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UU Faith Works Summer/Fall 2003 Administration
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Religious Education Credentialing
Beth Williams
RE Credentialing Director, UUA
Boston, MAThe UUA's new Religious Education Credentialing Program is a three level program for lay religious educators who are committed to Unitarian Universalist religious education as a career and desire professional development, mentoring, recognition and adherence to standards, but do not feel called to the professional ministry. Participants can achieve status in the program based on academic achievement, integration of knowledge of lifespan religious education, and length of professional experience.
At this writing there are 22 religious educators enrolled in the program, representing all three levels and 15 UUA districts. Several other applications for admission are currently under review. We are pleased to report two major accomplishments that took place during this year's General Assembly in Boston.
The first is that the UUA Board of Trustees approved the inclusion of the Religious Education Credentialing Committee into the UUA Bylaws as a standing committee of the Association, and the appointment of a Credentialed Religious Educator to the UUA Board of Review (also a Bylaw change). We expect that both Bylaw changes will be recommended to the General Assembly for vote in June 2004. The Religious Education Credentialing Committee oversees the Religious Education Credentialing Program, creating rules, policies and procedures, as well as evaluating candidates and requests for equivalencies for program requirements. The following persons have been appointed by the UUA Board to serve on this committee: Gail Forsyth-Vail (Credentialed Religious Educator), Liz Jones (LREDA representative), Kirk Loadman-Copeland (Parish Minister), Sue McGovern (lay leader), Betty Jo Middleton (Minister of Religious Education) and Bill Rice (lay leader). We look forward to the first meeting of the Religious Education Credentialing Committee, which will take place in Sacramento in October before this year's LREDA Fall Conference, as well as the first matching by LREDA of mentors with RE Credentialing Program participants, which will also take place in October.
The second accomplishment is that Religious Education Credentialing levels were represented in the new UUA Salary Recommendations that were released at General Assembly. The UUA Salary Recommendations are available at www.uua.org/programs/ministry/finances/2004salary.html .
For more information about the Religious Education Credentialing Program and application materials, visit www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/recp.html , or contact Emily Farbman, RE Credentialing Assistant, at efarbman@uua.org or 617/948-6418 or Beth Williams, RE Credentialing Director at bethwilliams@uua.org or 617/948-6417.
Congratulations to Beth Casebolt, DRE at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Ohio Valley in Wheeling, WV, who has received Level One Religious Educator status in the Religious Education Credentialing Program. Congratulations also to the following religious educators who have transitioned from the RE Leadership Landscape Options program to the Religious Education Credentialing program as Credentialed Religious Educator:
Ann Barker, DRE, Fox Valley UU Fellowship, Appleton, WI
Eva Ceskava, Assistant MRE, First Unitarian Church, Albuquerque, NM
Betsy Darr, DRE, First UU Society, San Francisco, CA
Gail Forsyth-Vail, DRE, North Parish, North Andover, MA
Barry Horn, Religious Educator, Universalist Church, Westbrook, ME
Carol MacFarlane, Mountain View, CA
Susan Antelis Nykolak, DRE, South Nassau UU Congregation, Freeport, NY
Ellie Smith-Sykes, DRE, Second Congregational Society UU, Concord, NH
Mindy Whisenhunt, DRE, First Unitarian Society, Schenectady, NY
Patti Withers, Acting DRE, First UU Church, Houston, TXDRE Settlement
By the end of 2003, look for an Online DRE Settlement system available to those religious educators who have achieved status in the Religious Education Credentialing Program. In the meantime, job opportunities for religious educators continue to be advertised on the UUA website at www.uua.org/hr/openings.html#related , on the LREDA website at www.uua.org/lreda/content/employment.html , and through the LREDA-L and Reach-l e-mail lists.
Religious Education Grants
A reminder that modest amounts of financial aid are available for many professional development opportunities (such as Renaissance Modules, Meadville/Lombard Winter Institute, summer institutes and other workshops related to religious education leadership) for those serving Unitarian Universalist congregations as lay religious education professionals. Additional continuing education funds are available for religious educators enrolled in the UUA Religious Education Credentialing program. Also, a one hundred dollar grant for curricula and program materials are available to twelve historically Universalist congregations per year. For more information and an application form, please contact Emily Farbman, RE Credentialing Assistant, at efarbman@uua.org or 617/948-6418.
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