Media Contact:
Suzanne Morse
Ph: (508) 259-9354
Email: smorse@uua.org

Boston, Mass. (January 31, 2024) – The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is launching the UU Cultivators Collaborative to support Unitarian Universalist (UU) spiritual innovators who are meeting the challenge to transform Unitarian Universalism into a faith that more closely embodies the Beloved Community that UUs envision. The first cohort of spiritual innovators will come together in March 2024 for an intensive, year-long experience. Those interested can apply online.

The UU Cultivators Collaborative program will provide customized support and encouragement for innovators from historically underserved communities – including Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, youth, young adults, families with young children with special needs, multilingual and immigrant communities, and more - through a cohort model. Participants will provide mutual support to build collective knowledge and will be connected to expert mentors and resources for developing and testing innovative prototypes. The UUA, who is partnering with Beloved to develop this initiative, has provided $500,000 to promote the growth of Unitarian Universalism.

“Unitarian Universalism has long worked to be more whole, more inclusive, and more reflective of communities that have experienced harm and oppression – BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ communities, and people with disabilities, in particular. To do so, we must center the lived experiences of people from those communities to create models of communal care and collaborative leadership. The UU Cultivators Collaborative is an important way for us to transform our faith tradition, encourage spiritual innovation, and center the liberatory experiences of those who seek justice and equity,” said Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, the UUA’s president.

The collaborative is an extension of efforts by the UUA to dismantle white supremacy culture and systemic racism within Unitarian Universalism. In 2020, the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) issued the “Widening the Circle of Concern” report, which included recommendations on ways that the UUA and UU congregations can become more equitable, inclusive, and diverse. The UU Cultivators Collaborative promotes the work of innovators who are developing new forms of UU community that meet the spiritual needs of people from cultures and life-stages underserved in the past.

The collaborative will provide both resources and targeted support to UU changemakers at key stages through their innovation process. In partnership with Beloved, which nourishes spiritual leaders who are developing new places of sacred belonging, the support will include trainings, peer mentorship, and coaching.

Applications for the UU Cultivators Collaborative close on February 9th. Those interested in learning more or applying can do so at the UU Cultivators Collaborative page online.

About the UUA

The UUA is the central organization for the Unitarian Universalist (UU) religious movement in the United States. Our faith is diverse and inclusive and the UUA’s 1000+ member congregations are committed to principles and values that hold closely the worth and dignity of each person as sacred, the need for justice and compassion, the right of conscience, and respect for the interdependent nature of all existence.