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Church of the Larger Fellowship | Home Page
Pay? Many of us choose to donate because we believe in the mission and want to help, but there's no required payment for membership in any of our congregations.
There is a donation button. But it is not mandatory to give. They are just trying to make it easier for people who want to.
You do not need to pledge any money whatsoever to be a member of a UU congregation. But, if you actually want certain privileges, you do need to officially pledge some amount of money to be put on the books at the UUA. Getting UU World is one of the privileges. Voting is another. When you lost the subscription, it didn't mean you weren't considered a UU anymore.
Oh good. I have to admit, when I lost the subscription---and then started being plagued by phone calls of people reminding me that all members have a financial obligation to the church---I was getting a little annoyed and feeling as though they wanted my money more than they wanted me. I didn't need the magazine so much, but the phone calls.... in my congregation, at least, there doesn't seem to be very much sympathy for people in bad financial situations. If you can't pay your Pledge, they treat you like you're being stingy or making excuses, or they make statements like "Oh, I remember what it was like to live off of Ramen, but...." When I explained I was a college student and had just unexpectedly incurred $160 a month in parking fees which I couldn't afford, the response I received was, "Surely you can afford $5 a week...?" I felt like screaming "No, I can't even afford to EAT!" into the phone, but obviously I didn't do that, heh. I guess I felt like the Stewardship folks weren't listening to me at all, and that my other contributions to the congregation---as a Worship Associate, member of choir, covenant group leader, Ambassador, etc---were not "enough" for the time being. I think when I go into ministry, this very thing is something I'll want to address. Stewardship IS important, but people need to be more compassionate toward and understanding of one another... and congregants need to be valued for more than their financial contributions.
:cover: THAT is awful. That is NOT supposed to happen. Did you complain to your minister? I would have made a stink. Not just for your sake but for others as well. We keep saying that we welcome all people; that should include people who can't afford to pledge. Money should NEVER be a barrier to being in our community.
Sketchy?! John Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Susan B. Anthony, and e.e. cummings were Unitarians. Frank Lloyd Wright, Kurt Vonnegut, Linus Pauling, and Christopher Reeves were Unitarian Universalists. Our congregations are filled with doctors, lawyers, scientists, teachers, and social activists. If anything, we're a bit too elitist (and can't understand how some of us have less money). But we are not sketchy.
Wow, way to disrespect the very people you're coming to for questions.
Of course not, he or she could be a British Unitarian, for example. Or a Romanian Unitarian. Or an Indian Unitarian... They have their own denominational structures.
Really... you think it's "sketchy" to only send magazines to people who give some financial support? How exactly do you envision the UUA pays for the printing and mailing of the magazine? The tooth fairy? You think it's sketchy to only allow those who give financial support to vote? So what, you think any person who just walks off the street and says "I'm a UU" should be able to vote on things that have long term effects the congregation? A pledge is part of what one does in making a commitment to the congregation. Again, how do you think churches pay the utility bills and the salaries for their staff? The tooth fairy?
For what it's worth, I agree; I think a person who has been around for a while, or who contributes in other ways (by volunteering time and effort to church activities) should be able to vote. However, the problem with that is: how do you determine who is and is not "deserving" of a vote? Do you give it to everyone...even the people who walk in off the street having never attended a single church service? Do you give it to people who have agreed to become members? Do you give it to folks who've been members for at least 6 months? 1 year? 3 years? What if they've been members for a long time, but have never been seen in church or have never participated in anything, or have only attended or participated rarely? Should someone who is unaware of what is going on in a congregation be given voting rights and the power to make decisions which affect that congregation? How do you decide whether they've attended or participated "enough", and who gets to make that decision? How do you make such a decision consistently, so that it is fair to everyone?
I agree too. But as you go on to say, it becomes incredibly complicated if you try to use different criteria. In my congregation, you literally do not need to pledge more than a dollar to have the right to vote. It's not the amount of money; it's the demonstration that you're making a commitment to the congregation. And while I totally agree with you that there are other ways in which people demonstrate their commitment, this is the simplest way. As I said before, I did not pledge when I was a starving student, and I never felt slighted about not being able to vote despite spending several hours each week on church activities. Tho maybe it's because I really don't care who gets elected to the board, etc.
As long as it's not me.