Taking action on issues of social justice has long been a source of tension between our collective social conscience and our right to our individual opinions. The report strongly supports congregational actions, and suggests ways of avoiding divisiveness.

The history of Unitarianism and Universalism has been marked by periods of international engagement, and withdrawal. Congregational polity interpreted as the independence of congregations has contributed to the insularity of our movement....

A Self-Study Course on Congregational Polity Based on Interdependence: Renewing Congregational Polity, the 1997 report of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Commission on Appraisal. This course guides you through the report and provides opportunities to discuss the ideas presented with...

AUA: American Unitarian Association. Merged with the Universalist Church of America in 1961 to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.autonomous congregations: see congregational polity. However, autonomous congregations may voluntarily enter into binding covenants that restrict their...

Our congregations can be strengthened through relationships with others. There are many models of cooperation, both through the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and districts and increasingly through a variety of other programs. We recommend recovenanting as a process for examining these...

Additional readings are available from inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop, or call (800) 215-9076. Congregational Polity, Conrad Wright, Skinner House Books, Unitarian Universalist Association, 1997 The Congregation Handbook: How to Develop and Sustain Your Unitarian Universalist Congregation,...

Interdependence: Renewing Congregational Polity has been prepared by the Commission on Appraisal of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The subject of this report is basic to both the spiritual and the institutional life of the Unitarian Universalist movement, as described in the...

The five sections of Part One speak to five basic dimensions of congregational polity: theological, historical, comparative, constitutional, and cultural. Placing congregational polity in theological perspective clarifies the basic meaning and value of congregationalism as an expression of our...

One of the deepest convictions that unites us as Unitarian Universalists is a belief in the possibility of a beloved community among people, whether members of a family or the most diverse representatives of humanity....