A blog post entitled '
Gini Courter Endorses Laurel Hallman' appeared on
UUA Presidential candidate Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman's '
Elect Laurel Hallman For President Of The UUA' website today. This is obviously a key endorsement that could potentially swing the election in Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman's favor if it is not already heavily swung in her favor already. . . Here with my point-by-point commentary on UUA Moderator Gini Courter's endorsement of
Rev. Laurel Hallman for UUA President -
:The Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman is the leader Unitarian Universalism needs at this pivotal moment in the life of our Association.
Fair enough Gini but why is the Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman *the* leader Unitarian Universalism needs at this pivotal moment in the life of your Association as opposed to
Rev. Peter Morales?
:The last three UUA Presidents -
Bill Schulz,
John Buehrens, and
Bill Sinkford - all addressed growth in their campaign platforms. As President, each spoke eloquently and frequently about growth, and each in turn increased our visibility and our public voice. The number of visitors to our congregations has increased dramatically, but our membership has not.
This is an interesting "confession", possibly an unintentional one, on the part of UUA Moderator Gini Courter. The subtext of the last sentence is that even though the number of visitors to U*U congregations has *increased dramatically* few if any people amongst this dramatically increased numbers of visitors to U*U "churches" have actually chosen the tiny, declining, fringe religion known as Unitarian*Universalism to be their chosen faith. . . Membership in "Less Than Welcoming" Unitarian*Universalist congregations has not only not increased dramatically but may not have increased at all. In fact it is entirely possible, even quite probable, that membership in UUA congregations has not only stagnated but has even decreased somewhat, if not decreased significantly, over the terms of these three UUA Presidents, all of whom addressed growth in their campaign platforms if not in their policies and actions as UUA President. What does this clear lack of interest in becoming a member of a U*U "church" say about Unitarian*Universalism as a "product" in the religious "marketplace". What does this say about the millions of dollars that the UUA has spent on marketing, advertising, and other forms of U*U propaganda, trying to gain market share? Was this U*U money flushed right down the proverbial toilet because people who tried the "product" as a result of UUA marketing efforts decided that U*Uism was a rather sour, if not somewhat mouldy and rotten, "lemon"?
:It is time to shift our focus to our congregations, and treat them not like customers who purchase programs and inspiration, but as Association members with common concerns and shared purpose.
This comes across as an almost meaningless platitude. It is a no-brainer that the 1000 or so U*U congregations that are members of the Unitarian*Universalist *Association* Of Congregations should be treated as Association members with common concerns and shared purpose. Isn't that what being a member of *any* association is all about? What exactly is UUA Moderator Gini Courter saying here? One obvious subtext of Gini Courter's big fat U*U platitude here is that the Unitarian*Universalist Association Of Congregations aka the UUA has failed to treat U*U congregations as Association members with common concerns and shared purpose during the terms of the last three UUA Presidents.
That being said, part of the job of any association is to provide its members with both "inspiration" and "programs" of various kinds. Why does Gini Courter apparently want to play down, or even decrease, the UUA's role in providing programs and inspiration to UUA congregations? What is so wrong with treating U*U congregations as "customers" anyway? Most people or groups join associations to receive certain benefits, aka goods and services, provided by that association and thus are in fact *
customers* of the association as well as being members of it. . . Can UUA Moderator Gini Courter say "co-operative"? Maybe not. . .
:At this moment of possibility, Unitarian Universalism needs a leader grounded in our polity who knows that real growth will come not from having a thousand congregations listen to one leader, but from the work of a leader who listens to our thousand congregations.
Why is UUA Moderator Gini Courter so convinced that a thousand U*U congregations inspired by an inspirational UUA President, to say nothing of other inspirational U*U leaders associated with him and/or her, will not experience real growth? Why this apparent simplistic either/or thinking on Gini Courter's part? Can't Gini dream of a UUA President who will be both inspirational enough to have a thousand U*U congregations *really* listen to what he and/or she has to say, but who is ALSO wise enough to responsibly listen to what a thousand U*U congregations may have to say to him and/or her? What makes
UUA Moderator Gini Courter so sure that
Rev. Peter Morales is not listening to a thousand U*U congregations every bit as much as, if not more so, than
Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman is?
:In this time of promise, Unitarian Universalism needs a collaborative leader who will work with the UUA Board to focus the resources of the Association on supporting each congregation's ministry to its members and visitors, its local community, and the world.
In this time of promise?!! Who is UUA Moderator Gini Courter trying to fool? In this time of *crisis* would be a much more honest phrase to use. On what basis, if any, can UUA Moderator Gini Courter refer to this time in the UUA's history as a time of promise? The last time I checked the UUA's finances aka *resources* had decreased by over 25% as a result of the recession and the UUA was cutting it's already "less than adequate", to say nothing of "less than competent". . . human resources as a result of this significant loss of revenue. What makes UUA Moderator Gini Courter believe that Rev. Peter Morales would be any less of a collaborative leader who will work with the UUA Board to focus the resources of the Association on supporting congregations than Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman?
:In this time of uncertainty, Unitarian Universalism needs a proven CEO and experienced fundraiser with the tenacity and courage and love that are needed to create lasting institutional change.
"In this time of uncertainty" is closer to the truth. . . It would obviously help if *any* and all UUA President's were proven CEO's, rather than proven failed executives or business men or something. . . but I see no reason why the President of the UUA needs to be an experienced fundraiser surely the UUA can hire appropriate people to undertake that task and free up the President for more important tasks. I don't see the President of the U.S.A. being described as "Fundraiser In Chief" why should the President of the UUA have to play that role? What makes UUA Moderator Gini Courter believe that Rev. Peter Morales has any less tenacity and courage and love than Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman does? What makes Gini Courter believe that Rev. Peter Morales is any less ready, willing and able to create lasting institutional change in the UUA than Rev. Peter Morales is? Inquiring minds want to know as they say. . .
:Laurel Hallman is that grounded, collaborative, proven leader.
What makes Rev. Peter Morales a less grounded, collaborative, and proven leader than Rev. Laurel Hallman?
Well, come to think of it, Rev. Morales has said a thing or two which could indicate that he is not all *that* well grounded such as -
"We can be the religion of our time". . .
and decribing Christianity, Judaism and Islam as "obsolete religions" of course.
I am still waiting for him to answer my questions regarding those to questionable public statements of his.
:I encourage you to elect Laurel Hallman to serve as the next President of our Unitarian Universalist Association.
I would encourage Unitarian*Universalists to take a long hard look at both candidates for UUA President before casting their votes. This is an important UUA Presidential election that coulds determine whether or not Unitarian*Universalism will become an "obsolete religion" or at least an irrelevant religion that it is already well on its way to being. . . At present Unitarian*Universalism is a tiny, declining, fringe relgion as described by UUA Presidential candidate Rev. Peter Morales in his "stump speech" announcing his candidacy. If Unitarian*Universalists fail to play their cards right in the coming decades Unitarian*Universalism could very well go the way of Charles Darwin's dodo. . .
which obviously references Rev. Peter Morales' own description of what Unitarian*Universalism is today in his stump speech announcing his candidacy for UUA president in January of 2008. Quite frankly Rev. Morales has his work cut out for him if he wishes to transform Unitarian*Universalism from the "tiny, declining, fringe religion" that he bluntly but quite justifiably acknowledges U*Uism is today into "the religion of our time" within *our* time. I repeatedly asked Rev. Peter Morales to provide a realistic 25 year plan for transforming Unitarian*Universalism from a tiny, declining, fringe religion into "the religion of our time" but he declined to directly answer my questions that were posted to his 'Along The Campaign Trail' blog and other U*U blogs or online forums.
and that are only contributing to "the darkness" of fear, prejudice, and hatred etc. etc. in his stump speech but he has yet to address those concerns either. Anti-religious intolerance and bigotry on the part of the "fundamentalist atheist" subset of U*U Humanists is one of the major problems of the U*U Movement and is a major, if not primary, contributing factor to why U*Uism is in fact a tiny, declining, fringe religion today. . . 
I hereby call upon Rev. Peter Morales to firmly and forthrightly address this major problem of Unitarian*Universalism in the coming weeks and months so that God believing Americans can feel genuinely and fully welcome in each and every U*U "Welcoming Congregation". 
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