Our 2026 UUFBR annual congregational meeting went very smoothly, thanks to the hard work of many volunteers and our wonderful Administrative Assistant. In fact, it was more like an event than just a business meeting, complete with cheery decor and a delicious potluck feast beforehand. Thank you to the many hands who made it a celebration of our UU principles and values and our unique UUFBR community.

We DID do business, of course: we approved a budget for the upcoming fiscal year here and we elected leaders to the Board of Trustees (Patrick Larson, Claire Smith, and Lynn Smith) the Endowment Committee (Mitch Major and Rona Solomon), and the Nominating Committee (Myra Terry and Amanda Bowers).

But that’s just the beginning:

• Our Stewardship Team will continue to urge all members and friends to pledge generously to support the budget and enable the programs we value so highly
• Our Ministerial Search Committee will continue to receive and evaluate applications from potential ministers
• Our Program committees will continue to enrich our communal lives through worship, events, Sharex partnerships and community-building activities
• Our Endowment Committee will continue to invest and share the financial assets entrusted to us for long-range development and special projects
• Our Nominating Committee will continue to strengthen our leadership development efforts so we make full use of all talents and skills represented by our diverse community
• Our Board of Trustees will continue to move forward as stewards of our assets and coordinators of our ongoing efforts to live out our vision and mission

Please Note: Despite an erroneous statement in the meeting, the Board is able to fill the two vacancies on the Board immediately if there are members interested. If you think you’d like to serve our community in this way, please contact the Nominating Committee – we welcome new energy and ideas.

Congratulations on a productive and pleasant Annual Congregational Meeting – and thanks again to all who made it so.

Judy Keiser
Secretary

[NOTE: Meeting minutes to come]

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Our minister, Rev. Edith A. Love spoke about her experience:

Last Sunday afternoon, before our Solstice ritual, I joined others at a vigil for those who are being unjustly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Broward county. We stood in front of the facility where people are being held, holding signs and candles, the flames flickering as the wind blew. People drove by, honking their support. 

 

We had several speakers, and someone led us in singing. And then, to our surprise, a large bus drove out of the gates. The windows were heavily darkened, so that we could not see any of the human beings inside. We drew closer, holding up our signs and our candles, so those imprisoned could see our support. One woman in the crowd raised her fist in solidarity. I felt tears begin to rise within myself, knowing that moving people around from one barred detention center to the next is a deliberate tactic, used to cut people off from any support they might otherwise receive. The families don’t know where their loved ones are, or even if they are still alive….the uncertainty is brutal.

 

These are our neighbors, they live in South Florida just like we do. They buy food at the same stores. Their children are in our schools. Like you and I, they just want to be able to live their lives in peace. And yet, in our current reality, immigrants are hunted. 

 

Masked men, agents of the government, are snatching people up. This isn’t what Jesus stood for. Jesus was a radical who warned of the evils of unchecked power. If you look at the gospels, Jesus always, always, always sided with people who were marginalized, not the system that was oppressing them. 

 

As Unitarian Universalists, we hold love at the center of our values. Love drives us in everything we do. And because we also hold sacred our seventh principle, the interdependent web of life, of which we are all a part, this matters, deeply. Our neighbors who are immigrants make this country a better place. As Unitarian Universalists, we hold our values dear, and we express those values by taking action. One way to do that is to support our immigrant siblings who are under attack. Whether that might be in prayer, protest, funding the opposition, feeding them, or vocalizing your support to lawmakers, there is a place for you in this movement for justice. 

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CBS Miami reported

About two dozen protesters gathered outside the Broward Transitional Center immigration detention facility on Christmas Day. Holding a vigil under the slogan, “Injustice doesn’t take a holiday. Neither does resistance,” the demonstrators said they came together to call attention to what they describe as a nationwide crackdown on immigration enforcement and to stand in solidarity with people being held inside. Organized by three South Florida groups — Joyful Resistance, Resist Wilton Manors and Wilton Manors Indivisible — the vigil lasted about an hour.

 

Several protesters said they were speaking out for immigrants taken into custody during routine appointments or enforcement actions, arguing that detainees deserve due process and shouldn’t be “grabbed” from jobs or courthouses. Deputies with the Deerfield Beach Sheriff’s Office told the group they had the right to protest as long as they didn’t obstruct traffic, and organizers said they plan to return in two weeks.