Parish Meeting Recap – June 2026

The Spring Parish Meeting offered a snapshot of a congregation that continues to grow, adapt, and deepen its impact both within the church and throughout the wider community. The meeting provided important updates from Board President Steve Dennis and Senior Minister Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter about where First Unitarian Church of Dallas stands today and where we hope to go next.

Steve Dennis: Board Update and Strategic Planning

Steve Dennis opened with a personal reflection on his journey to the church. What began as a Christmas Eve visit in 2004 eventually became a spiritual home, leading him to serve today as Board President.

From the board’s perspective, the church remains in a strong position. Steve emphasized that the board’s primary responsibilities are governance, accountability, and ensuring that the church continues to fulfill its mission. Much of the board’s recent work has focused on refining policies, strengthening governance practices, and supporting the long-term health of the congregation.

Financial Health Remains Strong

The church continues to be financially stable and is on track to meet its 2026 budget goals. Highlights include:

• Endowment growth to approximately $12 million
• Continued strong stewardship and donor support
• Effective financial oversight from staff, the Endowment & Memorial Gift Fund Committee, and church leadership
• Ongoing contributions from the endowment that provide critical support for annual operations

Strategic Planning Moves into the Next Phase

A major focus of the board is the church’s strategic planning process. Over the past 18 months, volunteers and leaders conducted extensive research, listening sessions, and community conversations to identify future opportunities.

The four major strategic focus areas are:

• Racial equity
• Membership and engagement
• Community outreach and impact
• Financial sustainability

Steve noted that the church now has more promising ideas than it currently has capacity to implement. The challenge ahead will be prioritizing initiatives, identifying needed resources, and determining where the congregation can have the greatest impact.

An interim task force will spend the next several months evaluating priorities and developing implementation plans. The goal is to return by the December parish meeting with a clearer roadmap, resource requirements, and opportunities for member involvement.

Throughout his remarks, Steve emphasized transparency, congregational participation, and gratitude for the many volunteers who contributed to the strategic planning effort.

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Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter

Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter’s update painted a picture of a congregation that is thriving across multiple dimensions.

Expanding Programs and Ministries

Over the past six months, the church has launched and expanded numerous programs designed to support spiritual growth, leadership development, and community connection.

Some highlights include:

New Developments in Religious Education

• Launch of Mosaic, a racial equity curriculum for young children
• Success of the new Shifting Faith class for adults navigating spiritual transitions
• Youth civil rights learning trip to Little Rock and Memphis
• New support offerings for families with young children through The Tending Years
• Continued growth of Faith Forward, the church’s leadership development pathway, now used by 77 UU congregations internationally

Growth in Pastoral Care

Pastoral care ministries continue to expand, especially through programs serving older adults.

Recent developments include:

• Approximately 75 participants now served through Unforgettable Friends
• Hiring of Karen Stanton as Director of Pastoral Care
• Expanded staffing support for pastoral care and community engagement
• Increased focus on caregiving, aging, and end-of-life planning resources

Deepening Commitment to Racial Equity

Daniel highlighted racial equity work as one of the church’s most significant strategic investments.

Recent accomplishments include:

• Hiring Jerry Hawkins as Director of Equity Initiatives
• More than 300 congregants participating in equity trainings and discussions
• Expanded partnerships with organizations such as Remembering Black Dallas
• Events honoring civil rights leaders and movement history
• A goal of increasing congregational diversity by 10% over the next five years
• Ongoing review of staffing, contracting, and leadership practices through a racial equity lens

Community Advocacy and Public Witness

The congregation continues to engage actively in social justice and interfaith work.

Current efforts include:

• Immigration advocacy and collaboration with Catholic and Jewish partners responding to ICE-related concerns
• Renewed participation in Dallas Area Interfaith
• Continued support for the Truth Pregnancy Center
• Support for WISE and comprehensive sexuality education initiatives
• Ongoing interfaith partnerships supporting Muslim communities and addressing anti-Muslim rhetoric

Daniel emphasized that the church intends to continue showing up publicly for vulnerable communities despite growing political tensions.

Facilities, Sustainability, and Security

Several important operational improvements were also highlighted:

• Installation of solar power systems that are already reducing utility costs
• Launch of a church archive preservation project
• Significant upgrades to security infrastructure and emergency preparedness
• Staff and volunteer training for emergency response situations

Expanding Digital Reach

The church’s online presence continues to grow.

Over the past six months:

• YouTube gained 460 new subscribers
• Social media content reached approximately 135,000 people
• The church website attracted roughly 20,000 new users

Daniel noted that the church is increasingly serving people far beyond those who physically attend services, including UU communities around the world.

Membership and Stewardship Trends

Several encouraging trends emerged around membership and giving:

• Pledges have increased year-over-year
• More members are choosing recurring monthly giving
• More than half of pledging households increased their pledge this year
• 42 new members joined since January
• Legacy giving efforts through the 1899 Society continue to expand

Challenges Ahead

While celebrating the congregation’s strengths, Daniel also identified several challenges:

• Long-term financial sustainability
• Aging major donors
• Rising insurance and building maintenance costs
• Religious education participation that has not kept pace with family growth
• Balancing ambitious goals with available staff and volunteer capacity

Despite those challenges, his overall message was optimistic: the church is growing, financially healthy, expanding its reach, and continuing to have a meaningful impact in the wider community.

Looking Forward

The central theme of the meeting was clear: this congregation is growing in both size and influence, but growth brings new opportunities and new responsibilities. The next phase of strategic planning will focus on translating ideas into action while ensuring the church remains financially sustainable, deeply connected, and mission-driven.

As both Steve Dennis and Daniel Kanter emphasized, the future of the church will depend not only on staff and board leadership, but on the continued engagement, generosity, and participation of the congregation itself.