The Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has sent out the following notice:
“I am writing to inform you that the Ministerial Fellowship Committee voted recently to remove the Rev. Bob LaVallee from fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association for violating UUMA Ethical Standard #10, which prohibits sexual contact, sexual harassment, sexualized behavior and sexual relationships with anyone the minister serves, and Ethical Standard #13, which prohibits engaging in words or actions that degrade the vocation of ministry.”
A quick web search shows that Bob LaVallee was the associate minister of the Albuquerque congregation for about five years, up until 2025. As always, I’m making no judgement myself about any of these notices — I’m not part of the MFC, and it’s been many years since I was part of any congregation where a minister was removed from fellowship. Especially so in this case, as I’ve never heard this name before, and I know nothing about the Albuquerque congregation.
more … [Editor’s note: I redacted Bill’s direct link to the congregation’s email notice of this situation, because I’m not sure the congregation knows just how accessible their email newsletter is.]
Guess I surfaced a lesson for congregations on security
Bill, you totally did. Leaders of congregations have to realize — you put anything online (including not just the internet, but also email, FTP, texts, etc.), you might as well put it on the front page of your webpage. Or on a big poster on the front door of your main building.