History of the Urban Ministry Efforts of the UUA from 1971-1998

1971
UUA Commission on Appraisal approaches UUA administration with its concerns for the future of "Inner City Churches."

1972
Center City Conference held in Philadelphia. 187 participants from 43 inner city churches.

1978
UUA staff concerned about heightening denomination focus on "urban crisis."
GA Resolution on "Special Needs of Center-City Churches and Fellowships" Focused on special assistance for these churches in all areas (membership, RE, worship, etc.), especially on the "urban experience." Called upon UUA to appoint a committee to monitor association efforts on behalf of city congregations and concerns, City Center Church Advisory Committee.

1979
Detroit pre-GA City-Center Church Conference was impetus for grassroots Urban Church Coalition.
Appointment of a part-time "Extension Consultant to Urban Societies".

1980
Changed name of committee to Urban Concerns Advisory Committee.
Began to focus on African American ministers (recruitment, schools, fellowship, placement).
Urban Concerns Advisory Committee and Extension Section gathering data on UU urban churches.

1981
Committee changed name again to Urban Concerns and Ministry (UCM).
GA theme--An Urban Experience. UCC assisted in developing program.
GA Resolution: "Commitment to Urban Ministry"
    -task force to examine ministerial training for urban issues and promote affirmative action program for minorities
    -MFC to examine regulations for urban impact
    -create Urban Ministry Sunday to collect special funds for urban projects
    -Dept. of Min & Cong. Services to develop materials to attract minority and poor members
    -create program to develop new urban congregations of diverse composition
UUA Board charges UCM Committee to "advise the Depart. of Ministerial and Congregational Services on urban societies, and to monitor on a quarterly basis the efforts of the Department on behalf of urban societies; to examine the training of current religious professionals and those preparing for the ministry as that training relates to service in urban societies; and to establish an affirmative action program for the recruitment of ministers of color as religious professionals."
Due to resolution, UCM Committee duties expanded to include promoting recommendations from the Racism Audit of UUA, such efforts to "vigorously recruit and support" ministers of color.

1982
Pre-GA Conference, "The Urban Church - Growing with Diversity," at Ferry Beach.
Whitney Young Fund for urban ministry established; Urban Ministry Sunday money goes to the WYFund; Fund to be used to aid struggling UU urban congregations; train UU leadership for urban ministries; provide seed money for new UU societies of diverse racia and ethnic make-up; and create channels for urban-suburban connections.
Urban Extension Ministries in Oakland, CA; Norfolk, VA; and Jamaica Plains, MA.

1983
MFC rules changed to allow for "inclusive" fellowship (proposal fully endorsed by UCM because of potential impacts on ministers of color and urban ministries).
Jenkin Lloyd Jones lecture begun at GA by Urban Church Coalition (UCC).

1984
A Handbook for Urban Congregations (developed by the UCC and Extension Section) published. Includes sections on: Growing with Diversity, Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, Leadership and Organization, Gathering Data, Community Involvement, Urban Suburban Connection, Building and Grounds, and PR/Communication.
Pre-GA Conference held in Cleveland, sponsored by UCC. Entitled "Building Urban Churches--Learnings from the Church Across the Street."
Urban Crisis Resolution passed by GA.
President Gene Pickett announced $50,000 of Vision for Growth Funds for Urban Extension.

1985
Urban Extension Ministry projects begun in Detroit, MI and San Jose, CA. .
UUA joins ecumenical Institute for the Church in Urban Industrial Society (in Chicago).
UUA Urban Church Designation Project completed. Defined urban churches as--Downtown Urban, Neighborhood Urban, and Metropolitan Regional.   

Department of Ministry agrees to develop an affirmative action program for the placement of African American ministerial students in UU congregations.
Urban Ministers Conference in October.
UCM charged with increasing number of black ministers and students--until creation of Black Concerns Working Group (BCWG).
After creation of BCWG, UCM and BCWG working together to recruit more ministers of color.

1986
Six UUA staff folks involved with racism/urban issues.
UCM asked UUA Board to lower cong. dues to allow for poorer congs to participate.

1987
Evolution of focus of UCM onto race/diversity as first priority.
New staff position created: "Director of Urban and International Programs/Extension." Primary focus is on combating racism. Areas of responsibility include both focus on racism and on "urban concerns" (extension, new congregations, urban handbook, Urban Ministry Sunday).

1989
Staff position redefined, reducing the focus on "urban." New title is "Advocate for Racial Inclusiveness and Director of International Congregations." New focus on racial diversity.
Racism Monitoring and Assessment Team report described the UCM: "its major role is to monitor the Association in regard to the status of present center city churches as they relate to African  Americans, the training of urban professionals, and the creation of new societies in cities. It will continue to be concerned with issues of racism. However, with the establishment of other committees with this specific charge, it feels free to pursue other urban concerns such as that of social class inclusivity and to assess the needs of Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans in urban centers."

1990
UCM concerned about new starts and long range funding, especially for racially diverse/multicultural congregations.
Attempt to revitalize UCC (which had become inactive); asked question, what is "urban?".
Rewrote charge of UCM to focus more on urban and less exclusively on race. New charge: "To advise the UUA Board and Departments on urban concerns, to monitor the Departments on a quarterly basis and to act as advocates for our ministry in the cities; to examine the training and support of current religious professionals and those preparing for the ministry as such training and support relates to service to urban societies; to monitor the affirmative action/equal opportunity program for the recruitment and settlement of religious professionals from among African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, gays and lesbians, and physically challenged persons; to    pursue additional urban concerns -- such as social class inclusivity  -- as well as assess needs of the above mentioned groups; and to foster the relationship between urban and suburban congregations."
UUA Board focusing on racial/cultural diversity and creating Ten Year Plan which included "support for urban congs."

1991
UUA Ten Year Plan to Improve the Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Our UU Community included: "define and develop an urban outreach plan including extension ministry; create new congregations which are intentionally racially and ethnically diverse; and seek out and develop community-based ministries that are intentionally racially and ethnically diverse," as well as "reckon with our classism, as a movement."
Extension Subsidies to Racial/Ethnically Diverse and Urban Congregations totaled $108,100 or 39.9% of extension funding.

1992
UCM revised its previous agenda, "With the passage of the Racial/Cultural Diversity Resolution by the 1992 GA, the committee feels that it is essential that we refocus on the urban agenda."

1993
Urban Ministers Consultation, "Restoring Our Theology of Hope" with 28 ministers (by invitation) --to discuss issues which were important to urban ministry. Focus on four areas: worship, finance and administration, theology, and community identity.

1994
Urban Church profile (created by UCM): "An urban congregation is physically located in a city of high population density, impacted by economic distress, middle class flight, crime, and other problems attendant upon unemployment, low educational levels, and family and cultural breakdown." Still a focus on racism issues.
UCM called for Consultation on Diversity with all the groups working on diversity issues in December 1994. Recommendations directly related to urban ministry were: "the redevelopment of a staff team on anti-racism, extension, and urban ministry efforts," "actively promote participation in the Urban Church Conference (provide     subsidies)," and "make connections with young adult and campus ministries to enhance growth of urban congregations."

1995
Creation of LUUNA (Latino/a Unitarian Universalist Networking Association).
Goals/Suggestions for UUA's Urban Mission (monitored and overseen by UCM):
    1) Monitoring/assessing/reporting denominational activities;
    2) Collection and dissemination of information;     
    3) Multicultural diversity efforts, e.g., the creation of LUUNA;
    4) Seeding ideas, beginning and nurturingemerging constituencies;
    5) Develop flexibility of responses and diverse models;
    6) Obtain outside support for diversity in ministry;     
    7) Overall organizational coordination of efforts;
    8) Advocacy;
    9) Articulate understanding of UU urban mission;
    10) Decentralization and regionalization of agendas;
    11) Channel energy and do follow-up on Urban Church Conference;
    12) Obtain money, resources;
    13) Support urban congregations;
    14) Build connections among urban-suburban congregations and forge interfaith alliances;
    15) Promote, provide ministerial education regarding anti-racism, multicultural agenda.
Issues to be discussed at Urban Church Conference included:
    1) health and vitality of urban churches,
    2) growth and development of those churches,
    3) involvement of urban congregations in issues of crime, discrimination, inequity, poverty, etc. which plague cities.
Research project undertaken to collect information and develop a clear and comprehensive pictures of urban  ministries in the UUA.   Project initiated because UCM "dogged by two persistent issues: urban societies don't feel supported by UUA, especially with lack of centralized delivery of services to urban societies; and lack of information about UU urban ministries."

1996/1997
LUUNA had received affiliate status with UUA.
"Draft" of final report. "Increasing the Strength of UU Urban Congregations," from research done. "Final" and edited version of report appears not to have been written. Report: 45 clergy, 271 lay leaders, and 36 congregations responded to survey, plus 20 clergy interviewed by phone. F inal report from UCM to UUA Board in October 1997; UCM sunsetted in 1997. Recommendations for the future of urban ministry in the UUA.
    -Request that Journey Towards Wholeness Committee direct their efforts not just toward those currently within UU circles, but also those who are not in UU circles;
    -Continue support for LUUNA and other culturally specific organizations;
    -Conduct a comprehensive study of faith-based community organizing;
    -Continue the Urban Church Conference on bi-annual basis and support local efforts of metropolitan coalitions;
    -Continue and increase support for urban and multicultural new starts;   
    -Provide building loan opportunities that are geared toward renovation and expansion rather than just new building

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