Allies for Racial Equity, ARE@UUCT, thanks the congregation for engaging with the 8th Principle over the past nine months. We thank UUCT members for adopting the principle as a congregation at the Annual Meeting on May 22. Quite a few other congregations adopted the principle in May, with the total number of adoptions by UU groups, mostly congregations, now totaling 188.

We thank everyone who took the time to learn more about the 8th Principle by talking over the phone with an ARE member, attending a small group discussion, reading our Meridian articles and UUCT website reflections, and listening to our Sunday 8th Principle Moments. We’d also like to thank those who participated by speaking up at the two congregational meetings in May and those who voted. Whether UUCT members voted for or against adoption of the principle, they were part of the democratic process. In particular, we thank those who gave the 8th Principle wording careful consideration because that is important input for the UUA Article II Commission as they review the Association’s purposes, principles, and sources. The input is also important for incorporating the 8th Principle into our UUCT Covenant of Right Relations. Finally, we especially thank the members of UUCT’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Group for their inspiration and advice along the way for the past two years.

We’ll celebrate at a Sunday service later this month before embarking on the 8th Principle journey as a congregation.