Important changes are being proposed to our Unitarian Universalist Association’s bylaws section “Article II,” which houses the Principles and Purposes.

Please take some time to review the study report which can be found here:

https://www.uua.org/files/2023-02/article-II-studyreport-2021-23.pdf

This year’s General Assembly will be especially important for considering these changes.

Please consider being a delegate from UUCLB and attending online or in person.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these changes and being a part of our beloved Living Tradition’s journey of transformation with you.

Article II Study Process and Adoption Timeline The Article II Study Commission convened in the fall of 2020, developing a shared understanding of its charge developed by the Board of Trustees in consultation with the 2018 and 2019 General Assemblies, the history of Article II, and the study process. In the Spring of 2021, the Study Commission began hosting theological panel discussions with surveys to gain an understanding of the values and sources of inspiration shared amongst Unitarian Universalists. At General Assembly 2021, the Commissioners introduced the Article II study process in a General Session, and engaged attendees in focus groups. Congregational resources for small group ministry and group discussion were developed and shared in the fall of 2021. Focus groups, individual interviews, and surveys continued through the winter and spring of 2022.

Draft language was prepared and shared during General Sessions at the 2022 General Assembly. Focus groups and surveys were used to collect feedback on these drafts. In the fall of 2022, the Article II Study Commission, via their Outreach Team, held feedback sessions and surveys on different drafts of Article II, each draft informed by
previous feedback sessions and surveys. At the end of this feedback cycle, the Article II Study Commission will submit its recommendation for a new Article II to the Board of Trustees in January 2023.

Over the course of its work, the Commission engaged in 45 feedback sessions, with 4,611 total participants. Their videos reached 7,765 viewers, and their 29 surveys generated a total of 10,925 responses. Congregations are encouraged to have conversations to gather input from their members to inform their GA delegates. There will be opportunities for delegates to recommend amendments to the proposal including at a mini-assembly at General Assembly 2023.

The Board will also be able to recommend amendments. Amendments to the proposal from delegates and the Board of Trustees will be prioritized and placed on the General Assembly agenda for consideration. The final version of Article II, as amended by the Board of Trustees and/or the 2023 General Assembly, must receive a simple majority vote to move forward for a final vote at the 2024 General Assembly. It will take a 2/3rd majority vote at the 2024 General Assembly to be adopted as the new Article II of the UUA bylaws. If either vote fails, a similar proposal cannot be considered for two years.

Unitarian Universalist Association: PROPOSED CHANGES: Bylaws and Rules Article II Purposes and Covenant
Section C-2.1. Purposes.
The Unitarian Universalist Association will devote its resources to and use its organizational powers for religious, educational, and humanitarian purposes. Its primary purposes are to assist congregations in their vital ministries, support and train leaders both lay and professional, to foster lifelong faith formation, to heal historic injustices, and to advance our Unitarian Universalist values in the world. The purpose of the Unitarian Universalist Association is to actively engage its members in the transformation of the world through liberating Love. Section C-2.2. Values and Covenant. As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant, congregation-to congregation and through our association, to support and
assist one another in our ministries. We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love.

Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:

Interdependence. We honor the interdependent web of all existence.  We covenant to cherish Earth and all beings by creating and nurturing relationships of care and respect. With humility and reverence, we acknowledge our place in the great web of life, and we work to repair harm and damaged relationships.

Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.

Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions. Transformation. We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.

Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.

Equity. We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.

Section C-2.3. Inspirations.
As Unitarian Universalists, we use, and are inspired by, sacred and secular understandings that help us to live into our values. We respect the histories, contexts and cultures in which they were created and are currently practiced. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. Grateful for the religious ancestries we inherit and the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.

Section C-2.4. Inclusion.
Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons who share our values. We commit to being an association of congregations that empowers and enhances everyone’s participation, especially those with historically marginalized identities.

Section C-2.5. Freedom of belief.
Congregational freedom and the individual’s right of conscience are central to our Unitarian Universalist heritage. Congregations may establish statements of purpose,
covenants, and bonds of union so long as they do not require that members adhere to a particular creed.