Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada
The Canadian chapter of the
Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
Covenant of Right Relations
UUMOC, Hamilton, May, 2005
When we aspire to divine
the world we make one
space within love and time
and everyone becomes
We come together to be deeply known in a space of healing and acceptance. We welcome our diverse gifts and needs, stories and challenges, because we will not leave the weaving of the whole to chance.
We create worship
meaning
celebration and
fun,
reaching wide and deep, that we might fully return (this energy)
to our congregations and communities.
Together, we seek and honour our rich heritage and new possibilities;
together we hold the centre and feel the sacred;
together we speak ourselves into community and hear each other into being.
We are challenged in our ministry by isolations of many kinds, whether contextual or self-imposed; geographic, personal, professional.
We are challenged to find ways to welcome our colleagues into real and supportive relationships, no matter where they are on their career journey, no matter what kind of ministry they do.
We struggle to find balance between the pulls of local and denominational need, between personal and professional demand, between pastoral and prophetic call.
We are challenged by each other, by the need to give appropriate welcomes to all members, by moments of collegial conflict and our need to presume best intention in all of our interactions, our need to recall each other to our best selves, and our need to seek a unifying voice emerging from our sometimes awkward diversity.
We find comfort and support in spending time with colleagues, individually and in community – that relationships may deepen in trust, acceptance, and forgiveness.
We are nurtured by being known, both shadow and light – risking vulnerability and asking for what we need – open to what we hear.
We treasure our colleagues reaching out to us in times of celebration and suffering – witnessing our joys and our tears.
We share companionship by:
- supporting one another in our spiritual practices;
- encouraging one another through inspiration, mutual mentoring, and good models of ministry;
- offering hospitality and tangible caring; and
- worshipping, working, singing, playing, and laughing together – delighting in one another’s presence.
Given our hopes and vision for the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada:
We promise to honour the importance of right relationships with our colleagues,
- welcoming a spirit of wonder, reverence and love; and
- widening the circle of our gathering in acceptance, respect, and support.
We promise to contribute of ourselves, our ministries, and their bounty,
to act with integrity;
to speak well of one another and to listen compassionately, deeply, and with good intention;
to be present and to participate in community in ways that encourage connections and are supportive of one another;
to receive graciously and to be open and honest for and with ourselves, sharing the fruits of our experience;
to witness to the maintenance, spirit, and vision of our faith, upholding the larger ministry we share.
Mindful of our covenant, we promise to reach out and be for one another – in our professional ministries and in our personal lives – insofar as possible under the circumstances.
Signatures:
Fred Cappuccino
George Buchanan
Kathy Sage
Linda Weaver Horton
Donna Morrison-Reed
Wendy Luella Perkins
Katie Stein Sather
Phillip Hewett
Jane Bramadat
Charles Eddis
Sandor Lèta
Wendy McNiven
Christine Hillman
Gretchen Thomas
Elizabeth Benjamin
Laura Friedman
Shawn Newton
Stephen Atkinson
Julie Stoneberg
Katherine H. Winthrop
Felicia Urbanski
Diane Rollert
John Baros-Johnson
Wayne Walder
Mark Morrison-Reed
Frances Leigh Deverell
Meg Roberts
Karen Fraser Gitlitz
Anne Orfald
Sally Du Gar
Brian Kiely
Brian Kopke
Leela Sinha
Allison Barrett
Carole Martignacco
Jeff Brown
Steven Epperson
Peter Boullata
Neal Anderson
Debra Faulk
Penny Alderdice
Ray Drennan
Christine Hillman
