How Rev. Calvin O. Dame Redefined Small Group Ministry At The Unitarian Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine
Rev. Calvin O. Dame is U*U World-famous as one of the pioneers of Small Group Ministry. He was minister of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine from 1986 until he concluded his ministry there in April of 2006. It would appear that Rev. Calvin Dame lent a whole new meaning to the term 'Small Group Ministry' while he was minister of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine which is not to be confU*Used with the Unitarian*Universalist Church Of Augusta Georgia of course.
The following paragraph is a slightly modified version of a paragraph that may be found on the 'News from the Search Committee' blog of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine which "chronicles the progress of the Ministerial Search Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta, Maine; from 2008-2009." -
In the spring of 2007, the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine learned that its choir director and its former minister of 20 years, Rev. Calvin O. Dame, had both engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct toward congregation members. Fortunately, its well-grounded lay leadership took decisive action to dismiss the choir director and initiate a complaint to the UUA regarding the former minister Rev. Calvin Dame.
end quote
The nature of Rev. Calvin O. Dame's alleged, indeed apparently actual, "inappropriate sexual conduct toward congregation members" aka U*U clergy sexual misconduct is not specified in this blog post which does not actually name him, although a little bit of Googling around quickly reveals just who the "former minister" in question was. In light of the fact that both Rev. Calvin O. Dame *and* the unnamed choir director of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine were found to have engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct toward congregation members one cannot help but wonder if perhaps they worked in concert together at times. Needless to say I am quite curious about just how well, or not. . . the UUA's Department of Ministry handled the complaint that the betrayed lay leaders of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine aka UUCC initiated against Rev. Calvin O. Dame.
It turns out that Rev. Calvin Dame was a UUA Trustee for the UUA's Northeast District a while back. . . I can't help but wonder what was going through his head when, during the UUA Board Of Trustees Meeting of January 19-21, 2001, a report was heard from the Panel on Safe Congregations: Restorative Justice for All. Was Rev. Dame amongst those UUA Trustees who were "deeply moved and grateful" for this task force's work at offering U*Us some suggestions of how U*Us, as a faith community, can respond better to victims/survivors of clergy sexual misconduct? Did this Safe Congregations report have a very powerful impact on him? How does Rev. Calvin O. Dame feel now in his role as a U*U "poster boy" (for better or worse. . .) for the UUA's model of helping people and congregations move towards "restoration" after such traumas? To be honest I see very little sign of any tangible "restoration" aka restorative justice provided by the UUA reported on the blog of the UUCC's search committee.
Most ironically, in the six degrees of separation department. . . The Fall 2005 edition of the UU World Magazine lists Rev. Calvin Dame's announced departure from the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine right before Rev. Ray Drennan's announced departure from the Unitarian Church of Montreal. Maybe the editorial staff of the UU World should consider calling it the Millstones section. . .
Anyone who has any reliable information about this comparatively recent case of U*U clergy sexual misconduct* is welcome to share their concerns here by commenting on this blog post. Feel free to help make this particular Emerson Avenger blog post one of those "Top Ten Things" that Rev. Calvin Dame "Really Doesn’t Want to Hear" about.
* Needless to say it is entirely possible that Rev. Calvin O. Dame's clergy sexual misconduct at the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine actually spanned several years, and possibly even a decade or two. . .
The following paragraph is a slightly modified version of a paragraph that may be found on the 'News from the Search Committee' blog of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine which "chronicles the progress of the Ministerial Search Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta, Maine; from 2008-2009." -
In the spring of 2007, the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine learned that its choir director and its former minister of 20 years, Rev. Calvin O. Dame, had both engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct toward congregation members. Fortunately, its well-grounded lay leadership took decisive action to dismiss the choir director and initiate a complaint to the UUA regarding the former minister Rev. Calvin Dame.
end quote
The nature of Rev. Calvin O. Dame's alleged, indeed apparently actual, "inappropriate sexual conduct toward congregation members" aka U*U clergy sexual misconduct is not specified in this blog post which does not actually name him, although a little bit of Googling around quickly reveals just who the "former minister" in question was. In light of the fact that both Rev. Calvin O. Dame *and* the unnamed choir director of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine were found to have engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct toward congregation members one cannot help but wonder if perhaps they worked in concert together at times. Needless to say I am quite curious about just how well, or not. . . the UUA's Department of Ministry handled the complaint that the betrayed lay leaders of the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine aka UUCC initiated against Rev. Calvin O. Dame.
It turns out that Rev. Calvin Dame was a UUA Trustee for the UUA's Northeast District a while back. . . I can't help but wonder what was going through his head when, during the UUA Board Of Trustees Meeting of January 19-21, 2001, a report was heard from the Panel on Safe Congregations: Restorative Justice for All. Was Rev. Dame amongst those UUA Trustees who were "deeply moved and grateful" for this task force's work at offering U*Us some suggestions of how U*Us, as a faith community, can respond better to victims/survivors of clergy sexual misconduct? Did this Safe Congregations report have a very powerful impact on him? How does Rev. Calvin O. Dame feel now in his role as a U*U "poster boy" (for better or worse. . .) for the UUA's model of helping people and congregations move towards "restoration" after such traumas? To be honest I see very little sign of any tangible "restoration" aka restorative justice provided by the UUA reported on the blog of the UUCC's search committee.
Most ironically, in the six degrees of separation department. . . The Fall 2005 edition of the UU World Magazine lists Rev. Calvin Dame's announced departure from the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine right before Rev. Ray Drennan's announced departure from the Unitarian Church of Montreal. Maybe the editorial staff of the UU World should consider calling it the Millstones section. . .
Anyone who has any reliable information about this comparatively recent case of U*U clergy sexual misconduct* is welcome to share their concerns here by commenting on this blog post. Feel free to help make this particular Emerson Avenger blog post one of those "Top Ten Things" that Rev. Calvin Dame "Really Doesn’t Want to Hear" about.
* Needless to say it is entirely possible that Rev. Calvin O. Dame's clergy sexual misconduct at the Unitarian*Universalist Community Church Of Augusta Maine actually spanned several years, and possibly even a decade or two. . .
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I think that I will allow the above commercial SPAM touting Viagra to stand. After all, it is more or less "on topic" to the general thrust of this TEA blog post. . .