Canadian Unitarian Council

{{Infobox religion

|name= Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada

|image= Canadian Unitarian Council logo.svg

|imagewidth=

|caption= The official logo of the CUC, based upon the flaming chalice motif and featuring a maple leaf

|abbreviation= CUC

|main_classification= Unitarian Universalism

|orientation=

|polity= Congregational

|founder=

|leader_title= Executive Director

|leader_name= Vyda Ng

|founded_date= May 14, 1961

|associations=

|area= Canada

|headquarters= 302-192 Spadina Avenue Toronto, Ontario, Canada

|congregations = 43 (includes emerging groups)

|members=3,804

|ministers=

|publications = The Canadian Unitarian, Canadian Unitarian eNews

|website=

|footnotes=

}}

The Canadian Unitarian Council () (CUC) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations in Canada. The CUC was organized on May 14, 1961, one day before the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, two denominations active in both the U.S. and Canada, consolidated to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

Initially the CUC was the suborganization for Canadians belonging to the UUA. However, in 2002, the CUC formally became an independent denomination from the UUA, although the UUA continues to provide ministerial settlement services and remains the primary source for education and theological resources. The CUC: From Colony to Nation, 1961-2002

Some Canadian congregations maintain dual-affiliation with the CUC and the UUA, while most congregations are only members of the CUC. The Canadian Unitarian Council is the only national body for Unitarian Universalist congregations in Canada and was one of the seventeen members of the now defunct International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (1995–2021).Daniel McKanan, "Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism", Religion Compass 7/1 (2013), 15.

Current Unitarian Universalism in the CUC has progressed beyond its historic roots in liberal Christianity, being defined as non-creedal, drawing syncretic wisdom from various religions and philosophies. Non-Christian influences include religious humanism, nontheism, pantheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Earth-centered spirituality. YouTube: You're a Uni-What? The CUC regards itself as an LGBTQ-affirming denomination.

Organization

thumb|right|220px|A map of the four CUC regions

The CUC is made up of 43 member congregations and emerging groups, who are the legal owners of the organization, and who are, for governance and service delivery, divided into four regions: "BC" (British Columbia), "Western" (Alberta to Thunder Bay), "Central" (between Thunder Bay and Kingston), and "Eastern" (Kingston, Ottawa and everything east of that).Regions of the CUC However, for youth ministry, the "Central" and "Eastern" regions are combined to form a youth region known as "QuOM" (Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes), giving the youth only three regions for their activities.Regions and Congregations The organization as a whole is governed by the CUC Board of Trustees (Board), whose mandate it is to govern in the best interests of the CUC's owners. The Board is made up of eight members who are elected by congregational delegates at the CUC's Annual General Meeting. This consists of two Trustees from each region, who are eligible to serve a maximum of two three-year terms. Board meetings also include Official Observers to the Board, who participate without a vote and represent UU Youth and Ministers.

Service delivery

As members of the CUC, congregations and emerging groups are served by volunteer Service Consultants, Congregational Networks, and a series of other committees. There are two directors of regional services, one for the Western two regions, and one for the Eastern two regions. Youth and young adults are served by a Youth and Young Adult Ministry Development staff of two.

Annual conference and meeting

Policies and business of the CUC are determined at the Annual Conference and Meeting (ACM), consisting of the Bi-Annual Conference, in which workshops are held, and the Annual General Meeting, in which business matters and plenary meetings are performed. The ACM features two addresses, a Keynote and a Confluence Lecture. The Confluence Lecture is comparable to the UUA's Ware Lecture in prestige. In early days this event simply consisted of the Annual General Meeting component as the Annual Conference component was not added to much later. And starting in 2017 the conference portion will only take place every second year. Past ACMs have been held in the following locations:

{| class="wikitable"

!Date||Location||Theme||Keynote||Confluence Lecturer

|1985

|London, ON

|1986

|1987

|1988

|Saskatoon, SK

|1989

|Hamilton, ON

|1990

|Vancouver, BC

|1991

|Winnipeg, MB

|1992

|Montreal, QC

|1993

|Ottawa, ON

|1994

|Edmonton, AB

|1995

|Toronto, ON

|1996

|Halifax, NS

|1997

|Thunder Bay, ON

|1998

|Victoria, BC

|1999

|Mississauga, ON

|2000

|Calgary, AB

|May 18–21, 2001

|Montreal, QC

|Growing Together In Diversity and Strength

|May 17–20, 2002

|Kelowna, BC

|Widening Our Vision | Renewing Our Strength

|David Crawley

|May 16–19, 2003

|Winnipeg, MB

|Getting to the Heart of It

|Rabbi Neal Rose and Carol Rose

|Rev. Dr. John W. Baros-Johnson

|May 21–24, 2004

|Edmonton, AB

|We Are the New Pioneers

||Honourable Lois Hole

|Rev. Ray Drennan

|May 20–23, 2005

|Hamilton, ON

|Getting To Know UU

|Susan Walsh

|Rev. Susan Van Dreser

|May 19–22, 2006

|Saint John, NB

|Riding the UU Tide

|Dr. Allan Sharp

|Rev. Peter Boulatta

|May 18–21, 2007

|Vancouver, BC

|Diversity in Community

|Rev. Bill Phipps

|Rev. Christine E. Hillman

|May 16–19, 2008

|Ottawa, ON

|The Web of Life – In our Hands

|Will Brewer and Allison Brewer

||Rev. Meg Roberts and Rev. Brian Kiely

|May 15–18, 2009

|Thunder Bay, ON

|Answering the Call

|Rev. Chris Buice

|Rev. Dr. Stephen

|May 21–24, 2010

|Victoria, BC

|How Shall We Live?

|Dr. Paul Bramadat

|Rev. Jane Bramadat and Rev. Wayne Walder

|May 20–23, 2011

|Toronto, ON

|Trust the Dawning Future

|David K. Foot

|Rev. Diane Rollert

|May 18–20, 2012^

|Ottawa, ON

|Spiritual Leadership Symposium

|Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom

|May 17–19, 2013

|Calgary, AB

|Diversity: Creating a Shared Understanding

|Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed

|Rev. Shawn Newton

|May 16–18, 2014

|Montreal, QC

|Building Beloved CommUUnities: Sacred Spaces Beyond Walls

|Rev. Meg Riley

|Rev. Carly Gaylor and Rev. Jeffrey Brown

|May 15–17, 2015

|Ottawa, ON

|Seeking Justice in a Changing Land

||Matt Meyer

|Rev. Stephen Atkinson

|May 20–22, 2016

|Vancouver, BC

|Bolder Ways of Being

|Rev. Melora Lyngood

|May, 2018

|Hamilton, ON

|May, 2019

|Toronto, ON

|May, 2020

|Virtual

|May, 2021

|Virtual

|May 19–21, 2023

|Ottawa, ON

|Living into the 8th Principle

|Albert Dumont

|Rev. Julie Stoneberg

^Not an ACM, but an "Annual General Meeting" and "Symposium", and unlike ACMs it was organized by the CUC and the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada instead of a local congregation. #Not a keynote presenter or lecturer, rather a symposium "provocateur". *Upcoming locations

Principles and sources

The CUC does not have a central creed in which members are required to believe, but they have found it useful to articulate their common values in what has become known as The Principles and Sources of our Religious Faith, which are currently based on the UUA's former Principles and Sources with the addition of an 8th principle adopted by CUC members at a special meeting on November 27, 2021. The CUC had a task force whose mandate was to consider revising them.

The principles and sources as published in church literature and on the CUC website:

{{blockquote|

The Principles and Sources of our Religious Faith

Principles

We, the member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council, covenant to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part;

Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions.

Sources

The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:

Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbours as ourselves;

Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;

Spiritual teachings of Earth-centred traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.}}

Formation and relationship to the Unitarian Universalist Association

The CUC formed on May 14, 1961, to be the national organization for Canadians within the about-to-form UUA (it formed a day later on May 15, 1961). And until 2002, almost all member congregations of the CUC were also members of the UUA and most services to CUC member congregations were provided by the UUA. However, after an agreement between the UUA and the CUC, since 2002 most services have been provided by the CUC to its own member congregations, with the UUA continuing to provide ministerial settlement services. And also since 2002, some Canadian congregations have continued to be members of both the UUA and CUC while others are members of only the CUC.

The Canadian Unitarian Universalist youth of the day disapproved of the 2002 change in relationship between the CUC and UUA. It is quite evident in the words of this statement, which was adopted by the attendees of the 2001 youth conference held at the Unitarian Church of Montreal:

We the youth of Canada are deeply concerned about the direction the CUC seems to be taking. As stewards of our faith, adults have a responsibility to take into consideration the concerns of youth. We are opposed to making this massive jump in our evolutionary progress.

Canadian Unitarian Universalist Women's Association

The Canadian Unitarian Universalist Women's Association (CUUWA), established in May 2011, is a women's rights organization associated with the CUC. The CUUWA gained initial support from Prairie Women's Gathering and the Vancouver Island Women's retreat, and has since become a nationally recognized organization.

Mission

Originally called the Canadian Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, the organization aims to raise awareness for women's education, rights, and equality of income. The association also aims to change societal attitudes about women and inform society of the issues women have faced locally and internationally. As a part of their mission, the CUUWA circulates educational materials that highlight women's contributions to society. The organization hosts an annual general meeting during the Canadian Unitarian Council Annual Conference.

List of Unitarian Universalist Congregations

{| class="wikitable"

! Congregation Name

! Province

! Origins

! Year Founded Hewitt, Phillip (1978 1st Edition, 1995 2nd Edition). "Unitarians in Canada", Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

! Year Closed (if applicable)

! External Link

| Beacon Unitarian Church

| New Westminster, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1983

| http://beaconunitarian.org/

| Comox Valley Unitarian Fellowship

| Comox, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1961

| http://www.cvuf.ca/

| Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

| Victoria, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1996

| http://www.unitariancongregation.org/capital/

| First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo

| Nanaimo, British Columbia

| Unitarian

| 1959

| http://ufon.ca/

| Kelowna Unitarians

| Kelowna, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1965

| http://www.kelownaunitarians.ca/

| Nelson Unitarian Spiritual Centre

| Nelson, British Columbia

| Unitarian

| 1959

| https://www.facebook.com/NUSCWELCOME/

| North Okanagan Unitarian Church

| Vernon, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1963

| 2006

| North Shore Unitarian Church

| North Vancouver, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1967

| https://www.northshoreunitarians.ca/

| Unitarian Fellowship of The Cowichan Valley

| Duncan, British Columbia

| Unitarian

| 1958

| 2006

| Unitarian Fellowship of Salt Spring Island

| Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 2003

| http://unitariancongregation.org/saltspring/

| Unitarian Universalist Community of Victoria

| Victoria, British Columbia

| Unitarian

| 1950

| http://victoriaunitarian.ca/

| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kamloops

| Kamloops, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1963

| 2022

| Unitarian Universalists of the Salish Sea

| North Vancouver, British Columbia

| Unitarian Universalism

| 2024

| http://www.uusalishsea.ca/

| Vancouver Unitarians

| Vancouver, British Columbia

| Unitarian

| 1909

| http://vancouverunitarians.ca/

| Calgary Unitarians

| Calgary, Alberta

| Unitarian

| 1951

| https://calgaryunitarians.ca/

| Unitarian Church of Edmonton

| Edmonton, Alberta

| Unitarian

| 1951

| http://www.uce.ca/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Red Deer

| Red Deer, Alberta

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1966

| 2019

| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lethbridge

| Lethbridge, Alberta

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1966

| 2021

| Westwood Unitarian Congregation

| Edmonton, Alberta

| Unitarian

| 1982

| http://www.westwoodunitarian.ca/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Regina

| Regina, Saskatchewan

| Unitarian

| 1952

| https://reginaunitarians.ca/

| Saskatoon Unitarians

| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

| Unitarian

| 1956

| https://ucsaskatoon.org/

| Wynyard Unitarian Church

| Wynyard, Saskatchewan

| Icelandic Lutheran Synod

| 1906

| 2011

| Arborg Unitarian Church

| Arborg, Manitoba

| Icelandic Lutheran Synod

| 1891 (switched to Unitarian)https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/arborgunitarian.shtml

| First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg

| Winnipeg, Manitoba

| Unitarian and Icelandic Lutheran Synod

| 1891

| http://www.uuwinnipeg.mb.ca/

| Gimli Unitarians

| Gimli, Manitoba

| Icelandic Lutheran Synod

| 1891 (switched to Unitarian)

| 2024

| Albert Schweitzer Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

| London, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 2000

| Don Heights Unitarian Congregation

| Toronto, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1954/1955 (merger of Birch Cliff and Don Mills)

| http://www.donheights.ca/

| Elora and Fergus Unitarian Universalist Church

| Elora, Ontario and Fergus, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 2000

| 2020

| First Unitarian Church of Hamilton

| Hamilton, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1949

| https://uuhamilton.ca/

| First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa

| Ottawa, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1898

| http://www.firstunitarianottawa.ca/

| First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto

| Toronto, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1845

| http://www.firstunitariantoronto.org/

| Grand River Unitarian Congregation

| Kitchener, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1956

| https://www.grandriverunitarian.ca/

| Huronia Unitarian Fellowship

| Orillia, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1959

| https://www.huuf.ca/

| Kingston Unitarian Fellowship

| Kingston, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1958

| http://www.kuf.ca/

| Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship

| Thunder Bay, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1958

| http://www.luf.ca/

| Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation

| Toronto, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1999

| https://nuuc.ca/

| Quinte Unitarian Fellowship

| Belleville, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 2001

| Stratford Unitarians

| Stratford, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| https://unitarianstratford.org/

| Unitarian Congregation of Guelph

| Guelph, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1959

| https://guelph-unitarians.com/

| Unitarian Congregation of Niagara

| St. Catharines, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1954

| http://www.unitarian-stcatharines.org/

| Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga

| Mississauga, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1954

| http://uucm.ca/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Chatham

| Chatham, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1966

| 1989

| Unitarian Fellowship of London

| London, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1953

| http://www.unitarianfellowshipoflondon.org/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Northwest Toronto

| Toronto, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1959

| http://www.ufnwt.com/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough

| Peterborough, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1961

| https://peterboroughunitarian.ca//

| Unitarian Fellowship of Sarnia-Port Huron

| Sarnia, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1959

| https://www.uusarnia.com/

| Unitarian Universalist Church of Olinda

| Olinda, Ontario

| Universalist

| 1880

| -

| http://uuolinda.org/

| Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Durham

| Pickering, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1997

| http://www.uucd.ca/

| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Discovery (Unitarian Church of Port Dover)

| Port Dover, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1860

| 2000

| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa

| Ottawa, Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1996

| http://uufo.org/

| Unitarian Universalist International Fellowship of Sault Ste. Marie

| Ontario

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1966

| 1989

| Unitarian Universalists of Windsor Region

| Windsor, Ontario

| Unitarian

| 1958

| 2010

| Huntingville Universalist Church

| , Quebec

| Universalist

| 1845

| 1951

| Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Congregation

| Lachine, Quebec (formerly Beaconsfield, Quebec)

| Unitarian

| 1953

| http://luuc.org/

| Unitarian Church of Montreal

| Montreal, Quebec

| Unitarian

| 1832

| http://www.ucmtl.ca/

| Unitarian Universalist Church of North Hatley

| North Hatley, Quebec

| Universalist

| 1886

| http://www.uuestrie.ca/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Fredericton

| Fredericton, New Brunswick

| Unitarian

| 1959

| http://www.uff.ca/

| Unitarian Fellowship of Moncton

| Moncton, New Brunswick

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1966

| 1996

| Unitarian Universalist Church of Saint John

| Saint John, New Brunswick

| Universalist

| 1874 / 1963

| 1906 / 2023

| Unitarian Fellowship of Prince Edward Island

| Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1988

| 2017

| Universalist Unitarian Community of Halifax

| Halifax, Nova Scotia

| Universalist

| 1837

| http://www.uuch.ca/

| Avalon Unitarian Fellowship

| St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

| Unitarian Universalism

| 1999

| 2010

References

External links

Official Website of The Canadian Unitarian Council
Unitarian Service Committee of Canada
The CUC: From Colony to Nation, 1961–2002
Canadian Unitarian and Universalist Women’s Association

Organization

Service delivery

Annual conference and meeting

Principles and sources

Formation and relationship to the Unitarian Universalist Association

Canadian Unitarian Universalist Women's Association

Mission

List of Unitarian Universalist Congregations

See also

References

External links