Origin story of the NAUA – According to Chat GPT

The Origin of the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA)
 
The North American Unitarian Association (NAUA) was founded in 2022 as a response to concerns that the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) had shifted away from its core values of religious freedom, intellectual inquiry, and diversity of thought.
 
 
A group of Unitarian Universalists, including congregational leaders and laypeople, felt that the UUA had become increasingly illiberal and authoritarian, prioritizing ideological conformity over open dialogue and free conscience.
 
 
These individuals sought to revive Unitarianism and Universalism as traditions centered on freedom of belief, rational thought, and respect for diverse perspectives. The NAUA was created as an alternative association that would promote liberal religious pluralism and uphold the values of individual autonomy and open inquiry, resisting the growing influence of political orthodoxy within the UUA.
 
 
The NAUA serves as a platform for those who feel alienated by the UUA’s increasingly doctrinaire approach, providing a space for those who believe in freedom to think for oneself and the dignity of diverse beliefs.
 
By Chat GPT Courtesy Jan Anderson, March  2025.
 
 

NAUA Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for a meaningful way to contribute to our faith community? We are excited to announce that NAUA is seeking dedicated members to serve on our committees. This is a wonderful opportunity to use your talents, share your insights, and help shape the future of our community. Whether you have professional expertise or simply a passion for helping others, your unique perspective is valuable.

If you feel called to serve on a particular committee, please send an email to the committee chair named in each committee description below. For general questions about becoming more involved in NAUA, please email info@naunitarians.org with your questions, thoughts or ideas. We welcome all interested members and are grateful for your willingness to serve.

Summit Organizing Committee

The Summit team organizes and coordinates the annual NAUA Summit. The team works together with the NAUA Board liaison to plan  either an online-only or an integrated in-person / online conference in the fall of each year. The committee will be composed of at least five volunteers who are interested in working together as a team over the course of several months.

If you enjoyed the 2024 Summit or possibly have ideas for how it could be improved, we need your help! Are you interested in working collaboratively with a team to put together a compelling, interactive, multi-day event? Do you like organizing? Do you have an interest in or skills with online technology, workshop moderation or planning activities? Please let us know what areas interest you when emailing Committee Chair Joyce Kinnear, joycekinnear@hotmail.com.

Note: Members will need to be available for Zoom meetings once per month at minimum, with meetings becoming more frequent as the Summit approaches. Members will also be expected to work collaboratively and contribute where necessary, whether that means coordinating with conference hosting services, designing slides, recruiting and communicating with workshop leaders, or responding to member questions and concerns. Everyone in the team will be involved in the process and will be able to contribute to the overall needs of the Committee and of the Summit.

Member Services Committee

The new NAUA Member Services Committee is anticipated to be a large group (~10 members) and designed to serve the needs of member Congregations, Fellowships, and Individuals, as well as increase NAUA membership and engagement.

Below are a few of the needs and services that were articulated in the first annual Summit Visioning Workshop; however, these examples do not describe the complete scope of the committee.

  • Provide assistance, information and outreach to new, emerging and existing Fellowships; e.g., the advantages of joining NAUA, and information related to the process of fellowship formation.
  • The development of training materials for lay leaders; e.g., how to conduct worship services, how to provide pastoral care, memorial services, marriage ceremonies, or develop RE (religious education) programs.
  • Assistance with the creation of regional groups to: increase feelings of community, as a vehicle for outreach to increase NAUA’s individual and organizational membership, and to create an upward Spiral of Engagement.

If you are a team player, enjoy working collaboratively, and would like to join this committee, please send an email to Committee Chair Judi Durham, judi.durham@gmail.com, describing why you would like to join the committee, what you think you might contribute, and where you are located (city / town and state). Since NAUA is primarily an online organization, having Tech skills is a plus, but not a requirement for this committee.

Worship Committee

The Worship Committee plans and delivers the monthly online NAUA worship service. Current members enjoy the chance to participate, the challenge of producing an enjoyable and interesting event, the learning that comes with the process, and the friendship that develops among members. If you want to participate, have an idea for a service, or have advice, we want to hear from you. Please get in touch with Committee Chair Roy Dickerson, royhdsk@gmail.com.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee oversees and promotes the financial health of the NAUA, including reviewing the budget, monitoring financial statements, ensuring proper financial reporting and investment oversight, and planning strategic fundraising initiatives.

The Finance Committee currently consists of the Treasurer, Bob Simoni, and the former Treasurer, Lynn Jinishian.  We are looking for 1-3 new members with experience working as a treasurer or finance committee member for non-profit organizations. Additional desirable experience could include bookkeeping, budgeting, etc. If interested, please send a letter of interest to Treasurer Bob Simoni,  bobsimoni@gmail.com.

Liberal Beacon Editorial Committee

Liberal Beacon is a formal publication of the NAUA that is generally published every other month. It includes a variety of articles of interest to religious liberals, as well as information and announcements about NAUA, and a place for feedback from our readers. At the last meeting of the editorial committee, the group said emphatically that we need more members. The group meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday at 8am (Pacific). Among the tasks that we need help with is gathering articles and reviewing them prior to publication. We are looking for at least 2 or 3 more members. If you are interested, please contact John Miller, editorial@naunitarians.org.

Communications Committee

The Communications Committee establishes and implements standards for all public-facing communications, including the website, social media, press releases and events calendar. The committee is also responsible for internal communications, such as the twice-per-month announcements email.

The Communications Committee is currently co-chaired by Joanne Krettek and Board Trustee Terry Anderson, and we are hoping to welcome 4-6 additional volunteer members. Ideally, the committee will include individuals with experience in website development, publishing, graphic design, event management, marketing/promotions, professional writing and/or proofreading. All committee members will embrace NAUA’s values of freedom, reason and tolerance and strive to be polite, respectful, and welcoming toward all new and potential NAUA members. If you are interested in learning more about the Communications Committee, please contact Joanne Krettek for a committee description and available roles: jmkrettek@gmail.com.

Feb. 2025 Saturday Worship with JD Stillwater

NAUA 3rd Saturday Worship Service – Nature’s Scripture: the Interfaith Promise of Science.

Underlying the human world of strife and separation is an oft-neglected landscape of commonality between faiths: the natural world. At precisely the time when our religious and political divisions threaten the existence of life on Earth, science offers a sweeping interfaith vista filled with revelations and insights as spiritually meaningful as ancient scriptures. Read as “scripture,” science offers a common text for all the world’s faiths.

January 2025 Service – Enlightment Values

Enlightenment Values of Freedom, Reason and Tolerance. January’s monthly worship service focused on the Enlightenment Values of Freedom, Reason and Tolerance, the very same values that were adopted by the NAUA and that stand at the core of Western liberal tradition. The full service title is: “The Enlightenment Values of Freedom, Reason, Tolerance; Advancing the Human Condition Materially and Spiritually; Our Core Strengths.” The worship team will make this a group effort. Join in exploring and honoring the primary core values and Principles of our liberal faith.

Jan. 14, 2025 – When we Almost Got it Right – Societies that Worked

As we hear distressing stories of violence and oppression from around the world, we may benefit from reminding ourselves of times and places when human beings did organize themselves into durable just societies.

In this talk Dr. Reimers discusses some of these times and places: from the world’s first cities in 4000 BCE, to  the Indus Valley civilization, widely revered as the most advanced society of 2000 BCE, to the small democratic city states in Central America, which held off the encroachments of the Aztec empire for centuries, to the peaceful coexistence among Christians, Jews and Muslims in 12th-century Andalusia  which lit the spark for the European Renaissance a century later.

Dr. Reimers further discusses what principles and strategies they used to organize their societies, how they ended, and how their experience may inform our ideas of justice today.

Dr. Mark Reimers is a quantitative neuroscientist who has worked at the National Institutes of Health, the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Michigan State University. He was the leader of the Richmond Humanists in Virginia and UU forum in Lansing Michigan. He has lectured on a wide variety of scientific, humanist, religious, and behavioral subjects.

Join Our New NAUA Conversation/Discussion Circle!

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new monthly space for connection and community building – The NAUA Conversation/Discussion Circle! This circle is designed for NAUA members and friends to gather, share ideas, spark meaningful conversations, and deepen our connections.
 
Our first gathering will take place on January 15th, the third Wednesday of each month, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm Pacific Time / 7:00 pm Eastern Time. Everyone is welcome. We invite you to join us in creating a vibrant, supportive space for dialogue and reflection. The zoom link is:   https://tinyurlcom/naua-circle
 
For questions or to register for reminders, email us at circles@naunitarians.org. The circle will be facilitated by a member of the NAUA Board of Trustees. We hope to see you there!