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Who We Are
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Partner Church in Romania
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The Unitarian Church in Charleston(UCC) is partnered with the Unitarian Church of Küküllódombó in Ádámos county of the Mures district in central Transylvania, Romania (also known as Dâmbau on the Kükül River). As are most Unitarian congregations in Transylvania, the members are ethnically Hungarian, and speak Hungarian as their first language. The adage ""egy az isten georgyius musnai diakon", or "There is but one God" expresses the central tenet of the faith of these people in a church that was established in the late 1500s. UCC raises money to help with educational scholarships for the youth of the church that wish to attend the Unitarian High School located in Cluj.
The Unitarian Church in Charleston(UCC) is partnered with the Unitarian Church of Küküllódombó in Ádámos county of the Mures district in central Transylvania, Romania (also known as Dâmbau on the Kükül River). As are most Unitarian congregations in Transylvania, the members are ethnically Hungarian, and speak Hungarian as their first language. The adage ""egy az isten georgyius musnai diakon", or "There is but one God" expresses the central tenet of the faith of these people in a church that was established in the late 1500s. UCC raises money to help with educational scholarships for the youth of the church that wish to attend the Unitarian High School located in Cluj.
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Our Denominational Affairs Leader
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District News
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TJ District is planning on changing its name from "Thomas Jefferson District" to "Towards Justice" District:
Minutes of TJ District Meeting Aug 2009:
Jim Key spoke on the District Name-change process. Jim gave the Board copies of a letter written by Rev. Jake Morrill, a very moving call for change and work on anti-racism in our District. Jim spoke on the need for bold leadership on this issue.
• Motion by Steve Pearsall, seconded by Peter Kandis, to change the name of the Thomas Jefferson District in conjunction with our visioning and ends-statement work and communicate to the congregations the following week.
• The discussion revolved around the fact that everyone was in agreement that this change was necessary, but that the focus should be on our vision and how we live out that vision in the community. The need for a part-time Staff person to look at how we promote justice work in the district was discussed.
• Motion approved unanimously.
TJ District is planning on changing its name from "Thomas Jefferson District" to "Towards Justice" District:
Minutes of TJ District Meeting Aug 2009:
Jim Key spoke on the District Name-change process. Jim gave the Board copies of a letter written by Rev. Jake Morrill, a very moving call for change and work on anti-racism in our District. Jim spoke on the need for bold leadership on this issue.
• Motion by Steve Pearsall, seconded by Peter Kandis, to change the name of the Thomas Jefferson District in conjunction with our visioning and ends-statement work and communicate to the congregations the following week.
• The discussion revolved around the fact that everyone was in agreement that this change was necessary, but that the focus should be on our vision and how we live out that vision in the community. The need for a part-time Staff person to look at how we promote justice work in the district was discussed.
• Motion approved unanimously.
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UUA General Assembly Issues
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Congregational Study/Action Issues & Statements of Conscience
The Current Study/Action Issues include "Peacemaking," which was adopted in in St. Louis, MO, to be the Congregational Study/Action Issue for 2006-2010.
Congregational delegates will vote on the next possible Study/Action issue during General Assembly in 2008.
Recently addressed Social Witness Issues include the 2006 Statement of Conscience "Threat of Global Warming/Climate Change" (Resource Guide), and the 2007 Statement of Conscience, "Moral Values for a Pluralistic Society" (Resource Guide).
Congregational Study/Action Issues & Statements of Conscience
The Current Study/Action Issues include "Peacemaking," which was adopted in in St. Louis, MO, to be the Congregational Study/Action Issue for 2006-2010.
Congregational delegates will vote on the next possible Study/Action issue during General Assembly in 2008.
Recently addressed Social Witness Issues include the 2006 Statement of Conscience "Threat of Global Warming/Climate Change" (Resource Guide), and the 2007 Statement of Conscience, "Moral Values for a Pluralistic Society" (Resource Guide).
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Unitarian Universalist Denominational Affairs
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Unitarian Universalist Association Home Page: http://www.uua.org/
Unitarian Universalism emerged from two different religions: Unitarianism and Universalism. Both Unitarianism and Universalism started in Europe hundreds of years ago. The Universalist Church of America was founded by 1793, and the American Unitarian Association by 1825. In 1961, these denominations consolidated to form the new religion of Unitarian Universalism.
Thomas Jefferson District of UUA Home Page: http://www.tjd.uua.org/
We are part of the Thomas Jefferson District of the UUA:
The Thomas Jefferson District is comprised of 62 congregations which includes members in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia.
9704 Mallard Creek Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28262-9738
(704) 549-0750
(toll-free) (800) 549-0751
(fax toll-free) (866) 648-6928
Annette Marquis, District Executive
amarquis@uua.org
UUA Trustee from Thomas Jefferson District
Report on General Assembly and UUA Board meeting
Dear Friends.
General Assembly in Salt Lake City was wonderful: so much worship, singing, workshops, lectures, sermons, democracy in action, social witness, tears of goodbye to Rev. Bill Sinkford, applause of welcome to Rev. Peter Morales as our new president and applause to Rev. Laurel Hallman for an excellent campaign and for all the issues she brought to the forefront. I love to attend General Assembly and feel the great spirit of all UUs gathered to be the wonderful mix of who we are. Diverse and yet still together as one voice for liberal religion and justice in our world. It was good to see faces of friends from Thomas Jefferson District in the hall between events. You can get many of the experiences from GA by going to the General Assembly 2009 site and I have a couple of favorites. The sermon at the Service of the Living Tradition by Rev. Mary Harrington was one of the most moving events in my life. The Synergy service, which has the Bridging of youth, had my husband, Rev. Clark Olsen, representing the elder voice of advice, and the Closing ceremony with the laying on of hands to install Rev. Peter Morales was especially moving.
I strongly urge you to take some time this summer and enjoy all of these events at GA from your home computer or order DVD copies of the programs and invite some fellow church members over to watch your faith in action or attend a workshop together from your own space. To watch our UU democracy in action, watch the Plenary sessions where the Statement of Conscience on "Peacemaking" failed to pass and was referred back to the Commission on Social Witness for more refinement, and the changes to Article II of the bylaws related to our Purposes and Principles also failed to pass (very close vote). Six Actions of Immediate Witness passed and should be used to educate your congregations. They are:
· "Advocate Pending Legislation Toward Clean, Honest, and Fair Elections in the United States," which endorsed three election reform bills in Congress: H.R.2894, H.R.1826, and S751-752;
· "U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty," which urged the Senate finally to ratify a treaty signed by the United States in 1996;
· "In Support of America's Red Rock Wilderness Act," S799/H.R.1925, which would protect 9 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Utah;
· "Support Bolivian UUs Struggling for Justice and Human Rights," which offered support for Bolivian UU leader Olga Flores Bedregal, who has been calling on her government to provide information about victims of disappearance by the country's military government, and asked UUs to write to the Bolivian ambassador urging the country to establish a truth commission to investigate human rights violations;
· "U.S.-Sponsored Torture: A Call for a Commission of Inquiry," which endorsed the National Religious Coalition Against Torture's call for a commission of inquiry; and
· "Oppose Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity-Based Violence in Iraq," which called for UUs to lobby the U.S. government to work with the United Nations to protect sexual minorities in Iraq.
The UUA Board met for two short sessions before and after GA. You can read the board packet of the pre GA meeting at: Board Meeting.
Post-GA we welcomed 6 new board members including Rev. Peter Morales, president and Rev. Jeanne Pupke, senior minister of Richmond, VA., trustee at large.
There are lots of new things for the board and UUA to focus on in the coming year. We need to effectively use the policy governance we have created, work with a new administration, move to reduce the number of trustees, improve congregational services, make decisions with the Fifth Principal Task Force as we move forward on how to reduce costs, improve service to congregations, be more green and more effective.
Stay tuned; much will be happening. Contact me for any ways that I may be of service to you and thank you all for the welcome you have given me in these two years as your trustee. I am so enriched and inspired by you.
Blessings,
Anna Olsen
828-301-7673
aolsen@uua.org
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