Recap: General Assembly 2025

The following recaps were emailed as daily newsletters during General Assembly 2025 (June 18-22).

Day One – Wednesday, June 18

Greetings from Baltimore!

The 2025 Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly has officially begun! This GA is once again a multi-platform event with thousands of Unitarian Universalists from across the country gathering at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland and online via the Whova app.

There are many ways to connect with Starr King this year, including:

• Starr King Booth & Lounge (Booth #511 & #519)
• Starr King’s Changing Leadership: Reflections on a Presidency
• Discerning Seminary
• Grad Association Dinner
• President’s Discussion
• and the return of the Starr King Gala!

For more details about the above events, as well as workshops by our staff, faculty, grads, and students, click here. Now, on to highlights of Day One of GA!

Ministry Days Drop-In with Starr King Presidents

On Tuesday, June 17, attendees at the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s Ministry Days had an opportunity to meet our outgoing president, Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, and our incoming president, Dr. Stephanie L. Krusemark. Nearly 30 students, graduates, donors, and friends of Starr King joined us for this informal drop-in. Attendees were able to grab a light lunch, connect with one another, and hear from our both presidents.

Rev. Sinha encouraged attendees to recognize the imperfect mischief makers among us and engage with them differently, despite the discomfort of doing so. Rev. Sinha noted the parallels between how many progressive institutions operate and historic strategies for sabotage, highlighting how those strategies of engagement prevent us from moving forward in ways that generate a better future. Rev. Sinha encouraged attendees to hold dearly to our values, while also recognizing the need to change our behavior and imagine new ways of working, engaging, and resisting in true community. “We need the community to practice together pushing the stone without pushing the stone becoming the thing that unites us,” Rev. Sinha cautioned.

Mixing theory, practice, and storytelling, the final words of Rev. Sinha’s essay were: “Let’s run an experiment… This is where the good mischief begins.”

Rev. Dr. Adam Robersmith (2005 Starr King graduate) offered the response, recognizing those in attendance who may doubt that they are ready for this moment we are living in and whether we are made for mischief. Rev. Dr. Robersmith highlighted the nuance of needing to know when to break the rules without breaking trust within our communities. Specifically, he held up the difference between mischief making versus misconduct and breaking covenant with each other.

However, he noted that mischief making is indeed called for in the times we are living in. “Mischief is a way of opening up possibilities beyond the expected,” Rev. Dr. Robersmith noted. “How can the norms you break crack open the possibilities of others?”

This year’s Berry Street Essay provided an important call to action as we gather to contemplate how to meet this moment.

Banner Parade & Opening Worship

This year’s Banner Parade and Opening Worship happened virtually. Rev. Dr. Rebekah A. Savage (former Starr King Trustee) and Rev. Paige Getty lead the Opening Worship, with joyous singing, centering, and grounding to prepare attendees for the important work of the Association in the days to come.

“Let this be a time of sanctuary for truth telling, soul tending, and collective courage,” shared Rev. Savage.

Exhibit Hall Welcome Party

The Exhibit Hall is open! We kicked off General Assembly in-person with a welcome party in the Exhibit Hall. Dozens of current students, graduates, and friends of the school came by to chat with our team, play board games or corn hole, and take a photo with Thomas Starr King in our photo booth.

Make sure to stop by the Starr King Lounge, located just behind the UUA booth near the entrance! You can learn more about our programs and offerings, chat with our Director of Admissions Matty Waterman, play some games, snag some exclusive swag, or just relax and recharge. We can’t wait to see you there!

Day Two – Thursday, June 19

Meet the Moment: Freedom’s Unfinished Work

In honor of Juneteenth, Rev. E.N. Hill (2020 Starr King Graduate) led a worship service reflecting on the ongoing journey toward liberation in these difficult times. The service invited attendees to pause to remember that freedom has never been a single historical moment, but a living, breathing struggle calling us forward.

The service noted how our present moment helps us recognize how far we have left to go towards freedom in the United States. “[F]rom its founding to its present, this country has sought to profit from the enduring impacts of enslavement. Oppression has been and remains profitable, and that is the America some seek to make great again,” Rev. Hill shared. “That’s why today, in 2025, book bans spread, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs are dismantled, and the teaching of honest history is criminalized, we remain in a struggle over the meaning and future of freedom.”

Rev. Hill continued: “We honor Juneteenth and Emancipation Day, not only as history but as a present tense urgency. Not recalling a closed chapter, but naming the road still ahead. Freedom not as a destination, but a path. And to meet the moment is to begin that path again and again, with courage, imagination, and love.”

Rev. Hill explored some of the many ways we can understand and relate to the idea the freedom – individually and in community – today. They highlighted that freedom, love, hope, and collective action are ever more important in a time of polarization and increased attacks against the most vulnerable among us. And Rev. Hill called on attendees to imagine what their dream of freedom is today and to take action to make that dream a reality.

“In the spirit of carrying freedom forward, let your dreaming be bold, let your resistance be joyful, let your vision be expansive, and let your faith be lived,” Rev. Hill concluded. “Let us meet this moment not only with critique, but with creation. Let us strategize and build the world we need, because ain’t nobody else going to do it for us. And that is the only way that we are really going to be free.”

Filled with singing, spoken word, dancing, and deep reflection, the service was both grounding and energizing as we continue to contemplate what it means to meet the moment.

Starr King Friendship Lunch

It wouldn’t be GA without the Starr King Friendship Lunch!

Every year, our Starr King Friendship Lunch is an opportunity to come together in community to support our beloved school as we continue to lead the way in counter-oppressive theological education.

This year, attendees were welcomed by our Board Chair, Rev. Alison Miller, who emceed the event. Dana N. Moore (2025 Starr King graduate) and Ron Ahnen (2025 Starr King graduate) lit our chalice and provided a beautiful blessing for our meal. Starr King’s outgoing president Rosemary Bray McNatt shared a brief reflection on her eleven years in this role, and her gratitude for those who have supported her leadership and the school during this time.

Our incoming president Dr. Stephanie L. Krusemark then shared a bit of her story and how her experiences led her to this opportunity. “Throughout my career, I’ve served in both secular and spiritually rooted institutions informed by diverse traditions, including Buddhist, United Methodist, Catholic, and Jesuit values,” Dr. Krusemark shared. “These experiences have deepened my understanding of what it means to live and lead with a multi-religious Unitarian Universalist lens – one that celebrates pluralism, centers justice, and seeks wisdom from many sources.”

Dr. Krusemark also shared her vision for the future of Starr King. “Today, we are called to reclaim and reimagine [a] vision for a new era. That means ensuring our curriculum reflects the spiritual and cultural breadth of our communities,” she explained. “It means training ministers and leaders who are not only grounded in Unitarian Universalism, but also capable of ministering across faiths and identities in a complex, pluralistic world. And it means removing financial barriers so that all who are called to this sacred work – especially those from historically marginalized communities – can answer that call without undue burden.”

Attendees were then treated to a special video premiere featuring our recent Starr King graduate Dana N. Moore. Keep an eye on our Bluesky, LinkedIn, and YouTube channel for the public release! **Scroll down to watch it now!**

We also heard a testimonial from Rev. Dianne Daniels (2022 Starr King Graduate) about how her time at the school helped become the religious leader she is today. “One of the most powerful things about Starr King is that it does not train ministers to fit a mold; it invites us to explore who we already are and then equips us to lead from that place,” she reflected. “Through Starr King’s counter oppressive framework, I learned to lead and serve with love and liberation at the center. I learned that ministry is not confined to a pulpit; it is also present in the way we show up in community, the way we tell the truth, and the way we embody hope.”

She continued: “And today, I carry Starr King with me in every aspect of my life and my ministry. Whether I am preaching on a Sunday morning, walking someone through a time of grief, advocating for justice in the public square, or simply holding space for reflection and renewal, I do so with a foundation that was laid lovingly and intentionally during my time at Starr King… Starr King gave me the tools, the vision, and theological grounding to lead with authenticity and to do so in a world that desperately needs spiritually grounded, justice-centered leaders.”

The lunch closed with a special presentation from Rev. Lyn Cox (2003 Starr King Graduate and Trustee), final remarks from Rev. Miller, and a standing ovation celebrating Rev. McNatt’s eleven years of service as president.

It was a wonderful opportunity to be together, celebrate, and share a meal in community!

Day Three – Friday, June 20

Starr King’s Changing Leadership: Reflections on a Presidency

In her final president’s lecture, outgoing president Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt offered reflections on her 11 years of service at Starr King.

Building off yesterday’s Service of the Living Tradition theme, Rev. McNatt began her president’s lecture by telling a story. “Fifty-one years ago, a young woman in her junior year of college spent the week of spring break with her boyfriend’s family, and on Sunday morning they all went to church. The young woman had never been to a church quite like this one,” she shared. “An unchurched former Roman Catholic, this young woman thought that, though she was done with church forever, if ever she wanted to go to church, it would be one like this.”

Rev. McNatt shared her winding road to falling in love with and receiving the call of religious leadership in Unitarian Universalism. “So that story is many things. First of all, it’s a love story, not just between myself and my husband, but between myself and my home congregation, and then between myself and Unitarian Universalism, and then between myself and ministry,” she stated. “Most important, that story was a formation story: the story of how I was formed as a UU, and how I learned step by step, meeting by meeting, to attend to the formation of others so that they might learn in some way to do the same.”

In reflecting on formation, Rev. McNatt shared: “We who work in theological education know that formation has changed, that our people come to us not only from their church or fellowship, but from their work in the streets and prisons and other places where the work of unjust systems feels invincible. But without the formation that congregations and communities provide, these future religious leaders are more likely to founder.”

“Unitarian Universalism is a faith in which its leaders are meant to be called out from among the people. But not just any people – we are to be called out from among the people with whom we have covenanted to walk together,” she continued. “Too many of our students struggle because they are attached to congregations that do not take their role seriously enough, or congregations that have lost their own way, forgetting that they are meant to be the place where a member’s call to ministry might be heard and recognized.”

During her lecture, Rev. McNatt also told the story of her 11 years as president of Starr King. She shared how she began her service at Starr King as the school was in the midst of a public crisis and the years-long effort to rebuild community and trust in the school, as well as strengthen our reputation. She described the triumphs and tribulations over the past 11 years, particularly as our cultural and political landscape has shifted and as we’ve adapted to a COVID-normalized world.

“Knowing all that I know, would I do it again? Would I leave my beloved Manhattan for Oakland and the extraordinary place that is Starr King? I absolutely would,” she declared. “These 11 years have me so much joy, and so much pride in the people who study here. We have graduated 182 students on my watch. It sounds like a lot, but the world could use 10 times more.”

She closed her lecture by calling for those in attendance to consider formation. “If we want ministers for our congregations, we must grow our own, support our own, mentor our own,” Rev. McNatt noted. “The ministers we seek are already being formed, in the pews and the coffee hours, and the assembly halls of our churches; we just don’t know it yet.”

She concluded her formal remarks with this: “Sometimes when I am in my office, I look across the street and think that, but for the pull of formation, I would have stayed in journalism, like my brother, and my late brother-in-law, and the man who first brought me to that austere brick building on 35th St between Park and Madison. But he did bring me there on that spring afternoon, and though I didn’t see them, the first threads of the interdependent web had already caught and held me. And that is how you find me here.”

The workshop ended with a standing ovation by those in attendance, a lively question and answer session, and a second standing ovation in gratitude for our outgoing president’s extraordinary years of dedicated service to Starr King.

Discerning Seminary

Are you feeling a call to ministry? Are you discerning seminary?

On Friday afternoon, Starr King’s Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Matty Waterman, hosted a gathering in the Starr King Lounge for those contemplating these questions. Matty met with nine students – both in discernment and those that have already been accepted – to converse about a wide range of topics from our student-focused approach to questions about the MFC, while assisting others to answer their call to religious leadership in a variety of ways. Students asked great questions about working while going to school, financial aid, what makes Starr King unique in comparison to other seminaries, and the relationships that are fostered between students and faculty, which aids in students in understanding how to achieve the educational success they strive for.

The conversation assisted students in their ability to discern their path and to build a strong pathway to ministry through Starr King. Overall, students from all paths came with questions and curiosity, eager to learn more.

Nurturing Scholartivism: MA in Social Change @20

Starr King was thrilled to sponsor an on-demand workshop in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Starr King’s innovative Master of Arts in Social Change (MASC) program. The MASC program is designed to form spiritually grounded leaders devoted to counter-oppressive and multi-religious work that integrates scholarship, activism, and the arts.

During this on-demand workshop, Rev. Kevin Allen Mann (Starr King Faculty and 2016 Graduate), Dr. Shannon Frediani, (Starr King Faculty and 2013 Graduate), Dr. Som Pourfarzaneh, (Starr King Faculty and 2007 Graduate), and J. Tyson Casey (Starr King Faculty and 2010 Graduate) reflected on their experience as graduates of the MASC program – from the flexibility of the program to learning opportunities to their final projects.

“I am pleased and delighted to have been part of the first MASC cohort from 2005 to 2007,” Dr. Pourfarzaneh reflected. “[The MASC program] offered a structure in which I could spread my wings and explore different things that I wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else, while still receiving the broad grounding that I would need for my long term-goals.”

“[The MASC program] prepared me to grow in my capacity to organize and to build diverse coalitions and relationships,” shared Professor Casey. “I joined the staff of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship [after graduating] and found myself able to apply – on a daily basis – many of the skills, learning, and insights that I gained.”

Moderated by Rev. Dr. Gabriella Lettini (Starr King Dean of Faculty), the assembled panel also shared how the program has influenced their ongoing work, and more broadly, strategies for sustainable collective liberation.

“I never knew that I was a practical theologian until I arrived at Starr King,” Dr. Frediani declared. “[The MASC program] helped me actually find my purpose and be able to name it and follow through with it. And that is such a wonderful, rewarding, grounding gift, which I will always be grateful for.”

“One of the most powerful lessons from Starr King… is that balance between saving the world and savoring the world,” said Rev. Mann. “Joy and resilience is the antidote to oppression…. Coming out of Starr King with that feeling and balance – knowing that we are here to save the world and that it’s important that we take care of ourselves, that we love ourselves, that we lean into joy, that we do things that bring more joy in the world – I think I will always take that with me.”

To learn more about the Starr King’s MASC program, stop by our lounge in the Exhibit Hall or visit www.sksm.edu/masc.

Graduate Association Dinner

We closed our Friday of General Assembly at the Starr King Graduate Association Dinner. This informal, drop-in meal brought together nearly 20 of our graduates for lively conversation, good food, and a chance to catch up with each other as well as our outgoing president, Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, and our incoming president, Dr. Stephanie L. Krusemark. A perfect way to end Day Three at GA!

Day Four – Saturday, June 21

inSpirit Learning Stage: Starr King’s Presidents Conversation

This afternoon in the Exhibit Hall, our outgoing president, Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, and our incoming president, Dr. Stephanie Krusemark, engaged in a lively and heartfelt conversation about the future of theological education at Starr King and beyond.

The two presidents first spoke to each other, with Rev. McNatt asking Dr. Krusemark about her vision for the next chapter of Starr King. Dr. Krusemark emphasized the importance of increasing our reach globally, leveraging technology to make a Starr King education more accessible, and finding ways to reduce the financial burden for students as they answer their call to religious leadership. Dr. Krusemark also talked about her deep and broad experience across theological and higher education.

“I find that higher education is a calling to me… [It] really is my ministry,” Dr. Krusemark shared. “My favorite part of the work is engaging with students. Just hearing students’ stories, their various experiences and backgrounds, their calling moment – that moment of the heart where it won’t stop beating when you think about being called to ministry – is such an exciting journey to walk alongside.”

The presidents then took questions from the assembled crowd. When asked about how lay leaders who are not seeking a path to ordained ministry can learn from Starr King, Rev. McNatt discussed the opportunities for people to take individual courses as Special Students, earn a certificate in specific topics such as UU Studies, and the Master of Arts in Social Change degree for those seeking a deeper grounding in how to engage in the work of justice in their communities.

When asked about the changing landscape in theological and higher education, Dr. Krusemark noted what she had experienced at other institutions of higher learning, as those institutions sought to reduce the financial burden faced by students answering their call.

In reflecting on the moment we are facing, Dr Krusemark shared, “The abnormality that is going on right now is something that is unfortunately not new. It is history repeating itself.” She continued, “We really do have to double down on our mission and our values. We have to make sure that we are keeping this foundation and continuing to do the work. We shouldn’t stop; we shouldn’t be delayed in our ability to deliver those progressive religious leaders needed now and for the future.”

In response to one of the final questions, Rev. McNatt reflected on one of the biggest lessons she learned in her 11 years of service as president of Starr King. “I think I knew this on a personal level, but I think I have learned over this time about the insistence of the call. When people receive the call, there is almost nothing they will not do to answer it,” she explained. “What I love about Starr King students is the shaping of their call in service to the world in very particular, justice-seeking ways. And it has been an honor to spend 11 years helping those students answer that call and watch them as they grow.”

Welcoming the Stranger: Global U/UU Radical Hospitality

Starr King was thrilled to sponsor an on-demand workshop on “Welcoming the Stranger: Global U/UU Radical Hospitality.”

The workshop explores welcoming the stranger practices in Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist communities around the world. The workshop was organized by The Reckoning International U/UU Histories Project, which interrogates over four centuries of colonialism and discrimination in global U/UU relations.

After an introduction to Team Reckoning’s work, Carol Maciel (current Starr King student) moderated the conversation on what it means to welcome the stranger – beyond and within hospitality – in different cultural contexts.

Rev. Adél Nagy shared the cultural and theological roots of her experience of welcoming the stranger as a Transylvanian Unitarian minister. She described how the geographic location, in a rural community in the in the heart of Transylvania, shaped her congregation’s practices. “We seldom have people come to our services that we do not know,” she shared. “However, I think my congregation and every Unitarian congregation in Transylvania is very open and welcoming to people coming for the first time.”

“I think our hospitality is influenced theologically and culturally. We always proudly say that all Hungarians are very hospitable. But theologically, we try to point to Jesus’ teachings,” Rev. Nagy explained. “I do preach very often about how Jesus accepted everyone, and at the table where he sat there was a place for everyone… So, our hospitality is influenced by the theology and ethics of Jesus, and also it is a cultural trait as well.”

Rev. Tet Gallardo (2016-2017 Starr King Balázs Scholar) shared her experience of radical hospitality as it is practiced in UU congregations and fellowships in the Philippines.

“Radical welcome is not just about understanding what is strange. It is about not just understanding the imposition of our own norms that are already established when someone tries to ‘break into the group,’” Rev. Gallardo explains. “In fact, we have what I call a reverse evangelism; in many churches here, if they saw someone with quite a strange worldview, they would ask that person right away to the pulpit. ‘Please come to our pulpit and teach us what you know’… So, I think that is how significantly different our practice of radical welcome is compared to other churches in the Philippines.”

In fact, this is how Rev. Gallardo first experienced Unitarian Universalism in the Philippines. Within her first meeting at a UU congregation, she was asked to speak and share her unique perspective.

Rev. Gallardo explained the larger cultural context of welcoming the stranger in the Philippines. “In any part of its history, the Philippines would always be characterized by radical welcome, by fearless embrace of the stranger. And even now, it is still the trademark of how Filipinos do Unitarian Universalism,” she reflected. “Instead of ‘How do we welcome the stranger?’, the hallmark of our social status is dependent on how the stranger welcomes us, how the stranger embraces us.”

Rev. Nagay and Rev. Gallardo reflected on how marginalized communities are welcomed in their local contexts, including in this time of rising authoritarianism across the globe. They also shared how their Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist communities practice invitation across generations in their communities.

The workshop provided valuable insights and inspired deep reflections on how Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism is practiced in different contexts, and what we can learn from these different perspectives in the United States.

Deepening Meaning in Your Life Through Spiritual Companionship

Starr King’s Director of Spiritual Care, Rev. Jacqueline Duhart (2008 Graduate), was one of the panelists in an on-demand webinar on spiritual direction.

Led by members of The Unitarian Universalist Spiritual Direction Network, the session introduces the process and benefits of spiritual direction to help UUs who are seeking meaning, joy, and spiritual support as we face life’s challenges. Specifically, viewers had the opportunity to experience actual, unrehearsed spiritual direction sessions to understand the depth and breadth of this discipline.

Pastor Jacqueline illustrated the practice of providing spiritual direction, or spiritual journeying, alongside Rev. Tandi Rogers, who played the role of seeker for this demonstration. Throughout the spiritual direction session, Pastor Jacqueline guided Rev. Rogers through visualization and meditation to encourage reflection and healing.

Other speakers and participants included Linnea Nelson (serving as Moderator), Rev. Gregory Boyle, Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs, Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Rev. Darcey Laine, Rev. Jan Nielsen, and Rev. Petra Thombs.

The workshop was a beautifully constructed demonstration of this growing practice of spiritual direction.

Farewell, Baltimore – Saturday, June 21

Rev. Alison Miller (Chair of Starr King Board of Trustees) also offered a toast in honor of Rev. McNatt. “There is so much unseen work as president of a seminary. And I want you to know that we see it in spades,” Rev. Miller shared with Rev. McNatt. “Your fight, your resilience, your love of our faith means that you were committed to opening the door to that one more student no matter what it took… You are a mentor who has moved mountains for your people, and it has made a huge difference.”

Rev. McNatt then spoke to those gathered to express her gratitude for all of the people who made the past 11 years possible. “I can’t believe that it has been 11 years. But I am grateful to so many people in this room – so many people who held me up when I felt like I wanted to fall down,” she shared.

“When people told me that 182 students had graduated in my time here, all I could think of was all the churches that they would go to, all the nonprofits that they would impact, all of the community organizations that they would make their home base… It’s why I always talk about Starr King as a force multiplier,” Rev. McNatt reflected. “We get the people who have this call. We hold them; we won’t let them go. We walk them do the door. We get them ready for the leadership the world needs.”

Our incoming president also addressed the assembled crowd. “What an incredible legacy you’ve built here. I know I speak for all of us when I say how deeply grateful we are for your visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to Starr King,” Dr. Krusemark shared with Rev. McNatt. “You’ve changed this institution—and you’ve changed lives. And now, it’s my turn to build on that foundation.”

A joyous and moving evening, it was the perfect way to express our deep gratitude for Rev. McNatt’s service and send her off to her next chapter!

Sing Out Love: A Virtual Hymnal Hymn Sing

On Sunday morning, the first Unitarian Universalist online hymnal – Sing Out Love – was launched at a singalong event where the Virtual Hymnal Task Force presented many of the new hymns and songs.

The task force, consisting of Camille Hatton, Mary Benard, Rev. Erika Hewitt (2002 Starr King Graduate & Former Faculty), Beverly Horton, Carey McDonald, and Susanne Maziarz, joined by Rev. Dr. Everett Howe (2019 Starr King Graduate) as Administrator, has been working on the virtual hymnal for over two years. Meant to be a living collection – just as Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition – the songs inside are an expression of our UU values. Their vision is to help us live into our prophetic calling as a joyful, liberatory, and anti-oppressive faith.

This collection serves as much more than a traditional hymnal. The hymnal includes sheet music transposed into every key, as well as additional information about the origin and composer(s), PowerPoint slides with lyrics, audio files, braille files, and more, meeting or exceeding accessibility standards.

Click here to learn more!

UU Polity Class at GA

Throughout General Assembly, our UU Polity class convened, exploring UU polity and governance by using GA as an in-person or online laboratory for participating in and witnessing decision-making within the UU Association. Led by Rev. Dr. Meg Richardson, the class delves into the histories, theologies, and the challenges and promise of liberation by dismantling white supremacy culture.

Starr King offers our UU Polity class in conjunction with General Assembly every year. This year the course was again hybrid – allowing those attending General Assembly in-person and virtually to learn together. This year’s class guests included Rev. Kimberely Debus, Rev. Darrick Jackson, Rev. Mr. Barb Greve (2007 Starr King Graduate and former Trustee), and Starr King’s outgoing and incoming presidents, Rev. Rosemary Bratt McNatt and Dr. Stephanie L. Krusemark.

It was an insightful class and a wonderful gathering of Polity Wonks!

Supporting Resilient UU BIPOC Region Efforts

Rev. Kevin Mann (Faculty and 2016 Graduate), Ronnie Boyd (current Starr King Student), Jewell Faamaligi, and Pastor AJ Blackwood led an on-demand workshop on lessons learned from UU BIPOC organizing efforts. The workshop was presented by DRUUMM California and The Mountain Top, with the panelists reflecting on the history of their organizations and their respective experiences of organizing, network building, and collective healing.

DRUUMM California’s vision is to uplift, amplify and center BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Unitarian Universalists, through cultivating a network of regional retreats within the three main regions of the state: the Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California. The organization dismantles white supremacy culture by centering the stories, lived experiences, and spiritual traditions of BIPOC UUs.

The Mountain Top UU offers a space for people to practice Unitarian Universalism that centers our voices and perspectives as BIPOC

Rev. Mann, who served as moderator of the discussion, shared the history of DRUUMM California and the ongoing purpose of the organization. “I am excited for ways that [DRUMM California and The Mountain Top] can really build together, organize together, and really build Unitarian Universalism from our perspective,” Rev. Mann shared. “A lot of people have come to our retreats, and that is their first entry point into Unitarian Universalism… For them, Unitarian Universalism is this multicultural, antiracism experience.”

During the panel’s discussion, Ronnie Boyd shared the lessons learned when organizing a virtual retreat on the theme of peace and justice for DRUUM California.

“One of the perks of DRUUMM California is the opportunity to flex your leadership skills. And leading the virtual retreat was one of those moments for me,” Boyd reflected. “As a disability justice activist, I had been wanting to explore more virtual and hybrid events to do my own work on creating a space that’s truly accessible. In putting the retreat together, I learned a lot about how to make the online experience just as rich as an in-person experience.”

Pastor AJ Blackwood explained the history of The Mountain Top, lessons learned, and what he hopes for the future. “The bigger future [vision I have] is that we are the model for our UU churches,” Pastor Blackwood explained. “That we become the model of looking to what the beloved community can look like.”

Rev. Mann expanded on this idea of becoming the model for congregations: “I love that at The Mountain Top and DRUUMM California, we already are the beloved community. We already are the antiracist, multicultural beloved community. And I think for me the vision is that I want every UU church to look like the communities they are from.”

It was a powerful workshop that highlighted the importance of creating liberatory spaces that uplift, amplify, and center BIPOC Unitarian Universalists, while also offering practical guidance for how to organize such spaces effectively.

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