General Assembly 2020

This page is under construction. General Assembly events are available below in reverse chronological order
Friday: 1:30-2:45 pm: General Assembly General Session 4 (details below).
6:00-7:00 pm: General Assembly Synergy Bridging Worship (details below).
Saturday: 1:30-2:45 pm: General Assembly General Session 5 (details below).
4:00-5:00 pm: General Assembly General Session 6 (details below).
Sunday, 10:00-11:00 am: General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship Service (details below).

Sunday, June 28:
Worship Service at General Assembly (Events 501, 503.1)
(no Forum or Religious Education Zoom meetings today)

Click the red Play button to watch and listen. Move your mouse to the bottom of the video to pause, adjust volume and go to full-screen mode. (If it does not play smoothly, change the quality settings to 240p.)

Order of Service:

“Beyond the Water’s Edge”
These are uncertain and volatile times. These are times that call on us to work towards our collective
liberation while also tending to our spiritual needs and caring for others. How do we ready ourselves
for what is being asked of us? How do we keep moving even when we don’t feel ready?

Gathering Music

Honoring the Land and Welcome Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

Call to Worship and Chalice Lighting Rev. Joan Javier-Duval and
Rev. Mykal Slack

Opening Song “We Are...” by Ysaye Barnwell GA Virtual Choir
directed by Benjie Messer
Soloist: Dr. Ysaye Barnwell
A Message for Us All Rev. Mykal Slack

Offering Tomaquag Museum
Testimonial from Lorén Spears, Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum
Flute music by Ridge E. Spears

Meditation and Prayer Rev. Mykal Slack

Responsive Music “Deep River” trad. African-American spiritual Philip Rogers,
Nivek Anderson

Reading adapted selection from Three Dreams in a Desert Clyde Grubbs
by Olive Schreiner Aja Davis
Yuri Yamamoto

Anthem “Tomorrow” by Kate Miner GA Virtual Choir

Sermon Beyond the Water’s Edge Rev. Joan Javier-Duval

Closing Song “Keep On Moving Forward” by Pat Humphries Emma’s Revolution

Benediction Rev. Joan Javier-Duval

The Unitarian Universalist Association's General Assembly
is available in part on this website. More details about these events are below.

Click the red play button below to watch and listen.

Saturdy, 4:00-5:00 pm: General Session 6 (event 414 )

Move your mouse to the bottom of the video to pause, adjust volume and go to full-screen mode. (If it does not play smoothly, change the quality settings to 240p.)

In case of technical difficulties, live responses will be posted here. If that happens, you will need to refresh this page in order to read the latest response. Sometimes all it takes is to refresh the screen and hit the play button.

General Session 6
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Final Reports from Chaplains and Right Relationship Teams
Courageous Love Awards
Co-Moderators’ Report
Installation of Incoming Co-Moderators
Appreciation of Co-Moderators Rev. Mr. Barb Greve and Elandria Williams
Words of Thanks
Invitation to GA 2021
GA Theme—Rooted, Inspired, and Ready to Act
Final Credentials Report

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend. The following events will be streamed live on this page.

Test your system in advance by watching any video on the UUA's YouTube channel.
Read more about General Assembly...  Download the program book...
The complete schedule is available at www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/2020_grid_east.pdf

Music at GA

Musicians at a recent GA. (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

GA is a very musical event, with congregational singing and special musical performances always an important part of worship services and interspersed throughout the general sessions and included in some of the workshops..

2019 GA choir (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

2019 GA band (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

Wednesday evening, Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon, June 24 - 27: General Sessions

Delegates voting at a previous year's general session. (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

These are the sessions during which the business of the Association is conducted, moderated by Mr. Barb Greve and Elandria Williams. The schedule is:
1. Wednesday, 8:45 pm to 9:30 pm
2. Thursday, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
3. Thursday, 4 pm to 5 pm Commission on Institutional Change Report (File available to download below.)
4. Friday, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
5. Saturday, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
6. Saturday, 4 pm to 5 pm
Agendas for these sessions are listed on pages 64 and 65 of the program book, available here...

commission_on_institutional_change_report_widening_the_circle-text_with_covers.pdf
File Size:	1651 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

This Sunday, June 28, at 10 am:
Worship Service from Virtual General Assembly
(no Forum or Religious Education Zoom meetings today)

Rev. Joan Javier-Duval

Join us for the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. This powerful, communal worship experience will stream live right here. Each year a talented group of choral singers performs at the Sunday Morning Worship for the General Assembly audience. Worship Leader is Rev. Mykal O'Neal Slack and the sermon will be given by Rev. Joan Javier-Duval. The worship service will include a collection for the Tomaquag Museum, an indigenous museum featuring an extensive collection and archive of Southern New England tribal communities.

Rev. Mikal O'Neal Slak

Music during the Sunday Morning Worship Service

2017 Sunday Morning Worship in New Orleans, Louisiana (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

Benjie Messer, music director at the Sunday morning worship service

For many, singing in the choir is a key part of coming together as UUs at General Assembly. This year, instead of joining voices in person, the choir members will join in a virtual choir! Each singer will record a video of themselves singing, and those individual videos will be edited into one glorious combined video to be premiered during GA’s Sunday Morning worship service.

An example of what such a virtual choir might look and sound like is shown below. Click the Play button in the middle to start the video. Volume, settings and full screen buttons are at the bottom of the video. (If it does not play smoothly, change the quality settings to 240p.)

In their 11th year performing and exhibiting at General Assembly, the duo of Emma's Revolution notes that they will be leading the final song, with two wonderful guest musicians!

General Assembly events are available below in reverse chronological order
Friday: 1:30-2:45 pm: General Assembly General Session 4 (details below).
6:00-7:00 pm: General Assembly Synergy Bridging Worship (details below).
Saturday: 1:30-2:45 pm: General Assembly General Session 5 (details below).
4:00-5:00 pm: General Assembly General Session 6 (details below).
Sunday, 10:00-11:00 am: General Assembly Sunday Morning Worship Service (details below).

Saturdy, 1:30-2:45 pm: General Session 5 (event 413 )

GA Theme—Rooted, Inspired, and Ready
Installation of Elected Volunteers to the Board of Trustees, General Assembly Planning Committee, and Nominating Committee
Voting Process Review
Consideration of Actions of Immediate Witness
Responsive Resolutions (if any)

Synergy Bridging Worship (Event 322)

Synergy Bridging Worship at GA 2017. (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

Bridging (the transition out of youth communities and into young adulthood) is a moment of transformation. Join us for this public worship honoring those bridging, and reaffirm our commitment to multigenerational community. This year's service, planned by youth and young adults, explores this moment through a metaphor of compost.
This is a transformative multi-generational worship. Come be inspired and illuminated at a celebration of treasured worship elements, rites of passage and brilliant contemporary musical performances.

Part One: “Held in Love / In the compost heap”
Opening, Welcome, & Chalice Lighting
Reflection: “Returning to Wisdom”
Collection: The Katie Tyson Fund for Young & Young Adult Ministry
Song: “Lean on Me”

Part Two: “Transformed by Spirit / Becoming soil”
Reflection: “To Change & Be Changed”
Prayer & Meditation
Ceremony of Bridging
Song: “There’s a River”

Part Three: “Living in Faith / Nourishing the garden”
Reflection: “Sending You Forth”
Charge to the Gathered Congregation
Closing Words
Song: “Building A New Way”

Move your mouse to the bottom of the video to pause, adjust volume and go to full-screen mode. (If it does not play smoothly, change the quality settings to 240p.)

Friday, 1:30-2:45 pm: General Session 4 (event 315 )

Agenda General Session 4

Call to Order
Opening Words
GA Theme—Rooted Inspiration
Chaplains, GA Planning Committee, Right Relationship Team Updates
Voting Process Review
Rules Review
Bylaw Amendments
Music
Business Resolutions
Closing Words
Announcements

6:00-7:00 pm: Service of the Living Tradition (event 216)

2018 Service of the Living Tradition (Photo by Nancy Pierce/UUA)

Led by the Ministries and Faith Development Staff Group, this service honors fellowshipped and credentialed religious leaders; remembering those who have died, recognizing those who have completed active service - we expect our former minister, Roger Fritts, to be included among these - and welcoming those who have received fellowship or credentialed status in the past year.

The sermon will be delivered by Rev. Danielle Di Bona. She is the former President of the Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM).. Music Director for this service is Dr. Zanaida Stewart Robles, a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion in music education and performance. She serves on the national board of the National Association of Negro Musicians.

4:00-5:00 pm: General Session 3: Report by Commission on Institutional Change (event 214)
(details below, including the report).

commission_on_institutional_change_report_widening_the_circle-text_with_covers.pdf
File Size:	1651 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

General Session 2: (event 213)

Agenda of General Sessions 2:

General Session 2
1:30 - 2:45 p.m.
- GA Theme—Roots
- Preliminary Credentials Report
- President’s Report
- Special Collection: UU the Vote
- Commission on Social Witness Report
- Presentation of Actions of Immediate Witness
- Framing for Breakout Groups

General Session 1 (event 105)

Agenda of General Session 1

Call to Order
Welcome
Libations—honoring those who have come before
Introduction: GA Youth / Youth Caucus
Introduction: YA@GA—Young Adults at General Assembly
Introduction: Chaplains
Introduction: Right Relationship Team
Introduction: Accessibility
Adoption of Rules of Procedure
Closing Words

Sunday, June 28: Worship Service at General Assembly (Events 501, 503.1)​(no Forum or Religious Education Zoom meetings today)

Music at GA

Wednesday evening, Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon, June 24 - 27: General Sessions

This Sunday, June 28, at 10 am: Worship Service from Virtual General Assembly​(no Forum or Religious Education Zoom meetings today)

Music during the Sunday Morning Worship Service

6:00-7:00 pm: Service of the Living Tradition (event 216)

Sunday, June 28:
Worship Service at General Assembly (Events 501, 503.1)
(no Forum or Religious Education Zoom meetings today)

This Sunday, June 28, at 10 am:
Worship Service from Virtual General Assembly
(no Forum or Religious Education Zoom meetings today)