The theme of this year’s GA is “Meet the Moment: Reimagining Radical Faith Community.” Are our imaginations up to the task? Let’s look at some of the ways General Assembly has been reimagined to create a multiplatform and equitable experience for both in-person and online attendees. Let’s also look at our own congregations. What has the COIC report, “Widening the Circle of Concern” called us to do? Are we employing our imaginations to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community and to dismantle racism and other oppressions? Let’s explore some examples from UU congregations.
Charles Du Mond, along with the Rev. Meg Riley, was installed as Co-Moderator and Chief Governance Officer at General Assembly 2020. He sees serving on the Moderator Team as an opportunity to continue to empower the leadership of others.
A lay leader who came to Unitarian Universalism from the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Du Mond, for many years, described himself as a Quaker who belonged to a UU Church. He experienced Unitarian Universalism as a kind of United Nations of Religion and pointed to all the members who claimed some other religious heritage in addition to UU. Now, he is simply a Unitarian Universalist.
He joined the UUs of San Mateo in 1993. He has served on its Board of Trustees, holding all the leadership positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary. He taught religious education (RE), including every Our Whole Lives (OWL) level from kindergarten to high school, facilitated the Beloved Conversations curriculum three times, led a capital campaign, participated in a Ministerial Search Committee, and developed and led Sunday Services.
Beyond his local congregation, he served on the UUA Pacific Central District Board, District Presidents’ Association / Regional Leaders Group, the Board of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), the Board of the Starr King School for the Ministry, and the advisory board for UU United Nations Office. He was asked to join the UUA President’s Council in 2008. He attends the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Stewardship Council and Innovation Council. He has been on pilgrimages to San Mateo’s partner church in The Philippines twice (2011 and 2019).