American Unitarian Conference Forum

I am new to the AUC (I will be officially joining very soon). I am here to gain more insight and understanding. I am also going to create an AUC church here in my town. So "Hello All!!"

Wow...an Illinois AUCer...welcome. Too bad for me you are in Monmouth as I live in McHenry county....far NW Chicago area.

Welcome to the AUC.

Will look forward to reading you posts. If I can be of help, let me know.

With love,

Rev Dorris

Thanx you guys...I'm sure I'm gonna learn a lot

Peace,
Rev. Holloway

Hi,

Anyone who founds a Unitarian and/or Universalist church or religious group independent of the UUA or even considers it usually strikes a sympathetic chord with me.

I'll be interested in "hearing" anything you choose to discuss here.

Best wishes,

John

John,

It really started as a dream while I was still with the UUA. I got lots of suggestions from various people within the church about how to go about becoming a minister. From Swedenborg to the online ordinations. Then I discovered that in IL you simply must create the church and they automatically consider you a minister. That is not to say that I don't have the life lessons to prepare me for my calling it just means that I know now what I should have known growing up in the Black communities I did. A piece of paper does not instantly make you a minister, but what is in your heart does.

I hope those who did attend seminary do not take offense, but thats how my family has always done it and I do not see why I should break with a family tradition that has worked for years.

Peace,
Rev. Holloway

That is interesting....are there any explicit benefits in IL for having the theological school diploma?  

Keep up your education and best of luck.  I take it there is an existing group of Unitarians in Monmouth....being a small college town....?

The only benefit I can see is that you can be a minister in some churches. I say some because not all churches require it, but it is helpful if you want others ministers who have gone to seminary to take you seriously.

I was a member of the local Ministerial committee, but I noticed that just because we didn't conform to their narrow views of what a church was I felt we were not taken seriously. That and our small numbers (so far it is just myself and my bf) That is why I have asked if there are any promo materials available. There is a UUA fellowship in Macomb, IL that we tried attending, but when gas prices soared and we started working we couldn't continue going there. I believe there are a number of U & U people living in our town. We just have to show them that there are others out there and they can find a church home here in town so they won't have to travel much (you can walk the span of our town within a day )

I have even instituted a "seminary" of sorts for any other minister (non-seminarian) who chooses to join our church. I feel that life lessons are the strongest lessons you can have and no one should fault you for that.

Thank you for your kind words. I plan on getting as much self taught study as I can. I have big hopes and dreams for our church and I pray that they all can come true with God's help, hard work, and determination.

Peace

"A piece of paper does not instantly make you a minister, but what is in your heart does."

Being a minister is a calling -- Not a piece of paper.

I agree with your statement.

With love,

Rev Dorris

Thank you, I hope I didn't offend anyone!

Peace