Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Bylaws, Principles & Purposes, is the foundation for all the work of our UUA & its member congregations & covenanted communities as a non-creedal faith. It’s the covenant to which all of our congregations & covenanted communities pledge themselves when they become members of our UUA.
Article II serves many functions including:
UUA Bylaws require review of Article II be reviewed every 15 years, but our current Principles and Purposes were last revised in 1987. Currently, Article II contains 7 Principles & 6 “Sources.”
In June 2020, the UUA Board committed to establishing the Article II Study Commission to complete this study & offer a revised Article II so we’re living into the Unitarian Universalism of the future—a Unitarian Universalism that holds us in times of great need & ethical, moral, and spiritual crises such as we’re living now.
A proposed revision of Article II will be voted on by Delegates to the UUA General Assembly (GA) in June 2023. Final approval will be voted on at GA 2024.
A proposed revision is now available. Rev. Justine, John Schaibly, & Jan Garbosky hosted a forum (in-person & on Zoom) on the Article II Proposed Revision on Sunday, March 12, 2023. The presentation focused on:
Article II serves many functions including:
- Helping us articulate our shared values & theology,
- Serving as a shared cultural touchstone as well as a personal code of ethics,
- Listing concepts to teach & sources to draw from,
- A way to explain to others who we are and draw their interest, &
- In public situations, defining our beliefs or morality in legal or political contexts.
UUA Bylaws require review of Article II be reviewed every 15 years, but our current Principles and Purposes were last revised in 1987. Currently, Article II contains 7 Principles & 6 “Sources.”
In June 2020, the UUA Board committed to establishing the Article II Study Commission to complete this study & offer a revised Article II so we’re living into the Unitarian Universalism of the future—a Unitarian Universalism that holds us in times of great need & ethical, moral, and spiritual crises such as we’re living now.
A proposed revision of Article II will be voted on by Delegates to the UUA General Assembly (GA) in June 2023. Final approval will be voted on at GA 2024.
A proposed revision is now available. Rev. Justine, John Schaibly, & Jan Garbosky hosted a forum (in-person & on Zoom) on the Article II Proposed Revision on Sunday, March 12, 2023. The presentation focused on:
- the Article II Study Commission’s work;
- the review process & timeline;
- how you can be personally involved in the work; &
- the proposed revision to be voted on by Delegates attending the 2023 GA online or in-person.
- Now: Consider attending General Assembly (GA) 2023 as a Delegate or non-Delegate. (See https://www.firstuusandiego.org/denominational-relations.html for Delegate information & application)
- April 1-30: Use the online amendment form to suggest your ideas for amendments (changes) to the proposed version.
- Open to anyone
- Link to Amendment Form will be posted here as soon as it’s available
- May 1-31: Attend discussion workshops about the suggested amendment ideas submitted in April.
- Open to anyone
- Link to workshop information & dates will be posted here as soon as dates/times are available.
- Tony Bianca’s article “A Time to Word-Smith and a Time to Vote,” p. 3, March First Words at https://www.firstuusandiego.org/uploads/1/2/7/6/127676152/03_first_words_march_2023.pdf
- About Article II: The Principles and Purposes of the UUA at https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission/about-article-2
- Article II Study Report 2021-2023 at https://www.uua.org/files/2023-02/article-II-study-report-2021-23.pdf NOTE: Contains Current Article II (pgs. 17-18)& Proposed Article II (pgs. 19—22).
- Article II Text Comparison: Current vs Proposed HERE
- Article II Resource List HERE
