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

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?