Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Why am I Running?

I am feeling called to this role of Board Trustee for our Association by a large spectrum of our beloved community who are concerned about the erosion of our precious faith tradition.

I would be representing the heartland of our country to help deal with the sense of a lack of representation on this board, from all the different areas of the country. 

A growing number of members are concerned that our Unitarian Universalist principles and practices are being undermined. I believe Unitarian Universalism should be allowed to maintain its historic integrity and proceed along its progressive path. 

I acknowledge the desire of many, especially younger and/or marginalized-identifying members, to take our religion in a profoundly different direction. I believe this is the wrong approach. But we do not need to be antagonistic toward one another. UUs have always been welcoming of other perspectives and opinions. I would wholeheartedly support helping another branch of UUism to be formed, that is more attractive to the aforementioned folks, (Maybe named 21st Century UUs) if attempts to respectfully discuss differing positions continue to be thwarted.

Vote for me and allow me to help mitigate the conflict that has been growing between local congregations’ members and various identity groups.

Since the national divisions highlighted by the 2020 campaign and elections, I have had as my personal mission, to work at bringing people back together. This is needed throughout our communities and within our congregations.      


Beverly's Community Ministry Activities

  •  Volunteer each Spring at “Carroll County Senior and Family Services Center” to figure taxes for low-income clients.
  • Make clothing alterations for senior citizens at affordable prices.
  • Drive senior citizens, who live at the County Home and have no supporting family, to shopping and appointments when needed.
  • Volunteer as Power-of-Attorney for a local senior citizen.
  • Volunteer at “Historic Wabash and Erie Canal Park” to maintain the property and help educate visitors about the people and their lives during the Canal Era.
  • Volunteer at our local, nonprofit “Performing Arts Center” when ushers are needed and cleaning help is needed.
  • Participate in Social Justice marches and demonstrations.
  • Volunteered with “Big Brothers, Big Sisters” for three years with a young teen-mother.
  • Organize outdoor activities for neighborhood, home-schooled children.
  • Participate in community trash clean-up activities.
  • Help with ESL classes for immigrants.
  • Member of “Grace Relations” a Kokomo multi-denominational ministers’ group working together toward multiracial unity.
  • As a Community Service, I provide housing at my Bed & Breakfast for affordable prices or just a donation when needed.

2 comments:

  1. Hi, I’m trying to learn more about this campaign. I am a younger queer UU who has been UU their entire life and have been in denominational leadership since middle school. I am connected to many UU folks who are younger and/or have marginalized identities.

    It was painful and confusing to read these words of yours:

    You wrote “I acknowledge the desire of many, especially younger and/or marginalized-identifying members, to take our religion in a profoundly different direction. I believe this is the wrong approach.”

    This “wrong approach”, for example our anti racist anti oppressive transformation efforts, have been part of many young UUs faith for many years. It was back in the 1990s that UU young people started officially organizing this work. We have been mentored by elders who, among else, were youth leaders during the Black Empowerment movement in the 1960s which tore our movement apart and prompted countless Black UUs to feel pushed out of our faith. That pain is still there and the losses are many, but the work for transformation and building a just and inclusive community continues.

    You also wrote “I would wholeheartedly support helping another branch of UUism to be formed, that is more attractive to the aforementioned folks.”

    So That leaves me wondering, Do you have Gen Z and millennials In support of your campaign? If not, what relationships do you have to UU youth and young adults? What is your vision of a multigenerational denomination? How would you go about building that? If you are not interested in working with youth and young adults and supporting their efforts, why? And. If elected how would you relate to the marginalized groups, which you singles out as having a “wrong approach” and suggests leaving our denomination?

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  2. A friend just notified me that the Rev Chris Rothbauer wrote a piece related to my comments above, titled "Whose Unitarian Universalism Is It Anyway?"

    https://crothbauer.medium.com/whose-unitarian-universalism-is-it-a-reply-to-beverly-seese-f22cd5dff602?

    ReplyDelete