ICUU Council Meeting & Conference The Philippines

Participants Guide February 2012

A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q.

Welcome Letter Philippines Schedule Grid Detailed Schedule Workshop Descriptions Council Meeting Agenda Council Meeting Rules & Procedures ICUU Constitution ICUU Bylaws Council Meeting 09 Minutes Special Meeting 10 Minutes Member Group Annual Reports 12 ICUU Finance Reports Nominating Committee Report Ministry Taskforce Concluding Report 2020 Vision Report ICUU Questions Sometimes Asked Chalice Circle Groups

Dear Council Meeting and Conference Participants, We look forward to these days together at what is to be the largest ICUU Council Meeting so far, to be attended by up to 130 people on the first day. If you have a concern about arrangements or facilities, please do not approached the hotel staff. Please raise the matter instead with one of us (Steve or Jill) or with Nihal Attanayke. For pastoral concerns or any treatment or conduct that you may believe is inappropriate, by hotel staff, by ICUU staff or leaders, or by other participants, please speak to one the two volunteer chaplains of the day. They will be identified during announcements and a sign with their names will be posted in the hotel reception area. It is a great thing to gather face-to-face as the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. Though we communicate regularly in so many ways, there are some parts of our relationships which can only be nurtured when we are together in the same place. While together, it is important to remember that we each bring our own assumptions about almost everything, and that when we have this many cultures mixing, it is not uncommon for misunderstandings to occur, especially if we do not learn to question our own assumptions. Therefore, we share this small list of things to be aware of which may improve and enhance our interactions and work. Language: The working language for the ICUU is English, as it is the language most shared in common. It is, however a second or third language for many, and there are in fact many forms of English. Speak slowly- dialects and accents often make it difficult for others to understand you. (Speaking louder does not help slower is much better.) Listen carefully. Become aware of phrases and words you use which might be meaningless or confusing to otherscolloquialisms and such. Listening: Practice listening to truly hear, not just to immediately respond. Try to catch your own judgments and try to move away from a need to explain everything from your perspective. The process we use in meetings is an adapted form of parliamentary procedure, as different forms are used in different member groups. The structures and practices of our organizations are different, so we need to take care to clarify what we mean when we describe organizational procedures, policies and practices. Our theological beliefs and practices are diverse, so take care not to assume that everyone agrees with us or understands our point of view. Enjoy, learn and grow for we are the ICUU, Steve Dick Jill McAllister

Monday 06-Feb 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 Pre-Meeting Tour Manila from evening of Friday 3 Feb to Monday morning 06-Feb EARLY ARRIVALS arrive today

Tuesday 07-Feb ARRIVALS flights from Manila met and participants transported to South Seas

Wednesday 08-Feb Spiritual Practice Breakfast Worship Council Meeting I with coffee break 9:30 - 12:30

Thursday 09-Feb Spiritual Practice Breakfast Worship Embracing Our Communities Dr Muriel Montenegro with coffee break 9:30-12:30 Lunch & Free Time 12:30-14:00 Ask EC Candidates Workshops I Workshops II Chalice Circles

Friday 10-Feb Spritual Practice Breakfast

Saturday 11-Feb Spiritual Practice Breakfast

Sunday 12-Feb Breakfast and goodbyes Post-Meeting Tour Negros Island (ALL DAY & NIGHT) until morning Mon 13 Feb LATE DEPARTURES stay one more night at South Sea and depart morning Mon 13 Feb

Worship Worship Embracing Our World Council Meeting IV Bruce Knotts, UUUNO with coffee break 9:30-12:30 Chalice Circles Lunch & Free Time 12:30-14:00 Embracing Our UUS Dr Paul Rasor with coffee break 14:00 - 17:00 Outing: Travel to Azalea & Lunch 12:30-14:30 Outing: Visit to Lake Balinsasayao

Lunch (in regions) & Free Time 12:30-14:30 UUCP Orientation Leaders & Q & A Training Welcome Encounter with Leaders of Philiippines Congregations Dinner 18:00-19:30 Council Meeting II with coffee break

Executive Committee Meeting (ALL DAY)

Chalice Circles Dinner 18:00-19:30 Free Time Dinner 18:00-19:30 Workshops III

Chalice Circles Dinner 18:00-19:30 Workshops IV

Free time & Executive Comm Meeting Dinner 18:00-19:30 Closing Event and Ceremony in Park by Dumaguete City Hall

Ingathering Council Meeting III Celebration/Worship Opening Session Worship

Worship

Worship

ICUU Council Meeting & Conference 2012 TUESDAY 7 February 2012

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

14:3016.00 UUCP Leaders Training 15.0016.00 Orientation to the Council Meeting and Conference 16.00 Welcome Encounter with Leaders of Philippines Congregations (all invited) 18.00 19.30 Dinner 19.30 21.30 Ingathering Worship and Celebration 21.30 onwards Social Time

WEDNESDAY

8 February 2012

07.30 08.00 Spiritual Practice (Optional) 08.00 0.9.00 Breakfast 09.00 09.30 Worship Francisco Gaitan, Mexico 09.30 12.30 Council Meeting I (including refreshments break) 12.30 14.30 Lunch & Free Time Regions invited to meet together for the meal 14.30 17.00 Council Meeting II (including refreshments break) 17.00 18.00 Chalice Circles first session 18.00 19.30 Dinner 19.30 21.00 Council Meeting III 21.00 21.30 Worship Josphat Mainye, Kenya 21.30 onwards Social Time

THURSDAY

9 February 2012

07.30 08.00 Spiritual Practice (Optional) 08.00 0.9.00 Breakfast 09.00 09.30 Worship Diane Rollert, Canada 09.30 12.30 Embracing our Communities what is of significance in our own settings? What are the local religious, environmental and justice issues? 09.30 11.00 Speaker: Dr. Muriel Montenegro with Questions and Answers (Q & A) 11.00 11.20 Refreshment Break 11.20 12.30 Small group discussions focusing on our own local issues 12.30 14.00 Lunch & Free Time 14:00 -- 14:30 Ask the EC Candidates Questions 14.30 15.15 Workshops I (choice of one) A. Further: On Education and Training for Ministry B. UUism in The Netherlands by Various Names C. Addressing domestic violence in Burundi D. Immigration Issues 15.30 16.15 Workshops II (choice) A. Empowering Women in the Philippines B. Caring for Our Environment C. Democracy: Different Models used in ICUU Groups D. Living Our International Mission 16.30 17.30 Chalice Circles 17.30 18.00 Free Time 18.00 19.30 Dinner 19.30 20.15 Workshops III (choice) A. Democracy: Different Models used in ICUU Groups B. Living Our International Mission C. History & Context of UUCP D. Connecting ICUU womens groups 20:30 21.15 Workshops IV (choice) A. Immigration Issues B. Further: On Education / Training for Ministry C. New Models of Partnership: Mentoring D. Caring For Our Environment 21.15 21.45 Worship Jozsef Kaszoni, Hungary 21.45 onwards Social Time

FRIDAY

10 February 2012

07.30 08.00 Personal Spiritual Practice (Optional) 08.00 0.9.00 Breakfast 09.00 09.30 Worship Harrison Kingsley, India 09.30 12:30 Embracing Our World witnessing regionally and globally as our visions call us 09.30 10.30 Speaker: Dr. Bruce Knotts, UU UNO Director, via web videolink 10:30 10.50 Refreshment Break 10.50 12.30 Small group discussions: Regional & global voice for ICUU groups on social and justice issues what is needed, desired, possible? What opportunities for collaboration with other faiths and voices? 12.30 14.00 Lunch & Free Time 14.00 17.00 Embracing our Unitarian Universalist Identity or Identities 14.00 15.30 Speaker: Dr. Paul Rasor with Q&A 15.30 15.50 Refreshment Break 15.50 17.00 Small group discussions: our theological particularities and differences 17.00 18.00 Chalice Circles 18.00 19.30 Dinner 19.30 20.15 Creative Sharing Workshops I (choice of one) A. Movement for Worship B. Sharing Songs for Worship C. Designing U-U Worship D. Technology for UU Community 20.30 21.15 Creative Sharing Workshops II (choice of one) A. Movement for Worship B. Sharing Songs for Worship C. Designing U-U Worship D. Technology for UU Community 21.15 2.45 Worship Beatrice Niyungeko 21.45 onwards Social Time

SATURDAY

11 February 2012

07.30 08.00 Personal Spiritual Practice (Optional) 08.00 0.9.00 Breakfast 09.00 09.30 Worship Ari Nugroho, Indonesia 09.30 11.30 Council Meeting IV 11.30-- 12.30 Chalice Circles final session, closing the circle 12.30 16.30 Outing to Azalea and Lake Balinsasayao (including Lunch) 16.30 18.00 Executive Committee Meeting & Free Time 18.00 19.30 Dinner 19.30 21.30 Closing Event in City Park 21.30 onwards Social Time

SUNDAY

12 February 2012

08.00 0.9.00 Breakfast 09.00 Departures

Council Meeting 2012 Workshops

THURSDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2:30 3:15 (14:30 15:15) A. Education and Training for Ministry The ICUU Task Force on Ministerial Education and Training - Kinga Reka Szekely, Jill McAllister, Eric Cherry This ICUU Task Force has just completed three years of work aimed at increasing access to UU ministerial training and education around the world. We have reported to the Council and made recommendations for next steps. Come help up shape the vision of how to keep this work progressing. B. U-Uism in the Netherlands, by Various Names: An update on liberal religion in a secular country, new challenges? Wies Houweling Our newest member group is the NPB, a liberal protestant church organization in the Netherlands. Executive Director Wies Houweling will introduce us to the NPB, and other liberal religious groups in the Netherlands who are closely associated. C. Addressing Domestic Violence in Burundi Fulgence Ndagijimana Domestic violence is a social issue all around the world. In Burundi, the Bujumbura congregation has undertaken a project to address this issue in their own neighborhood, where their new church has just been built. It is a model worth sharing, for an issue we share in common. D. Immigration: A Global Issue - Brian Kiely What does immigration look like in your country or region? Are there problems or social justice issues related to immigration, or to migration of people in general? How do we as Unitarians Universalists respond to these issues? 3:30 4:15 (15:30 16:15) A. Empowering Women in the Philippines and Around the World Carol Huston, Nagy Gizella (ICUUW) Board members from the International Convocation of UU Women will bring information about women's empowerment, health, and livelihood projects, including fresh news about an innovative livelihood "Idea Shop," held in Doldol on Negros Island two weeks ago. You will also learn how the U*U women of Transylvania are coming together to organize an International Convocation in September, 2012. B. Caring for Our Environment Gordon Oliver Gordon will present parts of his 2010 ICUU Theological Symposium Paper Seeking a UU Response to the Global Warming Challenge". Climate change is a reality we are all experiencing. Can we find a way to coordinate our responses, or more?

C. Democracies in U-U Groups: Different Models - Derek McAuley, Derrick Pariat, David Gyero. Many agree that democracy, and democratic principles are at the heart of the Unitarian tradition. But what forms of democracy, what models? What are some of the differences and similarities in our democratic structures? What assumptions are we making that might be problematic, and what do we need to understand in common? D. Living our International Mission Istvan Kovacs The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists is the only fully international, representative organization of U-Us in the world. We have a unique mission to fulfull as member groups in relation to one another, and as partners holding a vision between us. How can you play a part in this work? 7:30 8:15 p.m. (19:30 20:15) A. Democracies in U-U Groups: Different Models - Derek McAuley, Derrick Pariat, David Gyero, B. Living Our International Mission Istvan Kovacs C. The UU Church of the Philippines: Perspectives from a Friend Fred Muir A long-time friend and ally of the UU Church of the Philippines, Rev. Fred Muir is the author of Maglipay Universalist. He will share some of his insights on the history and qualities of our host group. D. Connecting ICUU Womens Groups Pauline Rooney Womens groups are active in many ICUU member groups, focusing on issues which are deeply important in womens lives. How can we best connect these U-U womens groups to build our power and our effectiveness at addressing common issues? 8:30- 9:15 p.m. (20:30 21:15) A. Immigration: A Global Issue Brian Kiely B. Education and Training for Ministry ICUU Task Force on Ministerial Training and Education (Eric Cherry, Jill McAllister, Kinga Reka Szekely) C. Mentoring: A New Model of Partnership - Fulgence Ndagijimana, Patrice Curtis A new model of partnering is beginning to take shape, aimed at supporting the growth and development of emerging U-U groups around the world. This model includes building coalitions of established congregations to work together to support an emerging group.

D. Caring for Our Environment Gordon Oliver

FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY 7:30 8:15 p.m. (19:30 20:15) A. Movement Meditation - Jill McAllister B. Sharing Songs for Worship Galen Gisler C. Designing U-U Worship - Brian Kiely D. Technology for U-U Community Steve Dick 8:30 9:15 p.m. (20:30 21:15) A. Movement Meditation - Jill McAllister B. Sharing Songs for Worship - Galen Gisler C. Designing U-U Worship Brian Kiely D. Technology for U-U Community Steve Dick

ICUU Council Meeting Agenda Wednesday 8th & Saturday 11th February 2012 Wednesday 8th February Session I 9.30 12.30 I.1 Call to Order & Welcome President I.2 Approval of Agenda & Procedures President I.3 Roll Call & Credentials Exec Secretary I.4 Adoption of 2009 Minutes Hon Secretary I.5 Recommend Suspension of Members in Pakistan & Sri Lanka I.6 Review of Suspension of Members in Poland & Spain I.7 Report on Recognition by EC of New Emerging Groups in Kenya & Hong Kong President I.8 Proposed Ratification of Burundi as Full Member Group Program Coordinator I.9 Proposed Ratification of NPB as Full Member Group Executive Secretary I.10 Time Available for Questions & Discussion President I.11 Refreshment Break 11.0011.20 I.12 Member Groups Report: Europe David Gyero & Celia Midgley I.13 Member Groups Report: Asia & ANZ Nihal Attanayake & Pauline Rooney I.14 Member Groups Report: Africa Femi Matimoju I.15 Member Groups Report: Americas Brian Kiely I.16 Time Available for Questions & Discussion Session II 14.30 17.00 II.1 Call to Order & Introduction President II.2 The Past Two Years: Staff Report ICUU Staff II.3 Task Force on Ministry Final Report Task Force II.4 Treasurers Report & Presentation of Accounts Asst. Treasurer II.5 Refreshment Break 15.3015.50 II.6 Presentation of 2020 Vision & Plans for Next Biennial Staff II.7 Presentation of Proposed Budget Asst. Treasurer II.8 Discussion & Review of Dues Policy II.9 Discussion of 2020 Vision & Next Biennial President Session III 19.30 21.00 III.1 Call to Order & Recap of Meeting So Far President III.2 Nominating Committee Report Gordon Oliver III.3 Verbal Candidate Statements from Officers III.4 Verbal Candidate Statements from Members-At-Large III.5 Contingency Time & Any Other Business

Saturday 11th February Session IV 09.30 11.30 IV.1 Call to Order & Recap of Meeting & Conference So Far President IV.2 Roll Call & Credentials Executive Secretary IV.3 Balloting for EC Election Gordon Oliver IV.4 Time for Proposals & Matters Arising from Conference IV.5 Refreshment Break 10.2010.40 IV.6 Announcement of Election Results Gordon Oliver IV.7 Parliament of World Religions 2014 Opportunities IV.8 Further Time for Proposals & Matters Arising from Conference IV.9 Thanks to Retiring EC Members & Conference Volunteers IV.10 Close of Council Meeting

ICUU Meeting Rules and Procedures

Who May Speak
You may speak at the meeting if: You are a delegate. You are on the Executive Committee. You are not a delegate but have been given permission from the Chair. Non-delegates will only be allowed to speak after all delegates have had a chance to speak.

To Speak
Anyone wishing to speak must signal the Chair and wait to be recognized. Raising your hand in the air is a good signal. People may only speak for three minutes or less. Time can be added with a 2/3 vote of the delegates. No one may speak twice on a particular question unless all delegates have had the opportunity to do so. The mover motion may also speak at the close of debate.

Motions
Motions of substance can be spoken, but must immediately be given in writing to the Secretary. Motion forms will be available at all meetings. Only delegates may introduce motions. Please note that some kinds of motions require advance notice to delegates.

Limit on Debate
Each motion will be given up to 20 minutes of debate if needed. If time expires, delegates may move to 15 minutes more debate time. This requires 2/3 approval from voting delegates. Debate can be extended as many times as delegates wish.

Voting
Only delegates may vote. Delegates will raise their voting cards to vote.

Other Rules of Procedure

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief (2nd edition) and Roberts Rules in Plain English (2nd edition)shall apply.

ICUU Constitution
PREAMBLE The Executive Committee sees that The mission of the ICUU is to:
1. foster communication, relationships and understanding within the international U*U community; 2. build networks and partnerships among member groups, their congregations, leaders and institutions; 3. identify and nurture emerging groups around the world; for mutual inspiration, development and growth.

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 of the earth's living system 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 uphold our common values.

1. NAME

The name of this organization shall be The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU).

2. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of this Council shall consist of those associations or churches which have agreed in writing to accept and abide by the terms of the Constitution, and which are organized on a local, national or multinational basis with each association or church consisting of one or more congregations.

3. DELEGATES

Each member group which has three thousand or more members shall be entitled to two voting delegates at meetings of the Council. Those with fewer than three thousand members shall be entitled to one voting delegate.

4. MEETINGS

The Council shall hold a general meeting biannually, no earlier than eighteen months following the previous general meeting and no later than thirty months following the previous general meeting. A quorum shall consist of more than half the member groups.

5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall consist of: President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer 3 Members at Large The Executive Committee shall meet at least once in each calendar year. No person shall serve more than three consecutive terms in any office, or more than four consecutive terms in all. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill vacancies between Council meetings. The Executive Committee shall act for the organization between Council meetings.

6. NOMINATING COMMITTEE

A Nominating Committee of three persons shall be elected by the Council to present a slate of candidates for the Executive Committee and the succeeding Nominating Committee.

7. ELECTIONS

The list of nominees and the appropriate number of ballots shall be mailed three months prior to the Council meeting. Member groups unable to send delegates to the Council meeting may submit postal ballots. Postal ballots arriving after the opening of the Council meeting shall be null and void. Nominees must be members in good standing of a member organization and acceptable to the governing body of that organization.

8. FINANCE

Member groups shall contribute annually a sum agreed in consultation with the Executive Committee. Books of accounts shall be kept, and audited by an external auditor, and audited statements of accounts shall be submitted to member groups.

9. DISSOLUTION

In the event of dissolution of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, all remaining assets will be transferred to the Unitarian Universalist Association in trust to be used in ways consistent with the purposes of the ICUU.

10. RATIFICATION

Ratification of this Constitution will be by a minimum of eight member organizations by 31 December 1996.

11. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

At least ten months' notice, together with supporting documentation, shall be given to member groups, of any proposal to amend the Constitution. Amendments shall be passed by two thirds of the delegates present and voting at Council meetings.

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF UNITARIANS AND UNIVERSALISTS BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1. MEMBERS 1.1 Associations or churches may apply for membership in the Council to the Executive Committee. 1.2 The Executive Committee, being satisfied that the applicant meets the terms contained in the Constitution along with such further conditions that the Executive Committee may from time to time establish, may grant membership, subject to ratification by Council Members according to the following procedure. Following the Executive Committee meeting at which the application is approved, notice of the decision will be sent to all Council Members, inviting responses. If, by a specified date six months after the notice is issued, no objections to the Executive Committee's decision have been received by the Secretary, then that decision shall be deemed to have been ratified. If an objection is received from a Council Member, then a decision on ratification shall be deferred to the next meeting of the Council. SECTION 2. PROVISIONAL MEMBERSHIP 2.1 When the Executive committee is satisfied that the applicant meets the terms of membership contained in the ICUU Constitution, along with any other conditions that the Executive committee may establish, the Executive committee may grant provisional membership to the applicant subject to the ratification of the Council according to the procedure described in SECTION 1. 2.2 Provisional membership is normally granted to newly formed groups so that they may demonstrate their unity, stability and effective administration before being granted full membership status. 2.3 Provisional members may have the same number of delegates as are provided for members except that these delegates shall not be entitled to vote. SECTION 3. EMERGING GROUPS Applicants that are deemed to be reasonable prospects for membership, but do not fulfil the conditions of either Provisional membership or Full Membership may be designated as Emerging Groups by the Executive Committee upon its sole discretion. Emerging Groups may be accorded observer status at General Meetings. SECTION 4. ASSOCIATES The Executive Committee may grant Associate Status to properly constituted organisations with beliefs and purposes closely akin to those of ICUU, but which by the nature of their constitutions, purposes, or more limited fields of work are not eligible for full membership, or which do not wish to become full members now or in the foreseeable future. Such status shall be subject to ratification by Council members. Associates are entitled to be presented by one nonvoting delegate at General Meetings. SECTION 5. SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP 5.1 The Executive Committee, with good and sufficient reason, may recommend to the Council the suspension of membership privileges of any Member or Associate Member. Such Member or Associate Member shall have the opportunity to be heard by the Council before the Council makes its decision concerning the suspension of membership privileges.

5.2 The Council may suspend the membership privileges of a Member or Associate Member until its next meeting, when that suspension will be reviewed. The Council may then lift the suspension, or renew it for a specified period, or terminate membership altogether. 5.3 Membership in the Council shall be terminated if the Member or Associate Member dissolves itself or notifies the Executive Committee in writing that it has resigned from the Council. ARTICLE II: MEETINGS SECTION I. GENERAL MEETINGS The General Meeting of the Council shall be held at such place and on such days as the Executive Committee may by resolution determine. SECTION 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS 2.1 Other meetings of the Council may be convened: 2.1.1 By order of the Executive Committee, or 2.1.2 By the President as soon as proper notice can be given upon receipt by the Executive Committee of a written petition requesting a Special Meeting. Such petition must carry the written endorsement of at least one third of the Council's Members and must state specifically the business proposed to be transacted at the meeting. 2.1.3 From time to time it may be necessary to conduct a Special Council Meeting electronically rather than in person. In such a case, the detail as to how the meeting will be conducted and how voting will take place must be sent out with the notice of meeting. SECTION 3. NOTICE OF MEETING 3.1 A notice of meeting for a General or Special Meeting shall be sent in a timely fashion to the official address of each Member and Associate Member either by mail or by electronic means not less than three months before the date of the meeting. This notice shall contain, at minimum: 3.1.1 The day, hour and place of the meeting 3.1.2 The business proposed to be transacted at the meeting 3.1.3 Any proposed amendments to the By-laws 3.1.4 For a General Meeting only, the proposed budget for the succeeding two year budget period. 3.2 The accidental failure to give notice of any meeting or the non-receipt of any notice by a Member shall not invalidate any resolutions passed or any proceedings taken at any meeting. SECTION 4. PRESIDING OFFICER The President of the Council shall normally preside at every General or Special Meeting. Should the President be unable or unwilling to chair the meeting, the Vice-President of the Council shall do so. Should the Vice-President be unable or unwilling to chair the meeting, the delegates present shall choose some other Member of the Executive Committee to serve as presiding officer. If no Executive Committee Member is present or if all such members decline to take the chair, the delegates present shall choose one of their own members to preside. The presiding officer at any General or Special Meeting, may from time to time retire from the chair and with the unanimous consent of the Council delegates present and voting, designate a delegate to fill

the chair during such absence, provided always, that the delegates may at any time, on motion, require the chair to be vacated by the designated presiding officer. SECTION 5. ORDER OF BUSINESS 5.1 The order of business at a General Meeting shall be the following: 5.1.1 Approval of the Agenda 5.1.2 Approval of the Rules of Procedure for the meeting 5.1.3 Recognition of New Members 5.1.4 Report on Credentials 5.1.5 Report of the Secretary on Nominations to the Executive Committee 5.1.6 All other business 5.2 The order of business at a Special Meeting shall be the following: 5.2.1 Approval of the Agenda 5.2.2 Approval of the Rules of Procedure for the meeting 5.2.3 Report of the Credentials Committee 5.2.4 The business for which the meeting was called SECTION 6. DELEGATES A delegate shall be a person having written accreditation from that member group. Such accreditation shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary prior to the start of a Council meeting. SECTION 7. VOTING 7.1 Every accredited delegate, including the presiding officer assuming that person is also a delegate, of a Member association or church shall be entitled to one vote. Save as otherwise provided by Constitution or by these By-laws, votes shall be given personally by delegates. No delegate shall be entitled to appoint a proxy. 7.2 Every question submitted to any General or Special Meeting (electronic meetings excepted) shall be decided in the first instance by a show of hands of the delegates. If a poll is demanded by any delegate on any question, it shall be taken in such time and place and in such manner as the presiding officer directs. The result of a poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting in respect of the matter upon which the poll was demanded. 7.3 Voting during electronic meetings shall be by poll only. 7.4 No poll shall be amended on the election of a presiding officer of a meeting, or an any question of adjournment. 7.5 The demand for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which a poll has been determined.

7.6 At any meeting, unless a poll is demanded, a declaration by the presiding officer that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously or by any particular majority or lost or not carried by a particular majority shall be conclusive of the fact. 7.7 In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the question is defeated.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS SECTION 1. NOMINATIONS The slate of candidates prepared by the Nominating Committee shall be mailed to the Members not less than three months prior to the Council Meeting at which the election is to occur. The slate shall include one or two names for each position. Members may submit additional written nominations only, duly seconded by another member group, to the Secretary up to the beginning of this meeting. Nominations duly seconded will also be accepted from the floor. These nominees must also be Members in good standing of a Member organization and be acceptable to the governing body of that organization. SECTION 2. THE PRESIDENT The President shall preside at all meetings of the Council and Executive Committee, except as otherwise provided in Article II, Section 4. He or she shall be the official representative of ICUU and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be specified by these By-laws or as the Executive Committee may from time to time require. SECTION 3. THE VICE-PRESIDENT The Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President whenever so instructed by the President, or in the absence of the President, or because of the inability of the President to act. She or he shall also perform such other duties as the Executive Committee may from time to time require. SECTION 4. THE SECRETARY The Secretary shall issue or cause to be issued notices and proposed agendas for all meetings of the Executive Committee and of General and Special Meetings of the Members. He or she shall keep a complete record of the proceedings of these meetings, the Constitution and By-laws of the Council, the official names and addresses of all Members and Associate Members, and the names, addresses and employment records of all persons employed by the Council. The Secretary shall also perform such other duties as the Executive Committee may from time to time require. SECTION 5. THE TREASURER 5.1 The Treasurer shall have responsibility for the care and custody of all the funds and securities of the Council and shall deposit the same in the name of the Council in such bank or banks with such depository or depositories as the Executive Committee may direct. Except as may otherwise be provided by resolution of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer shall sign all cheques, drafts, notes or money orders for the payment of money, and shall pay out or dispose of the same under the direction of the Executive Committee. 5.2 The Treasurer shall keep faithful accounts of all transactions, which accounts shall be annually examined and certified by an auditor chosen by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall also perform such other duties as the Executive Committee may from time to time require.

5.3 The Treasurer may be required to give such bond for the faithful performance of the Treasurer's duties as the Executive Committee member shall be liable for failure to require any bond, or for the insufficiency of any bond, or for any loss by reason of the failure of the Council to receive any indemnity thereby provided. SECTION 6. DELEGATION OF DUTIES In addition to the Constitutional provision governing the filling of vacancies on the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee may, in the case of the absence or temporary incapacity of any officer of the Council, delegate such powers of such officer to any other Executive Committee Member for the time being.

ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES SECTION 1. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1.1 The composition, term of office, and duties of the Executive Committee are specified in the Constitution. The Executive Committee shall have the power to include up to two additional persons in its meetings. 1.2 Executive Committee Members shall serve without compensation and no Committee Member shall use their position for personal gain. Reasonable expenses incurred by any Committee Member in the performance of duty will, however, be paid. 1.3 The Executive Committee at its discretion may submit any contract, act or transaction for approval or ratification at any General or Special Meeting of the Council called for that purpose. 1.4 Meetings of the Executive Committee may be held by telephone or by other electronic means as well as in person. A quorum at any meeting of the Executive Committee shall consist of three members. 1.5 During meetings of the Committee, each Committee member shall be entitled to one vote. The presiding officer at the meeting shall not be entitled to vote unless needed to break a tie, in which case the presiding officer shall be entitled to one vote. SECTION 2. THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE The composition and duties of the Nominating Committee are specified in the constitution and By-laws. SECTION 3. THE CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE A Credentials Committee shall be formed by the Executive Committee. The Credentials Committee shall be responsible for the collection of credentials of voting delegates, the supervision of elections and balloting of the Council, and for making such reports to each meeting as the Secretary of the meeting itself may prescribe. The Executive Committee shall determine and publish the form that these credentials must take. SECTION 4. OTHER COMMITTEES The Executive Committee or the meeting may establish or appoint such other standing or ad hoc committees as they may deem necessary or desirable. ARTICLE V: STAFF The Executive Committee may at its discretion employ staff to assist in the Council's work. Such staff shall be responsible to the Executive Committee and shall report to whichever Member(s) of this Committee that the Committee itself shall deem most appropriate.

ARTICLE VI: FINANCIAL MATTERS SECTION 1. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by the Executive Committee. SECTION 2. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as the Executive Committee may select. ARTICLE VII: GENERAL SECTION 1. The Executive Committee may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. SECTION 2. The Executive Committee may provide a corporate seal which shall be circular in form and shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation and the state and year of incorporation, and the words "Corporate Seal". ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS Proposals to amend the By-Laws, together with supporting documentation, shall be given to Members as part of the Notice of Meeting as per Article II, section 3. Amendments shall be passed by a majority of the delegates present and voting at Council Meetings. ARTICLE IX: TAX EXEMPT PROVISIONS SECTION 1. This corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code; or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section I 70 (d)(2), or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. SECTION 2. No part of the assets of the corporation and no part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of its objects and purposes expressed herein. SECTION 3. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing and distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. SECTION 4. The provisions for the disposition of the corporate assets in the event of dissolution of the corporation are:

The funds, assets, and property of the corporation shall be conveyed, transferred, distributed, and set over outright to the Unitarian Universalist Association, 25 Beacon St. Boston, Massachusetts, for uses consistent with the purposes of this organization, so long as that organization shall at that time qualify as an exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding provision of any future federal tax code. If for any reason the Unitarian Universalist Association is unable to receive the funds, assets, and property of this corporation, the same shall pass to such other organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding provision of any future federal tax code, for uses consistent with the purposes of this organization. (as adopted in June 2003 and amended in April 2005, November 2007 and September 2010)

 ICUU Council Meeting Minutes, 2009 Kolozsvar

1st September Session 0.5

Opening speeches by Brian Kiely and by Bishop Ferenc Blint-Benczdi of Transylvania. Rules of procedure and Minutes of Oberwesel '07 were PASSED UNAN.

2nd September Session 1

President's Report Recognition of Congo (Democratic Republic) Unitarians as Emerging Group (pending assessment visit) Discussion on application by the Umbrella Organization of Unitarians in Norway to become a Provisional Member. Mov. Celia Midgley (UK), Sec. Derek McCullough (ANZUUA). Eric Cherry (UUA) asks for description of group. Explanation given by Galen Gisler (Norwegian observer). Followed by some discussion on frequency of meetings and ordination issues. VOTE: PASSED UNAN. Discussion on application by the Burundi Unitarians. Mov. Jaume de Marcos (Spain), Sec. Gordon Oliver (SA). Fulgence Ndagjimana from Burundi explains about their group. PASSED UNAN. Acknowledge of reception of new Constitution of the South African Unitarian association. Announcement by John Clifford that application from Brazilian Unitarians to become a Provisional Member. The information will be spread later for voting. Jill McAllister leads discussion on ExCom document about changes in membership status criteria and procedures. John Midgley asks about follow-up of financial practices of groups. More discussion on the importance of on-site assessments from Istvan Kovacs referring to his visit to Indonesia. Beginning of Member Group reports: ANZUUA, German Unitarians, EUU, GA of British Unitarians, Transylvanian Unitarians, Indian U Council, Spain. Jill McAllister presents and leads discussion on the Strategic Plan draft. Steve Dick expands on SWOT analysis and how the group will split in smaller groups for more detailed study.

Session 2
Steve Dick presents discussion in smaller groups on the draft Strategic Plan. After rejoining, spokespersons from small groups provide short reports on their discussions and conclusions about priorities and visions for the Strategic Plan. Session is adjourned for some rest and arrangements of the local sightseeing of Unitarian sites.

3rd September Session 3

Treasurer's report. Executive Secretary's report. John Clifford explains the issue of visa denials to African and Sri Lankan participants, due to alleged bureaucratic miscommunication, as well as thoughts about a time of transition, both personal and organizational. More Member Group reports: CUC, Czech Unitarians, Hungary, Poland. Report from Task Force for Ministerial Education and Training. They have been working for 1 full year in a 3-year project funded by a UUA panel about training of U*U ministers around the world. More Member Group reports: South Africa, UUA, Philippines. Reception of the Nominating Committee report. Presented by Richard Boeke as the convenor of the NC. Brian Kiely asks for any further nomination from the floor. None are made. Since the only contested election is for At-Large positions at the Executive Committee, candidates are invited to introduce themselves to the Council. Those two who are present (Celia Midgley and Nihal Attanayake) do so. The other two candidates (Harrison Kingsley and Olufemi Matimoju) were unable to come. Gordon Oliver speaks on behalf of Matimoju and John Clifford speaks on behalf of Harrison Kingsley.

4rd September Session 4

Richard Boeke presents a report on the Friends of the ICUU. The presentation includes a decision by the Friends organization to dissolve as such and become a program of the ICUU. Vote is called for delegates to choose the new Executive Committee and Nominating Committee. Time is given to cast the ballot until coffee break so that absent delegates may cast their vote. Steve Dick and Jill McAllister present the staff positions of Executive Secretary and Program Coordinator and their roles. Reports from Working Groups. Brian Kiely presents the Communications WG report. Brian asks for a vote to confirm Lorella Hess for a new period as the editor of the Global Chalice. Mov. Paivi Kesti (Finland). Sec. Derek (ANZUUA) and Will Saunders (UUA). PASSED UNAN. It was noted that the ICUU hard copy archives are mostly in the hands of Polly Guild and that Jill will work to relocate them in the months to come. Cathy Cordes (Partner Church Council) makes a presentation of the Women's Convocation WG. The report of the Parliament of World's Religions is given by Pauline Rooney. Gordon Oliver and Tina Huessing make a presentation of the Strategic Plan WG. After counting votes (done by Jaume de Marcos and Steve Dick), the results of the election are announced by Brian Kiely: 22 votes were cast, all the uncontested candidates were confirmed, the elected persons for the At-Large positions are: Nihal Attanayake, Celia Midgley and Olufemi Matimoju. David Shaw starts discussion of the budget. N.B.

Normally minutes do not record the substance of discussions. An exception has been made here in order to share information and ensure full transparency about the finances of the ICUU. David: People are encouraged to use PayPal for international transactions to lower transaction fees to a minimum. David explains the different items in the budget. Benevolent Fund.: this is a fund that was established to support ministers and lay leaders with medical problems. He noted that budget was not final and delegates were invited to give suggestions. David noted that the proposed budget uses a small part of those reserves. Question about expectations of member dues by the end of the current fiscal period. David: I don't know how the figure produced in Oberwesel was calculated and by July 2009 I had to ask member group to comply with their 2008 dues. Jill McAllister: income is already higher and if the full amount of member dues is obtained by the end of the year, the benefit will be even higher. Question: Does the request for dues include actual figures? David: the criteria is that member groups pay $0.5 or $0.05 per member according to whether the country is developed or not, but I am not the person to decide what fee is applied in each case. Jill McAllister: Since membership numbers have been reported in member group reports, it is now possible to make an estimation. Comment: it is important to whom this notice is sent, some countries have treasurers who are very conservative and need a bill in order to pay. John Clifford: we use our contact list but we cannot be totally sure about its reliability. Question: there are some discrepancies between the amounts in GBP between the current period and the budget, are British interest rates much lower than in other countries? David: Yes, they are significantly lower nowadays. Question: Would be useful for groups to give a contact specifically for billing. David: I need to refine the contact list. Steve Dick: it is necessary to contact each group and ask for more specific contacts, not just billing (e.g. religious education). Question about the final figures for the current period. David: I don't know yet, some big differences may well be expected both in income and expenditure because of Council Meeting costs. Question about attendants who are officers/delegates and others who are visitors. Are visitors costing money to the ICUU or are they actually giving money? John Clifford answers: in Oberwesel and here, the financial results for visitors is slightly positive, with the possible exception of some discounts expected according to number of attendants, but this may affect the host community and not the ICUU organization. It was important that this time expectations about travel costs were pretty accurate, although visa costs have been higher than expected due to complications and extra costs. In the end this Council Meeting will need to draw some money from reserves. David: Further discussion may be held during the workshop sessions. Question about unspecified income for programs. Jill McAllister: there are applications for funding to UUA panels and the amount in the budget is a conservative estimate. Donations have increased from past years. More group reports: Finland (Member), Indonesia (Member), Burundi, Mexico, Hong-Kong.

5nd September Session 5

Final series of group reports: Bolivia, Norway, Esperanto UUs, France (John Clifford speaking on behalf of this group since they were unable to come). Brian Kiely introduced two resolutions on the use of Hungarian language in Slovakia. (There are concerns that a new law on minority languages may harm the Hungarian-speaking community in Slovakia.) The motions were debated and reconciled into the following text: Moved/Seconded: C. Midgeley/Roberts-Gassler: The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists meeting in Koloszvar Transylvania on 5th September, 2009 congratulates Bishop Ferenc Blint-Benczdi on his speech in Szeged, Hungary on 30th August in which he, alongside other religious leaders, spoke out against the law limiting the public use of the Hungarian language in Slovakia, citing the Unitarian tradition of tolerance and freedom. Further, mindful of its own commitments to freedom and tolerance, the ICUU resolves to send a message of support to the Hungarian-speaking community of Slovakia and asks the ICUU Secretary to implement this on its behalf as a matter of urgency. The motion is voted as amended. PASSED UNAN. Moved Transylvanian delegation, Seconded Paivi Kesti (Finland). The Council of the ICUU, at its meeting in Koloszvar / Cluj-Napoca, Romania, was saddened to learn from the annual report of the Romanian member group, about the impossibility of public viewing of the painint of Aladar Korosfoi Kriesch, a vallasszabadsag kihridetese az 1569, evi tordai orszaggyulesen in the city museum at Torda. The painting has been kept from public view for 10 years for the named reason of restoration. The Council finds it unacceptable, that in Romania, art pieces belonging to the public treasure are hidden from view The Council respectfully asks the city council of Torda, as well as the county council of Cluj, to immediately exhibit the painting. The council hopes that visitors coming from all over the world will again have the opportunity to admire this extraordinary and culturally valuable work of art.. PASSED UNAN. Final discussion on the Strategic Plan. Comments: an Internet forum may be a good way to connecting youth leaders. It was noted that the visibility of the ICUU was also a concern in most small group reports. Communications should also be given a higher priority in the Plan. More explicit reference to support to emerging groups was requested. Request to include metrics and other means of evaluation of the success of the Plan. There is a general agreement that programs need to be prioritized in the document in accordance with the mission statement. Several more comments were offered about prioritizing subjects in each area of interest. Ministerial training is named as one of the highest priorities by some. Leadership training and organizational consulting and capacity building are the top priorities of some. EUU Retreat model is offered as a template for similar gatherings. Seeking strategic partners is not a high priority according to the Executive, but rather a case of making connections when opportunities arise, preferably with U*U groups. A fundraising team is named as a strong priority to find funding sources for programs.

When asked, Brian Kiely suggested that twice yearly there will be a specific session of the ExCo reviewing the strategic plan and that its proceedings will be sent to member groups. There is a suggestion that human rights are also included as priorities. Brian agrees that specific issues may be addressed but the human right issue is not in the mission of the ICUU and rather let other partners concentrate on that area. The Executive moves a motion that the ICUU adopts the Strategic Plan Grounding and Growing and directs the Executive to carry out the plan according to following priorities. As it is moved by the Executive, no seconding is needed. PASSED UNAN. A motion moved by the Executive is presented by Brian so that The proposed 2 year budget be adopted (as amended) and that the Executive be empowered to adjust expenditures as needed to reflect the Strategic Plan priorities set by this meeting. David Shaw makes a few corrections to the copy given to delegates. Discussion follows. Celia makes a question about the benevolent fund: it is clarified that the money comes from a specific donation to support leaders and their immediate families if they require medical treatment. David also remarks that adding member contributions would considerably modify the current budget, so they would be considered simply as extra income. The budget is voted and PASSED UNAN. Brian presents the candidacy of Brazilian Unitarians for Provisional Membership. Having regular meetings, historical background, transparent organization and stability. Olga asks about on-site visit. They have not been visited. Moved by Derek McCullough (ANZUUA). Sec. By Aryanto Ngroho (Indonesia). PASSED UNAN. Brian introduces the motion about the suspension of membership for Spain and Poland, so that Recognizing that 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. Moved by Gordon Oliver (South Africa) . Sec. By Vicky Roberts-Gassler (EUU). Comment and question: It is a responsible move by the ICUU. Is the Executive prepared to check what could have been done in the relationship between the ICUU and the Spanish and Polish Unitarians, so that there is learning for what may happen next? Brian agrees that a report process will be put in place. Derek suggests the word recess rather than suspension. Passed with 1 vote against.

The Council is adjourned.

Minutes of the ICUU Special Council Meeting (Conducted online) Tuesday, 28 September 2010, 12:30 GMT
The meeting was chaired by the Rev Brian Kiely, ICUU President. The followed member groups were represented by the named delegates: ANZUUA [Australia & New Zealand] (Derek McCullough), Canadian Unitarian Universalist Council (Jennifer Dickson), Deutsche Unitarer [Germany] (Wolfgang Jantz), EUU [Europe] (Vicki Roberts-Gassler), Unitarian Church in Hungary (Rev Kaszoni Jozsef), UUCP [Philippines] (Rev Rebecca Sienes), UUA [USA] (Rev Eric Cherry and Rev Will Saunders), General Assembly of U & FC Churches [UK] (Derek McAuley and Rev David Usher), Unitarian Church in Transylvania (Rev Gyero David and Bishop Balint Benczedi Ferenc). Also participating were: Rev Celia Midgley and Rev David Shaw, members of the ICUU Executive Commitee; Rev Steve Dick and Rev Jill McAllister ICUU staff; Lilian Burlando, Juan Ignacio Catron, and Rev Mathe Sandor as observers.

1. Opening words Brian Kiely brought greetings to the participants, thanking everyone for the efforts of participation. He announced one voting item today, and a brief report on the activity of the past year. 2. Technical guidance Steve Dick gave guidance on the procedures, sharing a technical introduction to the GoToWebinar software. He gave details on the voting procedures as well. 3. Determination of quorum It was confirmed that the meeting was quorate. Brian announced that 12 delegates are present representing 9 member groups and one group (Unitarian Church in Nigeria) was represnted by proxy held by the President. 4. Proposed Change of Constitution
Brian announced that the Executive Committee moves the motion to change the bylaws, Section 4 - Meetings of the ICUU Constitution and Section 1 - General Meeting, as previously explained in the invitation letter, as well as presented on the screen. David Usher asked if the plans were still for meetings to take place every two years, although the revision could mean they were held as infrequently as 5 years. Brian corrected that misunderstanding, stating the revised constitution would allow a gap of 1.5 to 2.5 years, but the intention is still to hold the meeting biannually in accordance with the revision. There were no other questions, concerns. Brian asked for the vote. The motion was passed unanimously with no abstentions. Brian announced that the motion was carried, and thanked everyone for their participation.

5. 2009-2010 ICUU Activities

Brian presented a short summary on the 13 months since the Kolozsvar Council Meeting the most productive year in ICUU history. He promised to send a written version of the report soon. Will Saunders thanked Brian for the report, as well as for the work of the Executive Committee; he considered them as good steps for the better. Rebecca Sienes was grateful for the choice of the Philippines for the next Council Meeting. David Usher asked about the current status of the official member groups, as well as the emerging groups to be recognized. Brian explained that Austria has been recognized as an emerging group by the EC, the Kenyan groups are now trying to determine their participation, and Sri Lanka is to be checked out soon. Steve shared news about possible membership interest the NPB group from the Netherlands, and concerns about the status of the group in Pakistan; he reminded that the member groups in Spain and Poland had voluntarily entered suspended status. Jill also gave an update regarding impending membership changes of African groups. Steve and Jill are updating the member group document and it will be available soon via the website. Derek McCullough said the workshop in Brisbane was incredibly successful, the first time ANZUUA met as a group. It raised the profile of the ICUU directly with every group. They were safe and sound despite the recent earthquake!

There were no other questions or comments. At 13:10 GMT, Brian declared the meeting to be adjourned. He invited everyone to do their best to be at the next CM in the Philippines. Respectfully submitted by Gyero David, secretary

Unitarisch-universalistisches Forum (Austria)

http://www.unitarier.at/
Type of Group (Choose One): Emerging Number of Members (Not including children): 17 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 2 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 1000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 800 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Ali Gronner Email Address of President or Chairperson ali.gronner@mswd.at Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Andreas Bolhar-Nordenkampf Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: andreas.bolhar@gmx.at Achievements since 2009: new web-site, two yearbooks 2010 and 2011, a new textbook for services (apt for theists, agnostics and atheists), more meetings, trips to Prague, Budapest, Kassel, Rolduc. What are the challenges your group currently faces? to grow What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian

or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? to be found on the ICUU-homepage. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Ali Gronner Position of Person Completing Report Chairman Email Address of of Person Completing Report ali.gronner@mswd.at

Magyarorszgi Unitrius Egyhz (Unitarian Church in Hungary)

http://www.unitarius.hu/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 25000 Number Children/Young People: 800 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 11 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 10 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 40000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 40000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Laszlo Balazsi Email Address of President or Chairperson balazsilaszlo@fuzestv.hu Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Magdolna Gerendas Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: muehivatal@unitarius.hu Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Botond Elekes

Position of Head Staff Person Churchwarden Email Address of Head Staff Person botond.elekes@nefmi.gov.hu Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Arpad Gazdag Position of ICUU Contact Person councillor Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person mue@unitarius.hu Achievements since 2009: Regained from the state the remaining 49% ownership of the headquarters building in Budapest, Nagy Ignc str. 2-4. What are the challenges your group currently faces? Renovation of this building and making it fit for religious, caritative and cultural activities; facing the spiritual challenges of our time. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Keep in touch. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Arpad Gazdag Position of Person Completing Report councillor Email Address of of Person Completing Report mue@unitarius.hu

Associao Unitarista Brasileira (Brazilian Unitarian Association)

Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 271 Number Children/Young People: 34 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 5 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 11 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 20000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 18000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Gibson P. T. da Costa Email Address of President or Chairperson gibsondacosta@yahoo.ca Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Christine Olivier Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: canadian.olivier@gmail.com Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Isabel de Castro Position of Head Staff Person Secretary Email Address of Head Staff Person isabelunitarista@gmail.com Achievements since 2009: BUA has either administered or supported a number of projects in some different parts of Brazil: education and health programs, environmental education, and migrant support. The Association has officially received four

other groups as its members. The Association has also joined other Christian organizations in an ecumenical dialogue group, being a strong voice in favor of respect of differing points of view, welcoming excluded groups and peace in social relations. The "Shelter of Peace Movement", initiated at the Unitarian Congregation of Pernambuco in 2009, has become the symbol of our ethos: a place where the idea of peace is expanded and overemphasized, guiding all of our educational programs - this idea has been taken to schools, and other communities of faith. What are the challenges your group currently faces? Most challenges relate to serving the needs of members - individual and/or groups - who are very distant. The Association has 11 (non-stipendary) ordained Ministers presently working in 16 different States, who attend not only to the needs of our present group members, but also to the needs of other groups in the process of formally joining the Association. The consequences of growth is definetely the greatest challenge we have been facing in the past three years. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? The Association has been successful in dealing with most of the obstacles it has faced along its more than seven decades history. The Brazilian Unitarian Association understands friendship links to other U*U groups around the world as the best kind of "assistance" it may find helpful to receive. We are happy in sharing information and concerns about other U*U groups around the globe with our members. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Isabel de Castro Position of Person Completing Report Secretary Email Address of of Person Completing Report isabelunitarista@gmail.com

Unitarian Universalist Association (USA)

http://www.uua.org/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 162796 Number Children/Young People: 54671 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1046 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 1792 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 26000000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 26000000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Rev. Peter Morales Email Address of President or Chairperson pmorales@uua.org Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Tim Brennan Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: tbrennan@uua.org Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Eric Cherry Position of ICUU Contact Person International Office Director Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person echerry@uua.org

Achievements since 2009: As a summary of successes and challenges in the 2010-2011 year, I'm including a summary of the Annual Report of the UUA President to our General Assembly in June 2010: Protesting anti-illegal immigration laws in Arizona "Before I became [the UUA] president," he said, "I was a law abiding citizen. I had never been arrested. But last year, about a month after GA, I, along with Susan Frederick-Gray and other ministers and lay people, was arrested down in Arizona in an act of civil disobedience to protest egregious acts which were violating basic human rights." "It was a real education for me," Morales said of spending the night in jail. "Because I witnessed not only the dehumanizing effect of that reign of terror on Latino people in Arizona, but I saw the dehumanizing effects it has on those who are enforcing those laws." He said the jailers were "hardened, dehumanized" by enforcing Arizona's anti-immigration laws. After a brief hearing, Morales said he was released around three in the morning on his own recognizance. Worried about how he was going to get back to his hotel at that hour of the morning, he walked out. "And then the door opened, and there were scores of my fellow Unitarian Universalists," he said, showing a photograph of dozens of Unitarian Universalists standing outside the Maricopa County jail wearing bright yellow t-shirts with the "Standing on the Side of Love" logo. Cheers and applause greeted this photograph. "And you know what, all of you were there," he said, "you and generations of Unitarian Universalists were there-because it was our Association, and our great tradition of standing with the disempowered, that made that [civil disobedience in Arizona] possible." "But you get a chance to go back to Phoenix for real in a year," he continued, referring to the justice-centered GA that will be held in Phoenix, Ariz., in June 2012. "And if they thought we were a presence the last couple of times [we were in Arizona], wait until they see that sea of yellow shirts in Phoenix." "To that end, we are forming a ministry in the coming year, to get the message out across the country," he said. The justice-centered GA in Phoenix will work with local partners, under the leadership of the Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray of the UU Congregation of Phoenix. 50th anniversary, and coming challenges Turning to the fiftieth anniversary of the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, which this year's GA celebrates, Morales said this has been an opportunity to look back at the last 50 years, "to see where we've been successful, and where we haven't been successful." "What I want to do now," he continued, "is to take a look and highlight some of the things that are going on right now." He said also wanted to "talk about where we need to go, culturally and spiritually, if we are going to thrive in the next decade." Morales reviewed some of the ways in which the United States is a country that is changing at a rapid rate. While the population over 70 is mostly white, among children under 10 years old, whites are a minority. The country is also facing rapid secularization. Morales said these and other challenges lie ahead, along with "amazing opportunities." Speaking of those who have no religious affiliation, Morales asserted that "they want a spiritual community that is free from dogma." He went on to say, "We can be that organization which feeds the spiritually hungry." UUA finances Morales spoke briefly about the financial challenges facing the UUA. "It has been a very challenging time for the UUA staff," he said, as the UUA has dealt with budget cuts and staff cuts. Yet in spite of the cuts, he said UUA staff has continued to provide innovative programming. Asking the UUA staff who were present to stand, he said, "Let us all thank our UUA staff for doing a tremendous

job." The delegates responded with extended applause and cheers. Three priorities Morales said that when he became president of the UUA, he talked about three priorities for his presidency. First, he wanted to create "a new ministry for this new age." Second, he wanted to ensure growth by ministering to those "who were hungry for spiritual nourishment." Third, he said, "I wanted to build on the terrific work of my predecessors to raise the profile of Unitarian Universalism." To help create a new ministry for a new age, Morales worked with the UU Minister's Association (UUMA). "This year in partnership with the UUMA, there was an institute for professional development in California that really blew me away," he said. In addition to such continuing education opportunities, Morales said, "My dream is that everyone who enters into our ministry attains multicultural competency, and part of that is an experience of another cultural setting." To that end, he has been working with UU seminaries to send seminarians to Uganda and Haiti. What are the challenges your group currently faces? (continued from above) "We need to recruit passionate and entrepreneurial leaders in the coming generation, and not just rely on divine intervention," he said. "Most of us don't believe in miracles, and we shouldn't rely on miracles to get good ministers and good religious educators into our movement." In the area of growth, Morales reported on his Leap of Faith pilot program. "Within our Association, we have amazing congregations. We have the knowledge, the enthusiasm, to grow our Association." He is helping leading congregations with an established record of growth to provide mentoring "to congregations that are hungry to expand and grow." "In the area of public witness and social action," Morales said, "wow." He mentioned yesterday's public witness action in Charlotte for LGBT rights. Morales then told a story of raising public awareness of the UUA during the civil disobedience actions in Phoenix last year. His assistant at the time, Dea Brayden, was talking to reporters from CNN, and learning that they needed a story to lead off the next hour of news, she wanted to arrange an interview with Morales. Unitarian Universalists had been very noticeable in their bright yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" t-shirts in Phoenix, so she said to CNN staffers, "Do you want to talk with the head of the yellow shirts?" Relations with international Unitarians and UUs "As we try to build a multicultural faith, and as we try to do interfaith cooperation, our international partners as essential to this," Morales said. "We have so much to learn from people in the Khasi hills and the Philippines," and in other Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist communities around the globe. Morales turned to the devastating earthquake in Japan earlier this year. "We've raised almost half a million dollars that we're sending as relief," he said, and much of that relief aid will be distributed through already existing connections in Japan. "What a wonderful act of partnership that we're doing with our long-time partners in Japan." Morales reported that he visited the Philippines in the past year. He said that the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines is "living proof that Unitarian Universalism is not the faith of the urban and highly educated." He said that Unitarian Universalism in the Philippines is primarily rural, "and they are passionate UUs." Where we need to go Where should Unitarian Universalism go next? "One," said Morales, "we gotta get religion. Two, we need to grow leaders, and three, we need to cross borders."

"What I mean by 'get religion' is that we have to release the passion of our people," he said. "Religion is more about what we love and what we hold sacred than about what we think." He went on to add, "And religions is not something we we do individually; I would even suggest to you that individualism is the spiritual disease of our time." "Two," Morales said, "we have to grow leaders. Now we come from an anti-authoritarian tradition, and we are nothing if not skeptical about power." However, he said, "this is not ultimately organizational. Ultimately this is spiritual, my friends: we need to learn how to trust one another." The delegates applauded this remark. "We need to learn how to identify potential leaders, train them, nurture them, empower them, and we need to let our leaders lead." Again, the delegates applauded. "Otherwise, we become paralyzed, and our most important product becomes process. [But] our most important product has to become acts of love." "Finally," Morales said, "we need to cross borders, and these are the borders of class and culture." This statement also drew applause from the delegates. "Ultimately, this is about being spiritually open, and taking risks . . . [and] building relationships with people a little different from us." "I ran for president because I had a religious experience," he said in conclusion. "Lots of religious experiences, really. I got a glimpse of the beloved community. We can be the religion for our time. Let's get religion, let's grow leaders, let's cross borders. And together we can create a Unitarian Universalism that would make our founders proud. Let's get busy." What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? The UUA appreciates the chance to develop relationships with the global U/U community on both church-tochurch and headquarters-to-headquarters models. We are grateful for the ways that these relationships make it possible to engage in joint projects together, and help us to understand ourselves and global U/Uism more completely. These relationships make it possible for all of us to "Cross borders," "Grow Leaders," and "Get Religion." And, that is of great assistance to the UUA. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Eric Cherry Position of Person Completing Report International Office Director Email Address of of Person Completing Report echerry@uua.org

Unitarisk Kirkesamfund (Danish Unitarian Church)

http://unitarerne.dk/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 50 Number Children/Young People: 2 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 5 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 52000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 48000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Marianne Nrregaard Email Address of President or Chairperson lars-marianne@email.dk Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Vagn Plenge Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: vagn@plenge.dk Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) N/A Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Lene (L) Lund Shoemaker

Position of ICUU Contact Person Vice Pres/Chair Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person leneshoemaker@yahoo.dk Achievements since 2009: We are still here, and have gained quite a few new very talented members - musisians, singers, writers and poets! And we support (and house) a very sucessful Interfaith Group, Dansk Interreligis Forun (Danish Interfaith Forum). And that all the different groups using our church (from Reformed Jews to Spiritualists to the East Copenhagen Concert Association) have all come together to help repair the building after the lower level was flodded (in July 2011) in the worst rainstorm EVER in Danish history. What are the challenges your group currently faces? Getting our Church Building repaired. Getting more new members, and preserving the relationships with all the groups now helping out with restoring the building.(The anual expence figures reported are from 2010 and do NOT include the building restoration cost) What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Inspirational information - for sermons, and for other elements and new inovations to use in our religious services. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Lene (L) Lund Shoemaker Position of Person Completing Report Vice Pres/Chair Email Address of of Person Completing Report leneshoemaker@yahoo.dk

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines, Inc.

http://www.uuphilippines.org/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 2000 Number Children/Young People: 600 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 29 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 35 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 90000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 62000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Rebecca Quimada Sienes Email Address of President or Chairperson rqsienes@uuphilippines.org Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Esmiro Pacaa Escobar Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: chesmer_love@yahoo.com Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Rebecca Quimada Sienes Position of Head Staff Person President Email Address of Head Staff Person

rqsienes@uuphilippines.org Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Nihal Anton Attanayake Position of ICUU Contact Person Chairperson, FIA Department Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person nattanayake@uuphilippines.org Achievements since 2009: Visit of the Rev. Peter Morales; Young Adult Network Group Cluster Conference; Had a Phase 1&2 Lay Formation course; Able to host Pilgrimage Tour for three (3) consecutive years; Receipient of the Sabbatical Minister for 2 months; Host of the International UU Women Convocation & 2012 International Council of Unitarian Universalist Conference. What are the challenges your group currently faces? UUCP in general is facing financial instability and in need of professional leadership. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? The UUCP find it helpful if the there will be more additional foreign church partnership; Sabbatical ministry program and continuous visitation of foreign UUs to the UUCP. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Ma. Elvira Peras Sienes Position of Person Completing Report Chairperson, Religious Education Department Email Address of of Person Completing Report bing.sienes@yahoo.com

General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (UK)

http://www.unitarian.org.uk
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 3700 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 172 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 50 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 1558000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 1563000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Ann Peart Email Address of President or Chairperson ann.peart3@virginmedia.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Huw Thomas Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: johnhuwthomas@googlemail.com Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Derek McAuley Position of Head Staff Person Chief Officer Email Address of Head Staff Person

Dmcauley@unitarian.org.uk Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Derek McAuley Position of ICUU Contact Person Chief Officer Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person Dmcauley@unitarian.org.uk Achievements since 2009: The General Assembly has been working to develop greater clarity around its objectives and activities given our size, structure, people and funds. A consultation, with the title "Difficult Choices", was held during 2009/10 and the Executive Committee ("Board of Trustees") developed an overall goal for the Unitarian Movement of building "sustainable and thriving Unitarian and Free Christian communities". Four aims were set for the General Assembly: developing Ministry within the Denomination encouraging and supporting leadership at local level raising the visibility of the Unitarian movement improving the services to the movement provided by staff and volunteers

At the Annual Meetings in April 2011 the EC presented the key elements of the strategic priorities plan and work has commenced across these areas, both to put in place the mechanisms for delivery and specific projects. Achievements include: The number of successful applications for ministry training received in the current year is encouraging and has doubled from four to eight. REvolution, a religious education programme for leaders of children's and young people's activities, has just been completed. The recent Annual Meetings have been successful events with excellent programmes, good attendance and small financial surpluses. The Anniversary Service in Swansea in 2011 was probably the largest gathering of British Unitarians in the 21st Century. The General Assembly's website has been redesigned and provides an excellent showcase for British Unitarianism We have been improving internal communications including an email distribution service called Uninews reaching key activists. We have managed to achieve more visibility including national coverage in both print and online media on a range of issues. We have been building relationships with a range of like-minded faith and secular groups, particularly The Quakers and Liberal Judaism. Lindsey Press, run by a small group of volunteers, has published high quality publications. Our new hymnal "Sing Your Faith" ("Purple hymnbook") has sold out twice and is contributing to renewal in worship. The Nightingale Centre, the Unitarian conference and retreat centre in Derbyshire, has developed its role as a key centre of British Unitarian life and is popular and financially sustainable.

What are the challenges your group currently faces? We remain a very small community of about 5000 (3700 members) with about 170 congregations and fellowships unevenly spread across Great Britain. Our membership continues to decline and is probably ageing. Retention across generations is a problem and most Unitarians have joined us as a conscious choice. Whilst some

congregations are growing, others face an uncertain future and some will undoubtedly close. The need to address this decline is now recognised but paradoxically despite being a Movement very open to theological development we can be conservative in our ways of doing things. Sometimes our long history can be a distraction and whilst we must build on the past it can impede progress. In many ways our experience reflects that of most faith groups. The British Social Attitudes Survey in 2010 found "no religion" comprised 50% of respondents and growing. Overall, only 23% attend religious services at least monthly. The norm is therefore not to be active in a religious group. Despite the role of the national Church of England religion is marginal to much public discourse. Our falling numbers impact on our ability to provide and fund a variety of activities at local and national level. Congregations are finding it increasingly difficult to fund full-time or indeed any professional ministries. Maintaining high quality ministry is crucial yet changes to national higher education funding regimes will impact on the two small training colleges. Many congregations struggle to maintain their buildings, especially if "listed" as of historic value. There is more dependence on local Lay leadership which needs support. Nationally we are reliant on a small group of very active volunteers, supported by a small staff team. Given our size we are fairly invisible to most members of the public, even those who are seeking a liberal and free faith. Our theological diversity presents its own challenges as we seek to develop our personal spiritually in community with others and to undertake outreach. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Opportunities to learn about initiatives that other UU groups are undertaking and to develop our awareness of other communities and cultures as Britain becomes more multi-cultural especially in the cities. Potentially to draw trained ministers from other countries, recognising, however, that immigration controls are making this more difficult. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Derek McAuley Position of Person Completing Report Chief Officer Email Address of of Person Completing Report Dmcauley@unitarian.org.uk

Suomen Unitaariuniversalistinen Seura Ry. (Unitarians and Universalists in Finland)

http://www.netlife.fi/~nl02067/uu/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 21 Number Children/Young People: 4 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 1 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 80 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 30 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Pivi Helena Kesti Email Address of President or Chairperson paivi.kesti@kela.fi/paivi.kesti@gmail.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Antti Pelkola Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: antti.pelkola@netlife.fi Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Pivi Helena Kesti Position of ICUU Contact Person President Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person paivi.kesti@kela.fi/paivi.kesti@gmail.com Achievements since 2009:

Since 2009 our group has organised regular meetings monthly, usually the first Saturday of the month, in various places. We have increased our attempts at reaching people online via the establishment of two Facebook profiles and a blog page soon to be published. Our new board member(as of Autumn 2011) Jukka Hervamaa has written a representation leaflet of our group, which is to be dealt to interested outsiders. In March 2010 we were visited by Rev. Suzelle Lynch. At Summer we were interviewed for a local conservative Lutheran paper Kotimaa that for some reason did not publish the interview. In Spring 2011 we took part in a cross-religious event at the International Culture Centre arranged by URI in Finland. Autumn 2011 saw the visits of Dorothy (Dotty) Prunhuber and Amanda Spethman at our meetings, the first in October and the latter in November. Dorothy is active as a UN Non-Governmental Organizations representative. At our board meeting Autumn 2011 we officially chose Ahti Tolvanen as our representative at the UN where he already earlier has been active. Late 2011 we arranged a meeting at Alppila Lutheran church premises that we have the pastor's agreement to use since according to reservation via another staff clerk. What are the challenges your group currently faces? Currently the challenges of our group are rather marginal, the most noteworthy of them being the necessity to reconsider the bank account and its ownership, inclusive the responsibility of keeping track of the financial records, which none of our members by far has education of. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? We would find friendship church/group activity an interesting option for networking. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Pivi Helena Kesti Position of Person Completing Report President Email Address of of Person Completing Report paivi.kesti@kela.fi/paivi.kesti@gmail.com

Comunione Unitariana Italiana (Italian Unitarian Community)

http://www.comunioneunitariana.it
Type of Group (Choose One): Emerging Number of Members (Not including children): 40 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 3 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 3 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 500 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 500 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Roberto Rosso Email Address of President or Chairperson infocicu@gmail.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Gianluca Alfieri Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Alessandro Falasca Position of ICUU Contact Person Responsible for External and International Contacts Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person alec_falasca@yahoo.it Achievements since 2009: MEETINGS

7 two-days national meetings: Modena, Acqui Terme (with the participation of Rev. Szilard Sandor - Unitarian Church of Transylvania), Guidonia 2009; Bologna, Servigliano 2010; Guidonia, Bologna 2011. 6 one-day local events with national audio-conferences: Thanksgiving 2010 and International day against gender discrimination 2011 from Turin; Ferenc David's Memorial Day 2010, Flower Communion with Rev. Adel Nagy Unitarian Church of Transylvania, Pentecost, Thanksgiving 2011 from Rome. 1 "Unitarian Aperitif" (open event on the model of "philosophical caf") in Rome, 2010 1 Ecumenical Communion (in Saluzzo, in the occasion of an history seminary) Weekly audio-conference of discussion or liturgy PARTICIPATIONS TO EVENTS Participation to 1 history seminary about the Italian anti-trinitarians of the XVI century (with the partecipation of Rev.Ferenc Mik, representing the Unitarian Church of Transylvania) in Saluzzo 2010 Participation to 1 ecumenical meetings of Christians against gender discrimination in Rome 2011 Presentation of the Unitarian movement in Italy to the students of the course "Rome - Cross Roads of Religions" in the Waldensian Theological School in Rome 2011. CULTURAL RESULTS Production of texts in Italian about the Unitarian thought, the Unitarian interpretation of Scriptures and the Unitarian history. Historical discoveries about the Unitarianism in Italy (proving with documents the relationships with Unitarianism of Italian Risorgimento heroes Mazzini and Garibaldi and of the Italian important tycoon and philanthropist Camillo Olivetti. The Italian Wikipedia item about Unitarianism has been changed introducing these new pieces of information). Consultancy for an academic thesis about the Unitarians in Italy for the University of Salerno Translation in Italian of Unitarian short texts and sermons. Creation of a musical repertory for liturgy, with Italian versions of Transylvanian and American Unitarian hymns and composition of original hymns in Italian. Improvement of web resources, with new services : 2 mailing lists, 2 websites, 2 Facebook groups, book review service on "Anobii", video service on a "Youtube" Italian Unitarians dedicated channel and a portal www.comunioneunitariana.it) for the access to all of these items. What are the challenges your group currently faces? The "Comunione Unitariana Italiana" (CUI) was born from the two different Unitarian communities in Italy: Christian Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists. At the beginning (2010) it was just a label for common initiatives. In the meanwhile a debate was opened to explore differences and common points, leading to a development within both communities, with Christians accepting the idea that Unitarianism and Universalists instances could find expressions in contexts different from the Christian one and Universalists recognizing the need not to abandon those instances in their multicultural acceptance of different religious approaches. This convergence has taken CUI to become a real organization. Unitarian culture is, anyway, unknown and original for Italian environment. This consideration has suggested to constitute CUI as a federative organism, keeping the distinction between the two communities of Christians and Universalists, in order to facilitate a clear understanding of Unitarian messages to newcomers. Anyway we are trying to test the cohabitation of Christians and Universalists in a unique local group, with the experiment of "Il Calice del Centro" in Rome. CUI has, by the way, many challenges to face: - to diffuse knowledge and understanding of Unitarianism in Italy. Ecumenical dialogue, historical and theological studies and a communication project to bear witness of a liberal religious path to people are the main strategies. - to continue the process of cultural dialogue between the different souls of Unitarianism, finding a balance between identity and openness. - to create a coherent organization, with a "critical mass" to ensure the survival of Unitarianism in Italy, overcoming the step of communities that followed the destiny of the founders and creating an organization able to walk alone and to remain stable in time.

- to support the religious practice and the spiritual path of a scattered community with "services of proximity", with local meet-up groups and tools for worship and social action - to enlarge the involvement of different cultures. This is the main problem for the UU community within CUI. While Christian Unitarians are attractive for spiritual researchers exploring Protestantism to find a suitable Christian path UU are considered yet as a place for interreligious dialogue, but not as a place to live each own spirituality, as the participation of the different cultures within UU community is too little and vague. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? ICUU and other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist Communities could help CUI to face its challenges in many ways: - in the training of active members: we need to define training curricula for pastors, preachers and other active members and to support the training with didactic tools and high competencies. Our main problems in this matter are: 1) not to have texts in Italian, 2) the absence of ways to acknowledge training curricula and learning activities. - in the support for social activities: we are a too small group to participate to social activities by ourselves. A connection with other Unitarian or Universalists realities will help us to carry on a social action being more on the line of our values and sensibilities. - in the definition of effective communication strategies: with no aim of proselytism, we need, anyway, to be known by those who are already "looking for us" . This is fundamental to enable Unitarianism in Italy to survive to ourselves. A wise communication strategy is, anyway, necessary: Italy is a difficult country for religions as the presence of two conflicting widespread religious cultures, Catholicism and Laicism, bias the perception of religion itself. - in the involvement of a plurality of cultures in the life of our communities: our Communion is based on the idea that Universalism and Unitarianism are spiritual instances to be proposed to the religious feeling of all human beings and religious traditions. CUI has provided a special project (Project R.U.M.I. - Religions and Unitarian Main Instances), and ICUU could help the involvement of experts in different religious cultures. - in worship activities and religious practices: CUI has begun to create texts and suggestions in Italian language to support individual or congregational practice and worship. An important help will be, then, to supply hymns, songs (and music bases), prayers, description of rites to improve this important aspect of Unitarians' religious lives. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Alessandro Falasca Position of Person Completing Report Responsible for External and International Contacts Email Address of of Person Completing Report alec_falasca@yahoo.it

Norsk Unitarforbund (Norwegian Unitarian Association)

Type of Group (Choose One): Associate Number of Members (Not including children): 12 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 1 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 3000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 3000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Kjell Morten Brten Email Address of President or Chairperson kjemo@online.no Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Galen Ross Gisler Position of ICUU Contact Person contact person Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person grgisler@online.no Achievements since 2009: Unitarforbundet Bet David and the Norwegian Unitarian Universalist Fellowship have had a series of joint meetings, the outcome of which has been a mutual decision to merge. The merger process is not complete as yet. We are revising the constitution of Unitarforbundet Bet David to accommodate both groups, since Unitarforbundet Bet David had in 2005 achieved State recognition and support, which the merged organisation should be able to maintain. A draft new constitution has been circulated, but has not yet been formally approved and ratified. Under the new constitution, the name of the merged organisation is Norsk Unitarforbund (the Norwegian Unitarian Association). When the merger is complete, we may wish to consider ICUU membership under a different category. Our umbrella organisation, which sought associate membership in 2009, is no longer needed. What are the challenges your group currently faces?

Distances are great in Norway, and our members are spread over a large area. It is hard to find suitable places to meet, and we have neither a fixed place nor a set time for our meetings, which are called whenever we feel a need to see each other. The Unitarforbundet leader, and official lay-minister Kjell Morten Brten conducts legallyrecognised wedding ceremonies for both gay and straight couples throughout southern Norway. There is extremely high demand for his services, as these are done without the requirement of a creedal statement or even of a commitment to the organisation. He needs help for this work. Another of our members, Jane Robertson, is currently enrolled in a distance-learning program at Meadville Lombard that will eventually lead to her becoming an ordained UU minister, but this will take a long time. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Visits from Unitarian or Unitarian-Universalist ministers or other leaders would be extremely welcome! Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Galen Ross Gisler Position of Person Completing Report Contact person Email Address of of Person Completing Report grgisler@online.no

Erdlyi Unitrius Egyhz (Transylvanian Unitarian Church)

http://unitarius.org/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 45000 Number Children/Young People: 20000 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 120 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 140 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 2030000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 2090000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Ferenc Blint Benczdi Email Address of President or Chairperson balintbf@yahoo.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Tibor Dcz Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: tdacz@yahoo.com Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one)

Dvid Gyer Position of Head Staff Person Councillor Email Address of Head Staff Person dgyero@unitarius.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Dvid Gyer Position of ICUU Contact Person Councillor Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person dgyero@unitarius.com Achievements since 2009: 1. We restructured the organization of our communities on the local level, resulting in 120 independent congregations and 37 fellowships (they are served with assistance coming from a mother church). 2. We restructured the organization of our Headquarters in five reshaped departments, whose mission is to serve the needs of our congregations: faith, religious education and mission (1), denominational schools and congregational education (2), development and strategic planning (3), economics and finances (4) and general church administration (5). 3. We completed a two-year negotiation with the authorities of our Unitarian Church in Hungary over their organizational and spiritual reunification with the mother church in Transylvania; the final vote on this is expected by June 2012. 4. We invested significant financial resources in strengthening the financial basis of our central economic management, resulting in the establishment of a new corporation, Konviktus Ltd., specialized in restaurant, cafeteria and catering services. Since, we run a student cafeteria serving 300 high school and college students every day, and a bistro serving traditional Transylvanian meals and drinks in a historic location of downtown Kolozsvar. 5. We registered a travel service named Unitarius Travel, Inc., to develop the tourist capacity and services of the Unitarian regions, to increase the traffic of the tourism within these regions, and to publicize the values of the Unitarian congregations to a larger national and international audience. 6. We reformed the curricula of the ministerial education at our Protestant Theological School, introducing a two-year masters' program for ministerial specialization, which follows the 4-year basic training for bachelor's degree. 7. We revitalized the practices of the ministerial continuing education, introducing a new format where every minister has the obligation, and chance, to participate in a training every four years. 8. We invented the first ever adult education workshops for lay leaders and members, that turned out to be very popular among our members over the first two years, asking for its continuation for a wider audience. 9. We reformed the culture of our summer camps for children and teenagers, creating a series of very popular summer events involving around 500 children every year; also, we provide support to our congregations to lead their own camps. 10. Finally, we just completed a new strategic plan to look for our general priorities over 2011-2015. What are the challenges your group currently faces? 1. We made plans to continue with the restructuring of our district services, and we are working on making the territorial (district) responsibilities more helpful for the achievement of the national (denominational) purposes and more beneficial to the needs of the congregations.

2. We begun the reform of our church constitution and general bylaws, trying to adapt the content of our rules and procedures to the continuously changing needs of our religious communities; we will have a renewed Church Constitution by June 2012, and a series of new bylaws by the end of the year. 3. We are challenged by the effects of worldwide financial crisis, resulting in a relatively bothering deficit in our central budget, for the third year in a row. A major problem was losing many of the previously well paying renters in our centrally owned and managed real estates. 4. We are relatively inexperienced in accessing international grants and funds, especially from the resources of the European Union. Currently, we have two grant applications for projects focusing on tourist development: creating a conference centre in a very attractive region of Transylvania, and building a youth hostel in one of our centrally located properties in Kolozsvar. 5. We are relatively unsuccessful in recruiting new members for our congregations. While this seems to be a common challenge that hits almost every denomination in Romania, it hurts us especially in our perspectives concerning some of our aged congregations in rural Transylvania. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Unitarian Universalist communities, especially newly formed ones, would gain a stronger identity by exploring the historic heritage and the living richness of the Transylvanian Unitarian theology, religious culture and organizational capacity. This interaction could be beneficial for our Transylvanian Unitarian communities as well. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Dvid Gyer Position of Person Completing Report Councillor Email Address of of Person Completing Report dgyero@unitarius.com

Deutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft (German Unitarian Religious Community)

http://www.unitarier.de/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 900 Number Children/Young People: 80 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 17 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 90 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 199000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 197000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Freya Stelling, Micha Ramm, Hauke Mller (three-member presidency) Email Address of President or Chairperson praesidium@unitarier.de Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Andreas Stolle Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: stolle@web.de Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Michael Dr. Kaiser Email Address of Head Staff Person

info@unitarier.de Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Wolfgang Jantz Position of ICUU Contact Person Federal Board, International Contacts Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person jantz@t-online.de Achievements since 2009: Setting out for ?Virgin Territory Last two and a half year was quite a exiting time for those German Unitarians who are in the active Leadership of this deliberately lay-led unitarian movement in Germa-ny. It was already in 2009, when we did break up to ?Virgin Territory" .In this year started a new project under the name Project 2000+ . After the catastrophe of the second world war started the ?Deutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft" as deliberately lay-lad movement. In the year 2009 we decided to put a change and started the financial and mental adventure of professional leader ship. Initiated by our Presidium member Prof. Dr. Karsten Urban during an stay in Boston and by the friendly help of the former UUA President Bill Sinkford and Eric Cherry, director of the international UUA office commence the project already in fall 2009. It was Eric Haussman from USA who be-gan his challenging job in Germany. This was ?Virgin Territory" for him as well, as he was now the overall Reverent (Mentor) for all the lay led Unitarian congregation in Germany. Also for him a quite new experience . The outstanding event of last year was for the Germans Unitarians the biannual GA ( Unitariertag) at Pentecost in Kassel. Here as well the theme "Welcome to Virgin territory!" What are the challenges your group currently faces? We have been seeking the future in work shops and discussion-groups and in a parable of a desparated salling crew landing after a storm in a new, unknown territory. One thing was getting clear on this GA. The German Unitarians are seekers, never su-re, that they have found the truths and so they will keep on sailing, keep on looking for new territory. Even after stormy and rough sea. May be we change the flag (Logo) or modifie the name, but the sailing in the Unitarian World family will go on. To sail good in the future, you have tom be sure about the past. So in autumn will, with the help of Eric Hausmann, a seminary about the histioy of Unitarism in Germany will take place. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? ---More and more German Unitarians getting abroad and seeking here the contact with local Unitarians. ---Youth exchange Programs between Unitarians and free religious groups in Germany and Europe and two Unitarian Congregations in Croton USA .(organizer Islam Shahan) are taken place in the fifth year. --- Another contact with the First Unitarian Church In Newton (FUSN) is in preparation. (Partnership between congregations and Youth exchange.) --- This contact with FUSN was also organized by our member of Presidium Prof. Dr. Karsten Urban. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Wolfgang Jantz Position of Person Completing Report Federal Board, International Contacts Email Address of of Person Completing Report

jantz@t-online.de

Kenya Unitarian Universalist Council (KUUC)

Type of Group (Choose One): Emerging Number of Members (Not including children): 476 Number Children/Young People: 348 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 12 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 14 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 594 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 594 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Benard K Macharia Email Address of President or Chairperson benmacharia@yahoo.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person John K Mbugua Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: mbuguajohnk@yahoo.com Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Justine N Magara Position of Head Staff Person Co-ordinator Email Address of Head Staff Person nyakwaramangiti@yahoo.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Josphat G Mainye Position of ICUU Contact Person Secretary

Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person josmainye@yahoo.com Achievements since 2009: 1.Registration of the group with the government. 2.Establishment of a strong umbrella body of UU Congregations in Kenya from a fragile and vulnerable group. 3.Growth in UU faith and increase in membership. 4.We were able to conduct a peaceful and democratic elections thus creating a stable secretariat. 5.Recognition by the ICUU and nomination to an emerging group status. 6.Hosting the Program Coordinator of the ICUU -Jill McAllister in August 2011 for a two day training workshop. 7. Invitation of two KUUC leaders to attend the ICUU General Assembly in Philippines. What are the challenges your group currently faces? 1.Lack of proper ministerial training among our congregational ministers. 2.Lack of capacity to meet our social needs within our society. 3.Lack of easy access to communication. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? 1.We need volunteer workers e.g Doctors, Teachers. 2.We need literature materials e.g motivational books,braille materials for the blind, sticks,wheelchairs,Exercise equipment for cerebral palsy etc. 3.Clothing and medicine and vitamins for our day care centers. 4.Seeds for starting nurseries. 5.Mentoring our untrained Congregational leaders. Questions and/or comments: Most members from our congregations used to be atheists since they joined UU. Now they have found it is more than a religion. Through regular seminars and social interaction with the members of the public and among ourselves, ideals of UUism learned through these programs have been appreciated by them and have completely changed their perception of many things in the society. Being an organization in the emerging group status, we believe that we have a lot to learn from other UUs in order to be able to achieve the set goals. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Josphat Gesimba Mainye Position of Person Completing Report Secretary Email Address of of Person Completing Report josmainye@yahoo.com

European Unitarian Universalists

http://www.europeanuu.eu/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 125 Number Children/Young People: 40 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 6 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 5 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 66000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 58000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Peter Jarrett Email Address of President or Chairperson president@europeanuu.org Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person John Hertz Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: treasurer@europeanuu.org Email Address of Head Staff Person Contact@europeauu.org Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one)

Vicki Roberts-Gassler Position of ICUU Contact Person ICUU Representative Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person vickijane999@yahoo.com Achievements since 2009: Our group now includes a new fellowship, in Basel, Switzerland, which is off to a great start and has made good use of a small grant from EUU to publicize their activities. Our major activity/achievement has been as always our twice-yearly retreats. In the past two years we met at two sites that were new to us, the StayOkay Hostel in Maastricht, The Netherlands where Rev. Kate Braestrup talked about love in "Love on the Maas", and the centre in Mittelwihr, France, in the Alsace near Dr. Albert Schweitzer's birthplace, where Rev. Peter Morales shared his thoughts on Religion beyond Belief with us and helped us with ideas about how spread our good news and increase our membership. In the spring of 2010 Rev. Wyman Rousseau challenged us with poetry at the youth hostel in Oberwesel, Germany, a site familiar to ICUU as well as to EUU, and spring 2011 saw us back at a perennial favourite site in Spa, Belgium, to hear Rev. Walter Wieder on the theme "A Humanist's View of Spirituality". EUU has also expanded its social action work. For several years now we have made it habit to donate the money collected from our Sunday morning retreat worship service to a project determined by our Coordinating Committee; we also share information about projects supported by individual members. Now through a Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council program we are also sponsoring two Unitarian girls in Transylvania as they attend secondary school away from their rural homes, and they were able to meet the EUU teens when they attended our fall 2011 retreat together with a chaperone; they will be attending one retreat each year during their secondary school education. What are the challenges your group currently faces? Our challenges are not new, but have as always to do with shifting membership as some of our members are only staying in Europe temporarily, and we are very widely spread geographically. For some EUU members the retreats are their only UU group experience as they do not have a fellowship, while others belong to small lay-led groups. Some, like the Paris Fellowship and the Netherlands Fellowship, regularly have guest speakers, while others have only lay-led services. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? We're already drawing interesting speakers (Derek McCullough); more of the same would be great. And our retreats have been enriched by the occasional attendance of Unitarians from other parts of the world. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Vicki Roberts-Gassler Position of Person Completing Report ICUU Representative Email Address of of Person Completing Report ICUURepresentative@europeanuu.org

Unitarian Christian Church of Indonesia

Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 300 Number Children/Young People: 25 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 4 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 8 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 17300 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 15320 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Aryanto Nugroho Email Address of President or Chairperson ary.nugroho@yahoo.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Oktino Setyo Irawan Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: oktinosirawan@gmail.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Aryanto Nugroho Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person ary.nugroho@yahoo.com Achievements since 2009: - National Family Gathering at Sekipan Camping Ground, Tawangmangu, Solo, July 2009 - We have elected National Board for the period of 2010-2015 during the National Meeting at Salatiga, December 2009 - Youth Retreat, Yogyakarta, July 2010

- National Family Retreat at Kaliurang, Yogyakarta, December 2010 - Renovation of Worship House of Solo Congregation, December 2011 - On Progress : Building our headquarter and Main Church of Semarang Congregation, Estimated finish time : May 2012 - On Preparation : Building social service centre (skill training and education counseling), Estimated start time : April 2012 What are the challenges your group currently faces? - Internally : (1).Young people face some problem about school and work because they have to worship on Sabbath (Saturday); (2).Some marriage of our young people lead them to move to another religious group (because of their couple or their in-law family); (3).Economic problems lead some of potential church workers to work out of town (not in-touch with the local congregation) or to step back from church position to concentrate on their economic need. - Externally : (1).Awareness of radical moslem movement that try to shut-down some christian and minority religion worship house in Java island; (2).Awareness that we're being investigated by Religion Department because some report that we are "a different christian". Until today it's safe and we're still acknowledge as "christian church". What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? - Link to Unitarian Christian theological college that can give us online program will be important, because our religious leader formally need college certificate. - Link to Unitarian Christian researcher or writer will be important to enrich our own research and publishing - Worldwide youth programs will strengthen our youth experience Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Aryanto Nugroho Position of Person Completing Report President of Executive Board of National Board of UCCI Email Address of of Person Completing Report ary.nugroho@yahoo.com


(Unitarian Universalists Hong Kong)

http://uuhk.org/
Type of Group (Choose One): Emerging Number of Members (Not including children): 22 Number Children/Young People: 2 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 155 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Alex Szeto Email Address of President or Chairperson alexander.szeto@gmail.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Silas Wong Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: silasw@gmail.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Alex Szeto Position of ICUU Contact Person President Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person alexander.szeto@gmail.com

Achievements since 2009: In 2009, "Unitarian Universalists Hong Kong" (UUHK) spoke at the Legislative Council, the local law-making authority, for 3 times, to urge respectively for: (1) inclusion of same-sex couples into the Domestic Violence Ordinance, (2) inclusion of domestic helpers into the Minimum Wage Bill, and (3) independence of the public service broadcaster from government political interference. In May 2010, we co-organized a candle light vigil and an inter-faith seminar for the IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia). We co-organized a public prayer gathering for Japan after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. What are the challenges your group currently faces? Membership growth and keeping active participants. Membership number has been growing extremely slowly. Majority of new comers just disappear after a few visits. For the last 3 years, we have been doing as our regular meetings the UUA course "Building Your Own Theology" ("BYOT") and, therefore, have no formal worship gatherings during that period. This may prove unattractive to some. After completion of the "BYOT" in August, we have started new worship services in September 2011. Hope that can make us bona fide as a religious group. Membership drive needs to be planned. We can spread the word and invite people. New introductory pamphlets might need to be designed. A related question is how to build a cohesive group. A BBQ or other get-together might be a good idea to strengthen friendship and a sense of belonging among members. Some have expressed that our group seems lacked overall direction and a sense of purpose. We need to formulate and convey clearly our goal and purpose. Further discussions in our Executive Committee are needed. A leader figure such as a minister could help. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Spreading the word that we are looking for an affordable part-time or retired UU minister. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Alex Szeto Position of Person Completing Report President Email Address of of Person Completing Report alexander.szeto@gmail.com

Assemble fraternelle des chrtiens unitariens (AFCU)

Type of Group (Choose One): Emerging Number of Members (Not including children): 10 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Jean-Charles Sinkner Email Address of President or Chairperson barbierjeanclaude@wanadoo.fr Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Jean-Claude Barbier Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: barbierjeanclaude@wanadoo.fr Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Jean-Claude Barbier Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Jean-Claude Barbier Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person barbierjeanclaude@wanadoo.fr Achievements since 2009: Essentiellement des activits sur Internet. Gestion du site de l'AFCU, gestion d'autres sites unitariens (Actualits unitariennes, La Besace des unitariens, tudes unitariennes), gestion d'instances unitariennes : glise unitarienne francophone (EUfr), Conseil des unitariens et universalistes franais (CUUF), Groupe Amitis islamounitariennes, divers groupes sur Facebook, bulletin mensuel de la Correspondance unitarienne, animation des groupes Yahoo ("Unitariens francophones", "Coissance spirituelle"). Correspondance avec les unitariens africains. Etc. What are the challenges your group currently faces? beaucoup de gens intresss par nos activits, mais difficult pour recruter des militants. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? correspondance avec des francophones ou des francophiles (who write in French)

Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Jean-Claude Barbier Position of Person Completing Report ICUU Contact Email Address of of Person Completing Report barbierjeanclaude@wanadoo.fr

South African Unitarian Association

Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 110 Number Children/Young People: 6 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 6 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 2 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Rev. Gordon Oliver Email Address of President or Chairperson gordonroliver@metroweb.co.za Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Ivan Baard Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: ivanb@ionet.co.za Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Rev Roux Malan Position of ICUU Contact Person South African delegate to ICUU Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person rouxmalan@gmail.com Achievements since 2009: I'll deal with both questions above simultaneously. We decided that the first priority in our strategy for national and local growth was to re-design our national website. A lot of time went into redesigning the new website. Regrettably, we failed to reach agreement amongst our members on the new design and this has since become the new website of the Cape Town Congregation. Our priority for a national website is therefore still on our agenda, as a priority. In 2010 we held a national assembly of members and individuals in Somerset West, attended by 68 people. Arising from this was the acknowledgement that in order to grow nationally we need to strengthen existing congregations and groups. Cape Town and Somerset West have shown growth and Durban and Johannesburg continue to be active. Of particular note in Cape Town is the fact that the congregational minister, Rev Roux Malan, has initiated a childrens' programme, a small start, but nevertheless offering prospects for growth in this area of congregational

life, as well as the establishment of a small-group ministry, highlighted by the formation of a group, amongst other groups, of Afrikaans-speaking Unitarians. The fledgling group in the Southern Peninsula of Cape Town, continues to meet regularly. What are the challenges your group currently faces? A major problem we have, throughout the country, is the very thin layer of leadership and individuals who are willing to take on volunteer work and step into leadership positions. Cape Town is showing some new faces who are taking on various tasks in the congregation and it is hoped that new leadership will emerge from this. In 2012 we will re-write our constitution and plan to hold a national assembly. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? We would consider assistance from someone with congregational development experience so as to boost our local growth efforts and goals for national growth. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Rev Gordon Oliver Position of Person Completing Report President Email Address of of Person Completing Report gordonroliver@metroweb.co.za

Vrijzinnige Geloofsgemeenschap NPB

http://www.vrijzinnigen.nl/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 4381 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 47 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 41 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 148820 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 280115 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Kees Mosselman Email Address of President or Chairperson bureau@vrijzinnigen.nl Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Roeli Olthof-Hazekamp Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: bureau@vrijzinnigen.nl Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Wies Houweling Position of ICUU Contact Person general secretary Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person

wies.houweling@gmail.com Achievements since 2009: jubilee festival 2009, vrijzinnige beraadsdag 2011, several publications (for example Geloven, zo kan het ook), merger with Zwinglibond, membership ICUU, associated member of the Dutch council of churches What are the challenges your group currently faces? reorganization and rethinking our fundaments and evaluating our network What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? information about education of ministeries and permanent education of ministers, new theological input, communications form, how the be financialy indepent Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Elsbeth Goettsch Position of Person Completing Report bureau coordinator Email Address of of Person Completing Report bureau@vrijzinnigen.nl

Nboensk spolenost eskch unit (Religious Society of Czech Unitarians)

http://unitaria.cz
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 310 Number Children/Young People: 8 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 7 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 7 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 230000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 204350 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Jiri Gabriel Email Address of President or Chairperson jiri-gabriel@unitaria.cz Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Irena Stepankova Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: petrs@unitaria.cz Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Jiri Gabriel Position of Head Staff Person

Chairman Email Address of Head Staff Person jiri-gabriel@unitaria.cz Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Jana Samy Kutinova Position of ICUU Contact Person Secretary Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person unitaria@unitaria.cz Achievements since 2009: * Several new books published on Unitarian theology and spirituality. * Project Earth As Spiritual Heritage. * Public conference on the Earth As Spiritual Heritage theme, which includes some nationwide public speakers. * Video presentations about our projects and congregation life published on You Tube. * Continuously increasing interest among general public for wedding ceremonies, illustrating also their interest in Unitarianism in general. * Planning and preparing the 90th Anniversary of the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians. What are the challenges your group currently faces? * Upcoming separation of the church from state on state level with unpredictable results. This keeps church members (as well as all other denominations) and general public nervous about their future. * Financial uncertainty in the times of economic crises, we will need to reconsider our approaches to church administration and budget system. * Conflicts among members on top leadership levels. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? * It would help to have more information about what is going on around the world among the U and UU congregations. * Creating think tank as resource for workshops and sharing experiences from church life and church leadership on local but wider than national basis. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Jiri Gabriel Position of Person Completing Report Chairman Email Address of of Person Completing Report jiri-gabriel@unitaria.cz

Assemble des Chrtiens Unitariens du Burundi (ACUB)

Type of Group (Choose One): Provisional Member Number of Members (Not including children): 80 Number Children/Young People: 8 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 2 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 1 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 342 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 342 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Shirambera Cassisus Email Address of President or Chairperson shirambere@yahoo.fr Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Paul Niyonizigiye Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: npaul2006@yahoo.fr Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Fulgence Ndagijimana Position of ICUU Contact Person Minister Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person librefulgence@yahoo.fr Achievements since 2009: Church building, social involvement in our community in terms of micro loans, capacity development of local CBOs What are the challenges your group currently faces?

Living in an almost hostile environment of conservative protestant and Roman catholics. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Mentoring and exchanges of ways of doing things and expertise. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Fulgence Ndagijimana Position of Person Completing Report Minister Email Address of of Person Completing Report librefulgence@yahoo.fr

Australia New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association

http://www.anzua.org
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 438 Number Children/Young People: 14 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 10 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 3 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 10000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 9000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Peter Ferguson Email Address of President or Chairperson ferguson@westnet.net.au Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Peter Abrehart Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: pabrehart@ftml.net Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) James Hills Position of ICUU Contact Person

Secretary Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person james@brookfield.fastmail.fm Achievements since 2009: We ran a Growth Conference in Brisbane, 20th - 22nd August 2010 with 25 attendees representing congregations from around Australia and New Zealand. Rev. Jill McAllister from Kalamazoo, Michigan assisted by Rev Bob Hill of Brisbane challenged us to examine why we wanted more people in our groups and to look at what Unitarians could offer that people might need. Ultimately we were led to realise that growth happens when members find their own needs being met in groups that facilitated exploration of questions of religion, spirituality and worship. The ANZUUA conference is held every two years and is an important occasion when Unitarians from all ANZUUA congregations around New Zealand and Australia meet together for support, planning, renewal and fellowship. The conference in 2011 was hosted by the Brisbane Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the first time the conference has been held in Brisbane. It was attended by over 40 people who represented the ten member congregations across Australia and NZ. The theme of the conference was "Standing of the Side of Justice and Compassion" and teh objectives were: * To use Standing on the Side of Justice and Compassion as a focus for practical application of the seven Unitarian principles, to help make our world a better place. * To develop a small and manageable number of key social justice strategies that can be implemented by our congregations and at the same time leverage the strength of community, intelligence and the passion of interested ANZUUA communities across Australia and New Zealand. * That we learn the concepts of Meetings without Discussion and Open Space Technology so that we can use these in our Unitarian groups for highly effective meetings, to get more useful stuff done with less effort! A full report on the conference is available if required. We have started to produce an anthology of music and readings relating to the southern hemisphere with a strong focus on local contributions - this will be finished this year. What are the challenges your group currently faces? * Creating growth and retaining members * Small numbers of young people make it very difficult to attract and hold young members * Very different congregational profiles across Australia / New Zealand * Lack of support for lay people (or funds for paying professional ministers) * Few willing followers for leadership positions * Despite new people coming, overall numbers in many congregations remain relatively static (cell size) What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? * Webinars on topics to help lay people gain skills (at mutually suitable times) * podcasts of support material * best practice supporting material on organisational and operational practices for smaller groups (larger more established groups already have established structures that may not be easy to change) * a document repository where groups can share material * use modern social networking tools to create virtual UU communities for support etc Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report

James Hills Position of Person Completing Report Secretary Email Address of of Person Completing Report jamesh@sgi.com

Canadian Unitarian Council

http://cuc.ca/
Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 5000 Number Children/Young People: 1200 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 53 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 24 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 418000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 608000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Gary Groot, Dr. Email Address of President or Chairperson garygroot@gmail.ca Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person John "Mich" Michel Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: jmichel@prairiesky.ab.ca Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Ellen Campbell Position of ICUU Contact Person

Vice President Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person dccampbell@sympatico.ca Achievements since 2009: We have re-built our staff after a period of very limited activity. We have improved our communication with our member congregations and their members through an improved web-site (still under development), the regular distribution of "e-blasts", monthly news bulletins sent to a broad group of members, and intentionally communication by the board more often with congregational leaders. What are the challenges your group currently faces? We are in the early stages of a search for a new Executive Director, and are facing serious financial issues. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? A continuing challenge for us is building awareness of the wider unitarian and Universalist community across the globe. We need to find new ways to tell one another's stories. One way might be to share children's stories from other countries. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Ellen Campbell Position of Person Completing Report Vice President of Board of Trustees Email Address of of Person Completing Report dccampbell@sympatico.ca

First Unitarian Church and Unitarian Brotherhood Church (Nigeria)

Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 55 Number Children/Young People: 10 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 2 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 3 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 1200 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 1200 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson B. Odusanya Email Address of President or Chairperson uba1918@yahoo.com Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person O. B Oyejola Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: uba1918@yahoo.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Olufemi Olaniyi Matimoju Position of ICUU Contact Person Gen. Secretary Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person femmati@yahoo.com Achievements since 2009: With the little or no financial capability, we have remain resolute in sustaining Unitarianism in Nigeria. This is not far from the economical difficulty being experienced as most of the financing is based on individual effort.

What are the challenges your group currently faces? The challenges as always includes ministerial training, community development initiative, sustainability development training. Also the unacceptability of UUs ideology by the government due to the strict cultural background and beliefs of our society. Unavailability of experienced and idealist personnel in the area of getting things done. Handbill, posters, materials for enlightenment programs. Dedicated and fully paid Minister/Administrator(s)that can take the responsibility as full time job. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? See the challenges above. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Olufemi Olaniyi Matimoju Position of Person Completing Report General Secretary/spokes person Email Address of of Person Completing Report femmati@yahoo.com

Libre Congregacion Unitaria de Mexico (Free Unitarian Congregation of Mexico)

http://unitaria.info/
Type of Group (Choose One): Emerging Number of Members (Not including children): 507 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 1 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 1 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 715 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 715 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Francisco Javier Lagunes-Gaitan Email Address of President or Chairperson unitarius@gmail.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Alejandro Huezo Position of ICUU Contact Person Communications Coordinator Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person ahuezo@gmail.com Achievements since 2009: An important amount of liturgical materials in Spanish, shared openly through the web.

Offering regular services twice a month since 6 years ago. In 2010 we provided a 4 sessions cicle on What is unitarianism, imparted by our RE coordinatof ( PhD in the Philosophy of Science), Dr Juan Reyes. LCUM promoted and achieved donations to provide a weekly pen and notebooks to 100 inmates in the Chalco prison, to support the OWL and Humanis Ethics classes that the Unitarian Service Commitee of Mexico is teaching there. In January 2012 Rev. Peter Morales attended our own ceremony of Chocolate Communion and delivered a short address to 29 attenders. In a previous private dinner and in the service there attended enthusiastically 6 aknowlwdved religious activists of social justice, in formal representation of the most important groups of religious left: Comunidad Teologica de Mexico, Centro de Estudios Ecumenicos, Observatorio Eclesial & Iglesias po la Paz. What are the challenges your group currently faces? We are on the brik of formalization, with a not so clear idea on hot to build voluntary teams and fostering a real congregational development. Now Unitarianism is not anymore the best kept secret in Mexico, but as a lay team we must develop skills to offer high quality services, to consolidate a vital congregation with an engaged membership able to plant the seed of liberal religion in our Mexican lands, targgeting key populations. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Mentoring and consulting on volunteer team work, planting congregations, formalizig resposabilities strucure, lay leadership. Questions and/or Comments: OK, maybe our 6 years process has been slow, but besides, the international conferences of ICUU we have such scarce communications from ICUU... Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Francisco Javier Lagunes-Gaitan Position of Person Completing Report Moderator Email Address of of Person Completing Report unitarius@gmail.com

Unitarian Union North East India

Type of Group (Choose One): Full Member Number of Members (Not including children): 10000 Number Children/Young People: 5000 Number of Congregations or Local Groups: 42 Number of Ministers or Religious Leaders: 30 Group's Approx. Annual Income: 6000 Group's Approx. Annual Expenditure: 8000 Name and Email Address of President or Chairperson Rev. Derrick P. Pariat Email Address of President or Chairperson derrickpariat@yahoo.co.in Name and Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person Rev. Darihun Khriam Email Address of Treasurer or Financial Person: darihun_khriam@yahoo.co.in Name, Position & Email Address of Head Staff Person (if there is one) Rev. Nangroi Suting Position of Head Staff Person General Secretary Email Address of Head Staff Person nsuting@gmail.com Name, Position & Email Address of ICUU Contact Person (if there is one) Rev.Pearlgreene Marbaniang Position of ICUU Contact Person Assistant General Secretary

Email Address of of ICUU Contact Person pg_marbaniang2002@yahoo.com Achievements since 2009: 1)New officials have taken over the Office of the Union. 2) Fellowship at Mawlai becoming a full congregation 3) Ordaining of 5 new Ministers 4) Setting up of Branch Office in Shillong 5) Launching of Youth and Music Ministry 6) Printing of revised Hymnal in Khasi and Karbi languages 7) Launching of website 8) Dedication of new church building at Mukhap. 9) Setting up of New Fellowship at Nongsder. What are the challenges your group currently faces? 1) Ability to sustain the movement due to financial crunch and lack of Full time ministers. What types of (non-financial) Assistance would your group find helpful to receive from other Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist communities or the ICUU? Training of Ministers. Name, Position & Email Address of Person Completing Report Rev. Nangroi Suting Position of Person Completing Report General Secretary Unitarian Union NEI Email Address of of Person Completing Report nsuting@gmail.com

ICUU Treasurers Report Council 2012 in the Philippines In 2010, after the accounts closed in 2009, we received some unexpected extra money. As the old accounts were closed, the Executive decided to deposit this in the budget heading for the next Council Meeting. The Euro account (Germany) is a little different as a payment previously not known about had to be made and this explains why the Council Budget Heading started in 2010, and ends in 2011, with expenditure of 38.54 EUR. During 2011 money has been received and paid out in preparation for this event. Overall, payments received have been through PayPal, which has been linked directly to the UK account. Overall, payments made from ICUU have been by international transfer from the US account held with Smith Barney. One payment was received into the Euro account. At the close of 2011 transferring the amounts into the 2012 accounts as receivables and payables zeroed the Council Budget Heading across the three currencies (with the exception of the German account as explained above) Also note that 125.58 that is in (GBP) PayPal is a payment received for Council 2012. Consequently the EUR account has a payable Petr Samojski for 320 EUR; the UK GBP accounts shows an overall payable amount of 5650.80 GBP and the US USD accounts show an overall receivable amount of 8,013.87 USD. You may chose to ignore all this at the start of 2012 with the new Finance Company that is doing the bookkeeping, but this is so you will know how Liz and I have handled it. It is worth noting that There are a couple of outstanding accounts of money owed to ICUU by individuals. This is being pursued in an appropriate manner. Donations Donations received during the 2010 & 2011 period includes a total of 11,510 USD in memory of the late Polly Guild for broadly defined emerging groups. I mention this specifically because it is the intention of the Executive to use this sum for specific funding. It is in the general funds that ICUU holds. Benevolent Fund This Executive inherited a fund designed to provide emergency assistance to religious leaders. It is quite small, having started out with a gift of $6,000 USD. Three payments have been made over the last two years as the discretion of the Executive. Respectfully submitted, David W. Shaw, Treasurer.

ICUU Two Year Financial Period 2010 - 2011

Period 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011

INCOME
Three currencies as at 31st December 2011 USD Budget USD GBP EUR Total income in USD (nominal value) [1]

1. Brought Forward 2. Member Contributions 3. Donations Friends ICUU Donations GA Sales Sub total 4. Grants For work in Africa Ministerial Education Task Force (b/f from )8&09) Grant Proposal 1 Grant Proposal 2 Tent Summit Sub total 5. Interest & Dividends International Assistance Total Income

6,500 135,000 120,870.00 7,875.12 5,150.78

0.00 140,273.15

10,000 20,000 0.00 30,000

2,332.64 11,512.27 93.00 13,937.91

158.00 670.00 0.00 828.00

48.00 299.43 0.00 347.43

2,646.70 12,974.39 93.00 15,714.09

20,000 6,000 5,000 5,000 0.00 36,000 2,000

(1,275.90) 10,420.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,000.00 15,144.10 132.56 15,771.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.52 100.00 8,813.64

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00 0.00 5,598.21

(1,275.90) 10,420.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,000.00 15,144.10 285.06 15,928.48 187,344.88

209,500

165,855.57

Conversion checking figures

[3]

165,855.57

13,879.43 GBP to USD

7,609.88 EUR to USD

187,344.88

[1] 'Nominal value' calculated as 1 British Pound =1.5747666 US dollars &1 Euro = 1.359342 US dollars Average for period 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011 (X Rate website: www.x-rates.com)

EXPENDITURE
Budget USD Three currencies as at 31st December 2011 USD GBP EUR Total expenditure in USD (nominal value [1]

1. Administration Audit Fund Raising Bank Charges Office, Operations & Telephone Sub total 2. Staff Executive Secretary Executive Secretary Expenses Programme Co-ordinator Programme Co-ordinator Expenses Bookkeeper Sub total 3. Council Travel/accommodation etc Sub total 4. Executive Committee Meetings Contingency Sub total 5. Activities Stalls etc Ministers' Conference Theological Symposium Publishing Regional Training & Consulting Study Tours Ministry Education Project Ministerial Education Task Force Tent Summit Sub total International Transfer Benevolent Fund Total

1,000 1,000 1,000 3,000 6,000

0.00 0.00 677.76 258.95 936.71

0.00 0.00 0.00 319.95 319.95

0.00 0.00 24.00 15.90 39.90

0.00 0.00 710.38 784.41 1,494.79

50,000 3,000 6,000 3,000 5,000 67,000

0.00 837.66 6,000.00 1,222.59 0.00 8,060.25

28,188.30 9,976.92 0.00 0.00 1,890.00 40,055.22

0.00 465.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 465.05

44,389.99 17,181.14 6,000.00 1,222.59 2,976.31 71,770.03

65,000 65,000

0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00

38.54 38.54

52.39 52.39

20,000 5,000 25,000

15,161.03 1,800.00 16,961.03

2,670.18 255.85 2,926.03

2,841.00 0.00 2,841.00

23,227.83 2,202.90 25,430.73

3,000 5,000 5,000 2,500 30,000 1,000 0.00 0.00 0.00 46,500

3,544.54 0.00 55,104.18 (37.00) 20,182.21 0.00 2,202.17 8,818.00 3,607.43 93,421.53 15,721.00 500.00

749.78 0.00 (18,255.75) 0.00 1,769.86 0.00 0.00 0.00 (15,736.11) 2,454.58 0.00 30,019.67

0.00 0.00 (22,666.99) 0.00 0.00 0.00 50.00 0.00 (22,616.99) 20,034.70 0.00 802.20

4,725.27 0.00 (4,456.56) (37.00) 22,969.33 0.00 2,270.14 8,818.00 3,607.43 34,289.18 46,820.40 500.00 183,964.96

209,500

135,600.52

Conversion checking figures

[1]

135,600.52

47,273.97
GBP to USD

1,090.46
EUR to USD

183,964.96

[1] 'Nominal value' calculated as 1 British Pound =1.5747666 US dollars &1 Euro = 1.359342 US dollars Average for period 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011 (X Rate website: www.x-rates.com)

ICUU Two Year Financial Period 2010 - 2011 Period 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011 BALANCE
USD Opening Balance at 1st Jan 2010 Income to date Expenditure to date Movement to date Current Balance to date 165,855.57 135,600.52 30,255.05 124,921.28 94,666.23 8,813.64 30,019.67 (21,206.03) 8,581.38 GBP 29,787.41 5,598.21 802.20 4,796.01 21,368.63 EUR 16,572.62

Note to 2010-2011 Accounts There has been a lot of change at the ICUU in the last two years (2010-2011). We hired both an Executive Secretary and a Program Coordinator and this has brought a welcome and considerable increase in the activities and effectiveness of the organization. There is still much to do, but the future looks promising and exciting. The Executive Committee has become aware that we need to revise our financial accounting and reporting systems to provide more information. A new format known as fund accounting will make it possible for us to better show member groups and donors how we use our funds. Many voluntary organizations use this model to provide a more transparent and complete picture of its financial activity. For the same reasons of clarity and accountability the Executive has decided to move from a two year budget to annual budgeting. The Assistant Treasurer, Galen Gisler, will report on many of these developments during the Council Meeting. Such changes are normally made at the beginning of an accounting period, so the accounts from 2010-2011 are still in the old format. (The budget you will consider will be in the new format.) The account structure and amounts for the last financial period were based on a set-up used before the change in staffing. This means a few things need explaining. Firstly, it appears that the Executive Secretarys expenses were considerably over budget. The Executive Committee wishes to assure everyone that the Executive Secretary did not overspend. The Executive made changes to the budget along the way to reflect new needs. All the expenditure was expected, necessary and approved. In addition, the expenditure shown as Executive Secretarys expenses includes the cost of running the ICUU office for which there was not a separate category. The allocation for Executive Secretarys expenses in the previous budget was based on an old one staff model, and frankly, a few guesses on the part of the Executive. There was no detailed experience of the new system on which to base the estimate. In the past two years we have taken great steps towards making our budget estimates more realistic. Secondly, the accounts suggest that nothing was spent on the Ministers Conference and that considerably more was spent on the Theological Symposium. Both events were held in 2010 and were extremely successful. The financial information shown for the Symposium actually reflects the expenditure for both the events, which were run back to back. It was difficult to separate the accounting of these events under the old system. The new accounting system will let us do this separate accounting easily. Thirdly, ICUUs old accounting system accurately included grant income but did not explain the source of the grants well. For your information, ICUU received $20,000 in Dec. 2009 from the Unitarian Universalist International Grants Funding Panel, specifically for work in Africa in 2010.

In 2010, the same source granted $15,000 for the Task Force on Ministerial Education and $4000 toward the Symposium and Ministry Conference, followed in 2011 by a grant of $6000 toward the Boston Summit Meeting. So, the total grant income for the fiscal period was $25,000, in addition to the "extra" $20,000 we had received in late 2009 for 2010. Such detailed grant information will in the future be shown directly in the accounts. In the same breath, ICUU wants to thank the UU International Grants Funding Panel in particular for the above noted grants which combined with our own funding has made these significant initiatives possible during the last two years. The ICUU Executive Committee is more than satisfied that the presented accounts accurately reflect the amounts of income and expenditure during the past biennial period and that all reflected expenditure was properly and appropriately made. We look forward to the better and more complete way of sharing our financial story in the future.

Brian Kiely, President on behalf of the ICUU Executive Committee

ICUU 2012 Budget: General Categories

40000 41000 41100 41200 42000 47000 60000 61000 61200 61300 61400 62000 65000 66000 67000 68000 69000 72000 Income - p&l and budget accts operating income - unrestricted Dues and Memberships Friends of the ICUU undesignated contributions conference and course fees, sales 210200 75200 70200 5000 125000 10000

Expenses - p&l and budget accts 210200 Administrative 66250 Governance Financial Facilities Staff and Personnel - administrative role Programs 123750 Staff and Personnel - programs role Conferences and Symposiums Communications, Publishing, Outreach Training and Consultancy Contribution to Special Reserve Funds (to balance) 20200

23000 15500 0 18250 54750 33000 36000 20000

Income Details
41000 41100 41110 41120 41130 41140 41150 41200 42000 42100 42200 42300 42400 operating income - unrestricted Dues and Memberships Full Member Groups Provisional Member Groups Emerging Member Groups Renewing Member Groups Associated Organisations Friends of the ICUU undesignated contributions individuals groups legacies grants 75200 70200 69500 100 200 400 5000 125000 40000 25000 10000 50000

Expenses Details
61000 61010 61020 61040 61200 61210 61220 61230 61300 61310 61315 61325 61330 61335 61350 62000 62100 62150 62200 62250 62300 62350 65000 66000 66100 66150 66200 66250 66300 66350 67000 67100 67200 67300 67600 68000 68100 68200 68400 69000 69400 69500 72000 Administrative office equipment office supplies utilities (incl postage, phone, internet) Governance Executive Committee Council President's travel and expenses Financial bank service charges insurance expense bookkeeping audit costs payroll services fundraising expenses Staff and Personnel - admin role Executive Secretary - salary and compensation executive Secretary - travel and expenses Program Coordinator - salary and compensation program Coordinator - travel and expenses Other Staff Support (not yet defined) - salary and compensation Other Staff Support (not yet defined) - travel and expenses Programs Staff and Personnel - programs role Executive Secretary - salary and compensation executive Secretary - travel and expenses Program Coordinator - salary and compensation program Coordinator - travel and expenses Other Staff Support (not yet defined) - salary and compensation Other Staff Support (not yet defined) - travel and expenses Conferences and Symposiums Bi-Annual Council Meeting and Conference Ministers Conference and Theological Symposium Regional Conferences and Training Youth and Young Adult Conference Support Communications, Publishing, Outreach Web page development - hardware, software Publishing Participation at national meetings Training and Consultancy Ministry Task Force Coalition Mentorships between groups Contribution to Special Reserve Funds 66250 2500 2000 5000 23000 10000 8000 5000 15500 1000 3000 5000 1000 500 5000 18250 8250 2500 2500 2500 1250 1250 123750 54750 24750 7500 7500 7500 3750 3750 33000 12000 0 20000 1000 16000 10000 1000 5000 20000 10000 10000 20200

ICUU Secretariat 345 Addiscombe Road Croydon, Surrey CR0 7LG United Kingdon execsec@icuu.net www.icuu.net January 2012

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Rev Brian Kiely, Canada pres@icuu.net Vice-President: Pauline Rooney, Australia vicepres@icuu.net Treasurer: Rev David Shaw, UK treasurer@icuu.net Secretary: Rev Dvid Gyer, Romania comsec@icuu.net Members-at-Large: Rev Nihal Attanayake, Philippines Femi Matimoju, Nigeria Rev Celia Midgley, UK MEMBER GROUPS in: Africa: Nigeria, South Africa North America: Canada, USA South America: Brazil Asia: India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka Europe: Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom Oceana: Australia, New Zealand STAFF Executive Secretary: Rev Steve Dick, 345 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 7LG, UK execsec@icuu.net Program Coordinator: Rev Jill McAllister, 2415 S Rose Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, USA program@icuu.net Registered non-profit organization in the USA under Regulation 501(C)(3), No 91-1821773

LETTER AND REPORT FROM ICUU NOMINATING COMMITTEE Dear ICUU Member Groups, The Nominating Committee has deliberated long and hard. I apologize that it was not possible to publish the recommended slate of nominees before now. We have worked hard to arrive at our recommendations for these positions. With the exception of the treasurer, all of the current officers and at-large members have expressed their willingness to serve again. In one sense, this simplified our task, and we believe the Executive Committee benefits from having experienced members. On the other hand, after much discussion, we feel that we serve the best interests of ICUU by providing the possibility, at least, for some new members to be elected to the Executive Committee. We have therefore decided not to make specific recommendations for the three positions of at-large member of the committee. Only three can be elected, and each delegate can vote for no more than three. All six member-at-large candidates that have been nominated have valuable experiences and varied perspectives that would assist the Executive Committee in being fully representative of the world Unitarian community. Our decision not to recommend specific choices here should not be taken to reflect negatively in any way on the current members. We value their contributions and the experience they bring to the Executive Committee, and are grateful for their service. Nevertheless, we want to provide the possibility for some turnover in the Executive Committee if the member groups view it as appropriate. We have kept in mind the desirability of good geographical representation as well as the benefits that result from having a range of skills available to the Executive Committee. Our recommended nominees for each position are listed in the attached report. Information about each candidate is included and this document will also be available from www.icuu.net. With very best wishes, Gevene Hertz Convenor, Nominating Committee

Report of the Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee commends the following people for election to the ICUU Executive Committee and Nominating Committee for 20122014. Note: Nominees marked with an asterisk *are currently serving in the same position as the one they are nominated for. President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: *The Rev. Brian Kiely, Canadian Unitarian Council *Pauline Rooney, Australia New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association *The Rev David Gyero, Unitarian Church of Transylvania Galen Gisler, European Unitarian Universalists.

Members-at-Large (three to be elected vote for no more than three) *The Rev. Nihal Attanayake, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines The Rev. Harisson Kingsley, Indian Council of Unitarian Churches *Olufemi Matimoju, First Unitarian Church of Nigeria *The Rev. Celia Midgley, General Assembly of Unitarian & Free Christian Churches (UK) The Rev. Fulgence Ndagijamana, Assemble des Chrtiens Unitariens du Burundi The Rev. Petr Samojsk, Religious Society of Czech Unitarians Nominating Committee (three to be elected): Ellen Campbell, Canadian Unitarian Council, The Rev. Derrick Pariat, Indian Council of Unitarian Churches Antje Paul, Deutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft (Germany) On the following pages of this document is information about each candidate that was submitted as part of the nomination process. All candidates were additionally given the opportunity to submit a photograph and additional information to be shared with ICUU Member Groups and voting delegates. Where a photo and additional information is not included, it is because such material was not provided. Submitted on behalf of the Nominating Committee Gevene Hertz (Convenor) Rev. Gordon Oliver Rev. Pearl Greene Marbaniang

Support ICUU and its work by sending contributions to: ICUU Finance Department Attn.: Susan Greenberg PO Box 300 Hastings on Hudson, NY, 10706 USA Checks payable to ICUU Or donate online via PayPal to treasurer@icuu.net

For President: Rev. Brian Kiely

Brian Kiely is a Unitarian minister who has been serving Canadian congregations since 1988. Since ordination Brian has been active with the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). Served on CUC Board for seven years including two years as President, Played a leadership role in two CUC Endowment Campaigns, Participated in a two year needs assessment task force that led to an autonomous CUC. Rev. Brian Kiely has been active in the ICUU since 2005 and has served as ICUU President since 2007. In that period, the Executive has moved to a two parttime staff model that greatly increased our programming and administrative capability. As he looks forward to a final term, Brian is committed to helping develop a broad based funding stream that will both increase our staff capability and provide greater resources for providing program activities around the world. Brian has been the full time minister of the Unitarian Church of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1997 and is grateful for the congregations support of his international work. He is also the immensely proud father to two young daughters.

For Vice President: Pauline Rooney

Pauline Rooney lives in Adelaide. Initially a teacher in ru- ral South Australia, she has a background in commerce, for the past 35 years working in own business while con- tributing to volunteer community organizations. Pauline is married with 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren. Pauline has been a member of the South Australian Uni- tarian Church for the past 11+ years. During that time she has been an active member of the church, served 2 terms on the Committee of Management, the finance commit- tee, has contributed to organization and presentation of radio programs for the Unitarian Church of SA for 10 years and has run a church womans group for the past 10 years. Pauline organized a display booth for the ICUU at the recent Parliament of World Religions as well as coor- dinating a presentation at the Parliament as organized by Richard Boeke. Pauline has served 1 two-year term as a member at large on the committee of ICUU and 1 two-year term as Vice President. During that time Pauline has been involved with the creation of the new logo and support for staffing and finance of the organization. Pauline has a Diploma of Teaching and an MBA. A long experience working at an executive level of regional, state and national levels of board work for both business and not-for-profit association. Pauline has recently Graduated through the Australian Institute of Company Directors giving her a strong background in corporate governance useful for all organizations either commercial or not for profit when external funding or support is desirable.

For EC Secretary: Rev. David Gyero

I obtained a degree in Unitarian ministry in 1997 at the Protestant Theological School in Kolozsvr. I became the assistant minister of our church in Sepsiszentgyorgy, and I also worked for the Unitarian Youth Association as its secretary. In 2000-2001, I lived in the United States for a year working at the international office of the UUA headquarters in Boston. My institutional connections with the ICUU started in 2001, when I attended an international leadership training in the Khasi Hills, India. I participated in the 2005 (Barcelona) and 2007 (Oberwesel) council meetings as an observer. In 2006, I was the local organizer of the Second ICUU Theological Symposium. In 2009, I coordinated the local organization of the ICUU council meeting in Kolozsvr, where I was elected the secretary of the ICUU. Since 2001, I work at the Headquarters of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania in Kolozsvar as the councilor for church administration. In 2004-2008, I was a student at the Law School of the Babes-Bolyai University, obtaining a jurist degree in 2008, and a masters degree in European law at the Law School of the Pcs University in Hungary. Since 2009, next to my headquarters work, I also minister to the Unitarian congregation in Kolozsvr.

For Treasurer: Galen Gisler

Currently a senior researcher at the Centre for the Physics of Geological Processes at the University of Oslo, Norway, Gisler was trained as an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and worked for many years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. In Los Alamos, in 1993, he began attending a Unitarian Church together with his wife Susan, and their children Andrew and Elena. Galen and Susan became very active in the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, performing and directing music, teaching R.E., and serving on various committees. They moved to Norway in 2006, and were instrumental in founding the Norwegian Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, an informal group made up of both Scandinavians and anglophone expats. This Fellowship cooperates with the Norwegian Unitarian Church (Unitarforbundet), an organisation with close ties to the Unitarians of Budapest. Susan and Galen have also been active in the European Unitarian Universalists, and they attended their first ICUU Council Meeting in Koloszvar in 2009.

Galen has previously served as Treasurer for two nonprofit organisations: The Los Alamos Arts Council and the Los Alamos Bus System, both with budgets of similar scale to the ICUU, though without the complication of multiple currencies.

For Member At Large: Rev. Nihal Attanayake

Rev. Attanayake has been with the UU church in the Philippines since 2000. He works with UUCP as coordinator for international relations, and with the faith in action committee, who is in charge of partner church program, interfaith & ecumenical relations, Ted Guild Village Bank- a livelihood program with the late Rev. Polly Guild as benefactor, interfaith & ecumenical relations & prison ministry. He has travelled to the USA to speak in the different UU congregations about partnership programs in the Philippines. He also travelled to India for the capacity building program of Dr. Richard Ford. He was formerly an Anglican priest while in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and a permanent resident of Dumaguete City. He is married to a Filipina and has two sons. Rev. Attanayake is very fluent in the English language.

For Member At Large: Rev. Harisson Kingsley

A former schoolteacher, Rev. Harisson Kingsley is the President of the Indian Council of Unitarian Churches and has been the President of the Chennai Unitarian and Free Christian Church for a long time. He is actively involved in social work. I was born in Chennai and my age is 56. My father Rev.M.Gabriel served as a minister of the Unitarian Christian Church, Chennai for 34 years. My mother, Mrs.Victoria Merlin, is a secretary and treasurer to date and also served as President of ICUC for 3years from 1988-1991. Regarding my family, my wife is a school teacher and I have two children, one daughter and a son. Both are students M.tech and B.E comp science. I was ordained as a Minister in 1996 by Geoffrey Head from UK in presence of Rev. Devison Marbaniang and Carlywell Lyngdoh. I am proud to be a Minister in one of the oldest churches in Chennai. Our church was established in 1795 by Rev.William Roberts with few members with a kind aid from UK Unitarians. At present our church has nearly 250 congregational members with youth fellowship, women alliance and Sunday School children and during the week days we conduct Night school for the church and street children, We are also having social project in a village called Thamarapakkam which is 50 km away from Chennai. There we are having tailoring school for girls in day time and night school for the village children. With this we also do some guidance and counselling work.

For Member At Large: Femi Matimoju

Femi is a 40yrs old guy, married to Abiola over ten years ago with four lovely kids. He holds Masters degree in Social Work and has been working with Lagos State Government at the management level, which earns him the present position as the Head of Rehabilitation Centre in Lagos State. He has been the General Secretary of First Unitarian Church of Nigeria for over 10yrs and has remained the main contact person for the two congregations in Nigeria. Femi has participated in international programmes organized by ICUU, like leadership training in Kenya, seminar/workshop in Netherlands and has attended various EUU, AU, ICUU conferences, while not forgetting the reality of his being current executive member of ICUU (Member-At-Large). Femi is an experienced person who finds it so easy to fit into any position he finds himself with little or no supervision which makes us back home to be comfortable sending him as our representative. He requires to be trained as a Minister which is something he has been hoping for but the mere fact that we do not have a theological school here in Nigeria has been the main stumbling block to his ambition which if he get assistance to be sent to UK or American theo school will be a wonderful idea. Thank you

For Member At Large: Rev. Celia Midgley

A Unitarian from birth, I have been actively involved at every level of our movement. In addition to completing 21 years as a minister to two congregations in Manchester, I have travelled widely as President of the British General Assembly (2007-8) and, some years earlier, Secretary of the International Association of Liberal Religious Women. I have preached in Canada, the USA, Transylvania and South Africa. My ICUU experience began in 1998 with three weeks ministry (jointly with John Midgley) to the exiled Prague congregation and continued with responsibility for worship at the 2001 Oxford Symposium. I have attended ICUU Council Meetings since 2005 and in 2009 was elected for a first term as Member at Large, working with the Executive team and keeping in touch with the European member groups. All of the above, I hope, demonstrates skills both organisational and pastoral. As ICUU spreads and grows, so do the challenges of enabling leadership and effective organisation, of communication and support for one another, of responding to the world and being a known presence in it. As we grow, we must continue to appraise, with tolerance and understanding, what unites us, what theologically underpins us and what distinguishes us from other world groups. I wish to play my part in ICUU as it grapples with these challenges and ask for support for one further term.

For Member At Large: Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana

I have known and kept contact with the ICUU since 2002 when I discovered UUsm. Since then I have had opportunities of participating in Council meetings in Spain in 2005, In Germany in 2007 and in Kolosvar in 2009. I have also had opportunities to participate in Theological symposia in Kolosvar in 2006 and in the Netherlands in 20010. All those occasions were transformative moments for me as I connected with other UUs around the world and was opportunities to strengthen and come to appreciate my own liberal faith. I have been engaged with work for the ICUU as well. I have been a member of the Theological and Ministerial task force to explore ways for people candidate to professional ministry to access to in their context and using the resources available, however meagre. I have also availed myself to visit countries on behalf of the ICUU and these field visits in Kenya and DR Congo made me more aware both of the specificities of the African context and how it can be linked to the global context but also the specific challenges that these fragile and often struggling groups are faced with. We are currently building a regional African organisation for francophone Unitarians and this to respond to some of the challenges namely the size of the groups and its consequences of how to be a congregation but also the language and how to be open and in conversation with the rest of the world and be in a position to provide services like training and leadership opportunities to leaders and prospective ministers.

I currently work for CORD Burundi, a programme of the CORD UK, as the Burundi Programme Manager. My experience and skills range from Proposal development to project management and implementation. CORD being a peace building and capacity development organisation, I have trained and worked on conflict transformation and peace building as well as community mediation. I am more than willing to continue to use my skills at the service of the global UU movement as part of the ICUU executive committee with the At large position.

The Issues and needs that the ICUU can and should address are, from my perspective, The need to grow as a movement not only in numbers (it wouldnt harm) but also in our presence on the scene by working on issues like democracy, womens empowerment, inter-faith work, social justice and so on. The need for ICUU member groups to work together and collaborate on issues that affect us all and give to the ICUU a louder voice as a movement through working with other partners and allies.

For Member At Large: Rev Petr Samojsky

Petr Samojsky has been a minister of the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians since 1992. He served as minister for the congregation in Pilsen. 1995-2002 he studied at Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary and served as minister of the UU Congregation of Greeley, Colorado. Recently he serves as minister of the Prague Unitarian Congregation and Wider Fellowship of Czech Unitarians. He also served for two terms as the Senior Minister of RSCU. Petr has often par- ticipated at various international events, such as UUA GA, British Annual Meeting, IARF congresses, ICUU events. In 1998, when doing his internship at UU Church of Annapo- lis, MD he developed a study course about the individual member groups of ICUU, based on communication with representatives of each group. He is deeply interested in the development of international connections among Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists at all organization- al, professional and personal levels. Petr is married, living near Prague with his wife Katerina, step son Adam and daughter Doubravka. What do I have to offer to the Executive Committee and ICUU as a whole? I do have a personal experience from long term living in different cultures (Czech Republic and USA) and as a minister I have worked in various settings as well. Serving on various leadership bodies has given me also good background.

However, I think that what most of all makes me to offer my time and energy to the Executive Committee and ICUU is my capacity and personal need to think outside the box. I realize that organizing such culturally broad and diverse organization such as ICUU requires expertise as well as creativity; I cannot judge my qualifications, but at least I am creative enough to offer my service. If possible, I would like to contribute especially in the area outreach and promoting our free thinking faith, as well as providing the helpful hand to those inquiring about us.

For Nominating Committee: Ellen Campbell

Ellen Campbell was the Executive Director of the Canadian Unitarian Council from 1990 to 2000 when she retired. Previous to this, she was on the staff of the YWCA of Metropolitan Toronto for fourteen years. Ellen was Presi- dent of the Council of the International Association for Religious Freedom from 2004-2006. She was on the Coun- cil for ten years. She represented the Canadian Unitarian Council at the founding meeting of the International Association of Unitarians and Universalists in 1995 and was on its Executive Committee from 2001-2003. A Uni- tarian since 1959, she has been a member of First Unitarian Congregation since 1973. She has just finished a term as President of the Board. She is now on the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Unitarian Council.

For Nominating Committee: Rev Derrick Pariat

A father of two, Rev. Pariat is a graduate in science. He works with India's national television. He is the President of the Unitarian Union, North East India, and a minister of religion. He is the Secretary of the Association of Minis- ters, UUNEI, and the Secretary of his home church, Nongthymmai. He has also served as the Vice- President of the Finance Committee of the Union. In the ICUU, Rev. Pariat has been a Council delegate since 2005 and was on the Curriculum Task Force of the ICUU.
She learned teacher for mathematics and physics, and practiced it for some years but changed her profession and became a wife, mother, and grandmother. Antje PAUL is nearly lifelong volunteering for Deutsche Unitarier, also as a board member on a local, a regional, and a national scale. In 2001 she was elected as Member at Large to the ICUU Executive Committee where she served for three terms until 2007. She attended many ICUU Council Meetings, ICUU conferences and EUU Retreats. Often she has been co-organizer of such gatherings in Germany. Antje PAUL is bilingual (German and English). She has good personal contacts with Unitarians from various countries. She has been involved in IARF (International Association for Religious Freedom) activities. ICUU and all members of the global UU community must act following the principles of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights". Antje PAUL grew up in Northern Germany in an unaffiliated family. Her parents became Unitarians when she was a teenager. In 1963 she herself joined Deutsche Unitarier Religionsgemeinschaft as a member. She is married to a Unitarian, Manfred J. Paul, for more than four decades. They have three children, three children-in-law and seven grandchildren.

For Nominating Committee: Antje Paul

Concluding Report of the Task Force on Ministerial Education and Training

ICUU COUNCIL MEETING, 2012
The Task Force on Ministerial Education and Training was appointed in 2008, with the goal of increasing access to education and training for U-U ministry around the world. Task force members Kinga Reka Szekely, Eric Cherry, David Keyes, Fulgence Ndagijimana and Helpme Morhmen worked with Program Coordinator Jill McAllister to develop the goals and methods of the project. The creation of the Task Force followed more than ten years of discussion of the ever-present and growing needs for education and training of U-U ministers on an international scale. In 2008 the ICUU had requests for training and scholarships for potential ministers from U-U groups in Indonesia, the Philippines, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Bolivia, and India. Ministers in ANZUUA (Australia and New Zealand) had begun conducting a study of suitable avenues for ministerial education. Three U-U theological schools had developed web-based courses for students in the countries in which they are located (USA and England); one of those has since offered an on-line course open to international students as well. Over three years our main goals included: 1. To catalogue both the resources and needs for ministerial education and training in all member groups and emerging groups. 2. To research programs and methods for multi-cultural and international ministerial education and training in other religious movements. 3. To design and begin to develop new modes and models for ministerial training which were culturally and contextually suitable, and regionally or locally affordable and sustainable. 4. To design and implement pilot projects for ministerial training and education. This work has been remarkably timely in paralleling emerging changes within U-U theological schools, as well as emerging regional capabilities within several ICUU member groups. With these helpful trends, we have been successful in reaching our goals including: cataloging available resources and needs among member groups, meeting with theological schools to discuss new international possibilities, developing international guidelines for U-U ministry based on existing standards and credentials in member groups which have them.

SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE

1. Through interviews and research, we catalogued the existing needs and resources for ministerial training and education in ICUU member and emerging groups, and researched multi-cultural, international guidelines and programs for ministry training in other religious movements. 2. Developed a set of international guidelines for credentials for U-U ministry which can provide a shared international foundation for training, education, and credentials available for all member groups to adapt to their own settings and needs. 3. Established and nurtured communication and cooperation between existing U-U theological schools and their leaders. 4. Hosted the 2010 International Ministers Conference and third ICUU Theological Symposium. 5. Implemented three pilot projects for creating regional training programs and/or ministerial credentialing programs, with the UU Church of the Philippines, ANZUUA, and the newly created Association Unitarienne Francophone Africaine (AUFA) in Burundi, as follows:

A. UUCP launched a 6-year program of its own design, beginning with a week-long residential training for lay leaders,
which will progress through advanced levels of leadership/ministry training culminating in local seminary training and credentialing for 5-6 new ministers. (Our grant gave $5000 for the first step of this project.)

B. ANZUUA began the project of designing their own program and standards for both lay leader and ministerial
education, training and credentialing. Our grant supported an on-site training session with Jill for 30 people, plus ongoing consultation.

C. The UU congregation of Bujumbura, Burundi hosted a week-long residential event which included 3 intensive
courses - World Religions, Overview of the Bible, and U-U History - for prospective ministers from Burundi, Rwanda and Congo Brazzaville. Two Burundians have subsequently enrolled in local courses to further their studies, and a local teacher of religion and theology has been contracted to teach several more courses. (Our grant supported the costs of this event.) We have shown that it is possible to develop local and regional training and education for U-U ministry, based on these three pilot projects.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The Task Force recommends that the ICUU keep moving forward with this work, by establishing on-going program support and funding, and developing a plan for next steps, including but not limited to: 1. Approval of the international guidelines for ministerial training and education as suitable for sharing with member and emerging groups. (Appendix A). 2. Endorsement of the concept of a Global Fund for Emerging Unitarian Universalism, which could support ministerial education and training. 3. Appointing representatives from 3-4 member groups to a committee that: organizes ongoing ICUU ministerial training processes and programs makes use of materials that have been developed (see Appendix B) determines what else is needed or needs to be cataloged, and what current needs and resources are within and among ICUU member groups, and reaches out to those in need serves as a conduit between theological schools and ICUU member groups to encourage and increase cooperation and collaboration (see Appendix B). serves as a consultant for ICUU member groups seeking ministerial training. Explores possibilities for creation of a Global Education Exchange for Liberal Religious Leaders, which could continue to move beyond patriarchy and paternalism through a model that rotates ministers from various indigenous movements to train and consult one another.

Appendix A:

International Guidelines for Unitarian* Universalist Ministry

The ICUU Task Force on Ministerial Education and Training is charged with surveying and cataloging both needs and resources related to ministerial education and training within our groups (full members, provisional members and emerging groups).As part of our work, we are developing guidelines for ministerial formation which incorporate the basic requirements found in most existing member groups. These guidelines might form a basis for the design and development of local or regional ministerial credentialing programs within ICUU groups which currently do not have such programs.

OVERVIEW OF MINISTERIAL FORMATION

There are different ways to outline an overview of major categories of skills and competencies needed for U*U ministry. Here are several ways to think consider: 1. Traditional roles of minister: Priestly, pastoral, prophetic 2. From a UUA Minister: Preaching, Teaching, Ethics, Pastoral Care, Organizing 3. From Meadville Lombard Educational Model (MLEM): Community Studies, Congregational Studies, Leadership Studies 4. From a parish approach to Religious Education, the Five Pillars: U*U History and Practice Jewish and Christian Heritage World Religions Peace and Social Justice Interdependent Web

SUGGESTED COURSES OF STUDY AND TRAINING

These could be arranged within any of the schemes listed above (or within other categories we might design.) This list of courses and competencies includes those required by ICUU member groups with established criteria for ministerial credentials, as well as other suggestions which fit an international context. Bible Old Testament, New Testament, interpretations (i.e feminist, liberation, etc.) Theology History, Methods, Varieties World Views or Cosmology (to include religious perspectives which are not necessarily theological). World Religions the major living and historical belief systems Unitarian*Universalism histories, varieties, practices, organizations and institutions Philosophical Methods and/or Critical Thinking Human Development Ethics Pastoral Care and Counseling Arts of Worship: Preaching, Liturgy (contextualized) Religious Education (How to provide education about religion for children, youth and adults, and how to nurture the religious and spiritual lives of all ages) Congregational Governance and Administration, Participatory Decision-Making Community Development and Community Organizing Social Justice or Peace Making, etc. Self- care and spiritual practice Within each of these suggested courses, there are many possible classes and focuses each candidate will need to follow a broad course of study appropriate for ones own cultural context, local, national and regional realities, and personal strengths, weaknesses and interests.

APPRENTICESHIP or INTERNSHIP
In addition to classes, Apprenticeship or Internship is very strongly recommended. Each potential minister should be supervised and guided by an experienced minister, as they are studying. The Apprenticeship or Internship should include opportunities to engage in ministry directly, during the learning process, with both supervision and feedback.

APPENDIX B: Collaboration with Theological Schools to Offer Regional / Local Training

We have consulted regularly with leaders at Meadville Lombard, Starr King, and the Transylvania Theological School, where new educational models are being implemented. For example, Meadville has launched a educational model called Touch Point, in which students are required to be in residence for intensive courses for 2-4 weeks a year, and then continue to work on their educational /formational requirements from wherever they live, using local resources and participating in faculty- supervised peer groups via internet. This model is readily applicable to international settings. Based on these new educational models plus the needs of each specific ICUU member group, we have developed a basic model for local / regional training: The member group works to define specific criteria and standards for ministry and ministerial education, using the guidelines developed by the ICUU as needed. Groups request help with teaching specific courses and/or areas of ministerial formation. The ICUU, along with the theological schools, puts together teams of faculty/teachers/trainers, and helps design intensive courses. Teaching teams travel to the particular locale; students participate in courses (having done preparatory reading, study and/or practicum work). Teaching teams stay in contact with students via internet, as assigned coursework is completed. Students work in peer groups, with supervision by the teaching teams. In alignment with priorities set at the International Convocation of UU Women (Houston, TX, Feb. 2008) and in consultation with the member groups involved we will urge all groups to consider including training in Comprehensive Sexuality Education for all potential ministers. The main goal of this work is to establish the viability of regionally-based ministerial training and education for U-U ministers. We aim to design and test models which have the potential to grow and expand, are replicable and sustainable. Other goals include increasing collaboration and resource sharing between ICUU member groups, and between the ICUU, U-U Theological Schools and U-U Ministers Associations.

ICUU 2020 Vision & Future Steps

The ICUU Staff prepared this document as a way of sharing the vision and future steps for ICUU that emerged from the ICUU Executive Committees meeting in the Philippines in 2010. In July 2011, the Executive Committee approved this document for sharing with others as a reflection of ICUUs vision and direction. The Executive Committee hopes the 2012 Council Meeting may choose to affirm and ratify this document.

Vision
We are all the ICUU -We believe that the liberal expression of religious faith we cherish as Unitarian Universalism has much to offer to people beyond our local cultures and borders. We see that new people and communities continue to discover Unitarian Universalism. We are aware that some Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist groups in countries with a long and proud history of liberal religion face internal and external challenges threatening their development and survival. In both types of situation, the infusion of support and expertise from other liberal faith communities can be the catalyst that makes it possible to seize the opportunity or face the challenge. Experience has taught us that achieving right relations calls on us to avoid even subtle or implied domination by any one group, country or culture over others, even when a group controls resources or their patronage is sought by others. Whilst bilateral partnerships are useful, the most sustaining relationships for building the global community are the multi-layered strands of a collaborative network. The vision fifteen years ago was bold and the small scale resources committed to the network have been effectively used to build a framework largely thanks to volunteers. Lest it become a victim of its own success, ICUU now needs sufficient resources and dedicated staffing to fully respond to the call of new, emerging, and renewing Unitarian Universalist groups. It does matter, more than one may realise from a local or national perspective, that such efforts are undertaken by a group governed and sustained by the world UU community rather than kindly offered by one nation or culture, no matter how wise or blessed.

Read on to see the steps we need to take to sustain this vision and move together into a brighter future.

Future Steps
Our most pressing need is to add professional organizational capacity to what has been a largely informal volunteer driven network to enable its development as a full service agency. In congregational growth terms, it can be likened to moving from a family model to a program model.

A Global Fund for Emerging International UUism

to support the work of nurturing new and emerging groups of U-Us around the world is essential. The need and demand for this work has grown steadily and steeply as new groups have emerged in Africa, Asia and South America. We see a great need for mentoring emerging groups, to help them learn about UU history and polity, congregational structure and development, ministry and shared leadership. The Fund will be an important step in building capacity to provide training, education, consulting and support.

Essential Staffing
is necessary to provide capacity in terms of expertise, skills and not least the dedicated time to take forward the work both of supporting emerging groups and stimulating networking among existing organizations. Enquirers are often surprised that ICUU achieves what it does with a half-time Executive Secretary and a quarter-time Program Coordinator. Yet it is frustrating what must be left undone or delayed and the Executive Committee is committed to making both staff positions full-time. Imagine what these two can achieve devoting all their energy to ICUU.

Development-Support Colleagues
trained and accountable, working closely with staff in acting as mentors for new and renewing groups leading hopefully to part-time coordinators in selected regions.

Tent Summit
A successful pilot event was held in November 2011 bringing together leaders and staff from the five largest member groups for collaboration and dialogue, intended to be followed by other gatherings, physical and/or virtual, with other leaders and staff of member groups.

Extend Our Global Network

using technology to offer virtual meetings, webinars and programs facilitating entire congregations from different member groups meeting face to face using web-based video resources.

True Core Collaboration

with partners in international work is essential in offering expertise and special focus in areas such as partnership and community capacity building with UUPCC, United Nations bodies representation and social justice campaigns with the UU UN Office and womens concerns and programs with the

Convocation of International UU Women. Joint projects are also to be explored with member group staffs building on the supportive and much appreciated collaboration to date with the UUA International Programs Office and theological schools.

Issued by the ICUU Executive Committee, August 2011

Questions that are sometimes asked of Unitarians and Universalists

These questions arose in conversations that Jill McAllister held with some new U*Us in Kenya. They are typical of questions arising in many emerging groups. Here is one example of a collection of answers there are, of course, other possible answers. These specific questions and answers are just a small part of a much wider conversation going on within the global U-U movement, as more people discover this liberal faith. The Executive Committee thought that the questions and the answers might be of interest and use to others, therefore we provide them here for you to peruse.

1. Why do U*U congregations accept people with differing beliefs? It is because we have always upheld the principle of freedom in religion. Freedom of belief is one of the very core principles that bind us together as a religious community. The freedom to explore and deepen and sometimes even change ones beliefs means that people will naturally arrive at different conclusions. We accept that and ask people to be respectful and tolerant of the different beliefs of others around them. 2. How does U*Uism differ from the secular world? (What is religious about it?) U*Uism is a religious way life. We join in communities in order to worship, and to celebrate life in all its aspects, which secular organisations do not do. We also search together for meaning and purpose in life, and help and encourage each other to develop our spiritual values. We also work together to promote love, peace and justice in the world. 3. What distinguishes Unitarian Christians from Trinitarian Christians? Is it possible to be a U*U and still believe in the Trinity? Since its beginnings, the Unitarian movement has rejected the doctrine of the Trinity as unscriptural, unreasonable and unhelpful. The impulse has always been to seek for the Unity of God and the unity of all things in life. Trinitarians view Jesus as God. Unitarians view Jesus simply as a human being, whose life and teaching are an example to us. So, because of our religious freedom, a Trinitarian could join a U*U community, but would probably not find it a meaningful place to be.

4. Is baptism a feature of U*Uism? If so, what variations are there, and how are they performed? Yes it is, but it is not a requirement. Some of our congregations do not use the word baptism because of its association with ideas about washing the soul clean of original sin. Other U*Us are happy with the word, and interpret it in a liberal way. Whichever term is used, the ceremony in our communities is usually one of thanksgiving and celebration for a new life, a time for the parents, god-parents, families and friends to affirm their responsibility for the childs growing, and a time of welcoming the child into the congregation and the world. Often, the traditional symbol of water is used, and sometimes a flower. Occasionally, but not often, an adult will ask for a ceremony of this kind, in order to make a public affirmation of their faith. 5. How do U*Us conduct weddings and funerals and other rites of passage? Weddings are seen as a celebration of the coming together of a couple in lifelong commitment, in the sight of God and the community. Where possible, this includes a legal aspect. Funerals are seen as a celebration of the life of the deceased person, and an offering of support and consolation for the bereaved. In these and other rites of passage the emphasis is on the needs of the persons involved and the traditions and expectations of the religious community, not on any set formulas. This means we can use words from literature and other religious traditions, as well as from the bible. 6. Do U*Us believe in life after death? The simple answer is, some do and some don't. It has often been said that U*Us believe in life before death, meaning that how we live our lives in this world is of supreme importance. Some U*Us, however, have firm beliefs about life after death, when they hope to be re-united with loved ones. Others are content to remain agnostic, that is, wait and see what awaits them after death. Then there are those who will say they are content to live this one life only. 7. Do U*Us believe in heaven and hell? Following on from the previous question, there are those who have a belief in life after death, which they may describe as a form of heaven. U*Us do not, however, view life after death as including any form of hell. It is a major feature of the Universalist tradition to reject ideas of hell after death, as they have always taught that the love and salvation of God is for all. 8. How do religious liberals relate to mainstream Christians? Wherever possible, religious liberals seek to maintain friendly and co-operative relations with all churches. This is in order to support and encourage each other, to work for the good of the community and sometimes to work together on social justice issues.

9. How do U*Us relate to other faiths and their teachings? U*Us have a long history of participation in interfaith dialogue. This is often as members of interfaith organisations, or sometimes with neighbourhood religious communities. U*Us enjoy the challenge of learning about other faiths and sharing knowledge of ours, in a spirit of tolerance and respect.

10. Are U*Us tolerant of all religious groups? Yes, U*Us are tolerant as far as possible. However, we recognise that there are limits to toleration, and that there are some harmful religious ideas that we may feel the need to confront and challenge. Religions that deny freedom to men and women, promote dangerously irrational beliefs and practise damaging discrimination cannot simply be left unchallenged. 11. How do U*Us relate to the secular world? U*Us recognise that we live in the real world and try to participate in all its institutions. U*Us can be found in the world of politics, education, science and the arts. The hope is that we can make it possible for our religious and spiritual values to have an influence in whatever way is open to us. 12. What is the significance of the flaming chalice? Following its use as a logo in social service projects during World War 2, the flaming chalice has been adopted as the U*U symbol in many parts of the world. It has many meanings. The chalice was used in worship in ancient times for the burning of sacred oil as a symbol of sacrifice. Many also see it as a reminder of the chalice used in Christian worship. The flame represents light, hope, freedom and much more. 13. How is silence helpful in worship? Worship has many aspects and moods, and in recent years many U*Us have found that silence is a helpful element. It gives time for private prayers and meditations and enables communities to feel a togetherness without words. It also provides a contrast to words and singing and music, and allows time for the movement of the spirit within and among worshippers. 14. How can U*Uism give hope and inspiration to women and children? The movement to bring greater freedom and equality to women has been embraced in U*U communities all over the world. U*Us were the first to accept women into the ministry, and in most parts of the world they are involved in the life of our congregations at every level, bringing opportunities for religious and spiritual growth in the same way as for men. Religious education for children is of great importance. We provide opportunities for them to learn our traditions and ways, and encourage them to develop their values and think for themselves.

15. What responsibilities do U*U leaders bear for instilling liberal values and traditions? U*Us recognise that leadership is important for the development and growth of our faith. We provide opportunities for the training of ministers at our seminaries and colleges and elsewhere. Also, we encourage the training of lay leaders in every aspect of congregational life. Our organisations are as democratic as we can make them. Ministers do not have automatic authority, but are chosen by congregations and work in collaboration with them. Congregational leaders are elected by congregations and are accountable to them. They are all responsible for the upholding of the work and worship of the congregation in the light of our values and traditions. Celia Midgley

Chalice Circle One What Has Shaped Us? Opening Words and Chalice Lighting (Read together) We bring to this circle our own life stories, our talents and needs, our gifts and struggles. By the light of this chalice may we see how much we have in common, and be lifted up by this sharing. Check- in Going around the circle, take one or two minutes to briefly introduce yourself, telling a few things about your home, family, and work. Shared Readings (see other side) Sitting in Silence Take a few minutes to center yourself, to be mindful of how you are feeling, to notice your thoughts, and to feel the presence of these companions. Sharing and Deep Listening Each of us has come to Unitarian / Universalism by some path, through some event in our lives. Share a story of one of the important moments in your religious life a realization or event that helped shape who you are now as a religious person. Closing Words (Read Together) Extinguishing the Chalice We extinguish this chalice, but not the light of truth, the warmth of community or the need to serve: these we take with us until we meet again.

READINGS What Has Shaped Us? We gather in reverence before the wonder of lifeThe wonder of this moment The wonder of being together, so close- yet so far apart Each hidden in our own secret chamber Each listening, each trying to speak Yet none fully understanding, none fully understood We gather in reverence before all things intangible, that eyes see not, nor ears can detect That hands can never touch, that space cannot hold, and time cannot measure.
Sophia Lyon Fahs

~ Let religion be to us life and joy. Let it be a voice of challenge to the best we can do; Let it be a call to generous action. Let religion be to us a dissatisfaction with the way things are Let it be the sorrow that opens the way of sympathy, understanding and service to those who are suffering. Let religion be to us hope and purpose, the wonder of all that is good and beautiful, holding before our eyes a the possibility of a better life for all that lives, which each of us may help to achieve.

Vincent P. Silliman (adapted)

CHALICE CIRCLE TWO Justice in our lives Opening Words and Chalice Lighting May the chalice we now light inspire us to use our powers to heal and not to harm, to help and not to hinder, to bless and not to curse, to serve the Spirit of Life. Check- in Going around the circle, take one or two minutes to share what how you are feeling about yourself, your work or family, the world, etc. Shared Reading (see other side of paper) Sitting in Silence How do you know about justice in your own life? Think of an event or a situation in your life through which you have come to understand a need for justice. Sharing and Deep Listening Describe what justice means for you and how it is important in your life, in terms of a personal event or ongoing experience. Responses If you wish, say a few words about what you have especially appreciated hearing in this group meeting. Closing Words (Read Together) I honor that place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor that place in you which is of love, of light, of peace and of truth. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me We are one.

Readings - Justice in Our Lives

It is not the critic who counts, not the person who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends herself or himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he or she fails at least fails while daring greatly so his place or her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. Theodore Roosevelt (adapted) ~ Remember what matters. Not focusing on what matters most in this life fuels impatience. Move the world toward peace by being kind, generous in forgiveness of others, being grateful for what is, and taking full advantage of what matters most. When other less important things fuel our impatience, take time to remember that any one of these items reduces our tendency to want something different right now. To remember what matters is to practice satisfaction. From In Praise of Slowness

Chalice Circle Three Tolerance

Opening Words and Chalice Lighting (Read together) Love is the spirit of this community, the quest for truth is our sacrament, and service is our prayer. To dwell together in peace, to seek knowledge in freedom, to serve the needs of the world, to the end that all souls shall grow. This is our aim. Check- in Going around the circle, take one or two minutes to share anything you want to share about how you are feeling about yourself, family, the world, etc. Shared Readings (see other side) Sitting in Silence Take a few minutes to center yourself, to be mindful of how you are feeling, to notice your thoughts without holding them, and to be present in this moment. Sharing and Deep Listening To live in a world of diverse ideas, customs, perspectives and needs means we must constantly be open to things we dont understand or dont agree with. For some people, this is a practice they embrace. Others find it difficult and live their lives closed against others intolerant of differences. Have you experienced the intolerance of others? Have you experienced discrimination? Are there differences that you yourself find it hard to tolerate? Do you sometimes discriminate against others? Closing Words (Read Together) As we go our ways not knowing the answers to all things, let us seek always the answer to one more thing than we know. Extinguishing the Chalice We extinguish this chalice, but not the light of truth, the warmth of community or the fire of service, these we take with us.

Readings - Tolerance

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put and end to childish ways. 1 Corinthians

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; Therefore, we are saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; Therefore, we are saved by faith. Nothing we do, however good, can be done alone; Therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own; Therefore we are saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.
from Reinhold Niebuhr

Chalice Circle Four- What Well Take With Us Readings What Well Take With Us Opening Words and Chalice Lighting (Read together) Come into this circle of love and justice. Come into this community of memory and hope. Come, and you shall know peace and joy. Check- in Going around the circle, take one or two minutes to share anything you want to share about how you are feeling about yourself, family, the world, etc. Shared Readings (see other side) Sitting in Silence Take a few minutes to center yourself, or to think about what you have learned in this circle, and what your learning means for you. Sharing and Deep Listening We have spent several days with each other, sharing important parts of our lives. We have worked and discussed and learned together. From all of this sharing, what is especially important for you. How do you feel called to respond to what you have learned here? Likes, Wishes and Responses This is an opportunity to listen more closely into what others have said, and to ask questions to better understand them, to say what you will take away from the time together. Closing Words ( Read Together) We honor this time that we have spent together, the questions that have grown inside us, and the insights we have found. May we go forth, listening for, and following our calling. Each of us is given a life, a circle of days, here on this earth. The life we are given has infinite possibilities, many of which we experience and see around us. We know that beauty and horror are possible, good and evil, love and hate, justice and injustice, truth and falsehood, war and peace. As religious people, we know that we are called to stand on the side of peace, justice, truth, love, good, and beauty. Each of us is called. To answer the call is to step onto the path of growth and learning, every day.
J. McAllister

Love cannot remain by itself it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service. Whatever form we are, rich or poor, able or disabled, it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing; A life-long sharing of love with others.
Mother Theresa