August 2016
The Unitarian Universalist Church
5450 East Atherton Street Long Beach, California 90815
www.uuclb.org
(562) 597-8445 Fax: (562) 597-6046
The Reverend Mitra Rahnema, Minister
The Reverend James Ford, Community Minister
The Reverend Marguerite D. Lovett, Minister Emerita
Dear UUCLB Community,
Last Spring our Board of Trustees met with and affirmed the congregation’s affiliation with a new community minister, the Reverend James Ishmael Ford, to begin in August. Although we tried to get the word out, we neglected to send you a special letter of introduction. We do so now.
What is a community minister? A community minister primarily works outside of congregational life in the larger community, yet remains connected to the congregation. The congregation can develop a relationship with the Reverend and he can help grow our spiritual leadership and represent the congregation in his work. To affiliate is a recognition and endorsement by the congregation for the minister’s work and standing. The affiliation is affirmed by the Board of Trustees – so as not to confuse us with a called minister such as when a congregation votes.
Reverend James is the first community minister affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach – although community ministers are not uncommon among our denomination.
Reverend James has served as a Unitarian Universalist minister for twenty-five years, and is minister emeritus at the First Unitarian Church of Providence, in Rhode Island. He is also dually ordained as a Soto Zen Buddhist priest, and is a member of the senior guiding teachers council of the Boundless Way Zen Network, and serves on the board of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. He is the guiding teacher for the Blue Cliff Zen Sangha, which our church sponsors, and meets here on Tuesday evenings.
He has written or contributed to many UU pamphlets, for several years was an online columnist to the UU World, maintains a blog “Monkey Mind,” and has written several books, the most recent “If You’re Lucky, Your Heart Will Break.” He is well known and highly respected within our UU denomination.
We are thrilled to have him join the collegial team here and look forward to a growing relationship between Reverend Ford and the congregation in the coming years.
In you have any questions, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Reverend Mitra Rahnema and Alicia Davis, UUCLB Board President
Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach. Founded 1913. Member Unitarian Universalist Association.
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