UUs Around the World

The Unitarian Universalist Association, of which we are a member congregation, also has a large number of affiliate organizations. One is the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council. To quote their website: “The UUPCC was founded in June 1993 to focus and coordinate the enormous grassroots energy of dozens of UU churches which had formed partnerships with Unitarian churches in Central Europe following the collapse of Communism . . .

The PCC now supports the partnerships of almost 200 North American UU churches with Unitarians and Universalists in Transylvania , Hungary , the Czech Republic , the Khasi Hills of India , the Philippines and Poland . . . Activities of the Partner Church program are carried on by hundreds of volunteers at the congregation and district levels.”

Starr King Church was partnered about six years ago with a congregation in a small village called Samoyaw in the Philippines . A committee of interested folks from our congregation was established to initiate communication and explore ways of dialogue and learning between our two churches.

They were able to exchange pictures and information, and we both sent and received small gifts and handiwork. Rev. Fred Muir, an authority on the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines ( UUCP is the larger governing body of all Filipino congregations), came to our church to share his love and enthusiasm for the tenacity and deep faith of the people of these congregations. I had hoped to travel to our partner congregation but was not able to secure funding for the trip. At its September meeting, our board voted to dissolve the partnership arrangement, after a number of years of committee dormancy. I will be following up with the Samoyaw congregation to share with them my regrets that we are not currently able to continue our arrangement. I hope they will be able to find another partner. In the future, there may be energy here to undertake another new partnership. In the meantime, I hope you will take a few moments to peruse the Partner Church website at www.uupcc.org. All interested Unitarian Universalists are invited to become individual members. It’s good to know that we have relationships with Unitarian Universalists around the world and that there exists an organization that is committed to furthering mutually beneficial partnerships. In global faith, ~Katie

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