North American Unitarian Association

As President of the North American Unitarian Association, the NAUA, I feel it is my duty to offer a warning to you. Association with the NAUA may be a risky business. Ministers who participate in our services, or support our quest for liberal religion, have, and continue to face the risk of ostracism and the loss of employment in certain quarters.

There are churches and fellowships where participation in the NAUA is tantamount to a treasonous act; people who have been solid members and contributed much have lost their membership, social standing, and close friends. Many of our activities, such as monthly services and academy sessions, are archived and available for anyone to view; we see this as the free and open responsibility of our liberal religion.

One of our goals is to offer content that is uplifting and meaningful, both spiritually and intellectually. Apparently, those records are being combed to find and punish participants; ministers and those who lead services have been targeted for disfellowship. The next logical step is for participants to be identified and targeted as well.

One particularly egregious example is the removal of membership for 2 long-time music leaders of a fellowship, because they used music videos made at the fellowship for NAUA services. They were removed without the chance for a hearing of any kind, in spite of the fact that without them there would be no choir and no Sunday service song leader.  The argument was that there is such an incompatibility between the fellowship and the NAUA that using the videos was grounds for cancellation of membership. There was nothing in the videos that was related to either organization; it was just uplifting music that was well done.

Likewise, when ministers or laypersons deliver their messages, it is expected, by the NAUA anyway, that they have a thoughtful and hopefully uplifting message for those in attendance. It may be that messages aren’t universally accepted; we expect that; we welcome that. We do not exclude thought because we disagree. We want to hear the who, what, where, why, when, and how of it, and weigh it against our views.

But I get it; the logic is that it is too great a risk to hear opposing views, so by all means the views and the discussions must be quashed, and those who share their views must be severely punished; canceled and disfellowshipped. The NAUA doesn’t do that, but I can see where some organizations have and will continue to do so; it seems a huge mistake, but if that is the organizational view, then so be it.

But music seems a bridge too far from any reasonable or unreasonable perspective. Now there will be a claim that this is about a failure to get permission, or the association with a renegade organization, but maybe the reality is that it is simply the desire to control people and make sure they have “Pure” beliefs. We in the NAUA accept that people have different viewpoints and are fine with that. But we universally enjoy and don’t politicize music. We in the NAUA hope that everyone can accept the idea that we need to discuss things, use logic, reason, and evidence to find the best course of action, and just enjoy music.

Can’t we just agree that the need to be ideologically pure went out of fashion about 500 years ago? Until that happens, I urge you to consider your involvement with the NAUA carefully, but if you dare, please get to know us better.

Thanks,

Roy Dickerson

President, North American Unitarian Association

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