Join the Global Connections Office at the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Leadership Institute for Growth, Healing, and Transformation at Meadville Lombard for this three-part series focusing on wealth in North American Unitarian Universalism. We’ll take a conversational approach to various topics including classism in North American U/Uism, charitable giving from congregations, church endowments, community partnerships, reconciliation, and reparations. The series will include presentation, discussion, and how-to’s of changing wealth practices with leaders across fields of ministry and philanthropy.
Part One:
This panel will briefly review the colonial trappings of material wealth that have prevented UU congregations from moving into a post-imperial mindset. Two ministers share their personal experiences, as well as reflections from their two different congregational settings and how the call to pluralism is redefining their financial and social priorities. Participants will be invited to reflect with the presenters on class and privilege, the tension of vision and debt, and how mutual transformation is possible in a post-imperial future.
Part Two:
In “Benevolent Intentions: Decolonizing the Religious Liberal Imperial Mind, an American Story,” Rev. Fred Muir traces the interwoven history of US imperialism and UU evangelization. Exploring themes of democracy as missionary work, American and UU exceptionalism, and the history of eugenics, Muir exposes religiously inflected thinking and actions undertaken by UU faith and political leaders with intentions of civilizing the “other.” Join us as we hear from Rev. Muir and Rev. Joan Javier Duval, who serve together as UUA Ambassadors to the Philippines, about this research and the importance of asking the question of faith, “What do we want our history to do to us?”
NOTE: Participants are welcome to email global@uua.org if you’re interested in a free copy of Rev. Fred Muir’s new book “Benevolent Intentions: Decolonizing the Religious Liberal Imperial Mind, an American Story”
Part Three:
What can people of faith learn from the philanthropic sector about how to liberate and decolonize wealth? What does it look like to ensure that practices and processes are mutually beneficial and support self- and communal-determination of impacted people and places? Join us for an interactive program with spiritually-grounded philanthropy colleagues Alicia Forde (Texas Methodist Foundation), Rich Havard (Decolonizing Wealth Project), and Syma Mirza (Neighborhood Funders Group) as they share stories from the field and invite us to reflect on what it takes to liberate wealth in our congregations and communities.