The Affirmation of our Church
Love is the doctrine of our church; The quest of truth is its sacrament,
And service is its prayer. To dwell together in peace,
To seek knowledge in freedom, To serve humanity in fellowship,
To the end that all souls shall grow in harmony with the divine–
Thus do we covenant with each other…
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that is bold, inclusive, and ever-evolving.
Rooted in love and justice, we embrace LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, reproductive freedom, and the wisdom of science and reason.
Among us, you’ll find a rich tapestry of beliefs—Christians, humanists, theists, atheists, agnostics, pagans, and seekers of all kinds. Some find the divine in God, others in the cosmos, in nature, in humanity, or in something beyond words. We celebrate many paths to meaning, united by a shared commitment to love, justice, and transformation.
No creeds, no barriers—just a deep commitment to building a more compassionate, just, and joyful world.
Unitarian Universalism grew from the union of two radical Christian groups:
The Universalists, who organized in 1793, and the Unitarians, who organized in 1825. They joined to become the UUA in 1961. Both groups trace their roots in North America to the early Massachusetts settlers and the Framers of the Constitution. Across the globe, our legacy reaches back centuries to liberal religious pioneers in England, Poland, and Transylvania.
Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal tradition, not creedal
· Covenants are promises and commitments about how we will live our faith together and out in the world; not a set of beliefs everyone must hold
· The way we talk about who we are and what we hold dear has changed many times over the long history of our tradition (this is part of being a living tradition)
· The Affirmation of our church is one of our covenants
Unitarian Universalism is a “living tradition”
· Open to and inspired by truth and wisdom from many sources
· Shaped “by sacred, secular, and scientific understandings that help us make meaning and live into our values.” This includes the “religious ancestries that we inherit,” the wisdom of the world’s religions, and our own direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder.
· No one text or scripture reveals all truth and wisdom
Our ministers answer UU Frequently Asked Questions in these videos:
Unitarian Universalist Shared Values
For many years, UUs everywhere had a covenant in the 7 UU Principles – as a living tradition, every generation or so we revisit how we articulate our values and our covenants, and we did so in 2024, adopting the new UU Shared Values
We covenant as Unitarian Universalists everywhere to uphold the values of Interdependence, Pluralism, Justice, Transformation, Generosity, and Equity. Love is at the center of these shared values and is the power that holds us together.
JUSTICE
We build community where everyone is treated with fairness and respect.
INTERDEPENDENCE
We are connected and depend on one another. We care for the web of life.
EQUITY
We help everyone get what they need to flourish and feel like equals.
GENEROSITY
We generously and joyfully share who we are and what we have.
PLURALISM
We celebrate our differences and learn from one another.
TRANSFORMATION
We learn and grow together help change the world around us.
