Platform
The following are issues relevant to the future of the CMwD and UUA upon which Erik has taken a public stance.
If you would like to learn more about Erik's positions, or to share your own ideas with the candidate, please Contact Erik.
Board Structure and Selection
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Rev. James Hobart from the First Unitarian Church of Chicago asks Erik about his stance on the proposed reorganization of the UUA Board of Trustees and the timing of governance changes potentially coinciding with GA 2012 in Phoenix, AZ.
As candidate for UUA Trustee, I recognize that we have begun shifting drastically the way we behave as an Association and hold our institution accountable to the needs of its members. One proposal is to shrink the UUA Board from its current number of over 24 persons to a maximum of 12. The process by which future UUA Board members will be selected is as yet unclear, but it appears as if the General Assembly in 2011 will be asked to vote on a system that grants selection of a slate of At-Large candidates to the Nominating Committee with the option of individuals to run by petition.
Inherent in the proposal that will likely be presented at GA 2011 is a charge to the Nominating Committee to select candidates that represent a broad range of identities, giving special weight to historically marginalized communities within Unitarian Universalism.
Historically Marginalized Communities
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Unitarian Universalism has traditionally remained a homogeneous community largely inaccessible to historically marginalized communities, such as persons of color, LGBT persons, the physically and mentally challenged, persons in lower income brackets and persons without higher education. Wouldn't it be nice if we could change that?
Youth and Young Adults
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One of the largest challenges facing Unitarian Universalism as a faith is the failure to retain our youngest members. As a youth and young adult chaplain, representative of young adults on the UUA Board, and a person dedicated to ministering to the changing needs of our youngest Unitarian Universalists, I feel I am uniquely qualified to address these issues at the Associational level.
Regionalization
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The UUA is currently exploring several models by which service delivery to congregations and representation within Associational leadership might be consolidated to save resources and energy.
Growth
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The growth of our Association cannot simply be measured in the number of people who meet with us on Sunday mornings. Numerical growth is and always has been the welcome result of doing our ministry well, not an end in and of itself.
Outreach
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Outreach is an essential component to the growth of Unitarian Universalism's influence and impact on the greater world. Now, more than ever, the world needs our liberal religious message grounded in interfaith collaboration, ongoing revelation and the search for truth.
Technology
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As a leader amongst Unitarian Universalists in the use of technology for outreach, publicity and inter-organizational communications, my candidacy is built on the promise to expand the technological capacities of the the UUA.
