General Assembly 2023 report
Submitted to the Messenger, July 9, 2023 by Keith Hutchinson
The Unitarian Universalist Association 2023 General Assembly was held in Pittsburgh, PA June 21-25. There were about 2,500 attendees in Pittsburgh and an additional 1,500 online attendees for a total attendance of about 4,000. There were 2,600 delegates in-person and online.
Rev. Jami Yandle and Keith Hutchinson were delegates for SGUUF in Pittsburgh and Corinna Whiteaker-Lewis, DRE, was an online delegate for SGUUF. General sessions were held each afternoon on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. SGUUF delegates communicated with one another at the end of business each day and cast online ballots each night of GA. Review all of the GA business, with video highlights, online.
Below are some highlights of discussion and voting from General Sessions at General Assembly.
Article II of the UUA Bylaws: The proposed new Article II of the UUA Bylaws and information about the Article II Study Commission and process can be found here. The study report is available here. Prior to GA, nearly 900 amendments were submitted by members for the proposed Article II.
The Co-Moderators (Charles DuMond and Meg Riley), in consultation with the Article II Study Commission, the UUA Legal Counsel, and the Moderation Team of the Board of Trustees (“ModSquad”), shared a preliminary list of 86 amendment prior to GA. Per the UUA Bylaws, the Moderator sets the order of priority for amendments. At GA, delegates discussed and voted on 15 amendments in General Sessions and five amendments were approved. The amended Article II proposal was approved by 86% of delegates and will be up for a second vote at GA2024. The Article II proposal and amendments can be read here.
Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt was elected by 96% of the voting delegates to a six-year term as the next president of the UUA. She has served Unitarian Universalism for more than twenty years as a religious educator, minister, scholar, member of the UUA national staff and many volunteer committees at regional and denominational levels, and as interim co-president of the UUA in the spring of 2017. She holds a Ph.D. in Religious Ethics and African American Studies from Yale University as well as an M.Div. from Starr King School for the Ministry. Read a Religion News Service profile of Dr. Betancourt here.
Business Resolution: Complete Divestment from the Fossil Fuel Industry from the UU Common Endowment Fund and Subsequent Reparations to Indigenous tribes and Black and Brown communities. This resolution was not approved with 68% of delegates voting no. An excerpt from the UUA on the resolution: “The UUA Board opposes the Business Resolution ‘Complete Divestment from the Fossil Fuel Industry and Subsequent Reparations,’ which was submitted by petition, because it would undermine the UUCEF’s current values-based work on climate action and other human rights issues, close off the conversations we need to have about UU values and investments, pre-empt the work the Board has begun around reparations, and directly cut the UUA budget.” UUA Board Statement, Post-General Assembly 2023, Regarding Divestment Reparations
Actions of Immediate Witness: These are statements for study and action by congregations in the coming year. AIWs are statements of priority issues that are submitted each year from congregations at GA. Three AIWs were approved by delegates.
Protect the Dreamers, the Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) with a Pathway to Permanent Residence: 98% approved. This AIW expresses UUA support for the Dreamers and calls on Congress to pass legislation giving them a pathway to permanent residence. It also calls on UUs to support the Dreamers in their communities and contact their members of Congress to advocate for their protection.
Organizing for Health Equity: 95% approved. Attacks against abortion rights, against gender affirming health care programs, and against the very young and the very old, combined with the impact of systemic racism, pandemics, poverty, and other problems, have raised awareness about the need for health equity and mutual aid. This AIW calls for new partnerships to secure personal and social wellness, with justice for all people, in all nations.
Rise Up to Stop Cop City: 85% approved. In light of the nation’s largest militarized police training center being approved by Atlanta’s City Council, which will result in severe deforestation, and resistance to the training center being severely criminalized, Unitarian Universalists are called to use our voices to say NO to Cop City.
GA2024 and GA2025: Next year, an all-virtual General Assembly will be held June 20-23, 2024. The UUA returns to a multiplatform GA in 2025, gathering online and in Baltimore, Maryland, June 19-22, 2025.
The cost for virtual registration is $300, which includes all General Sessions as well as all other sessions and programs. Learn more about GA here.
Congregations of less than 100 members are entitled to have 2 delegates. If we have 100-150 members next year, we can have 3 delegates. In addition, Rev. Yandle as our minister and Corinna as our DRE are also delegates. A business-only virtual registration is free, allowing for participation in all General Sessions at GA. Scholarships may be available for those who want to attend GA next year.