UUAMP Professional Day 2023 Faithfully Belonging

Events, News

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Register here!

Sunnyhill-UU Church of the South Hills: 1240 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA & Via Zoom

This year, we are focusing on Article II and how we prepare our congregations, as Membership Leaders for this transition. We hope you can join us, and come prepared to be inspired.

About Article II

“The Article II Study Commission is hereby charged to review Article II of the UUA Bylaws, and propose any revisions that will enable our UUA, our member congregations, and our covenanted communities to be a relevant and powerful force for spiritual and moral growth, healing, and justice. Proposed changes should articulate core UU theological values. The Board believes that one core theological value, shared widely among UUs, is love. 

… We therefore charge this commission to root its work in Love as a principal guide in its work; attending particularly to the ways that we (and our root traditions) have understood and articulated Love, and how we have acted out of Love.”

More Article II Resources:

Agenda *All Times Eastern Daylight Time*

  • 9:30-10:15 am: Optional Social Gathering and Check In
  • 10:15-10:30 am: Welcome, Chalice Lighting, Opening Ritual
  • 10:30-11:00 am:  Annual Business Meeting Vote on:
  • 11:00-11:30 am: Break & DIY SWAG Bags (with our new logo!)
  • 11:30 am-12:30 pm:Faithfully Belonging: Article II and Membership Ministry (An Information Session and Discussion) Led by Joy Berry
    • Joy Berry is the Children and Families Faith Development Specialist in UUA's Lifespan Faith Engagement office. As a professional religious educator, she served congregations in three states. Most recently, as the interim director of The Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard, her focus was innovative practices in faith formation and equipping congregations for culture change with resources and curricula that center faith formation for all.
  • 12:30-1:45 pm: Lunch + Optional Activities
    • Topical Discussions online or onsite &/OR
    • Casual Conversations online or onsite &/OR
    • Break for those who desire it!
  • 1:45-2:45 pm: Keynote Address: A New Way Together – A Q&A about Article II Led by Rev. Cheryl M. Walker

The Rev. Cheryl M. Walker (she/her) is the co-chair of the Article II Study Commission. She served as President of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association from 2017 to 2019. 

More about Rev. Cheryl Walker:

Born and raised in the East Harlem section of New York City, Rev. Cheryl grew up appreciating the diversity of her family and city, and “learned to love our differences and not fear them.” Being raised as a Muslim imbued her “with an ontological security in who I was as an African American. Eventually I found Islam’s tent too small, and I searched for a new faith home. It would take me 30 years to find Unitarian Universalism. I still keep some of the practices from my faith background,” including praying 5 times a day, or more.  

After a 25 year career in technology, where she gained analytical and managerial skills, Rev. Cheryl says “eventually I felt a call to serve humanity and my God, through Unitarian Universalist ministry.” In 2004 she graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York and was the recipient of the Maxwell Fellowship for the promise of Excellence in Ministry. 

For four years Rev. Cheryl served as the Assistant Minister at the Unitarian Church of All Souls of New York, and then served as the solo Minister of the UU Congregation of Wilmington, NC, for thirteen years. 

  • 2:45-3:30 pm: Group Touch Points - Breakout Discussions - Topics TBD
  • 3:30-4 pm: Takeaways, Closing, Extinguishing the Chalice