Board of Trustees Message – May 2024

Here’s an interesting factoid for you about our fifth month. Did you know that in any given calendar year, no other month begins on the same day of the week as May 1, and no other month ends on the same day of the week as May 31? After you double-check me on this, here are some items to note.

The Beacon Breakfast on Commitment Sunday was a wonderful and successful event. We launched our annual stewardship campaign, received updates regarding our Together We Rise initiative, and had lively discussions that generated ideas that could shape a brighter future ahead for MDUUC. Many thanks to our staff for the hard work they put in for making sure that all went smoothly (with a special shout-out to Jen Marsh Prink for her creation of kitchen magic!).

The Board encourages everyone to submit their financial pledges for the 2024-2025 church year as soon as possible, as we will need to get a sense of our revenue outlook prior to creating a working budget proposal. More will be shared at the in-person Congregational Forum on May 19 and via video. All members of the Board have pledged, and we look forward to being joined by other excited members and friends who are devoted to the well-being of a community that nourishes their spirits and enables them to project our cherished values to promote more good in the world.

At the Congregational Forum last month, the Associate Minister Search Committee reviewed the process of engaging with our internal candidate, the Rev. Rodney Lemery, and presented answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Additional meetings with Rev. Rodney will eventually be completed, after which the Search Committee will make a recommendation to the Board whether to proceed with arranging a vote to call.

During the last monthly Board meeting the following individuals were recently approved as delegates to the all-virtual UUA General Assembly that is scheduled for June 20-23: Rose Barreto, Lynn Baskett, Mark Chase, Holly Ito, Neysa Matt, Elsie Mills, Linda Russell, Richard Scoby, Mark David Watanabe. Alternate delegates may also be needed, so please contact the Board if you may be interested.

A most important “Save the Date” is Sunday, June 2, when a hybrid Congregational Meeting is scheduled after the Sunday service. Because votes will be taken (for approving the next church year’s budget and possibly for calling Rev. Rodney as our Associate Minister) we will need a quorum present. All members are asked to commit to attending and will be invited to enlist other members they may know to show up as well. Be advised that only members who have officially joined MDUUC by May 2 are eligible to vote.

By the way, it should also be shared that as of last month, Rev. Leslie Takahashi has completed 15 years as a minister at MDUUC! All deep gratitude is due to her for the faithful ministry she has provided since 2009.

So here’s to May, a month in the calendar that is special and unique, just like our MDUUC community!

In faith and service,

Mark David Watanabe

President, MDUUC Board of Trustees