Board Message – July/August 2025
For the Unitarian Universalist annual conference, known as General Assembly, the theme this year is: Meet the Moment! From the AIWs (Actions of Immediate Witness, voted on by your conference delegates to affirm actions that need immediate engagement), to the daily discussions and lectures and worship, we are asked, in this moment, to look through the lens of our faith toward right action. As of this writing, many of us participated in marches and protests in the middle of June to declare what we stand for, who we stand for, and why it is important to embrace one another as a coalition of intersectional communities.
At stake in this moment, is the precious value of Democracy, with the rights we want upheld and the responsibilities we share in ensuring those rights —from teens to elders. GA is our opportunity to participate in the creation of the UU story. MDUUC is a part of the story and that process. This calls for a different kind of pledge. This pledge we make to each other – to learn from each other, across the generations and culture, respecting the diversity of our very human experiences. We are in challenging times, but we are not alone. Let us pledge to support each other, sharing and reflecting our values with one another because, in this moment, we need one another. MDUUC is a faith community committed to meeting this moment.
As your Board, we will continue our commitment to diversity of thought, experience, and expertise. And as we welcome new Board members, we give gratitude to those who have been serving on the Board:
We say thank you to Mark David Watanabe, who will be stepping aside as Co-President but we appreciate his plan to continue on the Board a bit longer to help with a smooth transition.
We say thank you to our Board Vice President, Jana Contreras, who has been a consistent voice, both as a parent with children actively involved in the church, and, as an attorney, bringing Board recognition to legal issues.
We say thank you to Sharon Solstice, whose dedication as our Treasurer was greatly appreciated, particularly as this was a role in which she had served previously. When her health took precedent, her discernment in stepping aside showed great humility and respect for the needs of the congregation.
We say thank you to Chris Carter, for his tremendous contribution, stepping in for Sharon, participating with the Finance Committee as well as the Board and providing consistent information, in a timely fashion, in order for us to make informed decisions as we move toward next year’s budget.
We say thank you to Peggy Kroll, who was our wonderful pinch hitter when an elected Board member had to step away due to family obligations. As a dedicated member of the church, knowledgeable regarding many church operations, Peggy’s input has been invaluable.
We say thank you to Steve Dietsch, for his service and his consistent engagement, his thoughtful regard and participation in meetings and forums, even as he went through the experience of his own great loss early in the year.
We say thank you to our incredible staff —from admin to tech, to facilities —all have weathered the challenges of illness, interruption, unexpected changes, yet continue to serve consistently and professionally every single day, in ways often not recognized. They are the ones behind the scenes who simply make things happen.
And we say thank you to the very dedicated and generous folks who lead us —Lead Minister, Rev. Leslie; Associate Minister, Rev. Rodney; Intern Minister (now former intern) Rose Riedel; Director of Religious Education, Marena McGregor; and our newest addition to staff, Music Director, Jyvonne Haskin.
As we move into our 2025-26 year, thank YOU for being a part of a thriving faith community. Please consider what you need, what you can offer, and invite others in.
In gratitude,
Linda Russell
President
MDUUC Board of Trustees