ICUU President Brian Kiely will deliver the John Relly Beard lecture on the 8th of April as part of the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
The lecture is sponsored by the professional body of Unitarian ministers in Great Britain and is in memory of the Rev John Relly Beard, a famous forebear responsible for many accomplishments including the establishment of Unitarian College Manchester.
Beard had an early interest in liberal religion abroad and he edited a book of essays on international Unitarianism in 1846 titled "Unitarianism Exhibited in its Actual Condition". (Available on line at http://www.archive.org/details/unitarianismexhi00bear)
Kiely’s subject for this year’s address will be “The Center and the Circle: The Challenge of International Ministry” and it is the first time the lecture will be delivered by someone from outside the United Kingdom.
When asked to describe his subject, he remarked: "Unitarianism is not really a global faith. Rather it is a collection of indigenous expressions of the liberal religious spirit. That truth combined with economic and varying educational conditions around the globe make international Unitarian ministry challenging indeed."
The ICUU President will be a guest of the British Unitarians at their meetings and he welcome the opportunity to learn more about how they see their role in the international liberal religious community. The British General Assembly is a founding member of ICUU. More information about Unitarians in the UK can be found at www.unitarian.org.uk.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
Ugandan BGLT Rights Advocates Organize at Valentine's Day Conference
On Valentine's Day 2010, more than two-hundred Ugandans who are bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender (BGLT) gathered in Kampala for the “Standing on the Side of Love: Reimagining Valentine’s Day” conference. The conference served to organize a response to the anti-gay bill that will soon be voted on by the Ugandan Parliament and to provide support for Ugandans who are facing persecution. Ugandan Unitarian Universalist (UU) minister Rev. Mark Kiyimba convened the conference in conjunction with Spectrum Uganda and other grassroots BGLT community organizations.
Many of the conference participants were young adults. Risking arrest and imprisonment, the courageous activists at this conference engaged in hours of discussion. One organizer described it as a “Pride Parade in a closet.” But the subject matter was serious.
Conference participants called for the complete decriminalization of homosexuality and full access to services, human rights, and protection by the state. Sessions included talks by religious and human rights activists. The keynote speaker was Anglican Bishop and Integrity Uganda President Christopher Ssenyojo, a champion ally of BGLT rights who spoke on the theme of love and justice. Bishop Christopher was formerly exiled from Uganda and continues to offer Christian sanctuary to the BGLT community.
The conference culminated in a petition for equality that will be presented to the speaker of the house or a local member of parliament and the conference has promised to bring legal action against the state if the bill is passed. Organizers stated that a procession had been planned to deliver the petition on foot, but as one organizer put it, “If we walk through the streets we will surely be stoned.”
Pastor Kiyimba, whose congregation includes many BGLT people, offered this statement about the conference:
I cannot stand by and watch as my community is exterminated. If the bill finally passes into law, our church will go to court and sue the government, because some provisions of the bill contravene the Ugandan constitution.
What this work means to me is that my church can take a leading role in liberating the sexual minorities in Uganda. This work will benefit almost everyone, but we wanted our people to have freedom. The wider view is that the bill can put people in danger, lying about them. People should have freedom of worship and of relationship. The fact remains that BGLT people exist. They are in Uganda.
BGLT people are all ages and types of people. My dream for Uganda is a Uganda that would look like any other country where all people are equal on all sides of the law: black, white, gay, straight, rich, poor. Mandela identified South Africa as a vulnerable nation because there are so many different people, and all of them live side by side. That is what I would like to see in Uganda. It will take a while but I believe it will come.
Many of the conference participants were young adults. Risking arrest and imprisonment, the courageous activists at this conference engaged in hours of discussion. One organizer described it as a “Pride Parade in a closet.” But the subject matter was serious.
Conference participants called for the complete decriminalization of homosexuality and full access to services, human rights, and protection by the state. Sessions included talks by religious and human rights activists. The keynote speaker was Anglican Bishop and Integrity Uganda President Christopher Ssenyojo, a champion ally of BGLT rights who spoke on the theme of love and justice. Bishop Christopher was formerly exiled from Uganda and continues to offer Christian sanctuary to the BGLT community.
The conference culminated in a petition for equality that will be presented to the speaker of the house or a local member of parliament and the conference has promised to bring legal action against the state if the bill is passed. Organizers stated that a procession had been planned to deliver the petition on foot, but as one organizer put it, “If we walk through the streets we will surely be stoned.”
Pastor Kiyimba, whose congregation includes many BGLT people, offered this statement about the conference:
I cannot stand by and watch as my community is exterminated. If the bill finally passes into law, our church will go to court and sue the government, because some provisions of the bill contravene the Ugandan constitution.
What this work means to me is that my church can take a leading role in liberating the sexual minorities in Uganda. This work will benefit almost everyone, but we wanted our people to have freedom. The wider view is that the bill can put people in danger, lying about them. People should have freedom of worship and of relationship. The fact remains that BGLT people exist. They are in Uganda.
BGLT people are all ages and types of people. My dream for Uganda is a Uganda that would look like any other country where all people are equal on all sides of the law: black, white, gay, straight, rich, poor. Mandela identified South Africa as a vulnerable nation because there are so many different people, and all of them live side by side. That is what I would like to see in Uganda. It will take a while but I believe it will come.
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Fighting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda is preparing to take a strong and courageous stand against the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009." This hate-filled legislation proposed in the Ugandan Parliament would criminalize homosexuality and enforce penalties of life imprisonment and capital punishment against gays and lesbians. BGLT allies would also face drastic punishments.
The UU congregation in Kampala is one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is welcoming and supportive of the BGLT community. During a visit with the congregation in 2008 UUA representatives met with both gay and straight Ugandans who witnessed to the terror that the Ugandan BGLT community faces, and the importance of the congregation's support. This visit occurred many months before the current legislation was proposed.
Ugandan UUs plan to hold a conference on February 14, 2010 - with the following goals:
• To achieve permanent, fundamental, real equality for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people through affecting fundamental changes in the attitudes of society,
• To defeat discriminatory legislation and exclusionary policies and practices,
• To build a strong social movement of lesbian, gay and bisexual people with a fully representative and activist Base.
The conference will include programs about Promoting Equality, Access to Justice, Research, and Lobbying/Advocacy. More than 200 Ugandans from various faith traditions are expected to attend.
Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists have been invited by the leaders of the UU Church of Uganda to spread the word about this important event. And, we are also asked to remember the courageous steps that our Ugandan brothers and sisters in faith are taking. Your generosity will make the goals of the conference a reality, and provide for the follow-up work in the weeks and months after it. Will you or your congregation "Stand on the Side of Love" - Globally - by supporting this front-line battle against Hate? The International Council of Unitarian Universalists is handling donations for this important work.
To make a donation, please use the links on the homepage of the ICUU Web Site at www.icuu.net
The UU congregation in Kampala is one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is welcoming and supportive of the BGLT community. During a visit with the congregation in 2008 UUA representatives met with both gay and straight Ugandans who witnessed to the terror that the Ugandan BGLT community faces, and the importance of the congregation's support. This visit occurred many months before the current legislation was proposed.
Ugandan UUs plan to hold a conference on February 14, 2010 - with the following goals:
• To achieve permanent, fundamental, real equality for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people through affecting fundamental changes in the attitudes of society,
• To defeat discriminatory legislation and exclusionary policies and practices,
• To build a strong social movement of lesbian, gay and bisexual people with a fully representative and activist Base.
The conference will include programs about Promoting Equality, Access to Justice, Research, and Lobbying/Advocacy. More than 200 Ugandans from various faith traditions are expected to attend.
Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists have been invited by the leaders of the UU Church of Uganda to spread the word about this important event. And, we are also asked to remember the courageous steps that our Ugandan brothers and sisters in faith are taking. Your generosity will make the goals of the conference a reality, and provide for the follow-up work in the weeks and months after it. Will you or your congregation "Stand on the Side of Love" - Globally - by supporting this front-line battle against Hate? The International Council of Unitarian Universalists is handling donations for this important work.
To make a donation, please use the links on the homepage of the ICUU Web Site at www.icuu.net
Monday, 25 January 2010
Prayer for the People of Haiti from Nigeria
Matimoju Femi 24 January at 19:00
Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti. Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power.. I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!! To all my friends please continue to forward this so that we can pray together for the people in Haiti. We here are truly blessed!!!!!. Matimoju Femi...First Unitarian, Lagos Nigeria.
Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti. Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power.. I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!! To all my friends please continue to forward this so that we can pray together for the people in Haiti. We here are truly blessed!!!!!. Matimoju Femi...First Unitarian, Lagos Nigeria.
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Worship Materials on Haiti from UK Unitarian
FOR HAITI – JANUARY 2010
O God,
who is the impulse to love and
compassion in human hearts,
in the face of suffering on
an unimaginable scale,
in the face of the disaster in
Haiti that has taken so many lives
and could yet take so many more,
move us to love and generosity of spirit
for our neighbours in that shattered land.
So might we do what we can to bring your
love to bear upon them in their great affliction.
Amen.
(CMR170110)
LIGHTEN OUR DARKNESS
(Chalice-lighting)
“Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord...” :
darkness of despair in the face of untold horror;
darkness of the closed heart and the closed hand;
darkness that only love, given and received, can penetrate and dispel.
FOR THE DEAD OF HAITI...
(Opening Words)
For the dead of Haiti, peace.
For the bereaved, comfort.
For the survivors, hope – and help.
For the helpers, of all faiths and nations, strength –
and the willingness to stay the course.
May this be our prayer as we worship here today.
(CMR200110)
Cliff Reed
17th & 20th January 2010
O God,
who is the impulse to love and
compassion in human hearts,
in the face of suffering on
an unimaginable scale,
in the face of the disaster in
Haiti that has taken so many lives
and could yet take so many more,
move us to love and generosity of spirit
for our neighbours in that shattered land.
So might we do what we can to bring your
love to bear upon them in their great affliction.
Amen.
(CMR170110)
LIGHTEN OUR DARKNESS
(Chalice-lighting)
“Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord...” :
darkness of despair in the face of untold horror;
darkness of the closed heart and the closed hand;
darkness that only love, given and received, can penetrate and dispel.
FOR THE DEAD OF HAITI...
(Opening Words)
For the dead of Haiti, peace.
For the bereaved, comfort.
For the survivors, hope – and help.
For the helpers, of all faiths and nations, strength –
and the willingness to stay the course.
May this be our prayer as we worship here today.
(CMR200110)
Cliff Reed
17th & 20th January 2010
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
After the Earthquake in Haiti - Prayer
North American colleague John Gibb Millspaugh wrote this prayer regarding the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake that was used in worship this past Sunday in various Unitarian Universalist congregations in the USA and in the Unitarian church in Horsham, England.
It is shared here with John’s blessing in case other communities would like to make use of it. He is happy for you to adapt it and revise it as desired or appropriate.
"After the Earthquake in Haiti, January 12 2010"
By Rev. John Gibb Millspaugh, Co-minister, Winchester Unitarian Society, Winchester, MA, USA
A Haitian prayer book, entitled God Is No Stranger, includes the following
words:
"Father, I have learned that one strong in calculation is called a 'mathematician.'
You are the greatest mathematician
because You can count all the people yet still see each one of us."
Those words find new poignancy
in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, in which tens of thousands of people lost their lives, and many others lost their homes, their families and loved ones.
We who have watched from afar have felt helpless, powerless, in the face of this tragedy, forgetting that we do have the capacity to make a difference, one life at a time.
Let us enter that space of silence and honesty known by many names.
Let us pray.
Spirit of Life; Sacred Web of Life, Death, and Renewal:
Our hearts are open to all who suffer as a result of the earthquake.
We see-on our televisions and computer screens and in our newspapers- the shattered buildings, the hastily erected shanty towns, survivors struggling to find their kin, or just food or water or medicine; so many lives in ruins.
We know about the country's staggering poverty that preceded this most recent disaster; we are keenly aware of our own privilege.
In these times we stand confused before the global forces that shape our lives, in awe before the mystery.
Spirit of Life and Love,
even as we have witnessed death sweep the landscape, we know that life renews itself, and renews itself even now, as human good springs up in the face of disaster, and people reach out to one another across neighborhoods, across oceans, serving one another across every difference.
We pray for the people of Haiti,
that they know the people of the world stand with them as they face the challenges ahead.
We pray for those who work with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and other relief organizations,
that they may act from ongoing wisdom, and courage, and compassion.
We pray for ourselves and other people living in comfort, that our hearts might be touched yet again to generously support human beings facing a terrible tragedy we cannot comprehend, but that they must live through.
May we open our hearts and our wallets to them, as they work to rebuild what they can.
Spirit of Life; Web of Life, Death, and Renewal, We pray, too, for our personal struggles, which matter even though others always face greater challenges than ours.
There are those among us in this community who are sick, those of us who are grieving, Those of us who have not yet discovered our substantial power to bless the world.
We pray for support amidst our struggles, that we might find the courage and grace to move closer to healing and the sacred potential of our lives.
We pray for strength, and finally we pray for gratitude:
for all that is not lost, for all that can be rebuilt, for our chance to play our part, for the ever-renewing powers of life.
And we join in this time of silence, in which we lift up the meditations of
our hearts.
Shalom, Salaam, Namaste, Blessed Be, and Amen.
It is shared here with John’s blessing in case other communities would like to make use of it. He is happy for you to adapt it and revise it as desired or appropriate.
"After the Earthquake in Haiti, January 12 2010"
By Rev. John Gibb Millspaugh, Co-minister, Winchester Unitarian Society, Winchester, MA, USA
A Haitian prayer book, entitled God Is No Stranger, includes the following
words:
"Father, I have learned that one strong in calculation is called a 'mathematician.'
You are the greatest mathematician
because You can count all the people yet still see each one of us."
Those words find new poignancy
in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, in which tens of thousands of people lost their lives, and many others lost their homes, their families and loved ones.
We who have watched from afar have felt helpless, powerless, in the face of this tragedy, forgetting that we do have the capacity to make a difference, one life at a time.
Let us enter that space of silence and honesty known by many names.
Let us pray.
Spirit of Life; Sacred Web of Life, Death, and Renewal:
Our hearts are open to all who suffer as a result of the earthquake.
We see-on our televisions and computer screens and in our newspapers- the shattered buildings, the hastily erected shanty towns, survivors struggling to find their kin, or just food or water or medicine; so many lives in ruins.
We know about the country's staggering poverty that preceded this most recent disaster; we are keenly aware of our own privilege.
In these times we stand confused before the global forces that shape our lives, in awe before the mystery.
Spirit of Life and Love,
even as we have witnessed death sweep the landscape, we know that life renews itself, and renews itself even now, as human good springs up in the face of disaster, and people reach out to one another across neighborhoods, across oceans, serving one another across every difference.
We pray for the people of Haiti,
that they know the people of the world stand with them as they face the challenges ahead.
We pray for those who work with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and other relief organizations,
that they may act from ongoing wisdom, and courage, and compassion.
We pray for ourselves and other people living in comfort, that our hearts might be touched yet again to generously support human beings facing a terrible tragedy we cannot comprehend, but that they must live through.
May we open our hearts and our wallets to them, as they work to rebuild what they can.
Spirit of Life; Web of Life, Death, and Renewal, We pray, too, for our personal struggles, which matter even though others always face greater challenges than ours.
There are those among us in this community who are sick, those of us who are grieving, Those of us who have not yet discovered our substantial power to bless the world.
We pray for support amidst our struggles, that we might find the courage and grace to move closer to healing and the sacred potential of our lives.
We pray for strength, and finally we pray for gratitude:
for all that is not lost, for all that can be rebuilt, for our chance to play our part, for the ever-renewing powers of life.
And we join in this time of silence, in which we lift up the meditations of
our hearts.
Shalom, Salaam, Namaste, Blessed Be, and Amen.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
News from Unitarians in Indonesia
Dear ICUU friends,
On behalf of Unitarian Christian Church of Indonesia (JAGI Church), let me share the result of our 3rd National Meeting, December 24-27, 2009 :
1. We have new board for 2010-2015, who is :
Chairman of High-Council : Elder Tjahjadi Nugroho Secretary of High-Council : Elder Kristanto Tjahjasaputra
Chairman of Elder Board : Elder Nathan Tjahjasaputra Secretary of Elder Board : Elder Ellen Christiani (Ellen Kristi)
President of Executive Body : Elder Aryanto Nugroho Vice-President : Elder Tirto Sujoko General Secretary : Elder Mosye Adam Vice-Secretary : Ester Treasurer : Oktino Setyo Irawan
++ some departments inside the Executive Body
The High-council will responsible for the teaching of the church The Elder board will responsible for the development and control of the work of Elder The Executive Body will responsible for day-to-day activity of the Church The contact person of the church for international movement is still me, since i was chosen as President of Executive body. We hope that the good relation between ICUU and JAGI (UCCI), will flourish in the coming year :)
2. We have formally agreed to use the name UNITARIAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF INDONESIA as our international name.
This is our brief information about our last National Meeting, please pray for the work of the new board and keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Aryanto Nugroho
President of Executive Body of UCCI
Indonesia
On behalf of Unitarian Christian Church of Indonesia (JAGI Church), let me share the result of our 3rd National Meeting, December 24-27, 2009 :
1. We have new board for 2010-2015, who is :
Chairman of High-Council : Elder Tjahjadi Nugroho Secretary of High-Council : Elder Kristanto Tjahjasaputra
Chairman of Elder Board : Elder Nathan Tjahjasaputra Secretary of Elder Board : Elder Ellen Christiani (Ellen Kristi)
President of Executive Body : Elder Aryanto Nugroho Vice-President : Elder Tirto Sujoko General Secretary : Elder Mosye Adam Vice-Secretary : Ester Treasurer : Oktino Setyo Irawan
++ some departments inside the Executive Body
The High-council will responsible for the teaching of the church The Elder board will responsible for the development and control of the work of Elder The Executive Body will responsible for day-to-day activity of the Church The contact person of the church for international movement is still me, since i was chosen as President of Executive body. We hope that the good relation between ICUU and JAGI (UCCI), will flourish in the coming year :)
2. We have formally agreed to use the name UNITARIAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF INDONESIA as our international name.
This is our brief information about our last National Meeting, please pray for the work of the new board and keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Aryanto Nugroho
President of Executive Body of UCCI
Indonesia
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