Torda450 Contest Winner: Rev. Shari Woodbury

We are very pleased to announce the winner of the Torda450 Sermon Contest: Rev. Shari Woodbury, minister of Westside Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Worth, TX. Her sermon, entitled "Torda450: A Legacy for Today" speaks to the Edict of Torda's resonance in Unitarian Universalism and in our world, 450 years after the Edict was signed in Transylvania.

Watch the winning sermon on YouTube.

Torda450 Sermon Contest Details

Eligibility (2018)

Eligible Entries are Sermons, Curricula, Powerpoints, or other presentations offered during a Torda450 Celebration presented at a Unitarian, Universalist or Unitarian Universalist (U/U) congregation between Sunday, December 3, 2017 and February 18, 2018. (Please check with international@uua.org for confirmation that your Entry is eligible). The Entry must also be listed on the Torda450 Celebrations map before it is presented. Entries should explore the meaning, influence, and 21st century resonance of the Edict of Torda (1568). All Unitarian, Universalist and Unitarian Universalist professional religious leaders, as well as those studying for professional leadership (in at least their second year), are eligible to be considered for this award (with the exception of paid employees of the UUA, UUMA, ICUU, and UUPCC). Entries will be judged through an anonymous submission process by a panel of U/U professional, religious and lay leaders. If the recipient is a member of the UUMA, the recipient will be awarded a grant which will pay all expenses to attend the religious leader's pilgrimage to Transylvania in July 2018. If the recipient is not a member of the UUMA or is otherwise unable to participate in the pilgrimage, the recipient will receive a cash award of $2000. The Entry will also be featured on U/U websites and social media.

Submission Format

Entries must be submitted as a MS Word Document to international@uua.org no later than Monday, February 26, 2018 in order to be considered.

Entries must be submitted as a Word Document in the following format:​

• Cover Page: The cover page must include the title, author's name, congregational affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, email address and where and when the Entry was presented. Please omit any page headers and footers.
• Pages: Only the title should be included at the top of the first page of the Entry. Please be sure to number the pages of your entry.
• Identifying information must be modified or removed from within the text of the Entry. Please substitute congregation names with "this congregation" or "our congregation" or some other un-identifying text. Likewise, do the same for state, region, town or geographical landmark names. Where possible, substitute people's names with their roles in the congregation. For instance, instead of "Jane Doe called me," write "the Chair of the Partner Church Committee called me." Entries which have not been modified to remove these indicators will be returned for revision (all entries must be submitted in proper format by February 26 , 2018).

Submission Terms and Conditions

By submitting your entry for consideration, you are (a) agreeing to grant to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA), the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council (UUPCC) and the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) a non-exclusive, three year, royalty-free license, to publish your entry in any and all publications and websites of the UUA, UUMA, UUPCC and ICUU and their affiliate organizations; (b) representing and warranting to UUA, UUMA UUPCC and ICUU that your submission is an original work of yours and to the best of your knowledge, does not copy or otherwise infringe anyone else's work. The license referred to above includes the right to edit your work for space saving considerations. Attribution will be made each time your work is published. As the copyright owner, you have the right to use the sermon as you see fit at any time.​