I got a “personal” invitation to attend Phoenix General Assembly from UUA president Peter Morales by email on February 14. I do not now nor have I ever planned to attend. It surely has to be the most mixed and conflicted must-go/don’t-host event I’ve ever seen.
Are you going, or not, and why?
Despite serving a UU church this year, I will not be going to GA. Why?
#1> Distance from home
#2> Already using a huge chunk of my professional expense fund for an RE training conference
#3> Cost of attendance
#4> Ambivalent feelings about the meaning and practice of a “justice GA”
Back when I started in ministry (1998 – gasp!!) I had the goal of attending GA every other year (the cost is a burden for bi-vocational ministers). But the reality is that I have not been to a single GA since the most recent one in Saint Louis. I do not miss the fuss, but I do miss seeing many of my colleagues who I do not otherwise get to see. But I also don’t feel a huge sense of loss at not going.
Strangely, I do miss going to the much simpler Universalist Convocation conferences. And I do feel that I have missed out on significant good opportunities to deepen my faith and practice. But financially I have not been able to swing those conferences since 2006, when it was hosted at Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church in Mississippi.
Not going. There are 3 major things going on that weekend. The GA, the Wild Goose Festival (near Durham NC), and a non-religious event in Charlotte NC that I have attended for 29 consecutive years. I wanted to go to the Wild Goose Fest, but I heard folks would miss me if I wasn’t in Charlotte. And 2 of the old timers have died within the past year as wall. Money also counts with this. I will be attending both the Universalist Convocations and the Christian Universalist Association’s event – both to be in New Jersey.