Our faith is not like others in many ways, and it can be confusing for people who may or may not be new to our pews. In previous months, I've written broad strokes about: our faith, what it takes to become a UU minister, the role of covenant in our faith life, and worship. This month I thought I'd write about General Assembly (GA).

When the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America decided to consolidate into the Unitarian Universalist Association, after many years of discussion, in 1961, they had many, many decisions to make, including how the business of the new association would get done.

Our faith is deeply devoted to democratic principles, from the way many of our committees and boards work, to the congregation level, to the functioning of the UUA. Every year, UUs from member congregations of the UUA (and some of our international UU kin as well) gather at GA, our General Assembly. The delegates (along with ministers and religious educators) of the member congregations are able to vote on the business of the UUA. As in our congregations, this can be on changes to bylaws, creating new teams and committees, selecting a Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI), Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs), candidates for UUA President and board or other positions, and other issues.

It's a lot of names and acronyms, but basically it's similar to what our congregations do, just on a national scale. The statements, bylaws changes, and other business elements voted on at GA guide the staff and volunteers of the UUA as they discern what the member congregations need and what we as UUs need in this moment and as we look to the future. The UUA has no authority over congregations, but many of our congregations adopt various statements passed at GA as guides on how and why we might be involved in social justice activities, how we understand our faith (moving from the principles to the shared values), and so on.

General Assembly takes place in June. Because this is an annual gathering, it is not only a time for business, but also for other activities and events: worship services, including Synergy (the youth bridging service) and the Service of the Living Tradition (honoring ministers and other religious professionals at various milestone stages, including death), the Fahs (originally for religious educators) and Ware (for all, often from a leading public figure) Lectures, and the Berry Street Essay (originally by and for ministers on subjects of importance to the ministry, and hosted by the UU Ministers Association).

For years, GA has spanned from a Wednesday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. Before the pandemic, the days were often 14 hours long or more. In 2020, GA was pivoted to online, and the UUA took the opportunity to commit to virtual-only GAs every other year, although multiplatform practices are in place the other years. This year is one of those virtual years, though it will not look the same as in the past. All the business meetings will be Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening, and the programming (worship, discussion groups, and the Ware Lecture) will be Friday evening through Sunday early afternoon. Louisville has been selected as a gathering location for those who wish to come together, and a half dozen satellite sites to serve as local gathering sites for others are in the works.

Since 2021, I have been serving as GA Chaplain Co-/Lead, and this year am serving as GA Care Team Co-Lead (a new position that may only be for 2026… we'll see!). In the scheme of things, my role isn't very big, but it's important, as are all the roles so many people fill to make GA happen and be a wonderful experience for many.

General Assembly is a great opportunity to get to see what our faith looks like beyond our congregation's walls. We are not alone in our faith, and it is practiced many ways across the country (and the world!). GA gives us a chance to connect with people who might bring a helpful perspective, might shift our thinking in a new way, might offer some experience about that issue we've been wrestling with for years. Sometimes it's also just nice to be in community with hundreds of other people who share the same values and seek to live them in the world.

I'd be glad to help answer questions about GA if I can — and I'm sure Myra S. and Cindy G. would be, too (both have attended before). And if you're interested in attending GA as a delegate for the congregation, please contact Cindy G. or someone on the board. They can help some with the cost.

And as always, if there's something you're curious about, let me know!
In faith and service,
Rev. Kristina Spaude (she/her)