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Unitarian Universalist Association
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Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America. Both of these predecessor organizations began as Christian Unitarian and Universalist denominations; but modern Unitarian Universalists define themselves as non-creedal, and therefore they are not limited to Christian beliefs or affinities, but may also draw wisdom from other religions and philosophies as well, such as Humanism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Earth-centered spirituality, among others, or different combinations of them.
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Encyclopedia
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America. Both of these predecessor organizations began as Christian Unitarian and Universalist denominations; but modern Unitarian Universalists define themselves as non-creedal, and therefore they are not limited to Christian beliefs or affinities, but may also draw wisdom from other religions and philosophies as well, such as Humanism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Earth-centered spirituality, among others, or different combinations of them. Therefore the UUA qualifies as a form of post-Christian liberal religion with syncretistic leanings.
Congregations
Most of the member congregations of the UUA are in the United States and Canada, but the UUA has also admitted congregations from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Pakistan (although UUA policy appears at present to be against admitting any new congregations from outside North America, rather having them form their own national bodies and having these bodies join the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists). Until 2002, almost all member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) were also members of the UUA and most services to CUC member congregations were provided by the UUA. However, after an agreement between the UUA and the CUC, since 2002 most services have been provided by the CUC to its own member congregations, with the UUA continuing to provide ministerial settlement services and as well as a vary minimal amount of the youth (14-20) and young adult (18-35) programming and services. Since 2002, some Canadian congregations have continued to be members of both the UUA and CUC while others are members of only the CUC.
The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is a member church of the Unitarian Universalist Association providing denominational services to persons unable to attend a physical congregation because of distance or mobility. Many of these are Unitarian Universalists in other countries, members of the military, prisoners or non-mobile elderly.
Organization
The UUA is headquartered at 25 Beacon Street on historic Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, the historical center of Unitarian Christianity in America. As of 2003, the UUA comprised 20 Districts, 1,042 congregations with 157,920 certified members and 61,795 church school enrollees served by 1,623 ministers.
Corporate status
The UUA was given corporate status in May 1961 under special acts of legislature of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York. See Chapter 148 of the acts of 1960 of the Massachusetts legislature and Chapter 827 of the Acts of 1960 of the New York legislature. Copies of said Acts are attached to the minutes of the organizing meeting of the Association held in Boston, Massachusetts in May 1961 and also are printed in the 1961-62 Directory of the Association.
Decentralized association
The UUA is not a denomination in the traditional sense; the UUA is an association of congregations with no one organization able to speak authoritatively for the whole. It is the congregations that have authority over the larger body, through the annual General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Since the general public understands denomination much more readily than association of congregations, the distinction is generally elided in conversation. Because of this relationship between the congregations and the association, Unitarian Universalist congregations have a congregational polity of governance. However, for the more day-to-day decisions, there is a Board of Trustees that is elected by Districts and at General Assembly.
In its role as a national organization representing the congregations, the UUA is a member of various organizations, both religious and secular.
Principles and purposes
The UUA does not have a central creed in which members are required to believe, but they have found it useful to articulate their common values in what has become known as the Principles and Purposes. The first version of the principles was adopted in 1960, and the modern form was adopted in 1984 (including the 7th principle). They were amended once again in 1995 to include the 6th source. Both of these were added to explicitly include members with Neopagan, Native American, and other natural theist spiritualities.
The principles as published in church literature and :
- The Principles and purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association
- "We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote"
- The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
- Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
- The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
- The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
- Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
- "The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:"
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
- "Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support."
- The Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association
- The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of the Association is to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles.
- The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member societies and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.
- Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any society unless such is used as a creedal test.
General Assembly
General Assembly () is held every year in June in a different city in the USA. Member congregations (and three associate member organizations) send delegates and conventioneers to participate in the plenary sessions, workshops, district gatherings, and worship services.
Finances and membership fees
The UUA requests annual contributions from its member congregations. The requested contribution, known as Fair Share, is calculated for each congregation by multiplying an annually determined membership fee times the number of registered members of that congregation. The UUA also has alternative modes of raising funds. In order for congregations to participate in certain programming, they will pay a nominal fee. Some funds are earned through charitable gifts or estate planning. Additionally, the UUA pools together investment funds from congregations or other constituents and manages them for a small percentage.
Related organizations
Three non-congregational organizations belong to the UUA as Associate Member organizations. Associate Member organizations are esteemed as inherently integral to the work of the UUA and its member congregations, and are accorded two voting delegates each to the annual General Assembly. The Associate Member organizations are the , which is active in social change actions; the , which provides education and advocacy on women's issues; and the , which is a center of information and action at the United Nations.
The UUA also recognizes many organizations as Independent Affiliate organizations. These organizations are created by Unitarian Universalists as needed to meet the special needs of the diversity within Unitarian Universalism. These groups provide specialized spiritual support, work for specific social justice issues, provide support for religious professionals, etc.
The UUA owns Beacon Press, a nationally-known publisher of both fiction and non-fiction books. Skinner House Books publishes books primarily of interest to Unitarian Universalists.
The UUA also participates in interfaith organizations such as the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
Presidents of the UUA
The president of the UUA is its CEO and the religious leader of Unitarian Universalism in the United States. The delegates at General Assembly (Unitarian Universalist Association) elect the president to a four-year term and a president may be re-elected once. The next UUA president will be elected at General Assembly in 2009.
*Rev. Pickett was elected president by the Board of Trustees upon the death of Rev. Paul Carnes. He was subsequently elected to a four-year term by the General Assembly.
2009 elections
As of June 2008, two Unitarian Universalist ministers have declared their candidacy for President of the Unitarian Universalist Association: Rev. Laurel Hallman, the Senior Minister at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, and Rev. Peter Morales, Senior Minister of Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colorado.
Moderators of the UUA
The moderator of the UUA is the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association and is the presiding officer at the General Assembly (Unitarian Universalist Association). The moderator is the highest UUA position traditionally held by a layperson. General Assembly delegates elect the moderator to a four-year term and a moderator may be re-elected once. The election for UUA moderator will be held at General Assembly in 2009.
| Name | Elected |
|---|
| Marshall E. Dimock | 1961 | | Joseph L. Fisher | 1964* | | Sandra M. Caron | 1977 | | Natalie Gulbrandsen | 1985 | | Denise Davidoff | 1993 | | Diane Olson | 2001 | | Gini Courter | 2003* |
*Fisher and Courter were each elected moderator by the Board of Trustees upon the resignations of their predecessors and subsequently elected by General Assembly to full four-year terms.
Boy Scouts of America controversy
The Religion in Life religious emblems program of UUA is no longer recognized by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The UUA published statements opposing the BSA's policies on homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics in 1992; and in 1993, the UUA updated Religion in Life to include criticism of these BSA policies. In 1998, the BSA withdrew recognition of Religion in Life, stating that such information was incompatible with BSA programs. The UUA removed the material from their curriculum and the BSA renewed their recognition of the program. When the BSA found that the UUA was issuing supplemental material with the Religion in Life workbooks that included statements critical of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or personal religious viewpoint, the BSA again withdrew recognition.
The Unitarian Universalist Scouters Organization (UUSO) created the Living Your Religion program in May 2005 as a parallel award for Unitarian Universalist youth. The program was promoted at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree and shown as having BSA approval in the UUSO membership brochure and the Living Your Religion Guidebook. The UUA has stated that the UUSO is not recognized as an affiliate organization.As of March 2006, the UUSO has a stated goal to create a set of awards that are recognized by the UUA and BSA.
In the wake of this controversy, a number of SpiralScouts International circles have formed within congregations of the UUA, despite the fact that SpiralScouts has no official affiliation with the UUA.
Boy Scout Troop 103 was sponsored by All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City. The BSA policies that excluded the UUA caused the congregation to terminate its charter and sever ties with the BSA. The volunteers who formerly led the troop later founded Navigators USA , which its founders describe as "...committed to providing a quality scouting experience that is inclusive and available to all children and families regardless of gender, race, religion, economic status, sexual orientation and social background." There are currently no chapters outside of the metropolitan New York City area, but plans are in place to add more beginning in the fall of 2009.
See also
External links
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