On Sunday, September 27, at 1pm, the Congregation will meet to have a conversation and vote on whether or not to change the name of the church.  The Board has determined that an 80% vote in favor of the name change will be required.

To answer some who have wondered, the staff of the church has sent a message, to express their thoughts.  They encourage everyone to stay in the conversation, to respect one another’s journey, and to listen deeply and vote their conscience on September 27.

A message to the congregation we serve –

We are honored to have been invited to serve the members of your congregation, to care for the well-being of this community you cherish and the liberal faith we covenant to promote. Some of your staff team have been with you for many years, and some of us only a year or less. All of us are pledged to work together collaboratively – with each other and with you – for the common good.

The question of changing the name of this beloved congregation evokes many feelings, and for some, the feelings are strong. This is understandable, since how a person or a group name themselves says so much about who they are and what they most value. This is an important question, which has been asked a number of times in recent decades. The time has come to answer the question.

Since the name speaks volumes to the world, and to our own members, although we may have differing personal opinions, your staff has found that the current name no longer gives the message that we believe to be the deepest truth about who this congregation is and what the message is which this faith has to offer.

The time has come for the congregation to choose a new name, that expresses its values and identity. In saying this, we in no way mean to criticize those of our members who disagree. We know changing a name is very difficult for some, and we continue to hold all members in our care and warm regard, in spite of different opinions.

With deepest respect,
Your staff Alex, Caroline, Leia, Linda, Sean, Scott

The Rev. Dr. Linda Olson Peebles
Interim Lead Minister
Pronouns she/her
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TJMC Covenant of Right Relations
In order to create the beloved community we all desire for ourselves, we, the Congregation of Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist covenant to:
Communicate with compassion and respect, especially when we disagree
Celebrate diversity and nurture our inclusivity,
Promote social justice within our congregation and the larger community,
Generously support the ministries of the church with time, money and enthusiasm, and
Lovingly call each other back into covenant when we have fallen short.