Social Justice is Spiritual Work
Social Justice has always been an important priority for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis (UUCA) Our work in Social Justice is grounded in Unitarian Universalist Principles, on the votes taken by the congregation at Congregational Meetings, priorities named in our current by-laws, and by initiatives taken by individual church members. Listed first are those groups located in and directly supported by UUCA, followed by community groups that often meet in the building and whose membership includes members from UUCA.
UUCA: A Welcoming Congregation. In 1997, UUCA voted to affirm a commitment to address the needs of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender persons. Our support has expanded to include genderqueer, queer, intersex, asexual regardless of one’s sexual or affectional orientation. UUCA was a prominent voice and active participant in the rights of same-sex couples to marry.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis has taken a stand via a congregational vote on two issues in particular:
Individual members of UUCA work closely with the community-based Annapolis Immigration Justice Network, OHLA (Organization of Hispanics/Latin Americans of Anne Arundel County), and Center of Help to provide support and services to immigrant and undocumented persons in Anne Arundel County. For more information about how you can become involved in this work, contact Stephanie Anderson.
In April 2018, the congregation voted to support the 8th Principle/Building Beloved Community. For members and friends of UUCA, the 8th Principle is more than a series of words or promises. It is a commitment to apply an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens to everything we do – from who we hire, to what happens in worship and children’s religious exploration; to where we invest money to how we interact with members of the larger community. We put 
our values into practice by upholding the 8th Principle in all we do, which calls us to: “…journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Building Beloved Community (BBC) provides year-round anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural training during Middle or After Hour and on evenings and weekends. Check the church newsletter, Highlights for an updated schedule of programs. For more information about the national movement to include the 8th Principle to UUA’s list of Seven Principles, click here.
We proudly display our Black Lives Matter sign outside the church. Even though it has been vandalized, defaced, or stolen at least seven times, we continue to insist on the reality that “Black Lives Matter.” For a link to the discussion of BLM banners within Unitarian Universalism, click here.
The UU Legislative Ministry (UULM) was created as a statewide advocacy network of Unitarian Universalists. Because of UUCA’s unique location as the State Capital, UUCA is able to directly influence legislation to help bend the moral arc towards justice, equity and compassion. For a longer description of UULM, see below. We are proud to engage with the ongoing work of UULM through advocacy, fundraising,
Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) is the local chapter of a larger, community-based organizing group known as the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). IAF partners with religious congregations and civic organizations at the local level to build broad-based organizing projects, which create new capacity in a community for leadership development, citizen-led action, and relationships across the lines that often divide our communities. ACT was formally launched as an organization on Thursday, October 4th with other 1100 members of individual churches, synagogues, and mosques in attendance. For more information about ACT, or to read articles about ACT, click here.
We encourage you to explore the many opportunities available for putting your values into practice at UUCA, which help us to live bold and compassionate lives of learning, growing, and service.
Current Social Justice Groups within UUCA
Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) For more information about how to get involved in ACT, contact Rev. John Crestwell.
The Building Beloved Community (BBC) Contact Ellen Berkov
UUCA Green Sanctuary
The Green Sanctuary program is a path for congregational study, reflection, and action in response to environmental challenges. It provides a structure for congregations to examine their current environmental impacts and move toward more sustainable practices grounded in Unitarian Universalism. Green Sanctuary encourages focus in four areas: Environmental Justice/Climate Justice, Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, and Sustainable Living. Contact: Scott Eden
UU Legislative Ministry
The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland (UULM-MD) is a statewide advocacy network of Unitarian Universalists. We work to educate, mobilize, and coordinate UUs on specific issues before the Maryland General Assembly. Working in coalition with established state and national organizations, we as UUs model reverence for the interdependent web of all existence which fosters justice, health,
Arthur L. Hansen Prison Ministry Program is an emotional/social literacy program that provides healing and coping skills to inmates at the Maryland Correctional Institute – Jessup (MCI-J, a medium-security men’s prison. These 16-week in-depth programs are transformative for both the participants and the volunteers who facilitate. Contact: Rev John Crestwell Lead; Houses of Healing class: Caroline Hadley.