Dear Colleagues,
Let me begin by expressing my gratitude to all of you who supported with Spiritual Mind Treatment our historic meeting with the Core Council of the United Centers for Spiritual Living in Los Angeles last week. The energy of support was palpable in that room as our Religious Science International Board of Directors met with the Core Council of UCSL. The members of the Visioning Bridge Committee were also in attendance.
Before I review what led to the meeting, let me give you the essential result: The Religious Science International Board of Directors has committed to move forward with the integration process with the United Centers for Spiritual Living for the advancement of Religious Science and the Science of Mind® in the world.
What this means is that we have set a clear intention to integrate our organizations into a single presence for Religious Science in the world. The initial actions arising out of this intention have to do with communicating this to the members of the respective organizations, gathering feedback, beginning to examine and compare our respective activities (policies, procedures, programs, etc.), and continuing to create new areas of collaboration.
Our meeting was facilitated by Rev. Deborah Johnson, an independent Religious Science minister from Santa Cruz, CA. After introductions and visioning, our conversation revolved around the question, “what is the highest and best for our denomination, Religious Science?” We had the opportunity to identify the “elephants” in the room, as well as explore bottom line concerns. It became apparent that everyone understood that forward movement of this larger intention was not dependent upon any of the bottom line concerns and that every discrepancy and every excuse, every block and every hurdle that could prevent us from moving forward would and could be worked out by reason and Spirit, if we chose to do it.
We, in RSI, will begin this by:
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Reaffirming our mandate from our membership through continuing conversation via fall teleconferences, our ministers’ forum in New Jersey, regional meetings and through the creation of an open blog for both organizations to voice support and concern.
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This reaffirmation to include all interested parties including pastors, ministers, practitioners and members of our various boards of trustees.
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We will continue the Visioning Bridge Committee, empowering it to facilitate the continuing meetings and intentions as set in this meeting.
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We support an opportunity to bring together for discussion the clergy from both organizations for a similar process as we have just completed in Los Angeles.
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Department heads to correspond with their United counterparts to create reports of parallel functions, processes, policies, etc., between the two organizations.
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To open and encourage our members to participate in all events, seminars, and meetings that either organization holds.
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To invite a representative from United to our Board meetings and to accept a reciprocal invitation for a representative to attend the Core Council meetings.
Finally, I do want to articulate the sense, energy and common intentions of this meeting. Every person in attendance spoke to the value of it, and there was a deep sense of demonstration pervading the entire coming together. The overall feeling of unity, connection, and sense of common purpose was powerful and productive. It was obvious that the timing was perfect and that all actions that follow are divine. Our two organizations truly are identical in intentions, callings, purposes and desires. Lawrence Toliver, our lay Director from Charlotte, succinctly summed it up when he said, “We are now moving from common ground to higher ground.”
Our Visioning Bridge Committee has established a blog at www.VisioningBridge.Wordpress.com to act as a clearing house of information for both organizations. As documents are produced, they will be posted there; the names and contact information of all Visioning Bridge Committee members are posted there and you are invited to share this blog address with your church and core membership. It is there to provide a forum and anyone is welcome to make comments about any issue relating to the process and, of course, to view the comments of others.
And so it is!
Please know that you are loved and honored.
Dr. Kenn Gordon
President
