Statement by ICUU President on the Tennessee Valley shooting

(This is the statement sent by Rev. Brian Kiely, President of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, regarding the tragic news of a shooting inside a Unitarian Universalist church in Tennessee (USA).)


Dear U*U Friends around the world,

I have just learned of a terrible incident in the United States that touches our UU family. A single gunman went into the Tennessee Valley UU* Congregation in Knoxville, Tennessee and opened fire. The man was not known at the church. Details are still unclear, but it appears that at least one person is dead and several others wounded.

On behalf of the ICUU, I have sent the following message to the Tennessee Valley Congregation, to UUA President Bill Sinkford and UUA Moderator Gini Courter:

Dear Fellow UU's

On behalf of the Executive and all the national groups represented at the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, I am writing to offer my deepest condolences in the wake of the Tennessee Valley tragedy.

We are shocked an outraged at the violence and violation committed in the sanctity of your church home, a place meant to be a safe haven. More importantly, we are deeply saddened by the loss of life, and the physical and emotional injury this terrible act has brought into your community.

We pray for you and with you in this time of trial. We pray that you will find the strength necessary to survive and rise above this crisis. We hope that your community is able to come together and be the source of strength it has always been for you and that this sad event will help bring you even closer through shared grief and shared healing.

The thoughts of Unitarians and Universalists the world over are with you in this tragic time.

Sincerely,

Rev. Brian J. Kiely

President

International Council of Unitarians and Universalists

Bishop of Nigerian Unitarian Church has died

The ICUU has just learned about the sad news of Bishop A. Soyombo-Abowaba's demise. He was the institutional leader of the Unitarian Church in Nigeria.

Brian Kiely, President of the ICUU, has written to the Nigerian Unitarians: "It is with great sadness that we have learned of Bishop Abowaba's death. Even though he was too ill to attend, we who participated in the Kenyan Leadership Conference felt his strong presence through each of you. I know I feel poorer for never having met him in person. The Unitarian Church in Nigeria has had a long and important presence in West Africa. Bishop Abowaba's strong leadership is no small part of that unique history. Unitarians and Universalists throughout the world join you in your sorrow."

The Unitarian Church in Nigeria was founded in 1919 by a gathering of liberal Christians from different denominations. Their hymns and church services are in Yoruba language, and they include the use of drums in their worship.

A call for more linguistic diversity

French-speaking Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists have joined forces in a common call for increasing linguistic diversity in the U+U world, particularly for those international languages other than English that are currently represented in the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU).

This joint statement follows the annual meeting of the Canadian Unitarian Council/Conseil Unitarien du Canada (CUC) in Ottawa, and it has been signed by representatives from associations in Canada, the French-speaking countries in Europe, Burundi, and Congo.

The statement acknowledges the work of the CUC and the ICUU is fostering diversity and the expansion of the Unitarian faith in cultural environments where English is not the primary language. It is hoped that this increasing diversity is also reflected in websites, worship resources, publications, and other written materials.

You can find the whole statement, in French and in English, in the blog of the Assemblée Fraternelle des Chrétiens Unitariens (AFCU).

(Note: Thanks to Jean-Claude Barbier from Correspondance Unitarienne for spreading the news about this.)

Change of Unitarian leadership in North East India

This information has been distributed by Khasi Hill Unitarian leader and member of the ICUU Executive Committee, Pearl Green Marbaniang, on a recent change in the leadership of the Indian organization:

“Bliss was it that dawn’d to be alive;
But to be young was very heaven”- William Wordsworth.

The cry for change that reverberated throughout the length and breadth of the Unitarian Union has brought in young faces to the top echelon of the UUNEI administration. In a historic verdict, the voters today elected four young ministers to take over the administrative affairs of the UUNEI for a three-year term. Rev.Derrick Pariat pipped Rev.Carleywell to become the President of the Union . Rev. Helpme Mohrmen was elected the new General Secretary, Rev.Darihun Khriam retains Treasurer and Rev. Pearl Greene is the new Assistant General Secretary. The position of Vice President will be filled when the new Exec meets on the 17^th.

Ten others were elected EC members, representing the four Circles (Districts) - three from the Jaintia Hills, as many from the Khasi Hills, two each from Ri Bhoi and Kharang Circles. Prominent among them are Rev.Nangroi Suting and Bah Khlur Mukhim.

General Assembly 2008 of the British Unitarians

According to their tradition, the General Assembly of the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches of Great Britain was held during the Easter weekend.

We could not find much information in the website of the British Unitarians themselves, but there is a good summary in the UUA-sponsored Inspired Faith, Effective Action blog, so feel free to check the news there. For those who like a more personal approach, Unitarian blogger Stephen Lingwood attended the meeting and recorded live his impressions of the sessions: see his Reignite blog for details.

Upcoming UUA Board Meeting

Blogger Philocrites informs about the upcoming UUA Board meeting to be held in April. Among the many materials to be discussed, the report from the Advocacy and Witness Staff Group includes an interesting report on the UUA activities in the international area. Check it out.

UU = Unaffiliated Unitarians?

There is a lot of controversy lately in American Unitarian Universalist circles after the publication of an extensive survey on religious affiliation in America by the Pew Forum on Religion. Among those who have commented (and generated many thoughtful responses) those data in their blogs, I recommend reading Philocrites, Peacebang, Surviving the Workday, and Transient and Permanent.

Basically, what the Pew Forum survey results seem to imply is that there are many more Unitarian Universalists who are not affiliated to any UU congregation, than those who are actual members of congregations. The survey has found that 0.3% of Americans identify themselves as Unitarian Universalists, which is roughtly equivalent to 600,000 people out of the total population of the USA, but the total adult membership of UU congregations is about 160,000.

These data raises questions about how to serve those who are not regular attendants or even paying members of Unitarian+Universalist congregations. The issue is probably not just American but it may be applied, in different degrees, to other countries. How many Britons would identify with Unitarian beliefs and principles, but simply dislike the idea of going to church on Sunday morning? How can emerging Unitarian groups in Europe, Latin America, Africa, etc. reach out to those who agree with Unitarians but disagree with "religion"?

And finally, we tend to identify members with those who sign a book, or get baptized, or pay their membership fees. Perhaps a wider discussion on membership and belonging is in order, so that we can provide spiritual services and focus on those who are away from our religious center. Remember the Gospel parable about the shepherd and the sheep?