From an article by Rachel Walden, Communications Professional, UUA
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After extensive engagement with UUs across our faith tradition, the Article II Study Commission have completed their Final Proposed Revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Links to the text and additional important information are in this email, including a deadline of 5pm ET on February 1, 2024 for submitting any new amendments. The Commission’s letter that follows lifts up all of the creative energy around the process, reflecting generations of UUs actively shaping our faith.
As your congregation prepares to review the language describing Unitarian Universalist shared values, it’s worth noting that this process began in 2020, when the Article II Study Commission was charged by the UUA Board to review that section of UUA Bylaws that includes the Principles, Purposes, and Sources. The Commission was to propose revisions that will enable our faith tradition to be a relevant and powerful force for spiritual and moral growth, healing, and justice. Learn more about the history of this process in the Article II section of UUA.org.
The Commission held thousands of conversations with UUs and developed a proposal that went before a vote at the 2023 General Assembly. Delegates voted to move forward with a process to discuss further changes and approved several amendments to the Commission’s proposal. In the months since GA 2023, the Commission has worked to incorporate those amendments into a final document for congregations to review. That document, the Final Proposed Revision to Article II, is now available.
At GA 2024, we will come together and vote on whether to adopt this revision as the new Article II of the UUA Bylaws. This email shares links to the proposed revision, information on submitting amendments, and resources to support engagement with this important opportunity to connect more deeply with what it means to be UU.
| Your UUA Board of Trustees oversees the Article II Revision process. Although they will formally receive the Final Proposed Revision at their monthly meeting on Nov. 17, they are releasing the revision to congregations now to support the review process. Learn more about the Board’s role in this work, what congregations need to do next, and how to prepare for GA 2024. |
| Letter from UUA Board of Trustees (PDF) |
| In sharing the Final Proposed Revision to Article II, the Article II Study Commission – a group of lay and professional UU religious leaders from diverse backgrounds – also shared some reflections on their hopes and goals for this work. Read their letter for more on how the Final Proposed Revision reflects an effort to balance important factors including the charge for inspirational and aspirational language, the legal implications of bylaws language, the need for plain language, and more. |
| Letter from Article II Study Commission (PDF) |
| The UUA invites all UUs to review the Final Proposed Revision to Article II and absorb what it means to you and your congregation or community. To help you engage deeply with the text, we offer multiple formats of the Final Proposed Revision: an online webpage, a PDF version linked from the webpage, and a PDF version with line numbers linked from the webpage, to support the work of proposing amendments. |
| Article II Final Proposed Revision |
| The UUA Bylaws allow for amendments to the Final Proposed Revision. Any proposed amendment needs to be endorsed by at least 15 certified congregations and the deadline for submitting an amendment is 5pm ET on February 1, 2024. Your UUA Board looked for ways to extend this deadline, but the timeline was confirmed by legal counsel based on UUA Bylaws requirements. There are other important details to know for submitting amendments and UUs are encouraged to pre-submit amendments ahead of time to ensure they meet all the requirements. Those details and other information are all available in this online form. |
| Article II Amendment Submission Form |
| Developing a shared understanding of who we are as Unitarian Universalists is deeply hopeful faith development work. The UUA has curated a wide array of resources to support your congregation or community’s engagement with this historic call to faithful reflection on how we practice and live into Unitarian Universalism. |
| Resources for Studying Article II |
| At General Assembly in June 2024, Article II amendments require approval by 3/4 of voting delegates to be incorporated. Once any amendments have been resolved, a 2/3 approval vote is required to adopt a new version of Article II. GA 2024 will be an online event. Only certified congregations can have delegates participate in the business and voting at GA. Learn more to prepare for this momentous time for democratic engagement in our faith. |
| Prepare for GA 2024 |