Unitarian Universalism

1774

In response, in 1774, Lindsey applied for registration of the Essex House as a "Dissenting place of worship" with the assistance of barrister John Lee.

On the Sunday following the registration—April 17, 1774—the first true Unitarian congregation discreetly convened in the provisional Essex Street Chapel.

1793

In 1793, Universalism emerged as a particular denomination of Christianity in the United States, eventually called the Universalist Church of America.

1805

In 1805, Unitarians gained key faculty positions at Harvard.

1813

Priestley also founded a reform congregation, but, after his home was burned down in the Priestley Riots, fled with his wife to America, where he became a leading figure in the founding of the church on American soil. Once laity and clergy relaxed their vehement opposition to the Doctrine of the Trinity Act 1813, which finally allowed for protections of dissenting religions, the British and Foreign Unitarian Association was founded in 1825.

1819

In 1819 William Ellery Channing preached the ordination sermon for Jared Sparks in Baltimore, outlining the Unitarian position.

1825

Priestley also founded a reform congregation, but, after his home was burned down in the Priestley Riots, fled with his wife to America, where he became a leading figure in the founding of the church on American soil. Once laity and clergy relaxed their vehement opposition to the Doctrine of the Trinity Act 1813, which finally allowed for protections of dissenting religions, the British and Foreign Unitarian Association was founded in 1825.

1909

John Haynes Holmes, a Unitarian minister and social activist at The Community Church of New York—Unitarian Universalist were among the founders of both the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), chairing the latter for a time.

1950

Other symbols include an off-center cross within a circle (a Universalist symbol associated with the Humiliati movement in the 1950s, a group of reformist, liturgically minded clergy seeking to revive Universalism). Other symbols include a pair of open hands releasing a dove. ===Services of worship=== Religious services are usually held on Sundays and most closely resemble the form and format of Protestant worship in the Reformed tradition.

1956

In 2015, there were 156,620 adult congregational members and 47,623 children enrolled in religious education programs. In 1956, Sam Wells wrote, "Unitarians and Universalists are considering merger which would have total U.S.

1961

Some of the latter eventually became part of the Unitarian Universalist Association (formed in 1961) during a consolidation of the Unitarian and Universalist churches.

Today, the UUA and the United Church of Christ cooperate jointly on social justice initiatives such as the Sexuality Education Advocacy Training project. In 1961 the American Unitarian Association (AUA) was consolidated with the Universalist Church of America (UCA), thus forming the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was given corporate status in May 1961 under special acts of legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York. In 1998 the Canadian Unitarian Council and Unitarian Universalist Association dissolved their financial accord, although they continue to cooperate.

The CUC had come into being at Meadville Lombard Theological School in 1961.

Many use the name "Unitarian Universalist", (and a few "Universalist Unitarian"), having gradually adopted this formulation since consolidation in 1961.

In 1965 Conkin wrote, "In 1961, at the time of the merger, membership [in the United States] was 104,821 in 651 congregations, and the joint membership soared to its historically highest level in the mid-1960s (an estimated 250,000) before falling sharply back in the 1970s ...".

1965

and a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was clubbed in Selma, Alabama on March 8, 1965, and died two days later of massive head trauma.

The Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights are best known for Bloody Sunday, which refers to March 7, 1965, the most violent of the three marches. The past head of the Unitarian Universalist Association 2001–2009, William G.

In 1965 Conkin wrote, "In 1961, at the time of the merger, membership [in the United States] was 104,821 in 651 congregations, and the joint membership soared to its historically highest level in the mid-1960s (an estimated 250,000) before falling sharply back in the 1970s ...".

1970

In 1965 Conkin wrote, "In 1961, at the time of the merger, membership [in the United States] was 104,821 in 651 congregations, and the joint membership soared to its historically highest level in the mid-1960s (an estimated 250,000) before falling sharply back in the 1970s ...".

1981

It was created in 1981 and 1982, at two conferences, Common Ground 1 & 2.

1982

It was created in 1981 and 1982, at two conferences, Common Ground 1 & 2.

1984

On June 29, 1984, the Unitarian Universalists became the first major church "to approve religious blessings on homosexual unions." Unitarian Universalists have been in the forefront of the work to make same-sex marriages legal in their local states and provinces, as well as on the national level.

1985

For example, both the seventh Principle, (adopted 1985), and the sixth Source, (adopted 1995), were added to provide inclusion for members with neopagan, Native American, and pantheist spiritualities. ===Approach to sacred writings=== Originally, both Unitarianism and Universalism were Christian denominations, and U.U.s still reference Jewish and Christian texts.

1990

According to the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations claimed 214,738 members in 2002. Estimates from the 1990s put world membership between 120,000 and 600,000. In the United States, the American Religious Identification Survey reported 629,000 members describing themselves as Unitarian Universalist in 2001, an increase from 502,000 reported in a similar survey in 1990.

1992

The Unity Church is another denomination that is often confused with Unitarian Universalism. ====Boy Scouts of America==== In 1992, the UUA published statements opposing the BSA's policies of discriminating against homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics; and in 1993, the UUA updated the curriculum guidance of its "Religion in Life" emblems program for young people in scouting to include criticism of the BSA policies.

1993

The Unity Church is another denomination that is often confused with Unitarian Universalism. ====Boy Scouts of America==== In 1992, the UUA published statements opposing the BSA's policies of discriminating against homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics; and in 1993, the UUA updated the curriculum guidance of its "Religion in Life" emblems program for young people in scouting to include criticism of the BSA policies.

1995

For example, both the seventh Principle, (adopted 1985), and the sixth Source, (adopted 1995), were added to provide inclusion for members with neopagan, Native American, and pantheist spiritualities. ===Approach to sacred writings=== Originally, both Unitarianism and Universalism were Christian denominations, and U.U.s still reference Jewish and Christian texts.

1998

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was given corporate status in May 1961 under special acts of legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York. In 1998 the Canadian Unitarian Council and Unitarian Universalist Association dissolved their financial accord, although they continue to cooperate.

On account of the published criticism, in 1998 the BSA withdrew its recognition of UUA's Religion in Life emblem program.

2001

The Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights are best known for Bloody Sunday, which refers to March 7, 1965, the most violent of the three marches. The past head of the Unitarian Universalist Association 2001–2009, William G.

According to the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations claimed 214,738 members in 2002. Estimates from the 1990s put world membership between 120,000 and 600,000. In the United States, the American Religious Identification Survey reported 629,000 members describing themselves as Unitarian Universalist in 2001, an increase from 502,000 reported in a similar survey in 1990.

Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and featuring a sample size of over 35,000, puts the proportion of American adults identifying as Unitarian Universalist at 0.3%. The 2001 Canadian census done by Statistics Canada put Canadian Unitarians at 17,480, and the September 2007 membership statistics from the CUC show they had at that time 5,150 official members.

2002

The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) became an independent body in 2002.

Opposition to Liberal religious freedom relaxed, so that by 2002 it was agreed to increase autonomy and funding.

According to the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations claimed 214,738 members in 2002. Estimates from the 1990s put world membership between 120,000 and 600,000. In the United States, the American Religious Identification Survey reported 629,000 members describing themselves as Unitarian Universalist in 2001, an increase from 502,000 reported in a similar survey in 1990.

2004

In May 2004, Arlington Street Church, in Boston, Massachusetts, was the site of the first state-sanctioned same-sex marriage in the United States.

In 2004 UU minister Debra Haffner of The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing published An Open Letter on Religious Leaders on Marriage Equality to affirm same-sex marriage from a multi-faith perspective.

In May 2004, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn ruled that Unitarian Universalism was not a "religion" because it "does not have one system of belief", and stripped the Red River Unitarian Universalist Church in Denison, Texas, of its tax-exempt status.

When the BSA learned of those (internal) statements it again withdrew recognition of the UUA Religion in Life emblems program. In 2004, the Unitarian Universalist Scouters Organization (UUSO), a group not affiliated with the UUA, established their "Living Your Religion" emblems program for UU-BSA scouts.

2005

Without the knowledge or approval of the UUA, the program was approved by the BSA Religious Relationships committee in 2005.

Upon being noticed of the UUSO program the UUA issued a statement (March 16, 2005) clarifying that UUSO was not an affiliate organization of the UUA and asserting that, contrary to reports otherwise, UU congregations were still awarding the UUA Religion in Life emblem to their youth members in BSA Scouts—which emblems then were worn on the Scouts' uniforms without complaint from the BSA.

2007

Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and featuring a sample size of over 35,000, puts the proportion of American adults identifying as Unitarian Universalist at 0.3%. The 2001 Canadian census done by Statistics Canada put Canadian Unitarians at 17,480, and the September 2007 membership statistics from the CUC show they had at that time 5,150 official members.

2008

The North American continental organization of YRUU ended in 2008, but the term is still used by certain active youth groups and conferences at the congregational and regional/district levels.

According to the 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations claimed 214,738 members in 2002. Estimates from the 1990s put world membership between 120,000 and 600,000. In the United States, the American Religious Identification Survey reported 629,000 members describing themselves as Unitarian Universalist in 2001, an increase from 502,000 reported in a similar survey in 1990.

2009

In December 2009, Washington, D.C.

2010

A map using 2010 U.S.

2013

Further, the statement made clear that the UUA still maintained its criticism of both the BSA’s ongoing discrimination against gay Scouts and gay Scout leaders and the BSA requirement of a religious litmus test for membership. Later events made these issues moot: In 2013, BSA opened its membership to gay youth, followed by opening membership to gay adults in 2015, which policy changes resolved the main UUA objection to supporting BSA.

2015

At the 2015 UUA General Assembly, the Association's non-discrimination rule was amended to include the category of "family and relationship structures"; the UUA has yet to take specific follow-up action on this, however. Many congregations are heavily involved in projects and efforts aimed at supporting environmental causes and sustainability.

Further, the statement made clear that the UUA still maintained its criticism of both the BSA’s ongoing discrimination against gay Scouts and gay Scout leaders and the BSA requirement of a religious litmus test for membership. Later events made these issues moot: In 2013, BSA opened its membership to gay youth, followed by opening membership to gay adults in 2015, which policy changes resolved the main UUA objection to supporting BSA.

In 2015, there were 156,620 adult congregational members and 47,623 children enrolled in religious education programs. In 1956, Sam Wells wrote, "Unitarians and Universalists are considering merger which would have total U.S.

2017

Of particular discussion was the borrowing rituals and practices that are sacred to specific tribes or using spiritual practices without real context. ===Racism=== Internal controversy over the hiring of the UUA's Southern Region Lead (a white man from outside the region over a Latina woman from within the region) led to resignations and apologies in 2017.




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