General Assembly (GA) is an annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists of the Unitarian Universalist Association. It is held in June, in a different city in the United States every year. The last GA held outside the United States was in Quebec in 2002, after which congregations belonging to the Canadian Unitarian Council separated from the UUA. Member congregations (and three associate member organizations) send delegates and conventioneers to participate in the plenary sessions, workshops, regional gatherings, public witness events, and worship services. In recent years, attendance at each General Assembly has reached over 5,500.

Events The General Assembly opens with a parade of banners borne by members of and representing member churches and associated organizations. General Sessions of General Assembly consist of discussing and voting on Study Action Issues and Statements of Conscience; elections for Board of Trustees, officer and committee positions; and reports from the President, Moderator and other leaders of the UUA. A Synergy Bridging ceremony is held to congratulate graduates of individual churches' Religious Education programs.

In addition, the event is keynoted by the Ware Lectures, which are offered by individuals selected by the President in consultation with the General Assembly Planning Committee; they have been held since 1922 by the preceding American Unitarian Association in honor of Harriet E. Ware, who bequeathed $5,000 to the AUA. Previous Ware Lecturers have included Reverends Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson, author Kurt Vonnegut, and Sister Simone Campbell. The most recent Ware Lecturer was Ibram X. Kendi.

Since a 2011 trial run, the General Assembly has allowed for remote online participation for congregations who are not able to send delegates in person, formally described as "off-site delegates". In 2020, due to COVID-19, all in-person programming initially scheduled to take place in Providence, Rhode Island were cancelled and moved to an online and remote format, resulting in the third-largest number of credentialed delegates in attendance behind the 2003 and 2007 General Assemblies. The 2021 iteration, initially pre-scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was also moved to a virtual format. The 2022 General Assembly was held in a multi-platform format, with programming and participation in events occurring both in-person in Portland, Oregon and online.

The 2026 General Assembly is set to expand the multi-platform format, with an all-virtual business meeting followed by optional in-person gathering and virtual participation for programmatic events at several regional congregations serving as satellite locations, with livestreams being coordinated from the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. The 2027 General Assembly is set to return to a combination of in-person gathering in San Jose, California and online.

Social Justice and Witness statements Delegates of the General Assembly often passes a number of statements and guidances for social justice issues. Statements vary upon the description of weight for each statement:

Statement of Conscience (SoC): An SoC is a statement which has been ratified by the General Assembly after three years of study and reflection (during which it remains in the stage of a Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI), with a fourth year dedicated to implementation). SoCs hold the weight of endorsement from the UUA at large. Action of Immediate Witness (AIW): An AIW is a statement which only holds the weight of endorsement by delegates for a single GA iteration.

Actions Actions taken at GA meetings have included the 1984 decision to approve religious blessing of same-sex marriages, making the UUA the first major church to have done so."Unitarians Endorse Homosexual Marriages" , UPI, The New York Times, 29 June 1984, retrieved on 21 June 2007. Section A, p. 10.

At the 2007 General Assembly the Unitarian Universalist Association announced the new five year Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign entitled: "Now Is The Time: A Campaign to Grow Our Faith". The campaign funds will support programs that will encourage growth of Unitarian Universalism as a whole. These programs fall under the following categories: Growing Our Numbers, Growing Our Diversity, Growing Our Witness, Growing Our Leadership, and Growing Our Spirit.

Locations, themes and Ware Lecturers DateLocationThemeWare LecturerMay 23–28, 1962Washington, DC"The Individual in a Mass Culture"Walter KaufmannMay 13–19, 1963Chicago, IL"The Free Church in a Changing World"F.S.C. NorthropMay 9–16, 1964San Francisco, CA"The Greatest Experience..."Linus PaulingMay 22–29, 1965Boston, MA"An Essential Past...An Unlimited Future"Harry D. GideonseMay 16–22, 1966Hollywood, Florida"Creative Use of Controversy"Martin Luther King Jr.May 1–6, 1967Denver, Colorado"Responding to a Revolutionary Age"Saul AlinskyMay 23–30, 1968Cleveland, Ohio"Determining Our Priorities"Carl B. StokesJul 11-20, 1969Boston, Massachusetts"Encounter with Change"Martin E. Marty, Bernard Delfgaauw, R. J. WerblowskyJune 29-July 4, 1970Seattle, Washington"Dynamics of Diversity"Rollo MayJune 25–30, 1979East Lansing, Michigan"A Time to Grow...to Everything There Is a Season"Jesse JacksonJune 13–18, 1980Albuquerque, New Mexico"Touching Our Heritage...Enriching Our Tomorrows"LaDonna HarrisJune 12–18, 1981Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"An Urban Experience"Vernon JordanJune 21–26, 1982Brunswick, Maine"Coming of Age"May SartonJune 12–17, 1983Vancouver, British Columbia"L'Assemblee Generale"Thomas R. BergerJune 25–30, 1984Columbus, Ohio"Being Human in an Age of Technology"Helen CaldicottJune 17–22, 1985Atlanta, Georgia"Like the Phoenix Rising"Shirley ChisholmJune 22–27, 1986Rochester, New York"Take Up the Song"Kurt VonnegutJune 22–27, 1987Little Rock, Arkansas"Faith of the Free"Anthony LewisJune 16–21, 1988Palm Springs, California"Touch the Earth... Reach the Sky"Robert ColesJune 22–27, 1989New Haven, Connecticut"Bend Toward Justice"Sissela BokJune 21–26, 1990Milwaukee, Wisconsin"Sound the Chorus of Faith"Schuyler ChapinJune 10–25, 1991Hollywood, Florida"Speak to the Earth and It Shall Teach Thee"Elizabeth Dodson GrayJune 25–30, 1992Calgary, Alberta"Building the Global Village"Mel HurtigJune 24–29, 1993Charlotte, North Carolina"Universalism: For Such a Time as This"Marian Wright EdelmanJune 23–28, 1994Fort Worth, Texas"Facing Our New Frontiers"Holland HendrixJune 15–20, 1995Spokane, Washington"Building Our Future Generation by Generation"Norman LearJune 20–25, 1996Indianapolis, Indiana"The Future Is Now"Sylvia Ann HewlettJune 19–24, 1997Phoenix, Arizona"Building Interfaith Cooperation: Interfaith Action for a Just Community"Joan Brown CampbellJune 25–30, 1998Rochester, New York"Fulfilling the Promise"Amitai EtzioniJune 24–28, 1999Salt Lake City, Utah"Fulfilling the Promise: To Help One Another"Mary PipherJune 22–26, 2000Nashville, Tennessee"Fulfilling the Promise: Our Common Call"Morris DeesJune 21–25, 2001Cleveland, Ohio"Fulfilling the Promise"James A. ForbesJune 20–24, 2002Quebec City, QuebecN/AStephen LewisJune 26–30, 2003Boston, MassachusettsN/AJulian BondJune 24–27, 2004Long Beach, CaliforniaN/AHolly NearJune 23–27, 2005Fort Worth, Texas"Ministering to Families in Today's World"Elaine PagelsJune 21–25, 2006St. Louis, Missouri"Toward Right Relations"Mary OliverJune 20–24, 2007Portland, Oregon"Choices That Matter"Rashid KhalidiJune 25–29, 2008Fort Lauderdale, Florida"Common Threads"Van JonesJune 24–28, 2009Salt Lake City, UtahMelissa Harris-LacewellJune 23–27, 2010Minneapolis, MinnesotaWinona LaDukeJune 22–26, 2011Charlotte, North CarolinaKaren ArmstrongJune 20–24, 2012Phoenix, Arizona"Justice GA"Maria HinojosaJune 19–23, 2013Louisville, Kentucky"From Promise to Commitment"Eboo PatelJune 25–29, 2014Providence, Rhode Island"Love Reaches Out"Simone CampbellJune 24–28, 2015Portland, Oregon"Building a New Way"Cornel WestJune 22–26, 2016Columbus, Ohio"Heart Land: Where Faiths Connect"Krista TippettJune 21–25, 2017New Orleans, Louisiana"Resist and Rejoice"Bryan StevensonJune 20–24, 2018Kansas City, Missouri"All Are Called"Brittany PacknettJune 19–23, 2019Spokane, Washington"The Power of We"Richard BlancoJune 14–28, 2020Virtual (COVID-19; initially scheduled for Providence, Rhode Island)"Rooted, Inspired, & Ready!"Naomi KleinJune 23–27, 2021Virtual (COVID-19; initially scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin)"Circle 'Round for Justice ● Healing ● Courage"Stacey Abrams and Desmond MeadeJune 22–26, 2022Portland, Oregon and Virtual (multi-platform)"Meet the Moment: Reimagining Radical Faith Community"Ibram X. KendiJune 21–25, 2023Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Virtual (multi-platform)"Faithfully Becoming"Imani PerryJune 20–23, 2024Virtual"Love Unites, Stories Ignite"Julia Watts BelserJune 18–22, 2025Baltimore, Maryland and Virtual (multi-platform)"Meet the Moment"Imara JonesJune 14–21, 2026* Virtual business meeting followed by optional in-person gatherings"Together Everywhere"Mariann BuddeJune 23–27, 2027*San Jose, California and Virtual (multi-platform)TBDTBD *Future General Assemblies"General Assembly", UUA websiteMcArdle, Elaine (24 June 2025). "Amid Tumultuous World Events, UUs at GA 2025 Vow to Meet the Moment", UU World

See also

References

External links General Assembly Online Now Is The Time Campaign Information