Widening the Circle: Proposed Updates to UU Principles and Purposes

Rebecca Gonzalez-Campoy, Beloved Community Communications Team

Ours is a living tradition. In keeping with this practice, we, as congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), review the bylaws that govern our movement every 15 years, to help us to respond to current and future societal realities. Currently, Article II of the UUA Bylaws and Rules covers Principles and Purposes, and is the source of the Seven Principles. This month, delegates to the 2024 UUA General Assembly will consider a proposed revision to Article II. 

Two key parts of the proposed revision concern Article II, C-2.2 Values and Covenant, and Article II, C-2.4 Inclusion. Here is an excerpt of the proposed Article II, C-2.2 bylaw: 

Values and Covenant
Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:

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Interdependence. We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. 

We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.

Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. 

We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.

Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. 

We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.

Transformation. We adapt to the changing world. 

We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.

Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. 

We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.

Equity. We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness. 

We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.

Here is the second key part of the bylaws revision, the proposed Article II, C-2.4 Inclusion:

Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an Association of congregations that truly welcome all persons who share our values. We commit to being an Association of congregations that empowers and enhances everyone’s participation, especially those with historically marginalized identities. 

Why these changes now? 
According to the Article II Study Commission blog:

It’s been nearly 40 years since a comprehensive review and revision of Article II. The digital age has shifted our interactions with community and truth. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted our interdependence, and where individualism falls short. There is a rise in global autocracies and attacks on democratic institutions, and climate catastrophes and mass extinctions threaten the delicate balance of the web of life. With the articulation of our shared UU values, we can be better equipped to make values-based decisions in facing these new and evolving realities.

Rev. Kathleen Rolenz explains that the revised values call for a deeper emphasis on community or “among and beyond.” Along with this trend, there is a need to update language for authentic inclusiveness, especially related to our BIPOC members. And yet another reason to revise the principles is to make them more relatable and easier to remember in a graphic that places the values of equal importance around the core value of love. Including a covenant with each value provides a specific call to action.

How does this revision impact Unity?
Unity Church has a long history of encouraging its members to examine and engage in antiracist multiculturalism work as evidenced by an institutional audit of race relations created more than 20 years ago, and annual reports on our efforts. The Double Helix model and Ends Statements help us bring spiritual practice to antiracist multicultural work and apply antiracist multiculturalism to our spiritual practice. So, Unity already lives out much of what is proposed in the revised Article II. 

What can we do to participate in the vote on the revised Article II?
Register to attend the UUA General Assembly: Virtual GA, June 20-23, 2024, either as a full registrant for a fee or as a business-only registrant for a donation. Then, sign up at Unity to serve as one of thirteen church delegates (we rarely fill our roster). Contact Rev Kathleen Rolenz at [email protected] for more information. The GA program includes interesting and meaningful workshops, liturgical services, voting opportunities, and fellowship. Never been? No problem. Rev. Kathleen will hold an information meeting before the start of GA so you can engage in a productive and well-prepared way.

For more information on proposed changes to Article II: 

• UUA Article II Study Commission 
• UUA Article II Congregational resources
• Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change June 2020 (also in book form ISBN 9781558968615)