About the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a religious organization that combines two traditions: the Universalists, who organized in
1793, and the Unitarians, who organized in 1825. They consolidated into
the UUA in 1961.
Both groups trace their roots in North America to the early
Massachusetts settlers and to the founders of the Republic. Overseas,
their heritages reach back centuries to pioneers in England, Poland, and
Transylvania.
Each of the 1,041 congregations
in the United States, Canada, and overseas are democratic in polity and
operation; they govern themselves. They unite in the Association to
provide services that individual congregations cannot provide for
themselves. Each congregation is associated with one of the UUA's 19 districts.
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion with Jewish-Christian roots. It has no creed. It affirms the worth of human beings,
advocates freedom of belief and the search for advancing truth, and
tries to provide a warm, open, supportive community for people who
believe that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion.
Governance
The UUA is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of District Trustees selected by the various districts and at-large Trustees, who are elected by delegates to the General Assembly.
The General Assembly is the annual business meeting of the
denomination, held in various parts of the continent. The Board of
Trustees meets four times each year, three times in Boston and once at
the General Assembly.
An elected moderator
presides at the General Assembly and at meetings of the Board of
Trustees, and represents the Association on special occasions. A financial advisor, elected by the General Assembly, also sits on the Board. An elected president,
an appointed executive vice president, a treasurer, and ten others form
the leadership council, manage the day-to-day business of the
Association.
The above information is from the web site of the Unitarian Universalist Association. For much more on Unitarian principles and beliefs click here.
