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Unitarian Universalism
"It Happened at Syracuse" - A District Conference celebrating the Birth and
Growth
of Unitarian Universalism is coming to Syracuse, NY
Fifty years ago, shortly before noon on Saturday, October 31, 1959, a very important vote was taken in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Syracuse, in Syracuse, New York. After years of discussion, representatives of what was then the American Unitarian Association (AUA) and the Universalist Church of America (UCA) overcame the final obstacle and voted to adopt a common statement of purpose and a formal Plan for Consolidation, creating the new "Unitarian Universalist Association." Exactly 50 years later, we will gather in the very same Ballroom that they did to examine what they accomplished, how far we have come since 1959, and how far we have yet to travel.
The 2009 Conference at Syracuse will: • Relive the music, liturgy, faith practices and actions of that historic period. • Revisit significant events leading up to the Conference at Syracuse. • Explore the growth of the UU movement in the past 50 years. • Consider the nature of our faith and the threads that weave our theological diversity into a common identity. • Help us embrace the challenges we face in working to advance our future as a unique religious people with something to offer the world.
In conference general sessions, workshops, and worship, four questions will guide our quest: 1. Where did we come from? 2. What has happened since the 1959 Conference at Syracuse? 3. What do our principles, purposes and practices say about our identity? 4. What is our future? Four prominent UU scholars will be on hand to share their insights and perspectives about the meaning of "What Happened at Syracuse." The Revs. David Bumbaugh, David Parke, Richard Gilbert and Elizabeth Strong have each played important leadership roles in the growth of the Unitarian Universalist movement. They will bring a considerable body of experience and great insight to bear on these four questions.
Registration and more details Please see the links above right to read much more about the Conference at Syracuse and to print the brochure with registration form. Registration for the conference will be limited to 200 people & will close on October 16. The 2009 Conference at Syracuse is supported in part by a grant from the New York State Council of Universalists.
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