48 th. Annual General Assembly Salt Lake City, Utah June 24-28

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1 48 th Annual General Assembly Salt Lake City, Utah June 24-28

2 Attendance Total registered attendance was 3,349. 1,928 delegates from 571 of the 1050 UUA congregations 54%. The 571 congregations represented all 50 states, three Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. There were also UU s from other parts of the world. 145 youth attended. 12 River Roaders

3 Delegates at GA 3,349 people at GA 1,928 were delegates 56% Delegate Breakdown 1,502 member delegates, 396 ministerial delegates, 3 credentialed directors of religious education, 4 associate member organizations, 23 members of the Board of Trustees River Road 8 member delegates, 2 ministerial delegates.

4 Some Highlights Election of UUA President Statement of Conscience on Peacemaking Proposal to revise Article II of the UUA bylaws (the Principles and Purposes ) Fifth Principle Task Force Standing on the Side of Love Actions of Immediate Witness UU University More info: html

5 Election of UUA President Rev. Peter Morales won 59% of the votes. Morales, 62, senior minister of Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colo., ran an underdog campaign, but won decisively with 2,061 votes to 1,481 votes for the Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman, minister-at at- large of First Unitarian Church of Dallas. More info articles/ shtml

6 Absentee Ballots a Large Factor In 2009 the number of absentee ballots (1854) was nearly double 2001, the last contested presidential election. In 2009, 52% of the ballots were absentee versus 29% in River Road voted 6 absentee ballots. Approximately 71% of the eligible delegates voted in the election as compared with 68% in AT River Road, 100% of 13 eligible member delegates and our 3 ministerial delegates voted. We need to continue to be fully represented.

7 Peter Morales UUA elected a president focused on helping congregations adapt to a changing society. He endorsed a platform of adapting Unitarian Universalism to an increasingly multicultural society.

8 Peter Morales In his campaign, Morales stressed the need to: grow UU congregations, continue the visible public witness work, recruit and support a more diverse ministry, help congregations serve and engage an increasingly multicultural society. "The number of people who are already in agreement with us not just in an intellectual sense, but in complete harmony with our core values is enormous. The breadth of our message is very appealing, but we need to become more culturally diverse in our forms of expression in order to reach the millions of people who share our theology and values."

9 Peacemaking Delegates at the 2006 UUA General Assembly selected "Peacemaking" to be the Congregational Study/Action Issue. Should the Unitarian Universalist Association reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war to resolve disputes between peoples and nations and adopt a principle of seeking just peace through nonviolent means? The draft document, in development for three years would have rejected war as inconsistent with our theological principles and religious values, with the exceptions of self-defense and the use of force for humanitarian purposes. After an hour of debate no consensus could be reached about the use of military force.

10 Peacemaking Some delegates found the statement too permissive and argued that the UUA should never endorse war. Others said that requiring U.N. authorization for humanitarian intervention would make intervention almost impossible. Some argued that the statement still did not express adequate support for UUs who work for the U.S. military. The Assembly voted to refer the draft statement back to the Commission on Social Witness for refinement. The CSW will be seeking input from congregations. Stay tuned as to how to get involved. More info:

11 Article II Principles and Purposes The commission on appraisals proposed revisions to Article II. The new version was a result of three years of review that generated more than 3000 comments about the weaknesses and strengths of the current Principles and Purposes. The new version would have required passage by two consecutive GA s, this being the first. After spirited discussion the proposal was defeated 573 to 586. This vote stressed the importance of voting at the convention. River Road needs to follow developments, and be ready to provide input as necessary. More info can be found at

12 Fifth Principle Task Force Task Force Approved by the UUA Board of Trustees, October 21, 2007 Charge: The Fifth Principle Task Force will present two or more recommendations on the future configuration and content of General Assembly (GA). Areas to be examined include but are not limited to: off-site participation in GA, including voting reconfiguration of GA content to include current pre-ga functions, including leadership development and continuing education for laypersons and religious professionals GA frequency GA duration The task force will present its final report to the board in April 2010 and delegates at next year s GA in Minneapolis. Delegates will vote on the changes.

13 Fifth Principle Task Force Among the changes under consideration: Biennial GA, No more than four delegates per congregation who are fully funded and authorized to speak on behalf of their congregation, Moving GA from June to August, Providing child care and communal meals, Setting up non-business conferences during alternate years. Next year s GA will be important and River Road must be represented by informed delegates.

14 Comment by Moderator GA delegates were told by the UUA Moderator: To prepare for making increasingly complex decisions about the way we gather, elect officers, and are represented. This will be some of the biggest business since the consolidation of Unitarians and Universalist. This speaks to the need for River Road congregants to be better informed and have greater engagement with the UUA.

15 Standing on the Side of Love UUA unveiled its new public advocacy campaign, Standing on the Side of Love (SSL), which promotes the inherent dignity and worth of every person. Aimed at helping UU congregations mobilize support in their communities for marginalized groups. See a video on You Tube that demonstrates the spirit of the campaign EB8F4aGs

16 Actions of Immediate Witness These resolutions-by by-petition are circulated at GA. Once accepted, there is one scheduled meeting to reframe or amend them. Up to six can be put on the final agenda during Saturday morning s plenary session. Delegates debated and voted on Actions of Immediate Witness. An opportunity to shape action by UU s. River Roaders were active in the process more on that later.

17 Actions of Immediate Witness Delegates passed six Actions of Immediate Witness: Advocate Pending Legislation Toward Clean, Honest, and Fair Elections in the United States In Support of America s Red Rock Wilderness Act (protection of wilderness areas in Utah) U.S.-Sponsored Sponsored Torture: A Call for a Commission of Inquiry U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Support Bolivian UUs Struggling for Justice and Human Rights Oppose Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity-Based Violence in Iraq

18 UU University For the first time since its launch in 2006, a program called UU University for congregational leaders was incorporated into GA rather than held as a mini conference beforehand. Six Topics -- approximately nine hours per topic. Finding our Commonwealth: Stewardship As Transformational Ministry A family under one sky: Ministry Across the Generations (Multigenerational) Soul Work: Creating Welcoming Multicultural UU Communities Governance: Lighting the Leadership Chalice A People so Bold: Justice and Congregational Mission Theology for a Secular Age

19 Lots of Other Interesting Activities Banner parade Presentations by breakthrough congregations Workshops on a wide variety of topics The Ware Lecture Faith and Reason: Race, Justice and American Political Life Service of the Living Tradition Sunday morning worship: Faith in the Borderland including a world premier song Beacon Press to reissue Martin Luther King Jr. s books Awards, celebrations and fellowship

20 Banner Parade

21 Banners

22 Interfaith Rally

23 Interfaith Rally

24 Consider