As we enter into the new church year, I am filled with anticipation to be serving as your new Board President. UU Asheville has a strong and capable Board of Trustees, and I am privileged to lead its agenda, which—importantly—represents the will of UUAvl members. That’s why I wanted to take this opportunity to remind our members that in a Unitarian Universalist congregation, you—the congregants—hold all the decision-making power of our organization. We—the Board of Trustees—have been granted authority and responsibility through our bylaws to act on your behalf in governing the policies that guide church business.

In that spirit, I invite you into dialogue with your Board*. Chat with a board member during coffee hour (you can identify us by our green nametags) and share your thoughts. The Board meets on the second Tuesday of each month in Sandburg Hall, 6:00-8:00 PM, and you are welcome to attend—but please request permission from me in advance if you wish to speak.

Lastly, at any time, I invite you to reach out to me directly with questions or comments by sending an email to boardpresident@uuasheville.org. UUAvl will be navigating exciting—and challenging—growth and change in the coming years. In covenant together, holding love at the center of all we do, I am confident we will achieve the thriving faith community we all envision. – Jim Gamble 

Reach Jim at boardpresident@uuasheville.org

*Members of the UU Asheville Board of Trustees for 2026-2027 are Susan Andrew, Ken Brame, Dan Carter, Ben Fleming, Marty Friedman, Jim Gamble, Melissa Himelein, Will Jernigan, and Wink Zachritz. Dan and Wink were newly elected at the June Annual Meeting. Will is continuing as Vice President and Ben is the new Clerk of the Board.