International Council of Unitarians and Universalists
Encyclopedia
The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) is an umbrella organization
founded in 1995 bringing together many Unitarians
, Universalists
and Unitarian Universalists
.
The size of the member organizations varies widely. Some member groups have only a few hundred members; while the largest, the Unitarian Universalist Association
, has over 200,000 members and is larger than all the other member groups put together.
of the United Kingdom
in 1987. This led to the establishment of the Advocates for the Establishment of an International Organization of Unitarians (AEIOU), which worked towards creating the council. However, the General Assembly resolution provided no funding.
The Unitarian Universalist Association
(UUA) became particularly interested in the establishment of a council when it had to deal with an increasing number of applications for membership from congregations outside North America
. It had already granted membership to congregations in Adelaide
, Auckland, the Philippines
and Pakistan
, and congregations in Sydney
, Russia
and Spain
had applied for membership. Rather than admit congregations from all over the world, the UUA hoped that they would join a world council instead. The UUA thus became willing to provide funding for the council's establishment.
As a result, the council was finally established at a meeting in Essex, Massachusetts
, United States on 23-26 March 1995. The Rev. David Usher, a British Unitarian minister of Australian origin who had proposed the original motion eight years previously, became the ICUU's first President.
We, the member groups of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, affirming our belief in religious community based on:
declare our purposes to be:
Spain and the Polish Unitarians have reported a need for a period of reorganization, and that at this time they are unable to maintain the level of activity needed to be full Council members, be it moved that membership of these groups be suspended. This action is taken with regret and the ICUU looks forward to welcoming Spain and Poland back into membership at the earliest possible date.
The Unitarian Universalists of Russia were a founding member of the ICUU. Its membership in the Council was officially dropped in 2007 because of persistent lack of activity.
The following organizations have been accepted by the ICUU Executive Committee but they have not yet been ratified by the Council Meeting:
The current list of Emerging Groups after the last meeting of the Executive Committee (London, 22–25 November 2008) is as follows:
The current list of Associates is as follows:
The following organizations have been accepted by the ICUU Executive Committee but they have not yet been ratified by the Council Meeting:
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
founded in 1995 bringing together many Unitarians
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, Universalists
Christian Universalism
Christian Universalism is a school of Christian theology which includes the belief in the doctrine of universal reconciliation, the view that all human beings or all fallen creatures will ultimately be restored to right relationship with God....
and Unitarian Universalists
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
.
The size of the member organizations varies widely. Some member groups have only a few hundred members; while the largest, the Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
, has over 200,000 members and is larger than all the other member groups put together.
History
The original initiative for its establishment was contained in a resolution of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian ChurchesGeneral Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1928, with denominational roots going back to the Great Ejection of 1662...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1987. This led to the establishment of the Advocates for the Establishment of an International Organization of Unitarians (AEIOU), which worked towards creating the council. However, the General Assembly resolution provided no funding.
The Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
(UUA) became particularly interested in the establishment of a council when it had to deal with an increasing number of applications for membership from congregations outside North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It had already granted membership to congregations in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Auckland, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and congregations in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
had applied for membership. Rather than admit congregations from all over the world, the UUA hoped that they would join a world council instead. The UUA thus became willing to provide funding for the council's establishment.
As a result, the council was finally established at a meeting in Essex, Massachusetts
Essex, Massachusetts
Essex is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, north of Boston. The population was 3,504 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Essex.- History :...
, United States on 23-26 March 1995. The Rev. David Usher, a British Unitarian minister of Australian origin who had proposed the original motion eight years previously, became the ICUU's first President.
Principles and purposes
The Preamble to the Constitution of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists reads:We, the member groups of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, affirming our belief in religious community based on:
- liberty of conscience and individual thought in matters of faith,
- the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
- justice and compassion in human relations,
- responsible stewardship in human relations,
- and our commitment to democratic principles,
declare our purposes to be:
- to serve the Infinite Spirit of Life and the human community by strengthening the worldwide Unitarian and Universalist faith,
- to affirm the variety and richness of our living traditions,
- to facilitate mutual support among member organizations,
- to promote our ideals and principles around the world,
- to provide models of liberal religious response to the human condition which upholds our common values.
Full members
- Australian and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association (ANZUUA), 500 members.
- Canadian Unitarian CouncilCanadian Unitarian CouncilThe Canadian Unitarian Council is the national body for Unitarian Universalists in Canada.The CUC is a member of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists.- Principles and sources :...
, 5,000 members. - Deutsche Unitarier ReligionsgemeinschaftDeutsche Unitarier ReligionsgemeinschaftDeutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft was founded in 1876 in Germany's Rheinhessen region under the name Religionsgemeinschaft Freier Protestanten ....
, Germany - European Unitarian UniversalistsEuropean Unitarian UniversalistsThe European Unitarian Universalists is a network of English-speaking Unitarian Universalist fellowships and individuals in Western Continental Europe...
, 120 members across Europe. - First Unitarian Church of Nigeria and Ijo Isokan Gbogbo Eda (Unitarian Brotherhood Church), Nigeria
- General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian ChurchesGeneral Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian ChurchesThe General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1928, with denominational roots going back to the Great Ejection of 1662...
, United Kingdom & Ireland, 6,000 members. - The Council of Unitarian Churches in India, which includes the Khasi Unitarian Union, 9,000 members, and the Unitarian Christian Church of Madras, 225 members.
- Náboženská společnost českých unitářů (Religious Society of Czech Unitarians)
- Unitarian Church of Hungary, 25,000 members.
- Unitarian Church of TransylvaniaUnitarian Church of TransylvaniaThe Unitarian Church of Transylvania is a church of the Unitarian denomination, based in the city of Cluj in the Principality of Transylvania, present day in Romania...
(Romania) 80,000 members - Unitarian Church of South Africa, 100 members.
- Unitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
, USA, 157,920 members. - Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines founded 1954, 2000 members.
- Unitarian Universalist Society of Finland, 22 members.
- Unitarisk KirkesamfundUnitarisk KirkesamfundUnitarisk Kirkesamfund is the Danish Unitarian Church, founded May 18, 1900 as "Det fri Kirkesamfund" by a group of liberal Christians....
, Denmark, 55 families. - Indonesia Global Church of God, around 200 members.
Reorganizing
- Kosciol Unitarianski (Unitarian Church in Poland), 80 attendees and friends.
- Unitarian Universalist Society of Spain, 55 members.
- Unitarians and Universalists, Pakistan, 100 members.
- Unitarian Universalist Association of Sri Lanka, 100 members.
Spain and the Polish Unitarians have reported a need for a period of reorganization, and that at this time they are unable to maintain the level of activity needed to be full Council members, be it moved that membership of these groups be suspended. This action is taken with regret and the ICUU looks forward to welcoming Spain and Poland back into membership at the earliest possible date.
The Unitarian Universalists of Russia were a founding member of the ICUU. Its membership in the Council was officially dropped in 2007 because of persistent lack of activity.
Provisional members
Churches and religious associations which have expressed their will to become members of the Council may be admitted as "Provisional Members" for a period of time (generally two or four years), until the Council decides that they have shown their organizational stability, affinity with the ICUU principles and commitment to deserve becoming Full Members of the Council. Provisional Members are invited to Council meetings through a delegate but cannot vote.The following organizations have been accepted by the ICUU Executive Committee but they have not yet been ratified by the Council Meeting:
Emerging groups
According to the Bylaws of the ICUU, Emerging Groups are "applicants that are deemed to be reasonable prospects for membership, but do not fulfil the conditions of either Provisional membership or Full Membership". These groups may be designated as Emerging Groups by the Executive Committee upon its sole discretion. Emerging Groups may be invited as observers to General Meetings.The current list of Emerging Groups after the last meeting of the Executive Committee (London, 22–25 November 2008) is as follows:
- Burundi Unitarians
- Congo Unitarians
- Cuba (2 groups: the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Unitarian Universalist Religious Society)
- French Unitarians (Assemblée Fraternelle des Chrétiens Unitariens)
- Italian Unitarians
- Kenyan Unitarians
- Mexico (two groups: the Free Unitarian Congregation of Mexico, (LCUM) and the Unitarian Universalists of Mexico AC)
Associates
Organizations with beliefs and purposes closely akin to those of ICUU but which by nature of their constitution are not eligible for full membership or which do not wish to become full members now or in the foreseeable future, may become Associates of the ICUU. The application must be approved by the ICUU Council Meeting.The current list of Associates is as follows:
- Ulster Christian Unitarian Fellowship
- Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO)
The following organizations have been accepted by the ICUU Executive Committee but they have not yet been ratified by the Council Meeting:
Unitarian or Universalist groups which are in contact but with no formal link to the ICUU
- Peace and Harmony Center -- Ushuaia, Argentina
- Christian Unitarian Church of Argentina -- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Bolivian Unitarians
- Costa Rican Unitarians (apparently inactive)
- Croatian Unitarian Universalists (UU Section of the Humanitas association)
- Eglise Unitarienne de France
- Berlin Unitarian Church (Germany)
- Free Unitarian Fellowship, Frankfurt-am-Main (Germany)
- Unitarian Universalists Hong Kong -- Hong Kong (China)
- Icelandic Unitarians within the National Church of Iceland
- Doojin Christian Church (Japan)
- UU Fellowship of Puerto Rico
- Togo Unitarians
See also
- UnitarianismUnitarianismUnitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
- Christian UniversalismChristian UniversalismChristian Universalism is a school of Christian theology which includes the belief in the doctrine of universal reconciliation, the view that all human beings or all fallen creatures will ultimately be restored to right relationship with God....
- Unitarian UniversalismUnitarian UniversalismUnitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
- United and uniting churchesUnited and uniting churchesUnited and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...