More than 6000 Unitarian-Universalists from 1040 different congregations attended the General Assembly held in Portland, Oregon from June 20 to June 24 this year. Thirteen members of our congregation attended GA as official delegates and two ministers, the Rev. Dr. Galen Guengerich and the Rev. Cheryl Walker, completed the All Souls contingent. The remarks which the delegates submitted for this article are their official Delegate Reports although not all of them will appear in full in these pages. The intent of this article is to cover reports on as many different lectures and workshops as possible while avoiding duplicate impressions.

Portland is often referred to as the “Rose City” because of its renowned rose gardens. It is idyllically located at the convergence of two major rivers and views of the city have the backdrop of snow covered Mt. Hood. The many parks scattered around the city give it an open and green look. Peggy Montgomery, one of our 13 All Souls delegates, gives a glowing description of the city in her detailed Delegate Report:

Flying into sunny Portland International Airport (PDX) a little after noon on Tuesday, June 19, was a gorgeous experience—Mt. St. Helens on our right, with a flat-top nearby, and Mt. Hood to our left, all three snowcaps vibrant and beautiful, welcoming us to the City of Roses and Chinese and Japanese Gardens and a populace committed to green sustainability, right down to TriMet’s MAX light rail system, free within Fareless Square, which is most of downtown Portland and the Lloyd District, including the Oregon Convention Center, site of the UUA’s 46th annual General Assembly, “Choices That Matter.”

With its twin green-glass towers, white roof for heat abatement, abundant light, storm water management system, and public art collection worth more than $2 million, the Convention Center’s more than a million square feet still leave a small environmental footprint unique to Oregon. It was a fine environment in which to spend the better part of 5 days with nearly 6,000 UUs, a large group of whom were West Coasters, of course.

The Overall theme of GA this year was “Choices That Matter” and many of the speakers at the various Plenary Sessions that all delegates attend dealt with concepts like Accountability, Right Relationships and the 2007 Statement of Conscience (SOC): “Moral Values for a Pluralistic Society,” which includes virtues like compassion, justice and respect while delegates were also urged to learn how to treat newcomers to their congregations like “precious gifts” while confronting problems like racism and classism.

The Plenary Sessions are the heart of every General Assembly because they are the venue where ideas important to all congregations are presented and where binding votes are taken. In Portland members discussed, debated and voted on six Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs), succinctly listed in Peggy’s Report:

The UN’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); Immigrant Families—Stop the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Raids; Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislation; Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell;” and Passing the Employment Non-discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection. And we accepted six Responsive Resolutions [resolutions made in response to something in an official report of a UUA officer] re: ending the Iraq occupation; uncovering our ties to and complicity with genocide, slavery, and oppression; racism; gender identity discrimination; health insurance for 200 ministers and staff; and more work on Right Relationships.

Just attending the eight Plenary Sessions is hard work for the delegates who are expected to have read the pertinent materials and attended explanatory sessions on different topics before voting, but all of our delegates somehow managed to squeeze in many lectures and workshops often unfortunately scheduled in competing time slots and in lecture rooms far removed from each other in the huge Oregon Convention Center complex, often at the cost of squeezing in a meal. By compressing GA into only four days in Portland this year, some of the opportunities to socialize, attend interesting workshops or just enjoying some of the offerings were somewhat compromised, particularly missing events like a separate Closing Ceremony.

George Collins, who currently is the President of our congregation, looked at what GA could teach him about large congregations, such as ours, and about the Denomination in general. Here is his report:

The 46th General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in Portland Oregon this June was for me a “wake-up” call for our denomination and also an affirmation of the strength of our congregation.

Our domination is not growing but rather shrinking. The demographic studies of our churches indicate that we are not adding significant numbers of new younger members nor are we attracting a greater diversity that reflects America of the twenty first century. While this was a topic of many discussions, it was apparent in the racial and age makeup of the attendees. Most were white and seniors. I believe this illustrates that our faith is at a cross-roads. One road will lead to a smaller and smaller denomination and the other to a vibrant fellowship of people of all races and ages searching for meaning in a world of religions that often exclude rather than openly welcome people of all faiths.

The strength of All Souls became apparent. I had the chance to measure All Souls against the handful of UU Churches that are growing. It felt good to share that we are having greater numbers of young families enroll their children in our Religious Education program, that young adults are playing a significant role in the life of our Church, that Sunday services are well attended with large numbers of guests and that this summer there was great vibrancy in Reidy-Friendship Hall. Diversity is still an issue but we are gaining ground and are ever so slowly starting to reflect the racial makeup of our society. In my meetings with board members of the largest churches in the denomination—a first in the realization that large churches share the same challenges, I realize that the vitality of All Souls comes from within (as it does at each of the churches recognized as growing congregations). At the GA, for the first time, a direct relationship between the board members of the larger churches was established. I expect to be able to share issues via e-mail with the boards of these leading churches.

The delegates that we sent to GA stayed together and looked out for each other. Our ministers and Melaney Mashburn were present and I saw them often. None of us felt that we were alone. As we as a congregation examine ourselves, we can—with the other leading congregations (in Portland, Kansas City, Shelter Rock, Garden City, Philadelphia, Tulsa, Boston and elsewhere) create the spirit of revitalization of the Universalist and Unitarian faiths that holds such promise in a world divided on spiritual issues.

I believe that we should increase our participation in both Metro New York District events and expand the number of members of All Souls that go to the General Assembly. Together with other UU congregations, the strength of our spiritual message can become for many the words they need to realize that there is a faith that includes all people with open hearts and minds. The need to send more of our young adults to hear sessions such as one led by Dr. Carolyn Porco, a leading scientist on the NASA Cassini spacecraft project, on life in the universe; and one presented by the author of Sundown Towns, Dr. James Loewen, on the cruel nature of sundown laws that in virtually every state (particular in the north) excluded blacks from becoming community members; and one given by the Rev. Kim Wilson, a Coast Guard Chaplin (one of only two UU chaplains in the military) reporting on how many service people understand and welcome our Seven Principles as a way to direct their lives and on how we can welcome military families that our nation has required to give so much.

In my meetings with board members from UU churches with large congregations, it was interesting to learn how one Philadelphia church realized that there were areas un-served and used its resources and congregations to build another UU church to service a different area of the metro area. At a breakfast meeting, I was introduced to The Interfaith Alliance. Galen has devoted a great deal of energy to supporting this group’s efforts in making liberal religion alternatives known to politicians in Washington as an alternative to the larger evangelical faiths that are all inclusive. I also visited with the leaders of our two UU seminaries—Starr King and Meadville Lombard and learned at first hand that we are attracting the youth who will be the future ministers of a revitalized faith.

I encourage all of you to consider giving a week of your life to join us at next year’s GA in Fort Lauderdale. Only by working together will this denomination be able to deliver its message of tolerance, justice, openness, seeking and love. That is what it will take to reverse the direction of our denomination.

Chelsey Vaughn, who was one of the Banner carriers for All Souls during the opening Ceremony along with George Collins, filed this report:

I attended some amazing workshops at General Assembly. Here are some highlights:

• UU University leadership training, which I attended with our president, George Collins. Gil Rendle of the Alban Institute was the keynote speaker, and he had some amazing insights about church leadership and congregational health. One of his big points was that conflict is a natural part of a vibrant spiritual community—we shouldn’t try to avoid it, and instead should try to learn from it and work with it. He advised us to stay away from the “safe middle” in thinking about congregational identity.

• Presentations from this year’s Breakthrough Congregations, which are churches that the UUA has selected for development and growth. These churches received special budgetary assistance from the UUA to experiment with marketing and new programming. I attended workshops by All Souls Kansas City, Davies Memorial Church (DC area), and First Unitarian Portland. The presentation by the Portland church was especially inspiring. Among many other things, they said that all of their work—even church potlucks and finance committee meetings—should be spiritually grounded. Board members eat dinner together and pray before discussing business!

• A workshop on different ways to do “Joys and Sorrows.” We don’t usually do this at All Souls, but it’s very common in other UU congregations, including several where I’ve been a member. The ministers leading the workshop demonstrated different styles, including one with a sung response that I really enjoyed.

Thanks to Jim Moskin and Cheryl Walker for organizing our delegation so well. I had a wonderful time and plan to attend GA again. I recommend it for everyone!

Marilyn Mehr came to GA with a specific interest in matters concerning the UU-UNO in which she is active here in New York:

What a pleasure it has been to attend the General Assembly meetings on the West Coast of our vast continent. Here, as usual, a community of UUs formed, representative of the wide geographical and cultural differences we embrace. What we all held in common was a devotion to exploring and living our values, not only during our week together, but once we returned home.

As a new member of All Souls, I was grateful for the opportunity of meeting our “Team All Souls” every morning in the large Plenary Hall where we shared ideas garnered from previous workshops and discussed issues requiring our votes. Coming from a small congregation on the South Fork of Long Island, I have been unable to enjoy the special experiences offered by a larger congregation which is able to send a group which can mingle, socialize and caucus as the need arises.

My particular focus was learning more about international programs supported by the UUA and its congregations. As President of the Board of Directors of the UU-United Nations Office, I am committed to inspiring and encouraging others to engage in the work of bringing peace and social justice to our conflict-ridden world.

The UU-UNO held a standing-room only workshop on “UUs and Microcredit,” explaining how microcredit programs can help empower people living in poverty to lift themselves up through economic incentives and support. We were also successful in passing an Action of Immediate Witness resolution in support of CEDAW [Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women], A UN resolution supporting the rights of girls and women.

One of the special opportunities presented at GA is learning about the work of other organizations. I attended a breakfast sponsored by the Partnership Council explaining what life was like for UUs in 1930 Transylvania. Another workshop sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee explained how we could influence the US government to intervene in Darfur. And, the ICUU announced an exciting conference taking place in Oberwesel, Germany, November 1-6, linking UUs together from around the world.

As an unreconstructed protest child of the Vietnam years, I was thrilled to hear a panel on “UUs Confronting Government Secrecy,” featuring our own President, Bill Sinkford, who introduced Daniel Ellsberg, author of the Pentagon Papers. The presentation, moderated by Amy Goodman of National Public Radio, underscored the urgency of protesting US government actions to impose restrictions on information through the imposition of laws and restrictions upon citizen access. This speech is available through Beacon Press for those who wish to share in this rousing presentation.

For those of you who have never attended General Assembly, I strongly urge you to attend next year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. What you will find is a microcosm of a vibrant, diverse and politically engaged community that you can be proud to join.

By all means, go!

Mary Ann Lang heard the speeches she listened to at GA through a very specific filter, noticing many quotes that she had heard before. It is interesting to note how she reacts to some of the speakers about whom others have also reported:

When I looked over the quotes that I accumulated at GA 2007, I noted that they were often statements that had been made quite a few years ago. They were used by the speakers because they still reflected feelings, understandings, and wishes of many attending this year’s gathering of UUs. To some extent, this connection with the past provided a certain comfort. On the other hand, it was unsettling because it highlighted how little has changed. Nationalism, war waste, anti-choice initiatives, suppression of information, and tactics of fear played their role in remarkably unchanged form in discussions of past and present.

COMFORTING/UNSETTLING QUOTES:

William Sinkford—Presidential Address:

“Without a vision, this faith will vanish.”

“Relationship is holy.”

“We will not abandon a woman’s right to control her body, ever!”

“With the money spent in Iraq to date, we could have come into compliance with all the Kyoto protocols and have had $125 billion left over.”

Charlie Clements—UU Service Committee—Plenary, Friday Morning:

“Hope is not what we seek in evidence. It’s what we become in action.”

Denise Donato-McConnell—
UU-UNO Dana McLean Greeley Address—“Waging Peace”:

“There is not a way to peace. Peace is the way.”—Mahatma Gandhi

“Is it possible to make peace the new habit?”

“Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of humanity.”
—Albert Einstein

“There’s never going to be peace among people if we can’t have peace with our natural environment.”—Jane Goodall

“Silence is tacit approval and latent complicity.”—audience participant comment

Daniel Ellsberg—The Pentagon Papers:

“What can I do to end this war if I’m willing to go to prison?”

“Fear of looking foolish keeps people in line.”

Mike Gravel—The Pentagon Papers:

“When people are uninformed, they will lose democracy.”

“Thank God we have a democracy that leaks like a sieve. We need more leaks.”

Rashid Khalidi—Ware Lecture:

“As a general rule, democracy does not grow out of the barrel of a gun.”

Marilyn Scott Murphy, who could only spend one day at GA as a visitor, not as a delegate, nevertheless, did file a report:

“After twenty years of being a member of All Souls, I took the plunge, or rather, dipped my toe into the General Assembly experience,” she wrote.

“I felt a little guilty about how short the time was that I spent at the Assembly, but I was able to get a feel for what General Assembly has to offer.

The 4:30PM Plenary focused on 30 Statements which had been created in smaller workshops. “The Convergence sessions will serve to bring ideas and themes produced by dozens of simultaneous workshops and identify points of emergent consensus.” It seemed to me that the goal was to create a kind of “sound bite” to express what we stand for. I played a game with myself: I can name that tune in … four words: care, share, be fair … my four words to live by!

After a divine dinner at Paley’s restaurant, I attended the Ware Lecture by Rashid Khalidi. His speech was provocative and compelling and stirred over 6,000 participants to our feet.

Sunday morning, I attended the worship service at the First Unitarian Church of Portland. The Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell spoke. She encouraged us to “do the work to save your own soul … By changing ourselves we can change the world.” We have a global responsibility and if we change or own behavior we can create a better future. After the service we toured their new building which was enviable. The church was able to renovate the old sanctuary and connect it to a new facility which included a brand new church school as well as a second larger sanctuary.

I left the service and then toured Portland before heading home.”

Her report is of interest because she managed to clarify the newly organized “Convergence Sessions” for the reader.