Congregational Justice Programs

The Welcome Table

Justice is at the core of our faith. Our congregations are called to make a positive difference in our wider communities. We work to serve, to raise awareness, and to support and partner with people who face injustice. We advocate, organize, and act for justice to live out the values of our faith.

Step 1: Get Grounded in a Spiritual Model

See it in action: Rev. Abhi Janamanchi describes the role of faith in the justice work of prophets like Theodore Parker, Gandhi, John Haynes Holmes, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Read stories about congregations using spiritual justice program models.

Step 2: Build and Focus Your Justice Ministry

See it in action: The UU Church of Akron, OH, winner of the 2014 Bennett Award for Social Justice, has a vibrant justice program with three key focuses: immigration, food justice, and LGBTQ outreach. Read more stories about focused congregational justice ministry.

Step 3: Be in Partnership

Great groups that many UU congregations have formed partnerships with include:

  • Congregation-Based Community Organizations: large-scale interfaith, economically diverse, multiracial, national grassroots organizations that work for local, regional, and state-wide social change
  • UU Statewide Advocacy Networks: many U.S. states have a UU network working on justice issues at the state level, organized by local leaders
  • UU College of Social Justice: an organization that offers experiential learning journeys and social justice training for individuals and congregational groups, helping people cross boundaries, gain insight, and live their faith by making a difference in the world

See it in action: A panel of UU leaders and organizers discuss partnership and movement-building around ending the New Jim Crow of mass incarceration, police brutality, and criminalization of people of color. Read more partnership stories.

Step 4: Take Action!

There are many ways to do justice ministry. Here are tips for different types of action: