For Unitarian Universalism to grow life-saving love in this world, we need strong roots. https://www.uua.org/files/includes/snippet-important-message.txt, Fund for International Unitarian Universalism, Fund For Unitarian Universalist Social Responsibility, Congregational leaders, lay* and professional*, Identity Groups* (e.g., DRUUMM, BLUU, TRUUsT, EqUUal Access, etc. They submitted their Article II Study Report (PDF 26 pages) to the UUA Board of Trustees at their meeting held on January 20, 2023. We can only practice taking accountability when we have wronged or harmed or hurt. ! * What does it make you think? Bill Sinkford, former UUA President and current UUA President Rev. "Section C-2.5. We commit ourselves to regularly revisiting our Principles, Sources and Purpose to ensure that we are relevant, that as we grow in understanding, our Principles and Purposes grow, too. By vote of the delegates at an earlier General Assembly (GA), Article 2 is being examined and addressed with creativity. Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Bylaws, Principles and Purposes, is the foundation for all of the work of our UUA and its member congregations and covenanted communities. 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.". In addition, well be hosting conversations during the 2022 General Assembly, building on the ones we conducted at the 2021 GA. Well present suggested changes ahead of the 2023 General Assembly. Article II Study Commission, November 23, 2020 Privacy Policy. The by-laws of the UUA require that every 15 years Article II be studied and potentially revised. Article II Study Commission Draft Feedback Sessions - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland We all have a lot happening in our congregations and in the world, so we wanted to make sure you were aware that the Association is proposing significant changes to Article II of the UUA by-laws. In 2020, the UUA established a Study Commission for this purpose. We will work to dismantle systems of racism, oppression and white supremacy culture in our congregations and in ourselves. Article II Study Report | Article II Study Commission | UUA.org Our commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism is love in action, and should be centered in any revision of Article II. The 7th Principle was added in the 1987 revision, which also made the language more gender neutral. Practice yields the sharpest analysis. Copyright 1996-2023 Unitarian Universalist Association.All Rights Reserved. (617) 742-2100 | info@uua.org. The Commission is finally naming our core values and challenging us that we have an obligation to live our values and to be accountable to them. Freedom of belief. Learn more about the Article II Study Commission's schedule at the UUA 2021 Virtual General Assembly. Suggestions must be received by April 30 in order to be posted. Commissioner Satya Mamdani interviews fellow Commissioner Paula Cole Jones on the history of the 8th Principle Project, and its connection to the work of the Article II Study Commission. Privacy Policy. Geisenhainer Young Musicians Scholarships, About Youth Spiritual Growth and Development, https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/board/open-house-dates. , . WHAT IS ARTICLE II? Find below resources for personal and community reflection and discussion. Learn more about us by filling out our visitor card. The Article II Study Commission has completed its two year study. Equity-the beginning and the goal of our justice making. Article II Comparison, February 2023 - Unitarian Universalist Our living tradition draws upon many sources, and the Principles section lists 6 Sources. I am sure any one of you can probably think of something to add. Feedback on those two sections was just received last month. First book to argue that immigrant and refugee rights are part of the fight for racial justice; offers a humanitarian approach to reform and abolition Available for Preorder! Mira has always been very commited, open-mided and focused on delivering on time. Rev. Article II lists our seven principles, six sources, the stated purpose of the UUA, and includes statements about inclusion and freedom of belief. People can also self-organize based on posted amendments. 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 congregation unless such is used as a creedal test. Article II ends by ensuring freedom of conscience, and prohibiting creedal tests. Note that if you were to look for an explicit statement of our values, you wouldn't find it in Article 2. Privacy Policy. 2013 - 20174 years. Since the UUA was founded, Article II has changed numerous times (e.g., the removal of sexist language in the 1960s). This was the first question the Article 2 Commission asked. Engage with the UUA's Article II Study Commission - UU World Magazine Original version in English by Tracy Bleakney, traduccin en espaol por Theresa Soto A child journeys far from home Fearful and brave, in need of safe Unitarian Universalist Association The current Inclusion Section of Article 2 was added in 2014 to replace a non-discrimination statement, and no new language has been proposed for it. Key Things to Know About General Assembly 2023, Why Unitarian Universalists are Reexamining Article II, Q&A: New UUA President Rev. The second proposed changing the first principle from the inherent worth and dignity of all people to the inherent worth and dignity of all beings. This proposal was ultimately tabled as delegates grappled with the reality that we had more work to achieve the first principle for people, both in our world and Association, particularly in response to anti-Black racism. Deadline for formally submitting Article IIamendments to be considered a priority. It is the covenant to which all of our congregations and covenanted communities pledge themselves when they become members of our UUA. Copyright 1996-2023 Unitarian Universalist Association.All Rights Reserved. Article 2 has four sections titled: Principles, Purposes, Inclusion and Freedom of Belief. The draft will be presented at the 2023 General Assembly, and after another year for review, it will be voted on at GA in 2024. March 20, 2023 The Unitarian Universalists Association's (UUA) Article II Study Commission, Board of Trustees, and Administration and Staff have received a lot of questions regarding the Article II study and proposed revisions. The board challenged us to ground our work in love and to focus on what Unitarian Universalism would need to be a vital religion into the twenty-first century. 1. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. Meredith Garmon, Rev. Article II Study Commission Article II Study Report January 17, 2023 Summarizing two years of work with UU individuals, groups and leaders, this report offers a proposed new draft of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Ann Arbor, MI 48103. After the final agenda is published and the delegate platform is open, delegates may submit amendments (limit 1 per delegate). When it comes to our Sources, the Commission has proposed a single statement. The attached report is submitted to the Board of Trustees with the recommend revisions to Article II. She was and I am sure she will always be a top performer and an incredible inspiration to her colleagues no matter the area she is in, because her passion and energy are enormous. As the ushers prepare to take this mornings offering, may Unitarian Universalist Association (See Board and Commission Responsibilities, p. z). Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches our faith, we are inspired to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.. Massachusetts General Law Part I Title XXII Chapter 180 Section 17 requires bylaws define the purposes to which the funds of the corporation may be applied. Commission Prepares to Revise UUA's Principles and Sources They submitted theirArticle II Study Report (PDF 26 pages) to the UUA Board of Trustees at their meeting held on January 20, 2023. The amendment submission form will clarify whether the amendment is based on an amendment idea which was previously suggested and discussed; this would be required for priority consideration by the Moderator. The Article II Study Commission has completed its two year study. The Article II Study Commission has completed its two year study. The purpose of it is bringing together students from 1st to 4th year of education in the bachelor program, students from the masters program . The Commission is charged with reviewing all sections of Article II, and is free to revise, replace, or restructure them as needed to meet the objectives stated above. For more information contact changemanager@uua.org. We covenant to affirm and promote our Principles, which are derived from and founded upon our values. The 8th Principle - Frequently Asked Questions - UUFP Elaine McArdle is a UU World senior editor and attends the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs, New York. In conducting its work, the Commission should actively reach out to these groups of stakeholders (and any others the Commission deems relevant): For more information contact changemanager@uua.org. Click the link for the date in order to register. Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association bylaws defines that purpose for the Association. Join us every Sunday online or in person! Some of these discuss specific amendment language; others UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION BYLAWS AND RULES ARTICLE II Principles and Purposes Section C-2.1. To practice that which we can only practice in real time? The attached report is submitted to the Board of Trustees with the recommend revisions. This amended version will be discussed and voted on again in 2024, when it will require a 2/3 vote to pass. Throughout our history we have evolved and we will continue to do so. UUA article II commission | UU World Magazine | From Copyright 1996-2023 Unitarian Universalist Association.All Rights Reserved. What are our UU values? In fact, you might not find it at all. Ours, however, is a Living Tradition. A definition of the purpose of the Association, the Principles and the Sources (currently), an Inclusion clause, and a Freedom of Belief clause. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons and commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyones participation. We need to do more than just affirm and promote. We encourage the Commission to consider framings of our principles that allows them to be brief and poetic (perhaps by transferring explanatory clauses and expansions to a subsidiary document that expounds on what the Commission sees as included and intended in that shorter form). Article II was last revised in 1985, with amendments approved in 1995 and 2018. There is nothing sacred about the number of principles or sources, nor their specific wordings, nor in the way that Article II is laid out. 24 Farnsworth Street | Boston, MA 02210 Article II Study Commission Report * First Parish Brewster Unitarian Lofty Goal or Purpose of Our Church? - Heritage UU Church * What suggestions do you have for changes? | A proposed revision narrowly failed in 2009. The UUA Article II Study Commission has proposed extensive changes to the UUA Bylaws, Article II - Principles and Purposes. In response to those discussions, the UUA Board committed to establishing thisArticle II Study Commission to complete this study and offer a revised Article II. For more information contact changemanager@uua.org. Congregations, through their delegates, vote on what values they share and what they can agree to do together. Mira Nikolova - Community Marketing Coordinator - LinkedIn How do we covenant in a way that leads us into the fullness of who we can be as a faith? 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. Frequently Asked Questions: Article II Study and Revisions. https://www.uua.org/files/includes/snippet-important-message.txt, March 20, 2023 The Article II Study Commission is excited to share a full draft of Article II for feedback. The Universalists were also a Protestant sect whose core theology was universal salvation. After all, we can only practice courage when we are afraid. Were meeting with stakeholder groups and conducting a series of online meetings open to all. The first major rewrite of the Principles and Purposes post-merger were adopted in 1984. We historically have been and will continue to be non-creedal, we are covenantal. Dr. Susan Frederick Gray. Throughout the history of the Universalists and Unitarians there has been a balancing act between naming our common purpose and beliefs, and freedom from creedalism and dogmatic thinking. The Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association (on the facing page in your hymnal) state that the UUA exists to be the corporate power for its member congregations, but also, and importantly, it exists to implement its principles. Covenant creates obligations and demands accountability, but covenant is aspirational and reinforced by forgiveness. The Article II Study Commission has completed its two year study. About Article II: The Principles and Purposes of the UUA Article II Study Commission, Article II Study Commission Draft Feedback Sessions, Getting Involved with the Article II Study, The Article II Study Commission and the 8th Principle, Article II Study Commission at General Assembly 2021, A Conversation on Covenant: An Article II Study Commission Panel, Conversations with Satya Mamdani: The Eighth Principle Project, What Brings Us Together: Love as a Common Theological Core, What Brings Us Together: Reflecting on the First Six Months of the Article II Study Commission, Fund for International Unitarian Universalism, Fund For Unitarian Universalist Social Responsibility. Rob Spirko. A statement from the Article II Study Commission on its work and its relationship to the 8th Principle Project. Its our values which are foundational, but we havent actually articulated them. Delegate amendments which are based on suggestions or ideas which had been previously discussed through this process are more likely to be prioritized for discussion and voting at General Assembly. In June 2020, the UUA Board committed to establishing the Article II Study Commission to complete this study & offer a revised Article II so we're living into the Unitarian Universalism of the futurea Unitarian Universalism that holds us in times of great need & ethical, moral, and spiritual crises such as we're living now. Interdependence-we need one another, we cannot thrive alone. Until April 30, 2023, any Unitarian Universalist may submit suggestions and ideas through an online form for ways they recommend modifying theArticle II Study Commission proposal (PDF). As we think about what we need from a revised Article 2, we want to ask: What do we need to promise to each other now and going forward? 24 Farnsworth Street | Boston, MA 02210 The Unitarian Universalist Associations Board of Trustees will appoint a commission to review Article II of the UUA bylaws, which describe the UUAs purposes and principles. The Board believes that one core theological value, shared widely among UUs, is love. From the personal values words in the word clouds, the Commission distilled our collective values to 7 interrelated value words which they presented at last Junes GA. The Study Commission provided resource materials for congregations to use in facilitating discussions about the purpose and values of the UUA. Opening Words and Welcome Good afternoon and welcome to our annual animal blessing. Unitarian Universalist Association Spiritually Alive - Radically Inclusive - Justice Centered. It provides a framework for why the member congregations choose freely to be in association with one another, and this framework is open to continuous review, revision and/or restatement. We value justice, so we covenant to create environments where people thrive. Come join us. . We UUs are like-valued people, we share values.