Since the Board of Trustees convened the Right Relations Team (RRT) this spring, the first members of the team have been appointed: Susan Cox, Ann Doss Helms, Peter Huxtable, Naomi Irvine and Meagan O’Connor. We’ve been meeting to figure out how to guide our community in living by our covenant.
That covenant clarifies our commitment to treat each other with love, respect and dignity and engage in courageous and honest communication. It’s been more than three years since our congregation approved that document in 2021, but we’ve had a few distracting challenges during that time.
The team has taken extensive online training from the Unitarian Universalist Institute. We have learned that most congregations are still trying to figure this out. We’ve spoken with Rev. Amanda, the Board of Trustees and the Communications Team about how best to approach our role in helping to create a culture where people feel comfortable talking directly with each other rather than complaining about each other, one where we can remain in loving relationship even when we face conflict. We also understand this will require a long term and on-going commitment from the congregation.
It’s important to understand that the RRT will not be a judicial board ruling on who’s right and who should be reprimanded when there’s conflict. That is not what accountability means in a community bound by covenant.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be looking for opportunities to explore topics, to start sharing our thoughts and to hear your thoughts, concerns and wishes regarding living in covenant with each other. In the meantime you can reach the team at rightrelations@uuccharlotte.org. We don’t yet have all of the processes in place or the answers to all of the questions you may have, but we will embark on this journey together.