The Commission on Appraisal

Report to the 2001 General Assembly

The Commission on Appraisal is a nine-member body elected by and accountable to the General Assembly. Current members of the Commission include Janis Sabin Elliott, The Rev. Roberta Finkelstein, Joyce Gilbert, The Rev. Earl Holt, Janice Marie Johnson, The Rev. Lisa Presley (Chair), Gustave Rath (Treasurer), Charles B. Redd (Vice Chair), Arthur Ungar (Secretary), and John Buehrens (ex officio). The members serve six-year terms, with one-third of the membership elected every other year. This year, Lisa Presley, Gustave Rath and Art Ungar complete their terms.

The Commission is charged to "review any function or activity of the Association which in its judgment will benefit from an independent review and report its conclusions to a regular General Assembly." The Commission meets four times a years÷once at General Assembly, and three working meetings held in Boston and other locations throughout the continent. During most of our meetings, we hold open hearings to which we invite local UUs so we can hear as many of the different voices of our movement as possible. This year we met in Boston; Alexandria, Virginia; and St. Louis, Missouri, and we held open hearings in both Alexandria and St. Louis. Next year we will meet in Boston, New York, and Phoenix.

During this past year, our primary focus has been the completion of our report, Belonging: The Meaning of Membership. Rather than being a how-to book, or containing specific recommendations, this report looks at membership in a broader perspective, first talking about the theology that underlies a UU understanding of membership, and then by posing questions that are specific to who we are as a religious people. We urge congregations not only to read this report, but to engage themselves in wrestling with the implications of a theology of membership and their answers to the tensions that are inherent in our diverse congregational lives. A copy of the report will be sent to every congregation this summer, along with a Study Guide that is being prepared by the UUAâs Department of Religious Education. Copies are also available through the UUAâs Bookstore.

The major task facing the Commission this coming fall will be the selection of the next study topic. In choosing a topic, the Commission reviews the notes of its open hearings, other material received from individual UUs around the continent, and conversations held individually and as a Commission with leaders at all levels of our movement. We seek to determine what issue among us needs study, and what issue can be studied best by the Commission, both because of its position of independence gained by being solely accountable to the General Assembly, and because of the skills, talents, and abilities of the Commissioners themselves.

It has been the practice of the Commission over the past several reports to study one larger topic in depth, issuing a report approximately every four years, however we are considering if this is always the preferred option. We have begun to look at other issues that may not require a study of such depth, but that do need some body to review, and it may well be that the Commission will issue other, smaller reports, in the context of its work.

We continue the practice of having yearly conversations with the President, Moderator and Financial Advisor of the UUA to learn of their concerns and activities, and to bring important concerns that we hear during our hearings to their attention. So far, these conversations have been very helpful and productive, and we feel encouraged in our work, while maintaining the independence of the Commission. We look forward to meeting with the new President and Moderator in the upcoming year to continue this productive working arrangement. We realize we cannot address all issues of import, however we constantly seek your input about the state of our Association and our life together.

To that end, please be aware that Commissioners are available to meet with congregations, districts, and other organizations to discuss our work and to hear your questions and concerns. You can reach us through a number of media--by mail to the Commission at 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108, or through e-mail at coa@uua.org, or by calling or writing any of the individual Commissioners directly (our addresses are in the UUA Directory and on the UUA website). In order to serve you to the best of our ability, we need to hear from you.

Speaking on behalf of the members of the Commission, it is truly an honor to serve you and the Association through this work. It is a privilege to so serve, and is both labor of love and a sign of our commitment to and hope for our religious movement. Thank you.