Rev. Hannah’s demonstrated experience in leading social justice and antiracism work is clear through her work both with and beyond our faith’s congregations. We see the promise and possibility of working with a leader who helped a congregation make real their commitment of becoming a sanctuary congregation when it was asked to house an individual shortly after Rev. Hannah’s arrival, and to be part of a coordinated campaign to oppose the construction of a for-profit ICE detention facility in Wyoming. In addition to justice work, Rev. Hannah has committed to her own personal growth in antiracism. A key experience Rev. Hannah shared with us occurred during her time with Teach for America in Baltimore. She taught middle school kids who were mainly recent refugees. Her reflection on the hidden curriculum - what hidden messages we send to children about race and racism - is something that continues to resonate with her in how she views antiracism work in congregations. Like many of us, Rev. Hannah has taken the IDI Assessment, and deepens her understanding of antiracist multiculturaism not just through learning but by doing. She reminds us that it is important to “learn to fail, and get better at it” as we make our way in this journey. It is this weaving together of personal commitment, growth, and reaching beyond the walls of the building that excites and inspires us.
The realm of pastoral care is perhaps the most difficult to deeply convey through an email. We also acknowledge the vast importance of this quality as we know the depth of grief and loss that has surrounded us throughout the pandemic and with the recent tragic news of Rev. Rob Eller-Isaacs’ diagnosis. Our learnings of how Rev. Hannah has helped her dear ones navigate the difficulty of the last few years and our experience receiving care from her in times of need give us belief that she will be able to offer care and build the community connections we need to care for each other. Visiting George Floyd Square and hearing how Rev. Hannah handled anti-LGBTQ and racism incidents in Cheyenne give us a glimpse into how she addresses community trauma, and Rev. Hannah will be sharing with you all a video next week about how she views and approaches grief on both a collective and individual level.
Experience in UU congregations, the denomination, and with partners in building a better world demonstrate that Rev. Hannah is capable of carrying Unity forward with organizational agility and strategic vision. We emerged from this process impressed by her willingness to lead on critical causes in the community; standing up for youth facing homophobic, racist flyering at school, and in a leadership role with Wyoming Equality, where she is supporting this non-profit in developing a strong organizational structure. Rev. Hannah transitioned into her role as the Minister in Cheyenne without the benefit of an interim minister, and she is the only full-time UU minister in the state of Wyoming. She had to address previous issues in church management, cultivated $900,000 in planned gifts in a fiscally conservative community, and managed staff turnover during the pandemic and our new reality. Rev. Hannah described collaborative leadership, a critical pillar of our Executive Team model, as a direct step on our journey away from white supremacy culture, and we couldn’t agree more. We are excited by the opportunity to grow with her as she applies lessons learned through lived experience and intentional professional development.
We know that assessing a ministerial candidate can be an inherently felt sense. We hope that you will take part in the listening sessions being held following the 11:00 service on Sunday, May 1, or during Wellspring Wednesday on May 4 to share your questions as we prepare Candidating Week programming. And of course, we hope you will take full advantage of the opportunities to meet Rev. Hannah during Candidating Week, May 15-22. A full schedule of events for the week will be available in early May.
Your Ministerial Search Team,
Avi Viswanathan, Betsy Hearn, Mary Baremore, Morgan France-Ramirez, Pauline Eichten, Lia Rivamonte, Jake Rueter, Marg Walker, and Dan Huelster
