Welcoming the General Assembly’s Presidential Team (2020)
The coronavirus pandemic is revealing the need to do many things differently, including the role of the President of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.
The Executive Committee are delighted to welcome the formation of a new Presidential Team for this coming year. Rev Celia Cartwright, Anne Mills, and Rev Sue Woolley came up with the proposal to work collaboratively as a team for this year, due to the uncertain and difficult time of pandemic.
Had we been able to go ahead with our Annual Meeting as usual, we would have expected to thank Celia Cartwright for her year of service as President, and welcome Anne Mills as this year’s President, and Sue Woolley as Vice-President. Constitutionally, the President remains in post until the next Annual Meeting. Practically, the three will work together, responding to the needs of the Movement.
The Presidential Team see their primary focus as compassionate communication with the Unitarian and Free Christian Movement, providing a listening ear, and giving messages of support and love to congregations, groups and individuals who are struggling in this time.
In usual years, the GA President would visit congregations and share messages in person, and while this isn’t possible, the Presidential Team are expecting to ‘visit’ and offer messages from a distance, whether that’s attending services via Zoom, sharing a video message, picking up the phone, or popping a card in the post.
We are grateful for the leadership shown by the Presidential Team, and the way they are choosing to collaborate in offering their gifts to the Movement.
You can contact the Team via email.
It's not yet possible to plan when our next Annual Meeting will be, and we hope that it will be possible to do it in April 2021. The current intention is that we will then thank Celia for her service as President, welcome Anne as the new President, and Sue as the new Vice-President – and we will adapt plans as circumstances require.