All Souls UU in DC - why did Rev. Susan leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the Post:

"Even among congregants focused on getting Moore a strong severance package, there is a willingness to admit she had drawbacks."

Is this true? Personally I've not heard a single Rev Susan supporter mention her drawbacks. It's what tips me over to the Rev Hardies side. We've had plenty of airing of his shortcomings.

What tips me away from the Reverend Rob side is that he failed to provide regular performance evaluations for a staffer he believed had serious and long term issues. Oh, and the fact that he's done this before to other staff, who support Reverend Susan.

[Anonymous]

I read the article in the Post today. I was shocked by how young looking Reverend Hardies is! Not what I expected at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the article in the Post today. I was shocked by how young looking Reverend Hardies is! Not what I expected at all.

Yes, I think a lot of these is the awkwardness of a Baby Boomer being supervised and evaluated by a Gen Xer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read the article in the Post today. I was shocked by how young looking Reverend Hardies is! Not what I expected at all.

Yes, I think a lot of these is the awkwardness of a Baby Boomer being supervised and evaluated by a Gen Xer.

Yes, agreed.

[Anonymous]

A settlement has been reached via mediation. May Rev. Susan move on to a more appreciative congregation and may AS begin to grapple with long standing issues that pre-dated her arrival.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Post:

"Even among congregants focused on getting Moore a strong severance package, there is a willingness to admit she had drawbacks."

Is this true? Personally I've not heard a single Rev Susan supporter mention her drawbacks. It's what tips me over to the Rev Hardies side. We've had plenty of airing of his shortcomings.

What tips me away from the Reverend Rob side is that he failed to provide regular performance evaluations for a staffer he believed had serious and long term issues. Oh, and the fact that he's done this before to other staff, who support Reverend Susan.

Understood and agree about his shortcomings. The question stands. What are Reverend Newman's shortcomings?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a copy of the email about the unsigned check from Rev Susan to RT that they can share? I would very much like to see the initial back-and-forth that caused this whole mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish Rev Susan well but find the people at AS exhausting. Anyone have a church they like?

This lind of thing can happen anywhere.

Yes - and it's often uglier in churches than in workplaces or families because of the different dynamics. People (congregants) are more likely to speak their minds because it doesn't mean losing their livelihoods. Also, they can leave without moving or losing their families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Post:

"Even among congregants focused on getting Moore a strong severance package, there is a willingness to admit she had drawbacks."

Is this true? Personally I've not heard a single Rev Susan supporter mention her drawbacks. It's what tips me over to the Rev Hardies side. We've had plenty of airing of his shortcomings.

What tips me away from the Reverend Rob side is that he failed to provide regular performance evaluations for a staffer he believed had serious and long term issues. Oh, and the fact that he's done this before to other staff, who support Reverend Susan.

Understood and agree about his shortcomings. The question stands. What are Reverend Newman's shortcomings?

Commenters on the recent Washington Post article claim that she "expected congregants to support and minister to her."

This claim seems subjective. I was a minister for many years, including the year when I unexpectedly lost my father. I accepted a great deal of love and comfort from individuals in my community at that time. Especially in non-white churches, pastors can be enmeshed in their communities.

Presumably the Baptist Convention did a bit of vetting on the UCC's claims before reaffirming Reverend Newman's ordination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Post:

"Even among congregants focused on getting Moore a strong severance package, there is a willingness to admit she had drawbacks."

Is this true? Personally I've not heard a single Rev Susan supporter mention her drawbacks. It's what tips me over to the Rev Hardies side. We've had plenty of airing of his shortcomings.

What tips me away from the Reverend Rob side is that he failed to provide regular performance evaluations for a staffer he believed had serious and long term issues. Oh, and the fact that he's done this before to other staff, who support Reverend Susan.

Understood and agree about his shortcomings. The question stands. What are Reverend Newman's shortcomings?

Commenters on the recent Washington Post article claim that she "expected congregants to support and minister to her."

This claim seems subjective. I was a minister for many years, including the year when I unexpectedly lost my father. I accepted a great deal of love and comfort from individuals in my community at that time. Especially in non-white churches, pastors can be enmeshed in their communities.

Presumably the Baptist Convention did a bit of vetting on the UCC's claims before reaffirming Reverend Newman's ordination.

Interesting, I did not know the Baptist Convention was related to the UCC denomination.

[Anonymous]

Reviving this thread to ask how all souls considers the treatment of Rev Susan Newman today, esp in the context of more honest discussions we are all having around race as a country. I’ve often thought of how she was treated in 2018. We were distressed by it, left, and never returned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread to ask how all souls considers the treatment of Rev Susan Newman today, esp in the context of more honest discussions we are all having around race as a country. I’ve often thought of how she was treated in 2018. We were distressed by it, left, and never returned.

Lol. Yeah 2018 was basically the Jim Crow era!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread to ask how all souls considers the treatment of Rev Susan Newman today, esp in the context of more honest discussions we are all having around race as a country. I’ve often thought of how she was treated in 2018. We were distressed by it, left, and never returned.

I think you meant to say “more hysterical” not “more honest”...

If the UUs weren’t liberal enough much for you, yeah, I think you’re out of luck.

[Anonymous]

I no longer see Rev. Hardies listed on their website! Did he leave as well? Was it related to this issue?

[Anonymous]

Hardies is now serving as minister at First Parish Cambridge in Massachusetts.

It's astonishing, given that the previous minister at that church was a black man who had clearly, repeatedly outlined the issues of institutional racism in UU. It feels like a slap in the face for me to google the new minister and find all of this.

As a former member of First Parish Cambridge, I'm disappointed, and won't be going back.