UUA Trustee Tidbits

The fall winds, and the political parties’ proclaiming time for change has put me in a frame of mind to write about change, a constant force in our personal and congregational lives. Does change bring conflict, or does conflict bring change?

Both scenarios can be accurate. In either case both may be useful and productive, but not always. There is uneasiness involved in any change. People don’t always know what to do with their feelings when change occurs. Sometimes this plays out in congregational life when congregants focus misplaced anxiety on specific persons rather than dealing with the real issues. Anxiety leads to non-thinking so it is important to be calm, present, and connected within the area of anxiety. It is important to deal with anxiety and to treat all persons with respect.

Anxiety may lead to conflict, which arises when there is a disturbance in one’s emotional being. Several factors may contribute to this state such as unresolved present or past family issues, unexamined values and behavioral expectations, different perceptions and understanding of another, or an imbalance of pressures created by the environment. We must remember each one of us has some part of a truth associated with a current problem, but rarely, if ever, does any one of us have the whole or sole truth. Congregants need to speak their truths, as well as listening to the truth of our congregational friends and welcome, not fear our UU diversity.

Leaders in the congregation must be competent, informed, accountable, and in touch with contemporary reality. They are the ones responsible for the operations and health of the institution. Congregational leaders need to be aware that complaints are a sign of a perceived threat to the stability of relationships and thus the congregation. The leaders need to know how to assess what is going on in the present as well as being able to suggest avenues to explore to address the problems. Direct communication is important and the committee on ministry should not be expected to solve problems with the minister or within the congregation.

What should leaders of the congregation do when unhealthy anxiety and/or conflict threatens? The best thing is to ask for help before it gets to that point. Even the slightest hint that something is not right and your congregation might not be able to resolve the issue by itself, the first person to contact is our very competent District Executive, Rev. Kenn Hurto.

As always I look forward to hearing from you at \n This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . May your congregation enjoy good health and relationships as you work together now and in the future.

--Joan Lund