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NEXT Conference
SPRING: APRIL 21-23, 2025

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Most PREVIOUS Conference—Fall: October 21-23, 2024

Updated, Oct. 26: Our fall conference this year featured eight sessions beginning Monday, October 21 and ending Wednesday, October 23. The conference was via telephone or personal computer on Zoom, but some attended an in-person “pod” in Kingston MA, Seabeck WA (beginning Sunday evening, Oct. 20), or in Waverly OH.

Our conference theme—Generative Eldering and Democracy’s Future—was addressed by Dr. Sharon Welch in conversation with other presenters. Dr. Welch is the author of After the Protests are Heard: Enacting Civic Engagement and Social Transformation. In covering our theme, Sharon shared her recent research and collaborative work to strengthen our democracy. Small groups formed to discuss the theme.

She focused on a few questions:
•• What can we as elders do to support generative democracy throughout the world?
•• What are the current risks to democracy? Sharon will address the rise of authoritarianism and the risks to democracy worldwide.
•• What leads to an expansive, generative and multiracial democracy?
•• What is being done now by Unitarian Universalists to create a generative democracy, and what are the particular roles that can be played by elders in this vital work?

Sharon recently met with conference convener Sonya Sukalski to explain some of her approach to “Generative Eldering: Democracy’s Future.” She indicated that her current research began after retirement as Provost of Meadville-Lombard Theological School. And diving into research concerning the drivers of attacks on democracy, it was the drivers of authoritarianism and white nationalism that led her to understand the social science of what it means to nurture other, more generative forms of belonging. 

She discovered that the science is clear about what causes threats against democracy, and she came to understand what organizing and work we, as elders, can do to counter those threats, and how we can foster an ethos of “us with them,” not “us and them.” Her experiences caused her to start thinking about generative rather than competitive democracy.

Please follow the link below for a short video of the conversation Sharon had with Sonya.

In addition to the presentation by Dr. Welch, representatives from the UUA and the UUMA considered our theme and this moment in our history, and we had several opportunities to go deeper in Connecting Rooms, as well as other virtual socializing. We also joined Diane Teichert and Larry Ladd in their odysseys as a minister and as a minister’s spouse. *(See more below.)

Ned Wight and Anne Marsh collaborated to provide the opening worship, and Charles Stevens led our Monday Service of Remembrance that honored colleagues and partners no longer with us. See more about these services HERE. The closing worship was led by George Buchanan.

UUA/UUMA COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS JOIN A THEME PANEL:
UU CATALYTIC SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
––––Our theme panel on Tuesday, October 22 featured three UU clergy who are community organizers deeply involved in our faith-based efforts to reclaim and redeem what Dr Welch calls “the soul of democracy.”
––––Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson serves as the Executive Director of UU Justice North Carolina. Rev. Cathy Rion Starr is a queer & genderqueer white minister, who coordinates Leadership Development on the Side With Love staff team at the UUA (formerly the office ofAdvocacy & Witness). Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons has been an organizer with and President of DRUUMM, a People of Color ministry in Unitarian Universalism.
––––See more about the Panel HERE.

See the Draft Conference Schedule (as of Sept 25) HERE.

The UURMaPA Board of Directors and the conference planning team were enthused about this fall conference, “Emergent Elderhood: Democracy’s Future.” We were pleased to offer this opportunity to explore our theme and reconnect with our friends and colleagues. If we have not met you, we would like to introduce ourselves. Follow the link below for a 2 minute introduction with music by “Scott Joplin and the Doors.”

WATCH PARTIES/PODS
You might reach out to colleagues in your area to plan a watch party or meal together, and if you want help with that, please contact Richard Speck rspeck@comcast.net. See more about some of the onsite groups (Seabeck WA, Kingston MA, Waverly OH) that met in person for some or all of this conference HERE.

~~~~Before you register for the conference, we’d like you to update your contact information in our new member management system. This will insure that our announcements and news go to the people who want it. To help you do that, please take a look at this video:  youtu.be/_71ReowqTXk

The registration fee was $45.00 per individual. Financial aid to cover the registration fee is available. To apply, send a message to Paul Johnson treasurer@uurmapa.org.
~~~~~NEW THIS YEAR: If you attended one of the in-person pod groups (in Ohio, Massachusetts, and Washington), you probably incurred additional expenses such as transportation, lodging and meals. Help is also available to cover some of these additional expenses. Financial aid to defray the cost of attending a pod will be disbursed by the UURMaPA Treasurer following the conference. See the registration process for more details. To apply for financial aid, send a message to Paul Johnson at treasurer@uurmapa.org.

Sonya Sukalski, convener for the Conference Planning Team, adds this:
“One of the things I appreciate about our conferences is centering myself before each session as I see the latest photos you have sent us. Jeff Briere does a masterful job choosing musical pieces and making a slide show from snapshots of our lives.

We will update the FaceBook page and this UURMaPA web page with information as we develop the conference, so check those occasionally this summer.

*ODYSSEY NOTES
One of the most popular parts of our conferences is Odysseys by ministers and partners.

LARRY LADD 
•••• This fall, we were very happy to welcome Larry Ladd, the first male spouse of a minister to offer an Odyssey. Larry is a lifelong UU who first became active in Unitarian Universalism in high school and in college as a youth leader and white ally. As an adult, he served as UUA Financial Advisor for three terms, board chair of the Meadville Lombard Theological School, and several other volunteer leadership roles.
•••• He holds a honorary doctorate from the Meadville Lombard Theological School. He now serves on the UUA bylaws renewal team and as denominational affairs chair in his congregation.
•••• At our conference this fall, Larry supposes he might reminisce about his relationship with ministry since meeting ministers as a young person, then thinking he could be one, later marrying one and then another, and having two of his children marry ministers. He continues to support the ministry as it evolves, and has never lost his commitment to anti-racism and youth. He says he has much hope for the future.

DIANE TEICHERT
•••• Now Minister Emerita of Paint Branch UU Church in Maryland’s DC suburbs, Diane Teichert was an organizer—labor and community—working at neighborhood, community, city-wide and national levels, for 17 years before entering seminary. Ordained in 1996, she served two short term parish ministries and then part-time at the UUA, setting up the Internship Clearinghouse. After that, for ten years she was the settled minister of First Parish UU in Canton MA, followed by one year as interim Associate in Bedford MA. She finished her ministry at the Paint Branch church, which she calls her dream job. She suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in 2014 at age 61. She is a spouse, a mother and finds great joy in being a new “Nana”!
•••• Diane considered declining the honor of offering her Odyssey only a few weeks short of Election Day, until she came up with an approach to writing it, which neither ignored nor centered the campaign. Time will tell if the approach works…

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EARLIER Conference
(Spring: April 15–17, 2024)

See Conference Review
in May 2024 Elderberries HERE, page 5

Materials in Preparation for event:

As before, this conference will be Zoomed to your computer over three days, beginning at 1 pm, Eastern time, Monday, April 15. The conference will offer opportunities to connect more deeply in various small groups, and of course, through a Service of Remembrance honoring those we’ve lost recently. (See Service Notes HERE.)

Our theme inspires us to service, but in new ways: “Emergent Elderhood: Service is our Prayer.” Although we may be restrained by our bodies, as elders, we need to find new ways to serve our communities. Where once we were leaders or organizers, but now in retirement, what roles can we play? How can we use our talents and knowledge we developed in our ministries for new organizations, new people and new ways of being?

If we were lucky, we found meaning in our profession, or we found meaning in our practice of it. But now, as we emerge into Elderhood, our practice has changed or stopped, so how do we find meaning now?

Our theme presenter, Dr. Sharon D. Welch, will help us explore these questions together. You can learn more about Dr. Welch HERE. The conference will also offer opportunities to connect more deeply in small groups, and we’ll enjoy an Odyssey or two. Of course, a Service of Remembrance honoring those we’ve lost recently is part of the conference.

Our special guest is Peter Mayer, composer of “Blue Boat Home,” who will give a concert on Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 pm Eastern. Learn about Peter HERE.

Anita Farber-Robertson will present the minister odyssey (learn about Anita HERE), and Joyce Gilbert will present the partner odyssey (learn about Joyce HERE).

The conference will also include small break-out sessions addressing a variety of specified TOPICS OF INTEREST. These small groups are scheduled for Wednesday, April 17 at 4 pm, Eastern. See a full listing of the 10 options HERE.

We will be glad to welcome to our conference the UUA staff who interact most often with retirees, Richard Nugent and Keith Kron. On Tuesday, April 16, at 3 pm Eastern, the Church-Staff Finances staff will present a video update on our retirement plan. Richard will appear in a live Q&A session after the video to answer your questions. On Wednesday, April 17, at 1 pm Eastern time, Transitions Director Keith Kron will update us in a live presentation concerning the 2024 search season.

The conference planning team is pleased to offer a peek at the video of friendly faces that precedes each session of the conference. Follow this link to see a 1-minute movie of the planners.

See Conference Guidelines HERE

Learn about this conference’s Chaplains HERE

See Conference Schedule (as of April 6) HERE.

Registration fee for this virtual conference is $45.00 per individual. Scholarships toward the registration fee are readily available. To apply, send a message to Richard Speck <treasurer@uurmapa.org>.

PODS! Two in-person locations will be available for members to meet and enjoy the conference together. One location is in Kingston, Massachusetts and the other is in Wilmington, Delaware. See HERE for details about both sites. See the latest guide to hosting an onsite pod HERE.

Watch for updated postings from time to time in this space and also on our Facebook page—the private group “UURMaPA (Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association)” as well as the open group “UURMaPA.” In addition, be sure to check your in-box for “UURMaPA-Announce” e-mails in the coming months.

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PAST Conference
(FALL: Oct. 23–25, 2023)

THEME: “Blessings and Challenges: Faithfully Navigating Change” 

An online event and also at several gathering PODS (including at Seabeck Conference Center, see group photo HERE).

ODYSSEYS PRESENTED: Eleanor Richardson as our Partner Member and the Rev. Olav Nieuwejaar as our Ministerial Member. Both Eleanor (partner to Rev. Peter Richardson) and Olav (partner to Rev. Jeanne Nieuwejaar) have long and rich histories within our UU congregations. Many of you know both of these UURMaPA Members who have contributed so much to the UUA and to our organization. See fuller profiles and photos HERE.

Full Conference Review HERE
(also in Winter ’24 Elderberries, page 23)

THEME DESCRIPTION: As we UURMaPAns retire and face advancing age, we encounter both blessings and challenges in our personal relationships, our faith communities, and the wider world in which we live. How do we navigate all these changes while being true to our deepest convictions, living our lives as responsible elders, creative beings, bringers of joy and peace and justice? 

No matter our differences, we are all in this same boat. How good it is to come together to find our collective wisdom, encourage one another, and move forward with our faith renewed. The experiences in the virtual Land of Zoom these past three years are very much at the heart of the fall conference theme. Watch a 6-minute video message from our Planning Team Convener Barbro Hansson HERE: << www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7dB5OmZqgU >>

Roberta Finkelstein was your Fall 2023 Conference Planning Team’s Theme Panel Coordinator. Enjoy her 2.5 minute video introduction to this aspect of our gathering HERE: << www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5nQ3kGvalY >>.

Small Groups again provided us with meaningful moments of interaction around our lives and the theme. Watch a two-minute video about this aspect from Small Group Coordinator, Sonya Sukalski, HERE <<https://youtu.be/SE-7STfXsjA>>.

See 3-day Conference Schedule in four time zones HERE.

More prep details HERE, incl. theme panel, POD info and Planning Team members.

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More PAST Conferences:

SKIP to “Even Earlier Conferences” (Winter, 2022, and back) HERE

UURMaPA SPRING 2023 Conference
Monday, May 1 — Wednesday, May 3
THEME: “Thirty Years Both Ways:
Remembering the past and imagining the future.”

See Follow-up Report HERE.

Pre-conference materials:
• See THEME description & Conference Notes HERE
• See Draft Conference Schedule (as of 3/15) HERE
• Wanna convene a local “POD”? See Helpful Hints HERE
• WATCH a 3-min. video on SMALL GROUPS HERE
• WATCH a 2-min. video from featured presenter Reggie Harris HERE
• WATCH a 5-min. video on the THEME HERE (or below)

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PAST UURMaPA CONFERENCE: Fall 2022
** Mon., Oct. 24 – Wed., Oct. 26, 2022 **
Topic:  “Preparing for Your Own Farewell”

REPORT:
The Fall ’22 UURMaPA conference was again virtual (188 people registered!) but with an innovative variation this time around: regional in-person “pods,” three of which included a total of 43 attendees. A full conference report appears on Page 33 in the Winter issue of Elderberries, but below are intriguing passages and links that show some of what went on during this well-received multi-platform event…

Keynoter:  The Reverend Dr. Tom Owen-Towle
Topic:  “Preparing for Your Own Farewell”

When we can liberate ourselves from our fear of death, we free ourselves to live.  ~ Epicurus

••••The Reverend Dr. Tom Owen-Towle discussed his theology on death using concepts from his recent book, Making Peace With Our Own Death. The presentation challenged UURMaPAns to reflect deeply and prime diligently for our own deaths while we’re still awake and kicking. Tom’s stirring reflections were followed by discussion questions in small groups.
••••During two supportive sessions, we shared personal notes on our fears and regrets as well as desired elements of a “good death.” We addressed our post-death theologies and the inquiry, “How do we wish to be remembered?” 
••••Tom Owen-Towle was ordained in 1967 and served for 24 years with his life-mate, Carolyn, as co-ministers of First UU Church of San Diego. Tom is still preaching as well as conducting workshops on themes of conscious aging and mindful dying.

IN ADDITION:
• Program Schedule
• Service of Remembrance Celebrants
• Two Odysseys (Yvonne Seon & MaryKay Hamilton
• Topics of Interest
• Engagement with UURMaPA and UUA leadership
• PODs info
• Worship
• Small Group Interactives
• A Slide Show, featuring photos of attendees
• Lots of music, including a UURMaPA Virtual Choir led by Richard Speck

Deep human connection is … the purpose and the result of a meaningful life - and it will inspire the most amazing acts of love, generosity, and humanity.  ~ Melinda Gates

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Even Earlier UURMaPA Conferences

Typically we’ve organized two conferences a year, one in the fall and one in late winter (or early spring). The conferences have been held in retreat centers for two or more nights (or virtually during and since the pandemic). Programing usually included a keynote talk or panel, workshops, a personal Odyssey (or two), and worship as well as ample free time to mingle and reminisce.

Fall Conference in Attleboro, MA, 2017 (photo by Eleanor Richardson)

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Want to read about even earlier conferences? Click these links:

• Packing It In and Perking It Up — Winter 2022 (Virtual)
• The New Normal — Fall 2021 (Virtual)
• Renaissance in Retirement — Spring 2021 (Virtual)
• Breakdown/Breakthrough — Fall 2020 (Virtual)
• 50-Year Retrospective — Winter 2020 in Scottsdale, AZ
• Rainbow History Project Conferences — Winter 2019 in New Braunfels, TX and Fall 2019 in Litchfield, CT
• Santa Barbara — Winter/Spring 2017
• Attleboro — Fall 2016
• Attleboro — Previous Fall Gatherings
• Santa Barbara — Spring 2016
• Other Previous Conferences

If you can consider helping with the planning of a gathering, be sure to look over the Conference Planning Guidelines (especially the last few paragraphs).

Ingathering and Welcome Events

2023 — New Member Welcome Event (virtual)
Monday, July 10, 2023
See details & registration info HERE (Report to come…)

Awards

We recognize member’s contributions with three different awards. The Unsung UURMaPAn award is given in recognition of vital contributions and generous service on behalf of the community of retired UU ministers and partners. The Creative Sageing award is given for creativity in pursuing new ventures in retirement. To learn more, read about recent awardees, and find out how to nominate someone ==> click here.

Rainbow History Project

UURMaPA’s Rainbow History Project focuses on the UU Journey Toward LGBTQIA Rights. As a part of Project, we hosted two conferences in 2019 recognizing the Golden Anniversary of UU work in addressing LGBTQIA rights since the Stonewall Uprising, 50 years ago. Both conferences were led by LGBTQIA colleagues.

The project, beyond the conferences, is collecting and highlighting stories of LGBTQIA ministers, their partners and allies who influenced and were affected by the sometimes uneven trajectory of LGBTQ+ issues within the UUA.

Both conferences included opportunities for recording video interviews with LGBTQ+ colleagues, partners and allies, sharing their experiences. We have created a website, and use it and social media as well as library archives to keep alive the stories of a significant turning point in UU history. And plans are to edit a book capturing the historic challenges and contributions of UUs from the beginning of the gay rights movement.

This project and the conferences are supported in part by a grant from the UU Funding Program.

For information, see the website and cover stories in Elderberries, Spring and Autumn 2019. Have stories, sermons, or memorabilia you would like to contribute to the archives? Contact the project coordinator.

Local Gatherings

Our Area Connections Contacts help members in specific geographic regions keep in touch with one another. Events, such as a luncheon gathering or dinner outing, are sometimes organized by members within the Connections Area. If you would like to organize or host a small gathering contact your Area Connections Contact person. To find your area and who the contact is, check out the Area Connections Directory, found on the Publications page.

Ministry Days and General Assembly Gatherings

In a typical year at Ministry Days we present a “collegial conversation” to address retirement issues, and we host a luncheon to welcome new UURMaPA members during General Assembly.  We also take part in the special luncheon that is hosted by the UUA for surviving family members of ministers who have died that past year.

But in 2020 and 2021, with Ministry Days and General Assembly being virtual, we held online Ingatherings. In 2022 we held two: in-person at GA in June and a July virtual event. See a summary of both HERE.

At these occasions we enjoy the opportunity to recognize and welcome the newest members to join the ranks of retired ministers (and partners) and we provide an overview of UURMaPA. Special guests usually speak briefly about resources available to retirees from the UUA Department of Ministries and Faith Development and the Office of Church Staff Finances. And there is time to check in and share with each other.

Retirement Seminar

UURMaPA and the UUMA have collaborated to present two Retirement Planning Seminars supported by grants from the UU Funding Program. The UUA is now running the project. Contact the UUA Office of Church Staff Finances for information.

Targeted Ministry Program (TMP)

UURMaPA and the UUA have teamed up to create a program where experienced ministers with special training can offer short-term ministry with specific (targeted) goals. Retired ministers might well find this an attractive post-retirement opportunity. Two trainings have been held. For more information, contact the UUA Transitions Office. Learn more here.