Meet our Board of Trustees

(the statements below were provided to the congregation when each was a candidate for the election)

Laura Ray, President (1st term 12/2023-12/2025)

I have previously been a member of the board, and I feel that I could be an asset now with the current leadership we have. I would like to see the church live its stated value of providing diversity throughout the church community. I think that we have stated for many years that we want to be a helpful part of our community, and I would like the leadership to continue to make those relationships and connections with the whole wider Lansing area. I think it is time to be who we say we want to be, and I am here to support that initiative.

Ralph Putnam, Treasurer (2nd term 12/2023-12/2025)

I have been a member of UU Lansing for 36 years and have participated in church life and leadership in many ways. Now recently retired, I felt it is time to take on the responsibility of serving on the Board of Trustees.

I see UU Lansing at a watershed moment. We’ve made a strong start on realizing our vision of supporting and serving the South Lansing community–an important impetus for moving to S. Pennsylvania Ave.

At the same time, the COVID pandemic hit us hard, keeping us from gathering in beloved community for so long! Much of our social structure–worship services, religious education classes, committees, and groups–has frayed and we’re having to relearn how to be and do things together. I think this is a time for us to be intentional about rebuilding the programs activities that bring us together. How do we want children, youth and families to participate in church life? How can we reinvigorate small- group ministry? What are other ways we can gather to do the work of the church?

I feel it’s important that we support the UUA through our annual giving and that we continue to participate in national and regional activities. Having members attend GA is an incredibly enriching experience that contributes both to the broader UU movement and our own congregational life. I’d also like to see us doing more connecting with other Michigan UU congregations, for example, through music and youth activities. We’ve done this in the past, but the level has dropped off since COVID.

We have done SO MUCH to reach out to and partner with others since we moved to South Lansing. I hope this trend continues!

Jen Blum (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

I have been involved with RE for 14 years and counting as a volunteer teacher, Youth Group leader, and on the RE Committee. I have served with energy and interest. My efforts have been acknowledged by other members who have encouraged me to become a candidate for the Board. In Covenant means that we respect each other, the Board, the congregation and the UU denomination to guide us to make good decisions for the congregation. Just as other groups who experience aging membership, we need to encourage opportunities for our youth to participate and contribute currently, hoping to foster continued membership in our church. By virtue of having such a significant charitable effort for the RDC, we have set a wonderful example to achieve the goals of the larger UU organization. In addition, we endeavor to recognize lesser-known groups with our plate collections every month. We continue to serve the local community by maintaining a little food pantry, Narcan access, the Community Kitchen meals twice a week, and various other activities.

Ned Jackson (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

UUCGL has helped shape our family's social and spiritual growth via RE programs—coming of age, OWL, HS sleepovers, mentoring--and the freedom and fun of group events—Yankee Springs trips, bike rides, circle suppers, etc. Outside of professional and neighborhood contexts, UUCGL connects us to friends with talents, interests, and experiences that broaden our appreciation of the world. Otherwise, as a chemistry professor, I might be stuck contemplating methane. We must build community, "keeping the faith" by working to know and appreciate each other ever more deeply. We must help our minister, church leaders, and partners to grow in a dynamic exchange of ideas, insights, and love. The less top-down, hierarchical structure the better. It can be messy inventing the rules as we go along, but that is how active dialogue and mutual understanding are developed. The huge changes of recent years—building move, interim and then new minister, COVID, policy governance, and the contentious state of our society—have weakened the traditions and practices that built bonds among us. My appreciation of UUCGL people was built via shared service, linking us in common cause as coming of age mentors, choir singers, committee members, creators of lay-led services, etc. We can still learn from past practices that brought us together. We must support the denomination’s work for social and environmental justice, fighting dehumanization. The sharpening focus on differences rather than commonalities is a concern in both the right’s radical intolerance and the left’s identity politics. Dividing people into special categories with sensitivities for each category is alienating. I wish to reach those inclined toward division, not by telling them how wrong they are, but by finding paths to empathy and connection. The denomination should help us learn how to build those bridges. I’m proud of our outreach via work with the RDC, SCK, community gardens, share-a-bike, blessing box, and plate collections. But as a welcoming congregation in a midwestern state now tilting toward intolerance, we must be a resource and refuge where all may come and be valued in their unique misfit ways. Our doors must be open both to people fearing mistreatment in society, and those questioning cruel viewpoints they absorbed from media and cultural polarization.

Callen Latz (1st term 12/2023-12/2025)

I would like to help direct the near future of the church. I know many members of the church are eager to form efficient and effective operations which sustain our mission statements, especially with regard to RE development – where I’ve spent most of my church volunteering time in recent years. Though our church is about to celebrate a big anniversary, things feel very new. Newish building, newish online presence after the pandemic, newish minister, and new changes for the RE program. Genuinely, I think we just have to keep good things going to evolve into a church that feels more consistent. Keep improving on what we’ve accomplished; forming the “more perfect union” as they say. I’d love to see church leadership, as a part of it or not, continue to develop the RE program. According to our church documents, it’s one of the four most important driving factors, and certainly I know now it’s the most important to many members. I feel that RE should be a huge outreach and new member onboarding path. In a few years, I’d love to see a steady accumulation of new families to our larger church family. The UU denomination of course always needs support, I don’t really know how to get them more funds, but I sure would like to connect and communicate more. Especially with the other nearby UU churches. I liked that Ann Arbor joined our livestream once; what else can we do together, send and receive pilgrims? UU Lansing could have a growing central role for community outreach. I feel like we do great on accomplishing social justice and humanitarian efforts, but maybe not at celebrating those wins or inviting people to celebrate with us.

Cindy Lehmkuhle (3rd term 12/2023-12/2025)

I grew up in Flint, Michigan, the oldest of six in a loving Catholic family. I attended Catholic schools that provided a community where we all knew and cared for one another. Once aware of my own sexual orientation as a lesbian, I no longer felt welcomed by the church proper and stopped attending Mass.

I attended CMU for a few years, worked a number of jobs, received an Associate degree in Applied Technology from LCC, and in 1987 landed a job at the Lansing Board of Water and Light where I worked until 2019.

In the ‘90s, I produced “Our Living Room Concert Series” for local Women artists; co-owned a bookstore, The Real World Emporium; worked on the Lansing Human Rights Ballot Campaign; and was on the Mayoral Advisory Board for LBGTQ.

I met my wife Tracy Ash in 2000 and soon began attending worship with her at UU Lansing. I immediately felt at home. By 2003, I was a member and participating in Circle Suppers and a Covenant Group. I volunteered with Building and Grounds for a handful of years and was then asked to be a Board member. I was on the Board that time, around six years.

In 2019, I was asked again to join the Board and am now halfway through my second term. It has been an honor working with incredibly committed, intelligent, and deliberative individuals on this congregation’s behalf. Moving to Shared Governance has been a long road, and we are continuing, one step at a time with integrity and love, to inch ever closer to being the church of our dreams.

Michael McClellan (3rd term 12/2023-12/2025)

I have been a member of UU Lansing since 1995. My wife and I raised our four, now adult, children in the church. I have served in many volunteer roles from building and grounds to the preschool room to covenant group facilitator. I first served on the Board of Trustees in 2018 and was President for the 2019/2020 church year.

I am excited to be part of the Board during this time as we continue to grow and evolve and move towards a shared leadership style of governance. I believe the work we are doing at this time sets UU Lansing up for long-term success. The Board will be able to focus on the church’s meaning, purpose, and impact. The Senior Minister, staff, and volunteers will be able focus on the day-to-day operational decisions of the church.

I look forward to our congregation’s growing connection with the Lansing community as we continue to engage in our courageous work for peace and justice.

Barbara Gay Stoddard (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

I have been a UU for about 52 years. I joined UUCGL in 2015 and have been involved in several areas of congregational life, including: Chalice Choir, Women’s Choir, and the Folk Bank. I was honored to serve on the Search Committee for Rev. Anderson. I’ve also been involved in Worship and organizing Holiday events and a charter member of the Semi Conscious Aging Group. I have served and attended many UU churches over the last 50+ years and have been the Chair of just about every committee there is. I was Board Secretary for my home church as well as the Church Secretary for a couple of years. I am most proud of my time as a professional Director of Lifespan Faith Development, where I served more than 10 churches over 25 years. I was an Interim Director of Faith Development for over 10 of those years. I was part of the team that developed the initial training for Interim RE Directors. This training has led to the development of what has become The Association of UU Transitions Professionals. I have always felt that my journey through UUism has been a true gift. As a young 23-year old mother, I found a place for the gifts I possessed and a way to share them with my various UU Faith communities. I hope and trust that my experiences will guide my thinking as we welcome all into our community and help them on their personal journeys. I have worked with Youth for so long and this has made me always trust our youth to help guide us and keep us focused on our mission and how to stay on its path. I am excited to listen to and work with our younger generational leaders as we continue to move forward in love and understanding and grace towards each other.

Byron Vorce (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

I define Covenant: a solemn agreement to regulate the behavior of both individuals and a social organization under the current UUCGL Board covenant. I feel the church is in a time of challenge and evolution. It takes all members of the church to step-up in this time of change. I would like to see this transformation of the church lead to first and foremost, to prioritize all the resources needed to insure UUCGL & its members survive this transition. Secondly, support the larger UU denomination in treasure, a training site and in shared priorities and mission. Last but not the least, support only economically feasible outreach and partnerships with local organizations. All activities would need to demonstrate their economic viability. In other words, their survival will not be dependent upon our involvement. I provide this statement as a manifestation of my Covenant with the UUCGL and its members.

Margery (Marge) Weldon (1st term 12/2024-12/2026)

I was led to accept candidacy to the board because, as John Marc so eloquently put it, "I love this church." For me, being in covenant with our congregation, in particular as a board member, means listening. As a church we are continually evolving, "growing and changing together" I think we used to say. And of course that has changed too. But I think the important thing is to listen to each other, so we are evolving as a community. I am excited about our expanding engagement in improving our larger community with RDC, local grade schools, the Justice League, community gardens, Southside community kitchen, the bike project and the organizations we help fund through our special plate collections. Personally, I would like to see more engagement/collaboration with other faith based and social justice organizations in our community. Good communication is vital for everyone to feel like we are all part of this wonderful community.