To: Board of Trustees, All Souls Church, Unitarianhn
Separation Package for Reverend Susan Newman Moore
As people who love All Souls and are committed to its vision of beloved community, we are writing to urge a swift and just separation agreement for Reverend Susan Newman Moore.
We take as a given that All Souls Church (ASC) is a beloved spiritual home to us all, and the future of this community is more important than which “side” or interpretation of the events leading up to this separation that individuals within the community may choose to embrace. We understand that there is much work ahead to deal with structural issues and other questions about how this congregation will fulfill its commitment to the 8th Principle which we endorsed as a congregation in December 2017. It is our judgment that work cannot meaningfully advance, and the congregation cannot move toward healing, as long as the just resolution of Reverend Moore’s separation remains outstanding.
We urge members of the Board of Trustees to:
• Step back from the insistence on moving to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s arbitration process and begin a mediated process of conversation with Reverend Moore with the aim of reaching a just settlement.
• Be prepared to go beyond the legal obligations in Reverend Moore’s contract, in light of the broadly acknowledged and long-unresolved management challenges within the church brought us to this moment. These are extraordinary circumstances that call for a response that is grounded more in our shared values than in the law.
• Make every possible effort to reach a just and generous agreement with Reverend Moore that considers, among other things, her years of service as a minister to ASC, the time she acted for the Senior Minister, and the professionalism and caring she brought to her work as quickly as possible to prevent additional damage to her, our community, and our relationships with each other.
We thank you, Board members for your willingness to serve the church. We urge you, as elected leaders of the congregation, to take a broad view of your obligation to the current and future health of our community and our ability to move forward together.
We take as a given that All Souls Church (ASC) is a beloved spiritual home to us all, and the future of this community is more important than which “side” or interpretation of the events leading up to this separation that individuals within the community may choose to embrace. We understand that there is much work ahead to deal with structural issues and other questions about how this congregation will fulfill its commitment to the 8th Principle which we endorsed as a congregation in December 2017. It is our judgment that work cannot meaningfully advance, and the congregation cannot move toward healing, as long as the just resolution of Reverend Moore’s separation remains outstanding.
We urge members of the Board of Trustees to:
• Step back from the insistence on moving to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s arbitration process and begin a mediated process of conversation with Reverend Moore with the aim of reaching a just settlement.
• Be prepared to go beyond the legal obligations in Reverend Moore’s contract, in light of the broadly acknowledged and long-unresolved management challenges within the church brought us to this moment. These are extraordinary circumstances that call for a response that is grounded more in our shared values than in the law.
• Make every possible effort to reach a just and generous agreement with Reverend Moore that considers, among other things, her years of service as a minister to ASC, the time she acted for the Senior Minister, and the professionalism and caring she brought to her work as quickly as possible to prevent additional damage to her, our community, and our relationships with each other.
We thank you, Board members for your willingness to serve the church. We urge you, as elected leaders of the congregation, to take a broad view of your obligation to the current and future health of our community and our ability to move forward together.
Why is this important?
Ensure a fair separation for Rev. Moore and begin healing of our Beloved Community.
SUGGESTED READING:
https://www.uuworld.org/articles/uua-leaders-alarmed-conflicts
SUGGESTED READING:
https://www.uuworld.org/articles/uua-leaders-alarmed-conflicts