Serving as Minister of Religious Education for the Auburn UU Fellowship, I am doing what I do best, leading from behind and supporting my team of RE Teachers and Parents. I don’t come in to change everything, but instead to observe, offer support and wait to be asked. I approach leadership pastorally.
I am a collaborative and covenantal leader. I see our covenants as the backbone of our faith. Spending time developing and strengthening covenant is never wasted. Covenant is where we get to the heart of how we lead as Unitarian Universalists.
For the past 30 years, I have held leadership positions in a variety of different fields including non-profit entities, the military, corporate America, and all types of Boards. Wherever I’ve gone, I’ve always eventually been asked to lead. For the longest time, I was a reluctant leader, and I imagine that’s always been a big part of my success. I don’t tend to say, “This is what I see. You should go this way.” Instead, my approach is to ask a lot of questions, try to develop an understanding of what the collective sees, and then offering a vision to consider of even bigger possibilities that might emerge if all of the different shared perspectives could become aligned.
This is what excites me about Unitarian Universalism. It is a faith tradition that serves as a learning lab bringing together people with diverse perspectives under a shared commitment to personal and collective healing. I see my role as a minister as ultimately helping to align a community’s efforts towards balance and harmony.
