Multicultural Congregations as an Act of Faith

February 12 through Friday (noon), February 17, 2012

Dr. Mark A. Hicks Angus MacLean Professor of Religious Education Director,
Fahs Center for Religious Education

In a world where "race" and culture matter, sustaining an intentional community of faith is neither easy nor accidental.  This course looks at the work of building a multi-racial, multicultural congregation through the lens of faith development, specifically, how to respond thoughtfully and systematically to the cognitive, cultural and emotional dynamics of "growing souls" in a cross-cultural context.  Said another way:  how can a congregational setting be transformed into a multi-racial, multicultural and theologically diverse (TD) learning community poised to meet the spiritual and justice demands of the 21st century?

Set in the historic multi-racial/multicultural congregation of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC and the UU Church of Arlington, Virginia, students will explore the dynamics of an urban and suburban UU congregation by a) experiencing worship and religious education as an engine for faith development; b) connecting the racial history of a congregation with current vision and practices; c) gaining first-person insights on the dynamics of leadership in a MR/MC/TD congregation, d) exploring models of faith development and organizational change in the context of MR/MC work; and e) connecting the learners personal history to the work of leadership in a MR/MC congregation.