| It was so good to be back with many of you this past Sunday–to say hello again after my six weeks away. And one of the most fun things about returning is saying hello to the newcomers who have been attending, who’ve gotten to know WES already and whom I have the chance to get to know now! We have had a lot of hellos and goodbyes in the last two years, even more than the usual changes in membership and staffing that any congregation (especially one in transient DC) experiences. Some of those goodbyes have been hard or sad ones, while others have been celebratory as members have left for new adventures in other locations. But even the happy goodbyes–and especially the more challenging goodbyes–can cause sadness or worry. I hope that if you have any concerns about the changes we’ve experienced, particularly on staff, that you will come and talk with me directly about those concerns. As we continue to live into our Community Relations Pact and our Ethical Culture values, I remain committed to direct communication with as much openness as possible given personnel privacy needs. Please do be in touch with me if you’d like to talk. I am particularly excited about a hello we have coming our way soon! Many of you remember Zeb Green, who served as our Clergy Intern for a year and a half before deciding that his call right now is to be at the border (Zeb remains in El Paso, where he continues to do work in support of the immigrant and refugee community there). Late this month we will welcome another Clergy Intern, Dr. Laura Solomon, who will be with us half-time for two years. Laura is a student at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, but lives locally here and is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, MD. Her professional background before seminary has been as a psychologist working with children and youth. I have been working with Laura for the past year as her “Teaching Pastor” and I can’t wait to have her join us here. She’ll be joining the staff at the end of August to participate in a long-planned anti-racism training with the staff of other area congregations, and then you all will start seeing her on Sundays in early September. I’m grateful to the Internship Committee that will be working with her: Lydia Fettig, Peter Kent, Val Melgosa, Ashley Valm, and Jen Watson. And I can’t wait for you all to meet her and welcome her to WES! A wise person once said that change is the only constant in life. It can be tiring, exciting, concerning, or wonderful. Almost always, change carries with it both loss and opportunity. I’m looking forward to the opportunities we have before us as we navigate change together once more. Warmly, Amanda |
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