Dear UU Humanist Members and Friends, 

Happy December!

I'm so honored to be the incoming president of the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association Board, and I'm excited to share with you a little bit of my vision. But I have to start with thanks‐‐to outgoing president David Breeden, who suggested that I move into this position; to the previous president John Hooper, who recruited me for the Board in the first place; and to all my fellow Board members. You can see their names listed at the bottom of this letter‐‐they represent different parts of the country, they are lay and ordained, they are longtime UU Humanists and new to the movement, and every one of them is fantastic.

And...they are already working to support a vibrant Unitarian Universalist humanism, one that connects with humanists beyond our denomination and also bolsters humanism within. In fact, the Board has raised $4000 in matching funds to enable us to live into our shared vision. We are inviting you, our members, to give toward that vision as well. I hope that together we are able to meet the full match, and add $8000 to our budget this year!

So what is that vision? My hope is that we will, over the next year, engage in meaningful conversations about what humanism is, what it means to be humanist, and who is part of our humanism. We'll be looking for ways to get your answers, and to expand the group of people helping to answer those questions at the Humanist Collaboratory, a gathering of clergy and lead organizers of humanist communities, to be held in March 2019 at the Washington Ethical Society (the congregation I serve). I'm particularly interested in connecting with the voices of women, people of color, and queer folks...people who haven't historically been part of institutional humanist leadership but who are reinventing and reimagining humanism in truly exciting ways, within our movement and beyond.

And of course we'll continue the programs that you already know, like our Freethinker Friendly certification for UU congregations. We are also in in the midst of launching our UUHA Ambassador Program, which will enhance the UUHA’s communication with local UU congregations.

I'm so glad to be on this journey with you. And I hope that you'll be able to give toward our work, so that we can reach further than ever before.

Help Us Match our Pledge Here!

Toward a shared humanist future,

Amanda

The Rev. Amanda Poppei
Senior Leader
Washington Ethical Society
President
Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association