Roundup – General Assembly (GA) 2017, June 21-25, New Orleans, LA

Several important events happened at the Resist and Rejoice 2017 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in New Orleans, LA.

1. One of the most momentous was the election as President of the UUA, the Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray; she will assume the presidency immediately after General Assembly. She is the first woman to be elected President of the UUA in its fifty-six year history.

2. The delegates passed the Statement of Conscience Escalating Economic Inequity. Prior to General Assembly there was much discussion about how some felt that the statement was still in a draft form, needed much work, and asked that passage be delayed a year to give time to rework it. In the end the delegates felt that it should be passed because it was still an important statement.

3. Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) in Montgomery, Alabama gave the WARE lecture  He said, “I’m not interested in punishing America for [its] history—I want to liberate America.” He said that there are four essential things that we must do to create a more just and equal world: Get proximate to the poor, the excluded, neglected, and abused; change the narratives that underlie racism and other inequalities; stay hopeful about creating justice; and be willing to do uncomfortable things. Read the entire story on UUWORLD.org.

4. The Reverend Cheryl A. Walker gave the sermon at the Service of the Living Tradition. She said, “go out and climb your own mountains. Speak your own truth. Make your own impact. Make your difference. This is what we are called to do—not just those of us on this stage, but each of us who call ourselves Unitarian Universalists.” Read more about her sermon on UUWORLD.org.

5. The “Love Resists” public witness in New Orleans featured a second line parade through the city and a rally in a park dedicated to the memory of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Check it out at UUWORLD.org.

And importantly UUSJ had a table in the Exhibition Hall. At UUSJ’s table, UUs wrote letters to their senators on the healthcare bill, as part of a “Write Here! Write Now!” campaign. More than 130 letters were written, covering 31 states, which are being hand-delivered to senators’ offices. In photo, Rev. Dr. Faith Harris (at left) discusses health justice issues with Lavona Grow, UUSJ Advocacy Committee Chair.

Updated on 06/29/17