The Unitarian Universalist Association raises a clear and prophetic voice for our liberal religious values and against the growing movement toward fascism in the United States. Religious leadership is called to illuminate the ultimate values at stake in the play of current events. And so, against a vision of an authoritarian white Christian ethnostate, we, and others, raise a vision of the Beloved Community, a social order where all are fully recognized, all are invited to participate, and where love is the guiding value.

Is the UUA organized to effectively meet this moment in history? Not when our formal structures are overly complicated, premised on distrust and suspicion, and waste our volunteer energy on institutional make-work and administrative upkeep.

The Bylaws Renewal Team is undertaking a series of deep conversations about how the UUA is organized and governed. We are starting with the important work of the volunteer bodies embedded in our bylaws, particularly how their roles are helped or hindered by those bylaws. We will be speaking with the volunteers who work on, or have worked with, those bodies, as well as with congregational leaders, with marginalized groups within and adjacent to the UUA, and with other interested UUs.

Is the experience of working as a volunteer in the UUA an empowering experience? Is the work the right work? Is the output worth the effort? Together, we are called to be more nimble, accountable, and effective in our shared work of transformation and service. While governance may seem like a small detail in the face of mounting fascism, the structure of our leadership has everything to do with our ability to live out our mission more fully in the world. We hope to answer core questions and address this pressing need through engaging existing and longtime leaders through governance stakeholder sessions.

Watch for invitations to participate in these discussions.

In faith,

UUA Bylaws Renewal Team