Our Larger Association

Each Unitarian Universalist congregation is independent. The wonky term for it is “congregational polity.” Unlike those with say, episcopal polity, (like the Catholic church), each congregation sets their own rules, calls their own ministers … and pays their own bills! We do not have Bishops overseeing what we do.

But we are also interdependent with the other UU congregations. I meet monthly with the other UU ministers in Central Texas, we often have shared programs like OWL, and we collaborate. All of the UU congregations make up the UUA, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. (Fun pedantic fact: you are not a member of the UUA, and neither am I. Membership is by congregations, not individuals.)

I encourage you to learn more about the larger UU world … starting with UU World magazine. If you’re a member of Live Oak, you should receive a copy in the mail once a quarter, but they also have an online presence.

The UUA website is a wealth of riches, with UU history, current events, educational programs, leadership development, and more. (Even UU Role-Playing Games!)

Did you know that you can work for the UUA? They list jobs and volunteer opportunities here.

And, if you travel this summer, it’s always fun to drop in at a UU congregation for their Sunday service. You can find one near you at Find a Congregation.