So just who is a Unitarian Universalist?

Yesterday I wrote about congregational polity in response to a comment by Steve Caldwell. He wondered whether the UUA's web site lacked a good interface for seekers because of congregational polity. He alluded to what he called "congregational polity purists" who seemed to be saying that any approach to seekers that did not come through a congregation was inappropriate.

Peacebang commented on that entry "Clyde, I'd love it if you'd tackle Steve's remarks even more directly. He isn't talking about congregations gathering, he's talking about complaints against UU folks who don't attend (or don't much attend) the local congregation but who consider themselves UU from their involvement with camps, conferences, etc."

So who is a Unitarian Universalist? In our polity the Unitarian Universalist Association consists of member congregations. While there are Associated and Affiliated organizations, the only members of the UUA are the member congregations. In addition to the member congregations there are about a number of gatherings of Unitarian Universalists that are covenanted, have regular programs and provide a means for participation of their members, but because they are too new, or too small are not officially recognized as member congregations.

Each of the congregations defines its own membership, and while there are no written standards for congregations to follow, the membership requirements are similar from congregation to congregation.

So from a polity point of view, the Association consists of recognized congregations, and the membership in the congregations consists of recognized members. So, does that mean that the only people who are Unitarian Universalists are those recognized members of recognized congregations? What about children? Should the minister instruct her youngest congregants that while they are beloved by the community they are not Unitarian Universalists? What about the staff who can not join the congregation because that congregation has a rule that staff can not be members? What about youth and young adults who grew up Unitarian Universalist and have not yet become a recognized member of a recognized congregation?

I suspect we are confusing two different things. On the one hand we have polity; our association consists of congregations and our congregations consists of members. And on the other hand we have the elusive question of identity within a religious community. There are members of the congregation that I serve who do not identify as Unitarian Universalists, but they do identify and participate in our local congregation. And there are folks who for one reason or another have come to think of themselves as Unitarian Universalists, but do not identify with a local congregation.

Thinking back on my youth and young adult years, I joined my first member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association when I was twenty five. I had identified as Unitarian and then a Unitarian Universalist since I was 12 or 13. I had participated in my parents home congregation, and was considered one of the flock, I had been a regular attendee at five other congregations before finding one I wanted to join. I had gone to Liberal Religious Youth conferences. I had been an officer in the Student Religious Liberals. I was in theological school!!!! I had a strong self identity as a Unitarian Universalist and apparently the Unitarian Universalist community thought of me as a Unitarian Universalist because they asked me to preach, teach, and serve on committees. But I was not a recognized member of a recognized congregation until I joined that congregation.

Not too many years later, I like many other young adults considered the actions of the UUA administration against the Black empowerment movement to be racist and a betrayal of Unitarian Universalism. Being young and strong in my convictions, I ceased to identify myself with Unitarian Universalism for several years. I continued to be a recognized member of a recognized congregation, albeit a congregation that agreed with my anger against the UUA.

Identity is a complicated and intense religious commitment. Polity is the theological rational of how we associate with one another to govern our community. They are not two different things. They are not the same thing either.

Is someone who identifies with Unitarian Universalism through his or her participation in a camp a Unitarian Universalist? That is for them to define. Are they participating in our polity? No.