100 Unitarian Universalist Congregations Have Not Certified Their Membership In The Unitarian Universalist Association Of Congregations In 2014
Today, Tuesday February 3rd, 2014, is the deadline for Unitarian Universalist churches that are members of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations aka UUA to certify their membership in the UUA. Every year a fair number of UU churches miss this deadline, but this year no less than 100 UUA congregations have yet to certify their membership with the UUA's Data Services Department. Usually, most UUA congregations that do not certify the membership by the deadline do so in the weeks following, and this may well happen again this year, but I can't help but notice that no less than 15 UUA congregations in the so-called 'International District' have not yet certified their memberships, including 11 Canadian ones. Not only can I not help but notice this fact, but I honestly can't help but wonder if some, or even most, of these congregations will choose the fate of leaving the UUA this year. In fact I don't understand why a significant number of Canadian Unitarian churches have certified their membership in the UUA in the wake of the Canadian Unitarian Council supposedly becoming "independent" of the UUA.
It will be interesting to see just how many "bricks & mortar" congregations the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations will claim that it still has in 2014. Rev. Peter Morales was elected as President of the UUA on a campaign platform promising growth. Rev. Morales convinced Unitarian Universalists that he was the right person to elect as UUA President so that the religion that he himself described as "a tiny, declining, fringe religion" in his stump speech announcing his candidacy for UUA President could be transformed into what Rev. Morales called "The Religion For Our Time". So far there has not only been ZERO perceptible growth of Unitarian Universalism in America, but The Tiny Declining Fringe Religion is by most if not all counts tinier, declinier, and indeed quite a bit fringier than ever before. . .
At this point in time only 950 UUA congregations have officially certified their UUA membership in 2014.
Update: It is now the morning of Tuesday February 11, 2014, more than a week after the deadline for certification, yet only 973 UUA congregations have certified their membership in the UUA. No less than 74 congregations have not yet certified their membership, including 14 "International District" congregations.
It will be interesting to see just how many "bricks & mortar" congregations the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations will claim that it still has in 2014. Rev. Peter Morales was elected as President of the UUA on a campaign platform promising growth. Rev. Morales convinced Unitarian Universalists that he was the right person to elect as UUA President so that the religion that he himself described as "a tiny, declining, fringe religion" in his stump speech announcing his candidacy for UUA President could be transformed into what Rev. Morales called "The Religion For Our Time". So far there has not only been ZERO perceptible growth of Unitarian Universalism in America, but The Tiny Declining Fringe Religion is by most if not all counts tinier, declinier, and indeed quite a bit fringier than ever before. . .
At this point in time only 950 UUA congregations have officially certified their UUA membership in 2014.
Update: It is now the morning of Tuesday February 11, 2014, more than a week after the deadline for certification, yet only 973 UUA congregations have certified their membership in the UUA. No less than 74 congregations have not yet certified their membership, including 14 "International District" congregations.
| 8937 | UU Church of the Philippines Inc. (6200 Negros Oriental) |
| 9012 | The Unitarian Church of South Australia Inc. (NORWOOD SOUTH AUSTRALIA) |
| 8912 | Brussels UU Fellowship (Brussels) |
| 8918 | Auckland Unitarian Church |
| 8616 | Capital UU Congregation of Victoria (Victoria, BC) |
| 8615 | Arborg Unitarian Church (Arborg, MB) |
| 8623 | First UU Church of Winnipeg Inc. (Winnipeg, MB) |
| 8624 | Unitarian Fellowship of Fredericton (Fredericton, NB) |
| 8724 | The First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON) |
| 8731 | Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship (Thunder Bay, ON) |
| 8811 | Unitarian Fellowship of Sarnia & Port Huron (Sarnia, ON) |
| 8712 | The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton Inc. (Hamilton, ON) |
| 8723 | UU Fellowship of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON) |
| 8825 | UU Church of North Hatley (North Hatley, QC) |
| 8834 | Unitarian Congregation of Saskatoon (Saskatoon, SK) |
Comments
I would not be surprised if they reported phony numbers in April to show some modest growth. Like a Chicago election, the dead can still vote as they have nowhere to go.
JO
It looks like your prediction may have been proven largely true by the following "pre-emptive" membership levels report that was posted to the UU World website on March 24, 2014.
http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/294541.shtml
It does not show any growth, but is shows only a modest decline in individual memberships and no loss of UUA congregations. This reports claim that the UUA has 1,047 congregations (the same number as reported last year) is belied by the fact that the UUA Data Services web site currently lists only 990 UUA congregations as certified, with 57 remaining non certified. I think I will just sit back and wait another month for UUA President Peter Morales' official report on UUA membership levels during the April 2014 UUA Board of Trustees meeting. I expect that Rev. Morales will be obliged to report to the UUA Board that the UUA has lost a fair number of congregations that chose not to certify their membership for one reason or another.