Greetings!!
Beloved community, allow me to introduce myself.
I am Rev. Tija Hilton-Phillips and I was elected as President of the United Metaphysical Churches at our Annual Convention held on September 30th. I am humbled and honored to lead this organization. And I thank the delegation for its vote of confidence. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Rev. F. Reed Brown for his vision and for giving his time, talent, and treasure to this organization for decades. So, we say “thank you.” I graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA with a B.A. in English and a minor in American History. I then went to law school and graduated from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, PA (which is now a part of the Pennsylvania State University) with a Juris Doctorate degree. Currently, I serve as the Director of Regulatory Affairs for a regional health insurance company. I was ordained in 2014 as an interfaith minister and ordained by a sanction by the United Metaphysical Churches on July 12, 2020. That day was a joyous day and the fulfillment of a wish for me. And in 2022 I completed an advanced leadership course through the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business in conjunction with The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI). I have been a Member of Lancaster Metaphysical Chapel since 2003. I currently serve as the assistant minister and treasurer. I have been a member of the UMC Board since 2018 and became Vice President of the Board in 2020. I am also the Chair of the Governance and Education Committees.
Now I would like to share with you the message that I delivered to the delegation at the Annual Convention. A few months ago, Rev. Molly Cortright, Senior Minister, at Lancaster Metaphysical Chapel, delivered a homily called, “Sing a New Song.” Psalm 96 says, “Sing to the Lord a New Song.” And I believe that these words are appropriate for us today. As an association, as churches, and as study groups, it’s time to sing a new song. As long as we stay focused on the past and talk about the past, we cannot move forward. We will remain stuck in the past like Lot’s wife as if we were preserved in salt. There is an African word from the Twi language of Ghana called Sankofa. My daughter was a Community Assistant in a building named Sankofa at her University. Sankofa translated means “go back and fetch it.” It is represented by a bird flying forward with its head looking back and carrying a precious egg in its beak. It symbolizes the belief that the past serves as a guide for planning the future. And so, we are encouraged to take with us only the wisdom and guidance of the past into the future and not all of the negativity. If we do, we only attract more of the same. We have to start singing a new song and moving forward.
So, what does the present and future look like for us as an organization? That’s for us to determine. The future is bright if that’s what we desire to manifest. But old ways of thinking and doing things are not going to move us forward. We have to think and move differently. And I know that there are lots of great thinkers within this association of churches and study groups with new ideas. The world has changed in terms of access to information. People’s views towards religion and the church have shifted as well. Many of the Gen Z and Millennial generations have become disenchanted with organized religion because they don’t believe that the church reflects or supports the things that they value. Today is a new opportunity to learn more, embrace new ways of sharing who we are with the world, and be a community in which all people can see themselves in.
I believe that the United Metaphysical Churches are hidden gems. I think our message would resonate with those who have become jaded by the church. We have always had open hearts, open minds, and open doors. All are welcome in our churches. And you can come as you are. There is no need to leave any part of yourself outside. As we say in Lancaster, “Visitors welcome and expected.” And unconditional love is a cornerstone of our association. And it’s time to reflect that unconditional love within our own association as well. We often forget ourselves when we are giving out unconditional love. It’s time to retire any old ires. My desire is for us to come together to collaborate and to share ideas and build something wonderful. It’s time to expect only the best from each other. The UMC Board wants to hear your ideas. None of the churches and study groups are close enough that we compete with each other for members. So, why not share? Why not grow together? Why not learn from each other?
Like another organization that I serve on, we have lost touch with many of our alumni. Some bridges are in disrepair here. But I am committed to helping to rebuild them. Even if that starts with a small gesture such as a birthday card, because it says, “We see you and we value you.” And I believe step by step we will get there. Switching to my corporate speak for a moment, I know that we have headwinds and tailwinds. And it’s the headwinds that we will fly through with ease and grace if we lower our heads and stay close and fly together. So, I need all of my wonderful Board members and all of you to join me in making UMC and its churches, study groups, and schools of metaphysical studies places where people want to gather and belong and find or expand their inner light. I know we can do it. So, let’s begin by singing a new song. I look forward to visiting each of the churches and study groups and getting to know you all. Blessings to each and every one of you.
With deep gratitude,