The Growing Unitarian Universalism Blog And UUA President Rev. Dr. Peter Morales' Empty Presidential Campaign Promises - What's The Connection?

The Growing Unitarian Universalism blog managed by Rev. Tandi Rogers published graphics based on the most recent official UUA membership statistics on Friday October 9th 2015 in a Growing U*U (formerly U*U Growth) blog post entitled -

By The Numbers: but are we growing?


The graphics conclusively show that not only is Unitarian Universalism NOT growing, but that U*Uism is clearly in decline in terms of adult membership in UUA congregations, the total number of those  UUA congregations (currently 143), average attendance at UU Sunday services and last, and apparently least too. . . enrollment of children in UU Religious Education programs.

In fact Rev. Tandi Rogers reports that -

"Religious Education is dropping significantly. And this is a ministry we are known to do well. Your Congregational Life staff and the Liberal Religious Educators Association are alarmed, too and trying to figure out what this means for us. When I was with my research counterparts in August we were all wringing our hands about the decline in children and youth.  It’s everywhere."

So where do UUA President Rev. Dr. Peter Morales' presidential campaign promises come into this U*Us ask?

Well, if I remember correctly, and I am pretty sure that I DO remember correctly. . . Rev. Peter Morales campaigned for presidency of the UUA on a campaign platform that promised significant growth of the "tiny, declining, fringe religion" known as The U*U Movement aka Unitarian Universalism under his leadership. Indeed he insisted that he was the presidential candidate most qualified to transform Unitarian Universalism from "a tiny, declining, fringe religion" into "THE Religion For Our Time", but here U*Us are 7 or so "less than lucky" years later every bit as much "a tiny, declining, fringe religion" as they were when Rev. Peter Morales promised them that he was the man who would make U*Uism "THE Religion Of Our Time." In fact The Tiny Declining Fringe Religion now has about 6,000 fewer adult members, 4 fewer congregations, and a whopping 10,000 fewer children attending UU RE programs aka U*U Sunday school than it did when Rev. Peter Morales presented himself as a candidate for President of the UUA in 2008.

Well done Rev. Dr. Peter Morales!

When Rev. Peter Morales campaigned to be UUA President in 2008-2009 the UUA had almost 160,000 adult members, it now has less than 154,000 adult members.

When Rev. Peter Morales campaigned to be UUA President in 2008-2009 the UUA had almost 57,000 children enrolled in its Religious Education programs, it now has less than 47,000 RE enrollments.

Can U*Us say "FAIL"?






Comments

Eruonen said…
Could it be that UUs are aborting themselves into oblivion?
Food for thought.
Robin Edgar said…
That may well be a contributing factor to the ongoing stagnation, and in fact increasing decline of membership in The U*U Movement aka Unitarian Universalism, perhaps especially in terms of the very significant decline in U*Uism's "Religious Education" enrollments, but it is FAR from being the only reason why very few persons of inherent worth and dignity choose the fate of joining The U*U Movement and becoming card-carrying U*Us. There's the snobbish and cliquish exclusionary classism and elitism etc. that drives many people away from U*U "churches", the anti-Christian and more broadly anti-religious intolerance and bigotry that makes many liberal Christians and other God believing people anything BUT welcome in many U*U "Welcoming Congregations", the UUA's past and ongoing FAILure (indeed it's ongoing outright refusal...) to deal responsibly with U*U clergy misconduct in a manner that even remotely resembles "justice, equity and compassion in human relations", and the glaringly obvious two-faced hypocrisy on numerous issues that is SO prevalent in The Tiny Declining Fringe Religion™. Did I forget to mention the "holier-than-thou" self-righteousness of SO many U*Us who have brainwashed themselves into believing that The U*U Movement is morally & ethically superior to the "obsolete religions" on the planet?

The hubris.

The Big Fat U*U HU*Ubris. . .