Unitarian Universalist Association
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 Christian
Universalist denominations; but modern Unitarian Universalists define themselves as non-creed
al, 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
, Hinduism
, 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.
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 minimal amount of youth (12–20) 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, or who wish to belong to a congregation other than their local congregation. Many of these are Unitarian Universalists in other countries, members of the military, prisoners or non-mobile elderly.
on historic Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
, the historical center of Unitarian
Christianity
in America. As of 2009, the UUA comprised 19 Districts
, 1,041 congregations with 164,656 certified members and 61,795 church school enrollees served by 1,623 ministers.http://www.uua.org/aboutuua/statistics.html
However, as of 2011 the UUA had 162,796 certified members and 54,671 church school enrollees. This shows a decline of 1,860 members and 7,124 enrollees in church school since 2008. The UUA has, for the first time, also reported decline in average weekly attendance to 100,693 people. This is a drop of 1.5% on the 2010 reported figure.
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.
, and other natural theist spiritualities.
The principles as published in church literature and on the UUA website :
s, workshops, district gatherings, and worship services.
(UUSC), which is active in social change actions; the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, which provides education and advocacy on women's issues; and the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, 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
.
. 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 Rev. Peter Morales
was 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.
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 laity
. General Assembly delegates elect the moderator to a four-year term and a moderator may be re-elected once. Moderator Gini Courter (2003*) ran unopposed and was elected to a second full four-year term at General Assembly in 2009.
* 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.
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 having 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 2 chapters in the metropolitan New York City area, one in upper New York state, two in Massachusetts, and one in Durham, North Carolina.
Liberal religion
Liberal religion is a religious tradition which embraces the theological diversity of a congregation rather than a single creed, authority, or writing...
religious association of Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association
American Unitarian Association
The American Unitarian Association was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it merged with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.According to Mortimer Rowe, the Secretary...
and the Universalist Church of America
Universalist Church of America
The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States . Known from 1866 as the Universalist General Convention, the name was changed to the Universalist Church of America in 1942...
. Both of these predecessor organizations began as Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
and Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
Universalist denominations; but modern Unitarian Universalists define themselves as non-creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
al, and therefore they are not limited to Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
beliefs or affinities, but may also draw wisdom from other religions and philosophies as well, such as Humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and Earth-centered spirituality
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
, among others, or different combinations of them. Therefore the UUA qualifies as a form of post-Christian
Postchristianity
Postchristianity is the decline of Christianity, particularly in Europe and Australia, in the 20th century, considered in terms of postmodernism...
liberal religion with syncretistic
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
leanings.
Congregations
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, but the UUA has also admitted congregations from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
(although UUA policy appears at present to be against admitting any new congregations from outside North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, rather having them form their own national bodies and having these bodies join the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists
International Council of Unitarians and Universalists
The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists is an umbrella organization founded in 1995 bringing together many Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists.The size of the member organizations varies widely...
). Until 2002, almost all member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council
Canadian Unitarian Council
The Canadian Unitarian Council is the national body for Unitarian Universalists in Canada.The CUC is a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.- Principles and sources :...
(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 minimal amount of youth (12–20) 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
Church of the Larger Fellowship
The Church of the Larger Fellowship provides a ministry to isolated Unitarian Universalists . Its mission also includes growing Unitarian Universalism by supporting small congregations and new UUs around the world...
(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, or who wish to belong to a congregation other than their local congregation. 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 StreetBeacon Street
Beacon Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts and several of its western suburbs. Beacon Street in Boston, Brookline, Brighton, and Newton is not to be confused with the Beacon Street in nearby Somerville, or others elsewhere.-Description:...
on historic Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
Beacon Hill is a historic neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, that along with the neighboring Back Bay is home to about 26,000 people. It is a neighborhood of Federal-style rowhouses and is known for its narrow, gas-lit streets and brick sidewalks...
, the historical center of Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in America. As of 2009, the UUA comprised 19 Districts
Districts of the Unitarian Universalist Association
The Unitarian Universalist Association, an association of Unitarian Universalist Congregations in the United States of America, is composed of 19 Districts. Each District has its own District-level organization, complete with governing body and all...
, 1,041 congregations with 164,656 certified members and 61,795 church school enrollees served by 1,623 ministers.http://www.uua.org/aboutuua/statistics.html
However, as of 2011 the UUA had 162,796 certified members and 54,671 church school enrollees. This shows a decline of 1,860 members and 7,124 enrollees in church school since 2008. The UUA has, for the first time, also reported decline in average weekly attendance to 100,693 people. This is a drop of 1.5% on the 2010 reported figure.
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 denominationReligious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
in the traditional sense; the UUA is an association
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start 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
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
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
Districts of the Unitarian Universalist Association
The Unitarian Universalist Association, an association of Unitarian Universalist Congregations in the United States of America, is composed of 19 Districts. Each District has its own District-level organization, complete with governing body and all...
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 AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, and other natural theist spiritualities.
The principles as published in church literature and on the UUA website :
- 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 reasonReasonReason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
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 (GA) 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 sessionPlenary session
Plenary session is a term often used in conferences to define the part of the conference when all members of all parties are to attend.These sessions may contain a broad range of content from keynotes to panel discussions and are not necessarily related to a specific style of delivery.The term has...
s, 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 Unitarian Universalist Service CommitteeUnitarian Universalist Service Committee
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is a non-profit, nonsectarian associate member organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association that works to provide disaster relief and promote human rights and social justice around the world....
(UUSC), which is active in social change actions; the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, which provides education and advocacy on women's issues; and the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, which is a center of information and action at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
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
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
issues, provide support for religious professionals, etc.
The UUA owns Beacon Press
Beacon Press
Beacon Press is an American non-profit book publisher. Founded in 1854 by the American Unitarian Association, it is currently a department of the Unitarian Universalist Association.Beacon Press is a member of the Association of American University Presses....
, a nationally known publisher of both fiction and non-fiction books. Skinner House Books
Skinner House Books
Skinner House Books is a book publisher run by the Unitarian Universalist Association , specializing in books for Unitarian Universalists -- meditation manuals, worship and church resources, and books on theology, UU history and social justice concerns...
publishes books primarily of interest to Unitarian Universalists.
The UUA also participates in interfaith organizations such as the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility is a coalition of 275 faith-based institutional investors. Founded in 1973, the organization advocates for corporate social responsibility and files shareholder resolutions and engages in dialogue with corporate management on issues such as global...
.
Presidents
The president of the UUA is its CEO and the religious leader of Unitarian Universalism in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The delegates at General Assembly (Unitarian Universalist Association)
General Assembly (Unitarian Universalist Association)
General Assembly, commonly abbreviated as simply GA, is an annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. It is held in June, in a different city in North America every year...
elect the president to a four-year term and a president may be re-elected once. The Rev. Peter Morales
Peter Morales
Peter Morales is the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, elected in 2009. He is their first Hispanic president. He was formerly the senior minister of the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Jefferson County, Colorado, a rapidly growing Unitarian Universalist congregation in the...
was elected at General Assembly in 2009.
| Name | Elected |
|---|---|
| Rev. Dana McLean Greeley Dana McLean Greeley Dana McLean Greeley was a Unitarian minister, the last president of the American Unitarian Association and, upon its merger with the Universalist Church in America, was the founding president of the Unitarian Universalist Association.Greeley received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from... |
1961 |
| Rev. Robert West | 1969 |
| Rev. Paul Carnes | 1977 |
| Rev. O. Eugene Pickett | 1979* |
| Rev. William Schulz William F. Schulz William F. "Bill" Schulz was the Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, the U.S. division of Amnesty International, from March 1994 to 2006. He is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, and served as president of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1985 to 1993. He is... |
1985 |
| Rev. John A. Buehrens John A. Buehrens Rev. John A. Buehrens is a Unitarian Universalist minister and author, and served as the sixth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 1993 to 2001. Rev. Buehrens currently serves as minister of First Parish in Needham, Massachusetts. Ordained in 1973, he served congregations in... |
1993 |
| Rev. William G. Sinkford William G. Sinkford The Rev. William G. Sinkford was elected the seventh president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in 2001. Sinkford was elected to his second and final term as president in 2005. His installation as president made him the first African American to lead the organization. He... |
2001 |
| Rev. Peter Morales Peter Morales Peter Morales is the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, elected in 2009. He is their first Hispanic president. He was formerly the senior minister of the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Jefferson County, Colorado, a rapidly growing Unitarian Universalist congregation in the... |
2009 |
Moderators
The moderator of the UUA is the chairChair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
of the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association and is the presiding officer at the General Assembly (Unitarian Universalist Association)
General Assembly (Unitarian Universalist Association)
General Assembly, commonly abbreviated as simply GA, is an annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. It is held in June, in a different city in North America every year...
. The moderator is the highest UUA position traditionally held by laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
. General Assembly delegates elect the moderator to a four-year term and a moderator may be re-elected once. Moderator Gini Courter (2003*) ran unopposed and was elected to a second full four-year term at General Assembly in 2009.
| Name | Elected |
|---|---|
| Marshall E. Dimock | 1961 |
| Joseph L. Fisher Joseph L. Fisher Joseph Lyman Fisher is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He was a Democrat from Virginia.... |
1964* |
| Sandra M. Caron | 1977 |
| Natalie Gulbrandsen | 1985 |
| Denise Davidoff | 1993 |
| Diane Olson | 2001 |
| Gini Courter | 2003* |
Boy Scouts of America controversy
The Religion in Life religious emblems programReligious Emblems Programs
Religious emblems programs also called religious recognition programs are awards set up by some religious organizations for members of various youth organizations.- United States :...
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
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
youth. The program was promoted at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree
2005 National Scout Jamboree
The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was the 16th national Scout jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America and was held from July 25, 2005 through August 3, 2005 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia...
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
SpiralScouts International
SpiralScouts International is a youth organization in the United States for children of neo-pagan faiths . It was created in 1999 as a loosely organized children's program, at the Aquarian Tabernacle Church...
circles have formed within congregations of the UUA, despite having no official affiliation with the UUA.
Boy Scout Troop 103 was sponsored by All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. 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 2 chapters in the metropolitan New York City area, one in upper New York state, two in Massachusetts, and one in Durham, North Carolina.
See also
- Districts of the Unitarian Universalist AssociationDistricts of the Unitarian Universalist AssociationThe Unitarian Universalist Association, an association of Unitarian Universalist Congregations in the United States of America, is composed of 19 Districts. Each District has its own District-level organization, complete with governing body and all...
- Unitarian UniversalismUnitarian UniversalismUnitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
- United and uniting churchesUnited and uniting churchesUnited and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...