by Kerrie Schurr, WSUU Delegate
I am happy to report that my attendance at General Assembly (GA, the annual convention of UUs from around the world) in late June, was a very positive experience. I went into it feeling somewhat disconnected and discouraged about the state of our church and pandemic life in general, and not exactly looking forward to the business sessions. But the business sessions were streamlined from past years and downright pleasant, and the worship services and workshops I attended (all virtually) were wonderfully inspirational and/or informative. I found that other UUs are also struggling with life these days—and I found much joy in sharing worship, singing, and learning with others who have similar UU beliefs.
It was also very sobering to learn during GA of the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding states’ rights to outlaw abortion, and heartening to know that other UUs were deeply affected and even moved to action during the short timeframe of GA. (Interested in taking action yourself? See the separate article regarding UU reproductive justice activism elsewhere in this week’s eNews.)
This press release from the UUA provides a nice overview of GA and includes links to Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray’s remarks about abortion rights, as well as links to read the three Actions of Immediate Witness (“social justice resolutions” in the release) that were put forward and passed related to (1) reproductive justice, (2) anti-racism and reparations, and (3) privatization of Medicare. The AIW on climate change (reducing emissions from the military) came in 4th, close behind the Medicare one.
Other voting results regarding UUA Bylaws changes and contested UUA Board elections are highlighted in this article written for UUWorld by Elaine McArdle. (In short, all the changes were approved by wide margins, as were the UUA-nominated candidates.)
It’s an exciting time to be a UU, what with the Article II Bylaws work already underway and the remainder of the UUA Bylaws to begin a revamp process this coming year. Our Living Faith is growing and changing to fit the times, yet many of its core values will remain the same.
I wish to extend a big thank-you to those WSUU members who shared their feedback with me prior to GA—and to Kerry Lusignan, who provided companionship and input during many of the business sessions. I also thank the congregation for paying for my registration fee to attend GA.
Please contact me at gadelegate2022@wsuu.org if you have questions about anything related to GA. Also please stay tuned for more info on debrief/Q&A session in the near future, as well as on some of the sessions I attended.