DRUUMM Steering Committee Installation Ceremony

So much of our faith rests quietly on the shoulders of those who are rarely noticed. Volunteer leaders — people with full lives, families, jobs, struggles — come forward and offer themselves to hold a corner of the sky. Too often their labor is invisible, or taken for granted. Yet it is in their hands that our future is being woven.

For BIPOC leaders in our predominately white faith, the weight is heavy. They carry not only the vision of a shared tomorrow but also the burden of making space where there was none before, of enduring the sharp edges of resistance while still choosing to create beauty and belonging. It is holy work. It is costly work. And it is ours to honor.

This Thursday, August 28, from 8:00–9:00 PM ET, we will gather for the Installation Ceremony of the 2025–2026 DRUUMM Steering Committee. This is open to all, with nearly 100 already registered. Join us! This is more than a formality. It is an opportunity to hear and feel the presence of our new leadership team:

• Tomi Fatunde (TX), President
• Yvonne DuVal (PA), 1st Vice President
• Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel (DC), 2nd Vice President
• Michelle Venegas-Matula (TX), Secretary
• Sean Alphonse (TN), Treasurer
• Karishma Gottfried (NY), Outreach Coordinator
• Devin Dadah (CA), Outreach Coordinator
• Karin Lin (MA), Communications Coordinator
• Rev. Angeline Jackson (CA), General Assembly Coordinator
• Rev. Michael Crumpler (NY), UUA Liaison

We will be blessed by the pastoral presence of Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Rev. Claudia Jiménez from our Chaplain Team, who will help hold and officiate this sacred hour.

I ask you to join us. Give an hour of your evening. Come into this circle of spirit, covenant, and commitment. Let us be witnesses and companions to those who lead with corazón, with vulnerability, and with vision.

RSVP at: druumm.org/events