What’s Happening in Unitarian Universalism

Image Description: This image is of a chalice with an overlay of the word Love over the flame, with six outstretched arms that create a circle around each of the core values and form a six-petal flower shape. Each arm is a different color, and clockwise they are: Interdependence (Orange), Equity (Red), Transformation (Purple), Pluralism (Blue), Generosity (Green), and Justice (Yellow).

Our Unitarian Universalist Association Bylaws (as revised in June 2024) include an expression of who we are, focusing on our shared values – Justice, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence, Generosity – and centering around Love.  You can read the full text of our values here.

Graphic Credit: Tanya Webster

This Year’s Adopted Social Witness Statements

The General Assembly 2025 logo is overlaid on a vibrant springtime scene in Baltimore, Maryland. The background features a park with blooming pink magnolia trees, a curved white stone railing, and classic brick buildings. The GA 2025 logo includes the letters "GA" with an interconnected network design, silhouettes of diverse people holding hands, and the event details: "General Assembly • Baltimore • June 18-22, 2025" with the theme "Meet the Moment."

Congregations are invited to engage with the study topics and possible actions listed in the CSAI over the next three years, and to use the AIWs for guidance on issues to take immediate action on.

Three proposed CSAIs were admitted for consideration by the UUA General Assembly 2025, and the delegates adopted Abolition, Transformation, and Faith Formation.  

Five AIWs were proposed for the delegates to consider, and three were adopted:

The process:

The UUA Commission on Social Witness oversees the collective social witness process among Unitarian Universalist Association member congregations and groups.  Their mission is to amplify emerging social action, promote connections, and nurture accountable social witness across the Association.  They facilitate two different types of social witness statements: Statements of Conscience (SOCs) which arise from Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs), and Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs).  Congregational Study Action Issues are issues selected by Unitarian Universalist member congregations for three years of study, reflection and action.  The purpose is to provide member congregations of the Association with an opportunity to mobilize energy, ideas and resources around a common issue.  The end result will be a deeper understanding of our religious position on the issue, a clear statement of Association policy as expressed in a Statement of Conscience, and a greater capacity for congregations to take effective action.  Actions of Immediate Witness are used by congregations in local efforts and empower them to take action and recommend action through other departments of the UUA and other Unitarian Universalist groups.  

Learn about CSAIs and AIWs here – and please talk with Rev. Karen if you’d like to hear more about how these are chosen, talk about what excites you about them, and share your ideas about how our congregation might work with them.

Click here for more information.

The UUA offers several ways for UUs to engage in the work of justice in our world.  Each has opportunities for learning and action!

A public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression, with four intersectional justice priorities: 

Climate Justice, Decriminalization, Democracy, and Reproductive Justice & Trans Rights.  Click here to learn more.  We build strong movements when we take action together.  Organize teams and networks that can take these actions together, and get support on practical organizing skills and support at our Organizing School and Skill Up resources.  Side with Love offers two ways to take concrete action:

Weekly Action Update features essential resources, upcoming events, and spiritual reflection to support work across our intersectional priority areas.  Click here to view this week’s update!

The Gathering – second Mondays at 7:00 pm – a new monthly virtual event designed to offer:

  • Spiritual grounding – strengthen your heart and spirit for the work ahead
  • Political analysis – understand the threats to democracy and justice
  • Collective action – organize with others to block anti-democratic forces and build a just and loving world

Click here for more information and to register to receive the Zoom link for The Gathering.

Be Part of Your UUA’s Social Witness Processes!

The UUA Commission on Social Witness oversees the collective social witness process among Unitarian Universalist Association member congregations and groups.  Their mission is to amplify emerging social action, promote connections, and nurture accountable social witness across the Association.  They facilitate two different types of social witness statements: Statements of Conscience (SOCs), which arise from Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs), and Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs).

Congregation Study/Action Items:

Three proposed CSAIs passed the congregational vote, so they will be admitted to the agenda for the UUA General Assembly 2025.  The three moving forward are:

The next stage of this process is that we will hold on-line, zoom feedback sessions so congregants from across the country can join in to hear more about each of the CSAIs and offer comments and feedback.  The dates of the Feedback Sessions are next to each of the CSAIs and the zoom links will be published soon!

Learn About Congregational Study Action Issues and the process for 2024-2025.

Actions of Immediate Witness:

There’s lots to take action about these days.  If you want UU’s across the country to support your justice efforts, consider submitting an AIW for this year’s General Assembly.  

March 18: Submission for draft AIWs opens.  Any AIWs submitted between March 18th and April 12th will receive CSW feedback.  This allows submitters to get feedback about whether they meet criteria, and an opportunity to revise if needed.

After April 12: any submissions after April 12th will continue through the process only if they meet all the criteria without revision.   

Friday, May 12 – Deadline for proposed AIWs. These will be posted and distributed to congregations.

Details can be found here. [3/12/25]

Love Resists activates people of faith and conscience to resist the harm inflicted by criminalization, to create safer, more just, welcoming, and sustainable communities.  Click here to learn about current actions, and to download resources and tools to bring the Love Resists campaign to your community by expanding sanctuary, growing solidarity, and raising your voice.

UUs support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large, and UU the Vote engages in year-round movement-building work toward building a truly inclusive democracy.  Wisconsin is a key state for UU the Vote’s action initiatives.  Click here to learn how you can get involved in getting out the vote.

Click here to find out more about WUUSAN our state-wide organization.

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