General Assembly 2016 by Jim Merrill, Association District Representative
If you attended the July 24 “Nuggets from General Assembly” service led by Beverly Jordan, you will have heard many interesting impressions and details about this year’s General Assembly (GA) of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. Vel Linden-Akseven and Kitty and Jim Merrill represented UUCV as delegates, and Tanner Akseven participated in the Youth Caucus and carried our banner in the traditional banner parade.
A few major themes ran throughout this year’s GA: Interconnectedness, Covenant, and the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalists movement. We were joined in two services by the Rev. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ; by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism; and by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, whose energetic evangelical style lit up the halls during worship and a witness service that was moved indoors because of the threat of thunderstorms.
These faith leaders’ interfaith participation reinforced the theme of interconnectedness that we are better together when we collaborate for social justice. The theme of covenant permeated several discussions of our polity, at the congregational and the associational levels. Topics ranging from pledging and fair share offerings to how we conduct business at our assemblies were framed by the precept of covenant as more than a promise or a contract, but a commitment to walk with one another in mutual support, when that is easy and especially when that is hard.
At the 2015 GA, the delegates adopted an Action of Immediate Witness supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement. This year, GA participants were called to examine whether the association and its congregations have committed action more than lip-service. A Responsive Resolution calling the Association and congregations to accountability – the “Reaffirmation of the Commitment to Racial Justice” – was the final order of business taken up by the delegates.
Other business included a forum for the three candidates for UUA President. Our first female UUA President will be elected next year at GA in New Orleans! The delegates also took the following actions, in addition to the Responsive Resolution, trustee and other elections, and routine budget business:
- Adopted the Congregational Study/Action Issue “Escalating Inequality and the Corruption of our Democracy” (establishing a four-year study period)
- Adopted three Actions of Immediate Witness: “Build Solidarity with our Muslim Neighbors”; “Some Guns, All Guns: Legislating Appropriate Restrictions”; and “Stop theHate: Protect and Support our Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Family”
- Rejected a Business Resolution on investment screening of certain types of corporations doing business with Israel (The Association has already screened out all investments in types of corporations that the resolution addressed and has ongoing screens in place.)
- Adopted a Business Resolution on Reconsidering Thanksgiving
You can read about these topics in future issues of the UU World magazine or online at uua.org .