General Assembly (GA) 2014 occured in Providence, RI, from June 25-29.

General Sessions

All business of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly is conducted in general sessions (formerly known as plenaries). Mini-Assemblies offered opportunities in small sessions for delegates to speak on issues, find out more about individual business items before a vote in general session, and propose amendments to the business item or social witness statement. The Board of Trustees or the Commission on Social Witness may move amendments to business items as a result of discussion in Mini-Assemblies.

• GA Minutes (PDF, 10 pages)
• Final Agenda (PDF, 23 pages)
• Welcoming Celebration and General Session I
  • Banner Parade
  • Welcome New Congregation
  • Introduction: International Guests
  • Introduction: Leaders from Youth Caucus and Young Adults @ GA
  • Introduction: Right Relationship Team
  • Review and Adopt Rules
• General Session II
  • Right Relationship Team Report
  • GA Planning Committee and Greening of General Assembly Report
  • Committee on Social Witness Report
• General Session III
  • Preliminary Credentials Report
  • President’s Report
  • Moderator’s Report
  • Board of Trustees’ Report
  • Budget Report
  • Legacy Society Memoriam
• General Session IV
  • Debate and Vote on Congregational Study/ Action Issues
  • GA Talk: Fossil Fuel Divestment
  • Beacon Press Report
  • Journey Towards Wholeness Transformation Team Report
  • Financial Advisor Report
• General Session V
  • Right Relations Team Report
  • Voting to Admit Potential Actions of Immediate Witness to the Agenda
  • Introduction: Most Reverend Mitsuo Miyake, Chief Priest of the Konko Church of Izuo and President of the International Association for Religious Freedomi
  • Introduction: Coalition of UU International Organizations
  • Presentation: Distinguished Service Award
• General Session VI
  • Debate and Vote on Business Resolution on Fossil Fuel Divestment
  • Special Collection to Support Standing on the Side of Love’s Fifth Anniversary
  • GA Talk: Humanism and Theism in Conversation
  • Presentation: Angus McLean Award
  • UU Women’s Federation Report
  • GA Talk: Living Our Witness at WaterFire
• General Session VII
  • Declare Election Results
  • UU Service Committee Report
  • UU College of Social Justice Report
  • Debate and Vote on Actions of Immediate Witness
  • Presentation: Presidential Award for Volunteer Service
  • Debate and Vote on Proposed Amendments to C-2.3 Regarding Inclusion
  • GA Talk: Young Adults at General Assembly (YA@GA)
  • GA Talk: Follow Up: Gathering for Purpose and Future of GA Straw Poll
  • Debate and Vote on Proposed Amendments to C-2.3 Regarding Inclusion
• General Session VIII
  • Debate and Vote on Proposed Amendments to C-10.6 and C-10.7 Regarding Provisions Concerning Investments
  • Debate and Vote on Proposed Amendments to C-3.6 to Enable Regions
  • Responsive Resolution
  • Invitation to GA 2015 in Portland
  • Right Relations Team Final Report
  • Final Credentials Report

Public Witness

The 2014 Public Witness event at General Assembly was “WaterFire Providence—Love Reaches Out.” On Saturday June 28, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) cosponsored WaterFire Providence under the theme “Love Reaches Out,” honoring our belief that love is justice and witnessing for the power of love to change the world in radical, faithful ways.

Ware Lecture

Sister Simone Campbell, the 2014 Ware Lecturer, is the National Coordinator of NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. She is a religious leader, attorney and poet with extensive experience in public policy and advocacy for systemic change. In Washington, she lobbies on issues of peace-building, immigration reform, healthcare and economic justice.

Social Justice Statements

CSAI for 2014-2018

Delegates at GA 2014 voted to select Escalating Inequality to be the 2014-2018 Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI).

Current CSAI

No vote was taken this year on the CSAI that was chosen at the 2012 General Assembly. There was a workshop on the topic offered.

• 2012-2016 CSAI: Reproductive Justice: Expanding Our Social Justice Calling

Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs) for GA 2014

Delegates adopted three Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs) during General Session VII.

• Support the Faith Summit on Stopping Deportations
• Affirming Congregational Commitment to Gun Violence Prevention
• UUA Support for “Uganda New Underground Railway” to Safely Extract LGBT People from Persecution in Uganda

Proposed Bylaw and Rule Amendments

Proposed Bylaw and Rule Amendments were debated and passed during General Session VII and General Session VIII.

• Rule G2.3 Non-discrimination with Incorporated Amendments (PDF)

Business Resolution

The Business Resolution on Fossil Fuel Divestment was debated and passed during General Session VI.

Annual Reports to the General Assembly

The following documents are PDF files.

• Moderator (13 pages)
• Commission on Appraisal (1 page)
• Treasurer (12 pages)
• Independent Auditor (42 pages)
• Financial Advisor (10 pages)
• Ministerial Fellowship Committee (3 pages)
• UUA Staff (56 pages)
• UU Service Committee (2 pages)
• UU Women's Federation (3 pages)
• UUA Health Plan Audit (20 pages)

More Information

• $1.3 million deficit surprises UUA administration, board