|
A Message from the MSUS Board of Trustees about the Name Choice Vote at the Annual Meeting
The MSUS Board of Trustees endorses the process that has been led by the Name Choice Task Force which was appointed by the Board in May of 2022. We endorse the results of the process.
IN THE BEGINNING
The founders of MSUS created this congregation to serve the northwest metro as a place of liberal faith. They were members of the First Unitarian Society in Minneapolis and were all strong humanists who aligned with the theology of the society. The name Michael Servetus Unitarian Society was selected in part because he was a heretic who challenged the predominant Protestant church of his time. The name suited the congregation well for many years.
Our name change discernment began with a congregational forum in 2019. The fellowship hall was full and the conversation was lively. There was a hope of finding a name that felt more relevant to current congregants and that would lead us into the future. Our name is a significant part of how we present ourselves to the wider community. While a name will never embody all that our congregation is or has to offer, the congregational name can point toward our values and offer an invitation into conversation and into belonging.
TASK FORCES
In May of 2019 the Board charged a Name Change Exploration Task Force with the following: · To inventory all the steps required to change the name of Michael Servetus Unitarian Society, including the legal process and the practical steps for changing the Society’s name on letterhead, etc.
- To design a process for the proposal, consideration, and decision about a name change that includes appropriate consultation with society membership.
- To propose a timeline for the process of proposing, considering and deciding on a possible name change.
A complete report was presented to the Board in September 2019.
The pandemic shifted our attention to online services and programs, and the name choice process halted. But the question of a potential name change remained.
In May of 2022 the Board authorized a second task force: “The Board of Trustees asks the Name Choice Task Force to bring to the congregation the opportunity to rename Michael Servetus Unitarian Society by carrying out the process developed by the 2019 Name Change Exploration Task Force.” The Task Force was charged with the following:
1. Review the process developed by the Name Change Exploration Task Force and revise as needed to correct for omissions, new information, or in other ways to match the current situation.
2. Develop a specific timeline to implement the plan. Coordinate with Rev. Laura and Colleen and potentially others to place significant milestones onto the MSUS calendar to keep the process moving without unduly interfering with other MSUS activities.
3. Implement the name choice process. Bring to the congregation an opportunity to vote about changing our congregational name.
Change does not come quickly in congregations, and the Name Choice Task Force was committed to taking the time necessary to include the congregation in the process, listen carefully and create times for conversations, create a transparent process, and educate the congregation on common naming traditions among current UU congregations.
SELECTING A PROPOSED NEW NAME
The Task Force adopted the STAR voting process which allowed people to identify their favorite name along with other acceptable names. Several education sessions were held so congregants could understand this voting system. The Task Force collected ideas for the name, breaking it down into three parts: the unique name, the denomination, and the institution type. This list culminated in our first Name Choice Vote in February. This vote narrowed 70 unique name options down to 22, and determined that the congregation preferred to have the designation of “Unitarian Universalist” and “Congregation.”
This led us to our second, recent vote, to select one of the 22 remaining unique name options to accompany “Unitarian Universalist Congregation” as our new, proposed name.
From that process, “Merging Waters Unitarian Universalist Congregation” emerged as the proposed new name.
2024 ANNUAL MEETING
As the membership of this congregation, our final task in this Name Choice process is a formal membership vote at the Annual Meeting on May 14th, 2024. If 75% of those members present and voting at the meeting vote “Yes” to Merging Waters Unitarian Universalist Congregation, then we will move forward with adopting it as our new name. If that threshold is not met, then we will keep Michael Servetus Unitarian Society as our name.
This process, that we’ve gone through together, demonstrates our values in action. The MSUS Board of Trustees strongly urges everyone to join us at our Annual Meeting to vote.
We respect the process, and more importantly, each other. Whatever the result of this vote, we must move forward in community to advance the mission of this congregation.
| 
