Meet the Moment: Unitarian Universalists to gather for General Assembly

The first time I visited Minneapolis was in 2010. It was also the first time I attended our Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly (“GA”). Almost every year since 2010, I have attended General Assembly as a delegate from my home congregation, Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, in Vista, CA (yes, I work remotely for First U!).

Each year, our Association of congregations invites all who are interested for several days of workshops, worship, and doing the business of our Association together. (Since COVID began, GA is a robust multi-platform event, so folks can gather in person or they can attend virtually.) UUs from all walks of life, from people in the pews to ministers and other church staff are there–numbering in the thousands. Congregations send delegates to represent them in the business of the UUA. We still have delegate slots available for First U–if you’re a member and you’re interested, email Rev. Ashley.

This year, General Assembly will take place in Baltimore, Maryland, for those of us attending in person. 

Our GA theme is “Meet the Moment,” and I’ll be grateful to be in spaces with other UUs who are striving for that right now. 

What will we be up to? A lot. (Who doesn’t love a list?)

• Worship! Fabulous worship, every day! Music and messages will be offered from across our faith community, and there is nothing like singing our hymns together in a room filled with thousands of UUs.
  Please plan to attend the community livestream of our big Sunday morning General Assembly worship, at the Riverview Theater on Sunday, June 22 at 10 a.m.
• Rituals, like Synergy–the Bridging event for graduating youth to be welcomed into their new status as young adults in our faith, and the Service of the Living Tradition, where we honor clergy who are marking various stages of service. 
• Workshops–too many to choose from–where we learn new skills together, hear from experts and people with lived experience, and get to try on ideas that we can take back home with us.
• Saying thank you to First U member Meg Riley, who has served as co-moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association for the last several years and will be completing her term at this GA 
• Electing a new moderator or team of co-moderators
• Electing trustees to the board, as well as folks to serve on the Commission on Appraisal and the Nominating Committee
• Voting to select one Congregational Study Action Issue (CSAI). The three proposed CSAIs are:
  • Abolition, Transformation, and Faith Formation
  • Fat Liberation: Building Justice and Inclusion for Larger Bodies
  • Housing: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Voting on whether or not to affirm any of the five Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs) that have been proposed–AIWs express the conscience and carry the authority of the delegates at the GA at which it is passed. This year’s proposed AIWs:
  • Bringing a Feminist and Womanist Lens to Resistance and Activism
  • Voter Justice, Racial Equity, and Local Autonomy = DC Home Rule and Statehood for the Citizens of the Nation’s Capital
  • We Declare and Affirm: Immigrants Are People Who Have Inherent Worth and Inalienable Rights
  • Defending LGBTIQ Freedom Amid Funding Crisis: A Call for Global Solidarity
  • Faithful Defiance of Authoritarianism, a Call to Action: Reaffirming Our Covenants for Democracy and Freedom!