February 18-22, 2020
Over 60 UURMaPAns, most of them over 60 themselves, gathered for a pleasantly warm midweek together in Scottsdale, Arizona, in late February — entirely and innocently unaware that this Winter conference would likely be one of the last large events they would attend in person for some time.
Program and camaraderie were outstanding, and the facility was excellent (as was the weather). The ambitious theme — A 50-Year Retrospect of Our Soul—offered diverse and stimulating ways to portray the half-century evolution of these angles: Vietnam War, UU Women in Ministry, Race, and Technology, very brief summaries of which follow. (See fuller coverage in our Spring, 2020 Elderberries.)
Vietnam War
Barbara Child, author of Memories of a Vietnam Veteran (see Elderberries, Winter 2019), introduced her panelists, who covered a spectrum of 1970 experiences of the war.
For Stephan Papa, the draft provided formative lessons and motivations toward ministry. Dave Hunter told a stirring story about his steady draft resistance, describing his attitude as “a general lack of cooperation” with the Selective Service.
Robert Latham offered distressing memories of the Tet Offensive as a chaplain and witness to the willful ignorance, deceit and arrogance of officials, likening it to a version of manifest destiny.
Jan Christian spoke evocatively of her brother’s death in Vietnam, her evolution of awareness, and a gradual resolution of her pain. Her book, Leave No Brother Behind, is a memoir of the experience. She noted that the war is still a raw wound in America and UUs often have low skills around conflict related to that era.
See a video of all four presentations HERE.
Race
Gordon Gibson presented a timeline, beginning with his ministry in Mississippi and presence in 1965 Selma up to his leadership of recent tours of southern civil rights sites. He had to sadly acknowledge that his primary co-presenter, Mel Hoover, was unable to attend because of a last minute back injury, so he arranged to have longtime civil rights activist Jim Hobart join the panel, along with Darrick Jackson, who stepped away from the nearby UUMA meetings to be with us. Darrick read a message from Bill Sinkford, including this: “My ministry has not been all about race, and race has never been absent from my ministry.”
Jim honored his father Al’s ministry in the south, noting the formative contrast between de jure segregation and more progressive attitudes in their Unitarian setting. He referred to the late 1960s controversy around the General Assembly vote for $1 million to support the Black Caucus and how the 1992 GA (Calgary) returned racial issues to the table, toward a growing awareness of white supremacy culture.
See all of the Vietnam War presentations.
UU Women in Ministry
Diane Miller, who began her ministry in 1976, explained that UURMaPA holds huge resources of memory and experiences; she offered some key statistics about women in ministry and introduced four very important testimonies and accountings of dramatic but challenging evolution toward our current culture. See Diane’s presentation.
Joy Atkinson, ordained in 1974 (“arriving like a first robin in spring”) spoke of her early experiences as often the first woman minister in many of her settings. See Joy’s presentation.
Leslie Westbrook, ordained in 1973, was unable to attend in person, but provided her own excellent and important video history of women in ministry during the years 1977-82. See Leslie’s presentation.
Christine Robinson, ordained in 1980, articulated the dramatic roller coaster of her parish leadership experience, always striving toward the growth of healthy systems. See Christine’s presentation.
Deborah Pope-Lance, ordained in 1978, described how dangerous it was in the 1980s to speak out about clergy sexual abuse that was very prevalent, pervasive and permitted. There were huge positive changes in the 90s, although patriarchal structures persisted and women were often acculturated into them.
Overall themes portrayed by this panel included hurts, resistance, microaggressions, struggles, courage, peer bonding, pioneering spirit, confusion, bullying, and vicious power dynamics.
Technology: From Snail Mail to ZOOM
Duane Fickeisen presented an entertaining and appropriately visual chronicle of the 1970 context, featuring events personal, national and global. He took us down a vivid memory lane of devices and made helpful connections about the impacts of technology on our lives today. Duane invited us into intriguing inquiries:
Where were you 50 years ago?
What was entertainment for you?
How did you communicate?
How do you use technology now? How does it impact you? How might you improve your relationship with it?
How did you get around? How did you get news?
Other Highlights
Other highlights of the conference include a number of fine worship services, a stirring Odyssey from Judy Welles, the Unsung UURMaPAn Award presentation to Lois Wesener, and yet another Wide Variety Show in the evening, which featured, strangely enough, a wide variety of a dozen acts, from profound poetry readings and meaningful magic to a twisted rendition of Cinderella, improvised death scenes, plus songs galore, including a lightly rehearsed rendition of the classic Arizona tale of ole Yavapai Pete by Brother Buzz and the Holy Coyotes.
We also brainstormed ways UURMaPA might reduce our carbon footprint and we had informative sessions with Richard Nugent, director of the UUA’s Office of Church Staff Finances and a few UUMA Board members (who were meeting at the same site). We will look forward to returning to the Franciscan Renewal Center again, some day.