International Council of Unitarians and Universalists

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International Council of Unitarians and Universalists
Abbreviation ICUU
Formation March 23-26, 1995
Type religious organization
Location Global
President Rev. Brian Kiely
Website http://icuu.net/

The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) is a world council bringing together Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists. The original initiative for its establishment was contained in a resolution of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches of the United Kingdom in 1987. This led to the establishment of the "Advocates for the Establishment of an International Organization of Unitarians" (AEIOU), which worked towards the establishment of the council. The Rev. David Usher, a British Unitarian minister of Australian origin, proposed the 1987 resolution. However, the General Assembly resolution provided no funding.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) became particularly interested in the establishment of a council when it had to deal with an increasing number of applications for membership from congregations outside North America. It had already granted membership to congregations in Adelaide, Auckland, the Philippines and Pakistan, and congregations in Sydney, Russia and Spain had applied for membership. Rather than admit congregations from all over the world, the UUA hoped that they would join a world council instead. The UUA thus became willing to provide funding for the council's establishment.

As a result, the council was finally established at a meeting in Essex, Massachusetts on March 23-26, 1995. Rev. David Usher became the ICUU's first President.

The size of the member organizations varies widely. Some member groups have only a few hundred members; while the largest, the Unitarian Universalist Association, has over 200,000 members and is larger than all the other member groups put together.

Contents

[edit] Members

[edit] Members

The Unitarian Universalists of Russia were a founding member of the ICUU. Its membership in the Council was officially dropped in 2007 because of persistent lack of activity.

[edit] Provisional members

Churches and religious associations which have expressed their will to become members of the Council may be admitted as "Provisional Members" for a period of time (generally 2 or 4 years), until the Council decides that they have shown their organizational stability, affinity with the ICUU principles and commitment to deserve becoming Full Members of the Council. Provisional Members are invited to Council meetings through a delegate but cannot vote.

The following organizations have been accepted by the ICUU Executive Committee but they have not yet been ratified by the Council Meeting:

[edit] Emerging Groups

According to the Bylaws of the ICUU, Emerging Groups are "applicants that are deemed to be reasonable prospects for membership, but do not fulfil the conditions of either Provisional membership or Full Membership". These groups may be designated as Emerging Groups by the Executive Committee upon its sole discretion. Emerging Groups may be invited as observers to General Meetings.

The current list of Emerging Groups after the last meeting of the Executive Committee (London, 22-25 November, 2008) is as follows:

[edit] Associates

Organizations with beliefs and purposes closely akin to those of ICUU but which by nature of their constitution are not eligible for full membership or which do not wish to become full members now or in the foreseeable future, may become Associates of the ICUU. The application must be approved by the ICUU Council Meeting.

The current list of Associates is as follows:

The following organizations have been accepted by the ICUU Executive Committee but they have not yet been ratified by the Council Meeting:

[edit] Unitarian groups which are in contact but with no formal link to the ICUU

[edit] Principles and purposes

The Preamble to the Constitution of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists reads:

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 in human relations,
  • 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 upholds our common values.

[edit] See also

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[edit] External links

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