The Nature of Leadership Rev. Roberta Finkelstein March 12, 2006 One of the best kept secrets in Unitarian Universalist churches is that there are two things we have in abundance, although we like to pretend otherwise. Those things are money and power. Money and power – the only resources necessary for creating a transformative liberal religious community. Last night you kicked off your annual Stewardship Campaign. I encourage your generosity. I also encourage your optimism. Believe that the money is here. Think about your pledge in terms of what your are investing in rather than what it will cost you. Generous, sustaining pledges make a powerful statement about the way you value this house – this cradle for your dreams and workshop of your common endeavors. Just as there is no shortage of money in this congregation, there is no shortage of power. A pervasive but mistaken notion about Unitarian Universalist identity is that we are an island of religious liberalism awash in a sea of conservatism. What can a small and powerless group do in such circumstances? Phooey! Unitarians and Universalists throughout history have exerted influence well beyond what we could expect from our numbers. Our ancestors had a profound impact on their society because knew how to organize themselves to be effective. Paraphrasing James Luther Adams, creating a community of justice and love requires the organization of power, and the power of organization. It is not our numbers that hold us back today, it is our attitude towards power. A number of years ago past Unitarian Universalist Association President John Buehrens wrote an article about what he believed was holding us back as a movement. He said, “ . . . a ‘besetting sin' among us (is) our persistent authority issues. There's a great book out by Ronald Heifetz (son of Jascha), a psychiatrist-musician who for a decade has headed the Leadership Education Project at Harvard's Kennedy School. In Leadership Without Easy Answers, he points out that Americans too often confuse leadership and authority. But they are not the same. Leadership should be shared. It should be seen as something any of us can do, from any position within the community. It consists simply of mobilizing energy to the adaptive work demanded by changing circumstances. Too often, we expect those in positions of authority to do all the work for us, failing to empathize with the limitations and obstacles inherent in any position of responsibility and authority. It's fine to "question authority" as the bumper sticker has it, but leader-bashing, which has become a great sport in our culture, is a dysfunctional use of our religious energies.” I know that some of you are probably very fond of your “Question Authority” bumper stickers. But I want to push you to recognize that each one of you holds and exerts authority in this community, authority that comes from a particular kind of power: relational power. One reason I am clear about the power that resides in this group is that I have some of it. When I came to minister among you I was given a certain amount of power simply because of my role - and that power has increased over the course of this year as you have grown to trust me. The relationship between us increased the amount of effective power we could all exert. Relational power is based on trust. I experience ministerial power as a gift - given with the expectation that I will be wield it responsibly - with the best interests of the congregation always in mind. The same can be said of the power that you bestow on each other as lay leaders. It is a gift, gratefully received, to be used in service of the best interests of the congregation. One way to understand the nature of a particular religious movement is to look at the way the power is organized and distributed. In learned church circles, the word for that is polity. Unitarian Universalists practice congregational polity. This means that the members of the congregation make and implement all decisions regarding their communal life together. There is no ordained hierarchy; no bishops or popes. You own this congregation, you support and sustain this congregation, you run this congregation. Many of you would identify our polity as one of the strengths of Unitarian Universalism. As with any strength, congregational polity also has costs. It demands a deep commitment; you cannot sit back and expect somebody else – a mythical somebody in charge – to take care of things. It demands an openness to change and difference of opinion. And, in the absence of any traditional hierarchy, it demands that you recognize the legitimacy of your self-selected leadership, and your self-selected method of organizing power. “Question Authority” really doesn’t work when you are the authority. John Carver, in his book Boards That Work, says that "leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purpose." The most important function of leadership is the intentional discernment of the real purpose of this congregation. That may mean creating more formal structures to facilitate communication and build trust. An example here would be the transparent, efficient, and accountable procedures that have been put in place by the Finance Committee over the past several years. Such simple things as written job descriptions & committee charters would further enhance that culture of trust and transparency that you aspire to. Don’t do it for the sake of creating bureaucracy – do it for the sake of the effective organization of power to create a powerful organization. A healthy culture of leadership is indispensable to the health of the congregation. We Unitarian Universalists have, too often, been guilty of a particularly egregious version of knee-jerk anti-authoritarianism. We choose leaders, then watch them like hawks for the slightest misstep. This is counter-productive. It is also counter to our religious values. We who celebrate the democratic process in our Principles and Purposes, who affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person, can ill afford to undermine those among us called to serve in our leadership. Just as the relationship between minister and congregation is a powerful relationship based on mutual trust, so is the relationship between the congregation and elected leadership. This morning you will elect a Search Committee to seek a new settled minister. The Nominating Committee worked hard to create an application process that would identify the most qualified candidates and would make it clear what the time and effort would be involved. Having completed that job, they are now working with similar clarity and transparency to create a slate for the board and officers to be elected in June. The people who say "yes" when asked to serve are entitled to know that their service will be welcomed and supported by the congregation. They deserve to know that the congregation will bestow upon them the trust and the power that they need to get their work done. As I told the children earlier, to be able to vote in a democratic election is something we take for granted, but is a precious gift treasured by many people around the world. Please be aware of the preciousness of your vote as you cast it this morning. And remember that your obligation does not end with your vote. To be a good citizen of this democracy we call the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick is to be constantly informed and involved. You will need to communicate clearly with your leaders, and listen well. You will need to participate in the many opportunities that are afforded to you to be part of the decision making process. And you will need to learn to lose gracefully on occasion. In a true democracy, you may not win every argument, but you will always know that your voice has been heard. The democratic process lies at the heart of our Principles and Purposes. Messy and frustrating as that process sometimes is, it is the core of our faith. Trust that process, trust the people you choose to lead that process, trust the outcomes to be in the best interests of the order. Remember that you live in an abundance of power. You don't have to hoard it by undermining anybody else. Acknowledge the power you have, and the power you choose to share. The organization of power does not happen in our congregation merely to tend to the internal functions of the church. It also exists in order to assure that the values of liberal religion are extended beyond our walls. When Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was at hand, he was talking about power. He was not saying, "Sit back, relax, God is coming along shortly to take care of things." He was saying, "A community of justice and love is at your fingertips. All you have to do is pick up the tools that are sitting right in front of you and begin construction." I hear that as a call to organize power in order to bring love and justice to our lives and the lives of those around us. In a moment we will depart, radically, from our usual order of worship. The official congregational meeting to elect the Search Committee will begin immediately after the Offertory. When the business has been conducted, we will sing the closing hymn, hear the Benediction and Postlude, and extinguish the chalice. We have incorporated the business meeting into the service of worship to break down the false dichotomy between the spiritual and the practical work of congregational life. I encourage you to wield your power in faith – bringing the covenantal principles of mutual trust, respect, civility, and love to that process.