Between Us – What UUs Have in Common

By Rev. Clyde Grubbs, May 25, 2023

I was recently asked at coffee hour why a discussion of Article Two of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) bylaws was relevant to members of First Parish. What is the relevance to us meeting in Canton? Why should we care?

First, I should confess something about myself. I have either gone to Sunday school, belonged to the youth group, been a lay member of, served as a minister in some capacity in well over 50 Unitarian Universalist congregations. I have served Unitarian Universalists in ten states of the United States as well as Canada, England, and Mexico. I have attended over 30 General Assemblies and been elected to positions of trust within the wider UUA. Unitarian Universalism is something I have experienced for a long time and in many different places.

So, I can say with confidence that Unitarian Universalists have a lot in common. We are an international religious community that shares many deep values and concerns. Yes, we have no Bishop or central bureaucracy declaring correct belief or behavior. Our statements of values and shared thinking are done the old-fashioned way, by talking to one another and then agreeing what we want to say together.

Unitarian Universalists Association of Congregations is made up of its member congregations. It credentials ministers and religious educators and owns two book publishers and a magazine. It employs a staff that offers training and advice to congregations when they ask for assistance. Through the General Assembly and other conferences, representatives of congregations decide “what we will do together.” Curricula such as Welcoming Congregation and Sacred Earth are examples of projects we decided to do together. Confronting discrimination against disabled individuals and providing guidelines on how congregations can be welcoming is another. Providing guidelines on ensuring the safety of children and adults attending our congregations is another.

Members of First Parish can witness that they first came to First Parish because they were counseled to try a Unitarian Universalist Church. They chose First Parish, and they liked it. Others were members of a Unitarian Universalist Church in another city. When they moved to the upper Neponset area, they looked for a UU Church and found First Parish. What was the basis of their confidence that a UU church might meet their expectations? I would suggest it is the power of association. We become one international community by conferencing and acting on projects together.

Why is the Unitarian Universalist movement relevant to us? It is our extended family of shared values and common activities.