Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
Stepping Aside

Stepping Aside

Last updated on: April 11, 2017 at 5:00 am by John Beckett

Stepping Aside 2017-04-09T08:06:35-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

At Sunday’s Denton CUUPS business meeting I made an announcement I have contemplated for years and planned for months.

October 31 will be my last day as Coordinating Officer of Denton CUUPS.

After 14 consecutive years as an officer of the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans – the last 12 as Coordinating Officer, the equivalent of President – I am stepping aside from formal leadership. I will not run for another term and I will not accept nomination to this or any other office.

An early call to leadership

In early 2003 I realized I that my Pagan practice had gone as far as it could go on my own. I needed a group. I didn’t want a Wiccan coven and there were no Druid groves in the area. Somewhere in my reading I had heard of CUUPS – the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. That sounded like a good place to start. There were two groups within a reasonable distance – I planned to visit them both and see which fit me better. Denton CUUPS had a better website – it looked like they were more active. So I went there first, for Imbolc 2003. I liked it and I never left.

I started attending all the events, and after a couple months I joined. I was very active, and that Fall I was elected Events Coordinator. I served two terms in that office, then in Fall 2005 I was elected Coordinating Officer, a position I still hold.

Denton CUUPS’ first Egyptian Summer Solstice – 2004. I was younger, thinner… and I let someone put eye makeup on me

The work of the Coordinating Officer

As the title implies, the job of the Coordinating Officer is to coordinate the activities of the chapter and the work of the other officers. It’s my job to make sure that everything that’s supposed to get done does get done.

Many times I found it easier to do something myself rather than asking someone else to do it. Sometimes that was necessary, but in general it’s bad leadership. It puts too much responsibility and too much authority on one person. And it deprives others of the opportunity to learn by doing.

The problems

Last year two problems came to a head. First, I was overloaded. Denton CUUPS is growing and there was more work that needed to be done. At the same time I was finishing The Path of Paganism, maintaining my blogging, and deepening my own spiritual practice. I was doing more than I could handle.

Last Fall we revised our list of officers. In particular, we added a Communications and Technology Officer to handle our website, Facebook, and e-mail operations. That took a ton of work off my plate. It also brought two newer members into our officer group (they agreed to share the position), with new ideas about how to do things. Other officers stepped up too, and I’m no longer overloaded.

But there was a second problem, one that can be summarized with a question: “why do we always do things John’s way?” It was usually asked more diplomatically than that, but that’s the core of the problem.

I never wanted to be an autocrat. I’ve always done my best to listen to our members and to work toward reaching consensus decisions. At the same time, I’ve never shied away from leading the group in the direction I thought it should go.

The complaints weren’t wrong. When anyone is in a key leadership position for a long time, their voice and their influence become oversized. And mine has.

CUUPS is a UU covenant group

The use of the democratic process is an integral part of Unitarian Universalism and thus an integral part of CUUPS. A CUUPS group must be run democratically.

Autocracy confirmed by consensus isn’t democracy. Neither is majoritarian rule. A CUUPS group needs to make room for all Pagans with UU values, and it should also provide opportunities for anyone with the skills and willingness to lead. That can’t happen if one or two voices dominate every conversation.

I’m proud of the work Denton CUUPS has done over the years. We’ve been around for 17 years and we’re still going strong, and that’s quite a feat in the Pagan world. We facilitate deep meaningful rituals, we serve our community, and we’re a home for Pagans and Paganism in North Texas. I expect Denton CUUPS will continue doing these things in years to come.

But other voices need to be amplified and other people need to take a turn driving the bus.

Egyptian Summer Solstice at White Rock Lake Park in Dallas – 2009

I’m not going away

I’m not resigning. I have six months left in my final term as Coordinating Officer. I intend to use this time to finish the work we started building the processes and procedures that will facilitate decentralized and democratic decision making.

I’m not leaving Denton CUUPS. I will remain an active, dues-paying member. I will continue to participate in all our events. I will continue to take my turn leading rituals and classes.

There are things I know how to do because I’ve done them for 12 years that other people may not even know need to be done. I will be available any time the next Coordinating Officer needs my help with anything.

Denton CUUPS remains my spiritual home and I will do everything I can to make sure it remains a vibrant and welcoming home for Pagans and Paganism. Everything except take an active leadership role, that is.

But I am stepping aside

I won’t pick my successor. There are several people who would make a good Coordinating Officer, if they want to do the job. If two or more people decide to run for the office, I won’t campaign for either. If I hand-pick one of them I’m not really letting go of the reins. Making this announcement now gives potential candidates plenty of time to think it over, ask questions, and make a considered decision without being rushed.

No matter who takes the job, I won’t backstop them, or any of the other officers. If they ask for help, I’ll do as much as asked. But I’m not stepping in uninvited if something looks like it’s about to fail.

This will be the hardest part for me. In The Path of Paganism, I wrote “people sometimes fail, but the group can never be allowed to fail.” I do not expect the new leadership of Denton CUUPS to fail. But I do expect they will do things differently, and those differences will sometimes look like they’re about to drive the bus over a cliff, particularly to a control freak like me. But if I don’t give them room to make a sudden course correction (or maybe an abrupt turn at the cliff was their plan all along) then they aren’t going to grow into their leadership positions, and I’ll still be running the show.

Samhain 2016

Leadership is work… but also opportunity

When I joined Denton CUUPS I was just a couple years removed from a job that ended badly. I had been told I would never be promoted again because I wasn’t a leader. I believed it, and I clearly remember an early conversation at CUUPS where I repeated it. Shortly after that I was asked to be an officer and I said yes, because someone had to do it. But I had serious reservations about my leadership ability.

I soon discovered that I was perfectly capable of being a leader, if I was passionate about what I was leading. I take my paying work seriously, but I’m not passionate about it. I’m passionate about my religion, and about the religious groups that are my home. Leadership in Denton CUUPS has been a source of tremendous growth in my life.

But I’ve held on to that opportunity for too long. Now it’s time for someone else to step up and do what must be done, and to learn and grow in the process.

I’m thankful for all I’ve learned as Coordinating Officer of Denton CUUPS. That includes learning this final lesson: knowing when to step aside.

Unitarian Universalism

Previous Post

April 9, 2017

Feeling Small in the Presence of the Gods

Next Post

April 13, 2017 The Authority of the Gods

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does 1 John say God is, and in Him is no darkness at all?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Truth Love Spirit Light