Our Vision: to build a living collection of song resources through an accessible, equitable, online platform grounded in UU values. This virtual hymnal will help Unitarian Universalism live into our prophetic calling as a joyful, liberatory, and anti-oppressive faith.

January 2024

Our Task Force has an update and and invitation to join us for Zoom Q & A sessions in January. Read more (PDF)!

December 2023

Our Virtual Hymnal Task Force has been busy designing our platform and licensing agreements with musicians. Camille Hatton, our consulting manager, has closed the survey that invited your thoughts. The data we collected will help your Virtual Hymnal Task Force better understand your congregation’s needs & wishes.

Beginning in late January, Camille and Rev. Erika Hewitt will host Zoom gatherings to field your questions and identify overlapping music needs in our congregations. We'll announce these gathering times in this newsletter and on this page.

Our outreach plan includes dedicated communication and time with Unitarian Universalists according to professional role and/or identity.

Please note, once again, that we are not accepting any music submissions or contributions at this time.

Imagine web access to hundreds of UU hymns that you can search for and confidently use in a range of events—from worship to social justice vigils! In close consultation with the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries (AUUMM), the UUA has begun exploring what the next hymnal might include—and its Virtual Hymnal Task Force has been at work since March 2023.

The Virtual Hymnal Task Force is currently comprised of four members:

• Camille Hatton, Consulting Project Manager

• Mary Benard, UUA Publications Director

• Rev. Erika Hewitt, UUA Minister of Worship Arts

• Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President

• Beverly Horton, musician and Lay Chaplain, First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, Ontario

The Task Force is currently designing the robust technology platform required for this unprecedented hymn collection, and researching the licensing agreements that will also be required.

We anticipate spending the 2023-2024 congregational year to develop a pilot so that we can invite feedback on that technology and its capacities. The Task Force is not engaged in selecting or soliciting hymns at this time; it will be late 2024 before we're able to shift our focus to developing guidelines and priorities for choosing songs for the Virtual Hymnal.

To receive periodic updates about our Task Force's work—including Zoom gatherings to talk about it—please subscribe to the WorshipWeb newsletter, "From the Muse to the Pews."