From the Interim Minister
9/4/2026
Many of you may know by now that the QUUF Board and I made the hard decision to change course with your music program leadership. (Note that newsletters are not the right place to be specific with names. We’ll share in somewhat more detail at the town hall meeting following this Sunday’s service.)
At issue was the use of QUUF-related music videos in support of the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA), an organization founded in 2022 as a direct counter to our evolving Unitarian Universalist Association.
There are deep, irreconcilable differences between the UUA and NAUA, and your fellowship is solidly aligned with our Association. Those differences were at the core of the bruising conflicts that occurred within your congregation just a few years ago, and resulted in the formation of a second fellowship.
I mention this gap because we cannot understand what happened then – and what is at issue now – without placing these conflicts in the greater context. Literally hundreds of UU congregations have experienced similar internal strife, even partings. And as with QUUF, the aftershocks continue in some of those places.
I ask that everyone take a step back and appreciate how this latest aftershock is about entire organizations, not any single UU community. Painful as the fallout surely is within your fellowship, it mirrors the reality that our UUA and the NAUA are guided by irreconcilable visions of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist in the now.
I’m in touch with our UUA Transitions Office, and Western Region staff to help us find our way through these difficult times. For a few years now, QUUF has been supported with “Special Care” resources, the term used when our congregations experience deep conflict over an extended period of time. That extra support remains in place.
For the immediate period, members of your Board and I will facilitate a structured town hall meeting in the sanctuary following this Sunday’s service. We’ll keep the session to a structured hour-and-a-half, with the option to hold more.
Folx also have the option of directly contacting the Board, using the Letters to the QUUF Board of Trustees link. (See the details below.) If you don’t use email, you may send a physical letter to the QUUF office or drop it off during office hours.
Two favors: As with the earlier stages of this conflict, the proper use of email is critical. Some of your leaders and I are already receiving messages well outside the boundaries. Some are simply cruel.
Second, a great deal of time and care went into drafting QUUF’s Covenant of Right Relations, adopted in 2025. The Covenant is not a bludgeon for scoring points, nor a means for shaming someone. It contains clear directions on how to check our own behaviors and set boundaries when things get rough.
Know that your Board and I are investing a great deal of time and care on the congregation’s behalf. There have been some errors in communication (mostly mine), so we’re particularly focused on addressing that part of our work. We’ll share as much information as we think appropriate, walking the line between transparency and causing additional harm.
Let me close with the reminder that, while few of our UUA congregations have experienced such severe levels of conflict around identity and organizational allegiances, QUUF is one among many still finding their way through this major schism. I ask that you keep this “balcony view” in mind as we move along.
Statement from the Board
The Board of Trustees of QUUF recently became aware of videos posted on the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA) website of QUUF’s choir, sanctuary, facilities, fellowship name, and religious symbols.
Following extended discussion at a Special Meeting, the Board voted unanimously to support Rev. Don in an immediate and permanent shift in music and choir leadership. While acknowledging that this difficult decision has the potential to reopen some old wounds, we prioritized our adherence to our Mission and Vision while looking to our policies and Covenant of Right Relations for guidance. It is the primary duty of the Board to act in the best interest of QUUF, and we believe that our decision does exactly that.
Respectfully and with love,
Peg Hunter
QUUF Board President