Dear Ones,
To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. ~ Howard Zinn, historian, educator, and activist
This past Sunday, MVUUF hosted an interfaith panel on religion and our earth, the second session of the Interfaith Forum of Greater Dayton (IFGD)’s 2026 educational series, Transformation in a Time of Change. We had four panelists representing Islam, the Baha’i faith, the United Church of Christ (UCC), and Unitarian Universalism (our very own Maury W.).
While all the panelists offered inspiring responses to the questions, I keep coming back to the words of Rev. Dan Clark, a UCC minister working for Industrious Labs (a nonprofit organizing to reduce dangerous emissions and hold heavy industry accountable to communities and workers). In addition to speaking of the grief many of us feel and the fear that bad actors weaponize, Clark spoke of the hope that his faith promises. Grief, fear, and hope. Hope.
As a person who has had clinical depression and anxiety since I was a child, I have never had a problem feeling grief and fear. In fact, I have often felt them too deeply. Thankfully, my mental health has been well-managed and stable for over a decade. And yet. Since the 2024 presidential election, I keep forgetting to look for hope. And when I remember to look for it, I still struggle to trust it—to believe in it—to have faith in it—to believe we can build a world where every human being can thrive.
So I have been experiencing a mild case of “Holy Envy” of Clark’s faith (as described by author Barbara Brown Taylor). I so badly want hope and faith I can trust. I want to believe, in my tender heart, that we all will be okay—that I’ll work thru my own puny troubles (still need to unpack my house, ha)—that MVUUF will eventually flourish—and most importantly, that we will stop the power of greed and hate to harm one another and destroy our beautiful Blue Boat Home (as described by our beloved UU singer songwriter Peter Mayer).
When I need to believe or to be inspired, I go two places: Google and/or the UUA WorshipWeb. WorshipWeb is a collection of our Unitarian Universalist liturgy. Yesterday, I looked up the word “hope” and was struck by the Howard Zinn passage I included at the top of my letter. Clark reminded me to look for a hope I could have faith in—one I could release my worry to—and Zinn reminded me of the hope that Unitarian Universalism gave me when I first found it over 25 years ago. Our faith promises a hope built on the full picture of human history: the cruelty AND the Love, the power of human agency when centered on Love.
When you read the news and start to feel numb or buried in a deep despair, remember to trust our shared Unitarian Universalism. Remember to trust that our religious movement will survive this moment in history (we have always been small and mighty). Remember to trust that we human beings can stop greed and hate with our own “compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.” Remember Zinn’s assertion:
The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.
I am incredibly grateful to be the spiritual leader of a religious community that has already been putting Zinn’s words into action. I hope you feel as grateful and inspired as I feel to be part of MVUUF. May we hold this feeling deep in our bodies so that we can remember it when we become annoyed, overwhelmed, or scared.
In addition to this general feeling of inspiration and gratitude for MVUUF, we have many specific accomplishments— big accomplishments—to be proud of!
- We have beautiful new vision and mission statements that represent who we are today and who we are striving to be. A big thank-you to the vision mission task force, all the congregants who participated in the feedback sessions, and all the congregants who approved it at the January meeting!
- Vision: We envision a world free of injustice and inequity where inclusive Love flourishes, and the sacredness of every individual is celebrated.
- Mission: We covenant to create a Beloved congregation that nurtures spiritual growth and joy, collaborates with other progressive groups, and inspires remarkable transformation in us and our world.
- A big thank-you to our small but mighty pledge team and all 93 congregants who made a pledge for the upcoming year! Our pledge total is over $20,000 higher than last year’s total. We had 32 congregants increase their pledges and 12 new pledgers. We have a lot to celebrate!
- A HUGE thank-you to our governance task force (affectionately referred to as “Ladies of the Abyss” by their chair)! The governance task force has presented new rightsized bylaws for approval at the June congregational meeting. The new bylaws will help us reduce burnout and strengthen our leadership development.
- A big thank-you to our board and strategic planning work group for hosting eight listening circles with the congregation! Please see the board’s letter for good details on what we learned. The board and I will continue this work with Rachel Maxwell from Stewardship for Us to identify MVUUF’s priorities, goals, and initiatives. Keep a lookout for ways to be involved with this process.
- For the first time since 2023, we are fully staffed—whoo-hoo!!! In March, Meg Hopper joined our staff team in a new position called music coordinator. Meg (she/they) works 25 hours per month and serves as music leader twice a month. Like our volunteer music leaders, Ian and Jeff, she is responsible for collaborating with the worship speaker to select music and then leads the singing during the service. With only 45 minutes before each worship service to rehearse, this is quite a difficult task (we’re lucky that Ian and Jeff make it look so easy!). For more info about Meg, please see her website bio.
- Over this last program year, I have become much busier and more visible in our greater Dayton community. For the second year, I represented MVUUF at the Dayton Homeless Memorial Vigil to honor those who lost their lives while unhoused. In addition to serving as the vice-president of the Interfaith Forum of Greater Dayton, I was one of five clergy who offered reflections on MLK’s principles of non-violence at the Annual Dayton Mayor’s Interfaith Community Leader Breakfast. I offered a short presentation on Unitarian Universalism to the Dayton Women’s Interfaith Discussion Group and, as usual, presented Unitarian Universalism to several world religion classes at Oakwood High School. I represented MVUUF at the national Springfield clergy call to support our Haitian neighbors. For the third year, I was the lead organizer of the Dayton Pride Interfaith Service. I am co-leading a LGBTQ+ short film festival with two United Church of Christ regions during the month of June. I spoke at an Interfaith Immigration Vigil outside of the Butler County detention center and connected the group to our partner, Miami Valley Immigration Coalition for joint sponsorship. I have spoken in support of Racial Justice Now at two Dayton City Commission meetings. June 18th, I will be speaking at a Prayer Vigil and Press Conference in support of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and Hands Off Ohio.
- I continue to be floored by our amazing pastoral care committee, who keep on showing up for our congregants with love. The pastoral care committee gave 40 Valentine’s Day care packages to congregants receiving pastoral care and congregants who identify as BIPOC+ and/or LGBTQ+. One of the things I am most proud of during my eight years with MVUUF is the transformation our congregation has made in our view of pastoral care. It is no longer something to keep hidden or feel ashamed of. We have learned that it takes incredible strength to ask for support. We have learned that there is joy in giving. And a huge thank-you to all those who have donated to our Minister Discretionary Fund, enabling us to provide aid to one another during this difficult time. As Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu taught us, the meaning of ubuntu is powerful: I am because you are.
- The worship committee and I have been paying close attention to congregant feedback and will be making a major overhaul to our standard order of service in August. As a congregation that started as a lay-led fellowship (without a minister or staff), MVUUF has a strong commitment to shared ministry, especially in worship. Please remember that part of this commitment is giving lay leaders time and opportunity to strengthen their skills. I encourage our members to support our lay leaders by offering open minds and hearts. Remember, worship is not a play or concert—it is not a performance; it is a communal spiritual experience.
- As this is my eighth year with MVUUF, I have begun working with the board to plan my second sabbatical for our next program year. I will be away from January 1 through April 30, 2027. As last time, the board has hired Rev. Ruth Hopkins as our sabbatical minister again. Rev. Ruth is a UCC minister who has practiced Buddhism for a long time and has a special fondness for us UUs. Like last time, Rev. Ruth will work half-time and be in the pulpit two Sundays a month. The committee on ministry and worship committee will both provide support to Rev. Ruth.
May we remind each other to “live now as we think human beings should live” (Zinn). May we remember that we need each other and that the greater Dayton region needs us now. May we be each other’s blessings, today and all the days.
I pray for your health, growth, and flourishing.
With much gratitude and love,
Kellie
Rev. Kellie Kelly