On Sunday, November 12, 2006 more than 20 members and friends of First Church participated in the Beyond Categorical Thinking (BCT)
program sponsored by the Search Committee and led by Barb Greve, a staff member of the UUA. The purpose of this program is to broaden the horizons of all those involved in a ministerial search to include candidates from groups that might not otherwise be considered.
The morning started with a worship service led by Barb. In his sermon, he recounted his life as an adoptee and his search as an adult for his biological parents.
His moving account of how he was received as a transgender person by his newly-found family gave focus to the topic of the day: acceptance of those different from ourselves.
After a delicious lunch of soup made by Jeff Hutton, the workshop portion of the program began.
Barb explained the history and purpose of Beyond Categorical Thinking. He then involved the group in
an exercise in which all were asked to consider three categories of candidates:
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those of a different race
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those who are bisexual/gay/lesbian/transgender
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and those with disabilities.
Each participant filled out a chart that asked, for each of the three categories, what were our personal concerns, what might be the concerns of others in the congregation, and what were the benefits to calling a minister in that category. The results were discussed and tabulated as a group.
Many of the concerns, both personal and congregation-wide, for all three groups revolved around membership: whether present members might be uncomfortable and leave or that new members might not be drawn a church with someone different from themselves as minister. Interestingly, many saw this very concern as a benefit: a minister from one of these groups would attract more new members and create more diversity in our membership. One other common concern was the feeling of discomfort that might be felt by both congregants and the minister. But again, others saw this as a benefit: helping us to recognize and address our own feelings concerning race, gender identity/preference, and disability. Some concerns were specific to one category, such as could we afford to make the parsonage accessible for a person using a wheelchair. Benefits, too, were related to a specific group: with a BGLT minister, Dedham might be closer to becoming a Welcoming Congregation.
In conclusion, Barb reviewed some of our common concerns and benefits and compared them to the actual experience of other congregations. One example: gay or lesbian ministers have attracted more members, many of whom are BGLT, but even more of the newcomers are heterosexual. A minister's effectiveness has little to do with the group to which he or she may belong. One participant then asked, "What we should be looking for, then, in a minister?" Barb replied, "Passion. The passion of the minister should match the passion of the church."
