Dear UU folks,

Being in the Sanctuary last month, as 10 new folks committed to joining our congregation, felt invigorating! I kept thinking: Ooh, I can’t wait to get to know that person better . . . and that person . . . and that person. This most recent New Member Ingathering took place just one day after the No Kings protest in downtown Columbia which, unsurprisingly, was attended by so many of us UUs.

The energy and resolve that infused both events, especially taking place as they did on the same weekend, reminded me of why I joined UUCC eight years ago. Like many of you who are newly visiting and taking part in worship with us these days, I first showed up here trying to metabolize the devastating results of a presidential election. I knew with utter clarity in November 2016 that “I needed to find my people.”

What I didn’t realize then, however, was the depth of my spiritual longing. To be in conversation and relationship with others who were also experiencing political shocks and slides as a spiritual hunger. I know now that I was seeking out a meaning-making path that could lead to deeper rootedness and greater courage. I had never been part of a church before, so joining UUCC felt both out of character AND just right. A bit like leaving home in order to arrive home.

What about you?

What longings first brought you through these doors?

What longings keep you coming back?

And… how might our collective longings shape what we do, who we are, together?

Powerful questions such as these will be guiding your Board of Trustees as we do the work that each year’s board is charged with: To continue discerning how best to devote our congregation’s resources in service of our evolving mission and vision.

And so, we begin again. A new fiscal year at UUCC. Please join me in thanking Ruth Milledge for her attentive, steady, capable leadership as President this past year! Fortunately for all of us, Ruth will continue serving as Past President, alongside three newly elected Trustees, Shannon Mulvania-Beck, Sarah Oldfather and Jeff White. Continuing to serve will be Andrea Baca, Ryan Carter and Roger Nettleton. We also welcome to the Board Jeremy Duke, who will serve out Luke Daily’s term, as Luke has moved to Minnesota. We give many thanks to Luke and to our three departing trustees, Taylor Gill, Iyesatu Kamara-Bush and Fred Young, for their dedication and heartfelt service to our congregation!

I’m so thrilled to serve as the 2025-26 President alongside these fellow trustees, alongside our unbelievably talented staff (Rev. Molly, April, Jamila, and Violet), and alongside each of YOU.

I believe that, together, we were made for these times. I believe that, together, we can explore and experiment at the edges of what we imagine to be possible.

Your Board of Trustees meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Come check it out! You are very much welcome to attend any meeting to observe first-hand what your board is up to.

With gratitude,
Kim Wade
2025-26 President