Supporting Spiritual Innovation

The Unitarian Universalist Association has been diligent in responding to the recommendations of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change’s 2020 report Widening the Circle of Concern recommending investment in leaders of new spiritual communities serving BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, and other historically marginalized communities within our faith.

Since then, the UUA and partner organizations have experimented with ways of supporting new spiritual innovators. From the original Beyond the Call: Entrepreneurial Ministry program for religious professionals to the five-year Black Lives UU grant, to the ongoing work of the UU Funding Program and the launch of the UU Religious Innovators Network, we have learned a lot about the current landscape of religious innovation and the largest challenges innovators face in creating and sustaining new forms of community.

2024 Cohort of Innovators

In 2024, the UUA partnered with Beloved, a national network of spiritual leaders spanning denominations, locations, and leadership styles to to launch the UU Cultivators Collaborative.

The goal of the Cultivators Collaborative is to create thriving faith communities, grounded in models of shared leadership and mutual accountability, that are designed to nourish spiritual growth, liberation, and healing for all. The mission of Beloved, to inspire, support, and nourish spiritual leaders as they create and sustain new faith-full spaces of sacred belonging, paired with UU values and commitment to building the Beloved Community formed the base upon which the UU Cultivators Collaborative was designed.

Courageous UU spiritual innovators developed new forms of UU community meeting the spiritual needs of people from cultures and life-stages that have been underserved in the past. These communities centered ministry with those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), youth, young adults, disabled people, queer folx, families with young children with special needs, LGBTQ couples and nontraditional families, multilingual and immigrant communities, people who seek virtual faith connection, and many more who seek a community that offers a sense of belonging and spiritual nourishment that honor dignity, equity, and liberation.

Through this partnership, the UU Cultivators Collaborative provided comprehensive programmatic support and coaching to spiritual innovators and teams who were ready to realize their wider vision for Unitarian Universalism with tailored support at critical junctures along the way.

Spiritual innovators participating in the UU Cultivators Collaborative became part of a cohort of mutual support that built collective knowledge, connected participants to expert mentors and resources for developing and testing prototypes and guidance through these critical stages and beyond.

The cohorts of UU spiritual innovators (both religious professionals and lay leaders) participated in one-year intensives followed by a co-created alumni experience. Cohorts regularly met for

• reflection and support

• trainings led by peers and outside presenters

• peer mentorship
• 1-1 coaching
• access to supportive resources, such as email & donation platforms, CRM (database), liability insurance, discounted fiscal sponsorship, and accounting.

2026 Gathering of Spiritual Innovators

Building on previous successes, beginning Fall 2026, the UU Cultivators Collaborative will host monthly drop-in gatherings for spiritual innovators.

Funding

Initial seed funding was provided by a $500,000 grant from the UUA to address the recommendations for innovator support outlined in the UUA’s Widening the Circle of Concern report.

In addition, the Cultivators Collaborative was the recent recipient of a $200,000 bequest restricted to projects in Florida.

UUA’s Stewardship and Development department invited additional contributions from individual donors who have a particular interest in new community innovation.

Continued funding for the Cultivators Collaborative comes from the UUA and the New Communities Fund.

10 Year Outcomes

• There are many proven and replicable forms of UU-connected spiritual community that meet the needs of people who have been underserved in our typical congregations.
• Existing congregations are partnering with and supporting new types of ministries by and for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled UU’s.
• Dozens of multicultural congregations and affiliate communities are being led by BIPOC and other previously underserved religious professionals and lay leaders.