Become a UUSJ Partner Congregation
to give UU values a voice in our nation’s capital!

UUSJ is fast becoming more strategic and effective than ever, building a UU movement for direct federal advocacy.  We welcome all congregations, churches, or fellowships that wish to participate and find alignment with our vision and mission.

Vision: A just, compassionate, and sustainable world community.

Mission: Advance equitable national policies and actions, aligned with UU values, through engagement, education, and advocacy.

Over the last few years:

• We founded the Advocacy Corps, which regularly visits Congressional offices and has held nearly 500 in-person or virtual meetings. We have delivered over 11,000 letters and messages to Congress from UUs.  We have explained UU values and positions to legislators and staff, drawing their attention to bills that incorporate those values.
• As part of a multi-year strategic planning project, we have seated a board representing multiple generations, racial backgrounds, nations of origin, and geographic areas, all charged with embodying a new vision.
• We are working to develop the necessary relationships with frontline groups supporting environmental/climate justice, immigrants, racial and economic equity, voting rights, and democracy.

Partnership with UUSJ is viewed as a collaboration. Together we aspire to sharpen UU’s direct federal engagement and achieve an unremitting UU presence in the nation’s capital. To that end —

UUSJ partners with congregations by…

• Providing regular updates on issues, legislation, witnesses, and advocacy actions to the congregation;
• Providing members of the congregation with information and training to strengthen engagement in social justice activities;
• Providing background research on UUSJ priority issues and news updates regarding relevant legislation being considered by Congress;
• Encouraging individuals to participate in the Issue Action Teams that provide this important research and formulate issue positions;
• Organizing and inviting participation in Advocacy Corps, and other direct advocacy opportunities;
• Making arrangements for meetings with Congress on UUSJ priority issues;
• Enabling congregations to learn from other congregations through periodic meetings of social justice leaders;
• Offering a ready means for UU ministers to urge involvement in Federal social justice issues; and
• Connecting the congregation to UUSJ partners, moral owners, and other UU congregations.

Partner Congregations may choose to …

• Engage in social justice education, witness, and advocacy activities and events;
• Disseminate UUSJ education, advocacy, and witness information to the members of their congregation;
• Support UUSJ’s visibility and involvement among its congregation;
• Foster participation in UUSJ educational offerings;
• Encourage their congregants to join UUSJ as individual members; and/or,
• Inform and update UUSJ as to the justice priorities important to their congregation and its members;

No aspect of the partner relationship is obligatory. UUSJ asks Partner Congregations to make an annual contribution as they are able. The recommended amount is 0.25%, one quarter of one percent, of the annual budget, but we will appreciate any contribution.

• Some Partners have a budgeted line item, others hold a special event, and still others use a share-the-plate or special collection.

Our request is designed to be flexible and responsive to the differences between congregations in various circumstances, whether they be newly founded or established and vested; be they growing and flourishing or rebuilding and reorganizing; be they rural, suburban, or urban, or perhaps even virtual. We welcome all congregations, churches, and fellowships that agree with our mission and our desire to build a UU movement for direct federal advocacy.

Click Here to Enroll Your Congregation as a UUSJ Partner!

Please contact the Membership Implementation Team at info@uusj.com to further explore congregational membership.