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Sojourners, the progressive Evangelical magazine, quotes UU the Vote organizer Nora Rasman in an article about religious leaders’ attempts to stop the spread of dangerous misinformation in the aftermath of the presidential election. “There are consequences when faith leaders give credence to these lies,” Rasman said. “It further undermines people’s trust in the process. It can dissuade people from engaging in the process in the future.” (Sojourners, 11/5/20)
A Boston Herald story about faith leaders responding to the election quotes the Rev. Adam Lawrence Dyer, minister of First Parish in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who said that before we can talk about healing, “we first have to get to a place of some kind of basic peace, so that the sides that are at war can communicate without continuing to cause each other harm.” The article also quotes UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray, who was “incredibly buoyed” by voter turnout. (Boston Herald, 11/7/20)
The Hill dedicates a column to unpacking the nineteenth-century Unitarian roots of a famous statement by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, which President-Elect Joe Biden invoked in his victory speech. Learn a bit more about the abolitionist Unitarian minister Theodore Parker (The Hill, 11/8/20). See also: “Theodore Parker, Radical Theologian” (UU World, Fall 2010).
Michigan congregation creates video celebrating organ donors
Two members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, Michigan, share their stories as a recipient and a donor of a kidney in a film made by the church and Gift of Life to help promote organ donation on National Donor Sabbath, November 15, when the film was premiered as part of the congregation’s online worship service. Deb Gustafson received a kidney from fellow UU Bonnie Pobocik. (Davison Index, 11/12/20)
Orlando church’s banners repeatedly vandalized
Progressive-value signs at First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Florida, have been vandalized five times since June. Most recently, a rainbow banner with messages such as “Climate change is real” was sliced in half, and soon after a “Black Lives Matter” banner that was put up in its place was also damaged. (Orlando Sentinel, 11/5/20)
Maine congregation collects a ton of food
The UU Society of Bangor, Maine, has hosted a drive-by food collection for the past year, and says the biweekly collection has gathered 2,000 pounds of food so far. (WABI, 11/8/20)
Illinois minister voted ‘Best Clergyperson’
The Rev. Martin Woulfe was recently named by the Illinois Times as the 2020 “Best Clergyperson” in Springfield, Illinois, a recognition conferred by the newspaper’s readers. Woulfe has served the Abraham Lincoln UU Congregation of Springfield since 2003. (Illinois Times, 10/29/20)