Business at General Assembly 2023

Watch the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt's acceptance speech.

General Assembly (GA) 2023 took place online and in Pittsburgh, PA, June 21-25. The General Sessions listed below are available online to the public. Full participation and/or voting as a delegate requires registration.

The General Assembly is the annual business meeting of the denomination. Elected moderators preside at the General Assembly in accordance with rules of procedure. General Assemblies make overall policy for carrying out the purposes of the Association and direct and control its affairs. Voting at each regular and special General Assembly shall be by accredited delegates from certified member congregations, certified associate member organizations, and trustees.

The business to be transacted is set forth in the Final Agenda (PDF). Other items, such as actions of immediate witness, may be added during and before GA. Go to Shape UUA Justice Commitment Through the Social Witness Process or the Delegate Platform (see bottom of page).

See also: Annual Reports to the 2023 General Assembly

Video and Agenda Highlights with Ballot Results

  • Mini-Assembly on Rules of Procedure
    Proposed Amendments to Rules Ballot Results (PDF)
    • Not amended: Proposed Amendment: Delete last paragraph of Rule 3 & Modify Rule 7
  • Actions of Immediate Witness
    AIW Selection Ballot Results (PDF)
    • Selected: Protect the Dreamers, the Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) with a Pathway to Permanent Residence
    • Selected: Organizing for Health Equity
    • Selected: Rise Up to Stop Cop City
    • Not selected: Not on Our Watch, Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and Call for Action
    • Not selected: Code Red for Humanity: The Climate Impacts of Military Emissions
    • Not selected: Urgent Call to Action: Embracing the Goals and Provision of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
  • Mini-Assembly on Business Resolution
    Proposed Amendment to Business Resolution Ballot Results (PDF)
    • Not amended: Proposed Amendment #3 to Business Resolution: Complete Divestment from the Fossil Fuel Industry and Subsequent Reparations

GA Business Started Early This Year

The UUA Board has continued to redesign the discussion and voting process to be more accessible, inclusive, and democratic for both online and onsite delegates from certified member congregations. This means that parts of the GA business process began earlier to give everyone more time to participate. Here are a few highlights:

  • All voting and other official actions for delegates happens through the online Delegate Platform (more below). Both online and onsite delegates can use an electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer, to access the Delegate Platform.
  • Voting for the Presidential election and the competitive Nominating Committee election starts June 1, 2023, through a ballot on the Delegate Platform.
  • Each delegate may submit no more than three amendments in total for regular business items, inclusive of amendments for both the Rules of Procedure and the Business Resolution. Amendments for these items must have been submitted by 5:00 pm ET on June 1, 2023.
  • Any delegate may submit no more than one amendment for the Proposed Revision of Article II. Amendments submitted by 11:59 pm PT on June 5, 2023, were reviewed for priority consideration during General Assembly. All amendments for the Article II proposal must have been submitted by the Article II mini-assembly on Thursday, June 22, 2023.
  • The Mini-Assembly to review any amendments to the Rules of Procedure and items on the final agenda took place online before GA. Amendments supported by 50% of delegates who voted at the Mini-Assembly can be considered at GA. The Mini-Assembly was on June 5, 2023, and the ballot stayed open for 24 hours on the Delegate Platform. You must have claimed your credentials on the Delegate Platform to vote in the Mini-Assembly.
  • The Mini-Assembly to review the Business Resolution: “Complete Divestment from the Fossil Fuel Industry and Subsequent Reparations” took place online before GA. Amendments supported by 50% of delegates who voted at the Mini-Assembly can be considered at GA. The Mini-Assembly was on June 10, 2023, and the ballot stayed open for 24 hours on the Delegate Platform. You must have claimed your credentials on the Delegate Platform to vote in the Mini-Assembly.
  • The Mini-Assembly to review amendments to the Proposed Revision of Article II took place during GA on June 22, 2023. This was an opportunity for discussion, with no separate vote in this Mini-Assembly.
  • Delegates received the updated Final Agenda a week before the start of GA, including the text of any amendments which advanced from the pre-GA mini-assemblies. This gave delegates time to talk with their congregation about the upcoming votes.

Join the Conversation

Access the Delegate Platform

To access the Delegate Platform delegates must be registered for General Assembly and have credentials.

Congregations are responsible for assigning credentials to their member delegates. Ministers and religious educators can retrieve their credentials.

Delegates who only want to participate in the business portions of General Assembly without access to programs, workshops or speakers can register as business-only registrants. Payment is not required but a donation to offset production and platform costs is suggested.

You must submit amendments or vote on the Mini-Assembly ballots through the Delegate Platform.

Questions?

For questions on assigning or claiming your delegate credentials, or registering on the Delegate Platform, please email gaonlinesupport@uua.org.

For any other questions on the GA voting process, email secretary@uua.org.