attitudes and actions, we will begin to fulfill our covenant of good relations. We also acknowledge that each of us has within ourselves additional ways to contribute to this ideal.

2. Self:

2.1. I am an individual aspiring to be a fully integrated, responsible and actualized person within my family, at work and within my community.

2.2. I believe that to be successful, I must take responsibility for my personal well-being and that I must value myself. By doing so, I will be better able to understand and serve others, my church and the larger community.

2.3. I will make the kinds of choices that balance my various needs with the needs of others.

2.4. I will make a commitment to learn the necessary skills to communicate in clear and sensitive ways.

2.5. I will nurture my spiritual needs.

3. Member to Minister

3.1. I will treat the minister and the minister's family with dignity, respect, and consideration.

3.2. I will look for occasions to offer sincere praise.

3.3. I will respect the personal time of the minister and the minister's family.

3.4. I will support and encourage the minister to exercise a responsible freedom of the pulpit.

3.5. I am responsible for nurturing my own spiritual growth and acknowledge the ministry as an important resource for this development.

3.6. I take responsibility to address differences of view with the minister and to deal with them in a personal way first, before taking them directly to the minister.

3.7. I take responsibility to address unresolved issues between myself and the minister by seeking advice from the Committee on the Ministry, or by following the appropriate procedures as set forth in the Conflict Management Policy.

4. Member to Staff

4.1. I will be courteous and respectful in my interactions with staff.

4.2. I will make only reasonable requests and will work with staff to determine the best method to get the work done.

4.3. I will respect the staff's work hours and the personal time of staff and their families.

4.4. I will acknowledge, or offer sincere praise for work done.

4.5. In situations where I have an unresolved difference of opinion with a staff member, I will seek an appropriate resolution with the assistance of the Conflict Management Committee and the Personnel Committee.

4.6. I will support reasonable and fair compensation for staff services.

5. Member to Board

5.1. My role does not stop when the board is elected.

5.2. I will actively support, encourage and show my appreciation to the board by being responsible for providing feedback when it is sought and making my expectations clear to the people I have chosen to represent me.

5.3. I will participate in the life of the church by using my skills and talents through taking part in committee and volunteer work where, and when, it is possible to do so.

5.4. I will support the church financially to the best of my ability.

5.5. I accept responsibility to learn how the church operates and will seek information through the various communication channels such as neighborhood groups, committee chairs, Board members, and the Order of Service.

6. Member to Member

6.1. I believe that each person is free to make choices regarding their personal journey. I will respect these choices and will support the spiritual growth of others in an inclusive, loyal and generous manner.

6.2. I aim to actively listen to what others have to say.

6.3. In clearly communicating my needs, sometimes I will have to decline or say "no." I will also honour the rights of others to do the same.

6.4. I will not engage in harmful gossip. I will be responsible for getting the facts for myself.

6.5. I will respect absolutely the confidentiality and private disclosures of others.

6.6. I will not claim sole ownership of any role or task while still recognizing the need for accountability.

6.7. I will make every effort to be aware of my emotions and to be sensitive to the emotions of others, recognizing that these signal meaningful issues requiring empathy and guidance. In this regard, I will learn the necessary skills, if needed, and undertake the appropriate actions to express my emotions and beliefs in a constructive way.

6.8. I will be respectful of the private and intimate bonds of other members, and not exploit the needs of another person for my own.

6.9. I will make every effort to settle issues between myself and another member on a one-to-one basis. If this is unsuccessful or unsatisfactory and I feel the need for further action, I will forward my concerns to, and follow the recommendations of, the Conflict Management Committee.

6.10. I will welcome new members and guests and commit to getting to know people in this religious community.

6.11. I appreciate that I am a member of a religious community that makes decisions through a democratic process. As a responsible citizen in this community, I will actively participate in the process and will respect the outcomes of the collective wisdom.

7. Member to the Community at Large

7.1. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being and will live my life in a way to encourage equality and compassion in human relations.

7.2. I will act responsibly in local and global issues in order to promote a world community with peace, freedom and justice for all.

7.3. I will respect the interdependent web of all existence. I respect and uphold life, and will live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

8. Implementation

8.1. This covenant aims to complement the following documents of the Unitarian Church of Victoria:

• The Unitarian Universalist Statement of Principles
• The Mission Statement
• The Constitution and Bylaws
• The Sexual Misconduct Policy
• The Policy on Conflict Management

Congregations are reminded that much of the value of a covenant comes in its development. Rather than adopt one of the above, congregations are urged to develop their own.