| UU Humanist Association

Join UUHA at General Assembly 2026!

Belonging in Action: How to Reach Young “Nones”

The Unitarian Universalist Humanists Association and the American Humanist Association continue to provide ways to meaningfully serve new audiences and empower emerging voices. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 17 at 8:00 pm EST /7:00 pm CST /6:00 pm MST /5:00 pm PST on Zoom for a lively conversation and register for the link below.

Please register here for this event.

You’re invited to join UUHA Board Members Rev. Kevin Jagoe and Fish Stark for a Live Webinar at this year’s Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly! Explore what today’s non-religious younger generations seek in community—empathy, connection, and honesty. Learn from the latest research on young people’s values, offering insights for nurturing communities of belonging and engagement.

Rev. Kevin Jagoe is the current Board President for the UUHA and the incoming Education Director for the American Humanist Association. Kevin has worked across the humanist and Unitarian Universalist worlds professionally since 2013 helping people rethink what community can look like for nontheists.

Fish Stark is the Executive Director of the American Humanist Association and the current Treasurer for the UUHA. Fish is an organizer, educator, social entrepreneur, and lifelong humanist. Fish has spent his career turning big ideas into bold action in service of belonging, flourishing, and social justice for all people.

Save the Date for the UUHA Annual Meeting

We are rescheduling our Annual Meeting for Wednesday, August 19th at 8 p.m. Eastern via Zoom, we will be sharing more details about Agenda and Programming for that meeting soon.

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Community Conversation - Tuesday December 2

Dear UUHA Chapter Leaders & Members,

We're really excited to be rebuilding the UUHA - and a key priority of ours is to better support you to create thriving humanist sub-communities within your UU Fellowships. Our goal is to help you promote a strong understanding of humanism - and welcome new humanists - in a way that strengthens your congregation and the humanist and UU movements.

Some of the things we plan to offer include:

Free virtual programming/webinars on topics of interest to UU Humanists
A newsletter, with relevant articles and discussion questions that might be of interest to your group
A speakers' bureau of people available to give sermons or talks about humanism and are either UU ministers or humanist leaders with UU backgrounds
Coaching, support, and connection to national groups as needed

Our first virtual program is coming up next week. The details are below. We hope you'll promote it to your members and submit it for inclusion in your church's newsletter.

UUHA Community Conversation
Tuesday, December 2, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Eastern via Zoom

Join the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association (UUHA) as we host an important conversation with the American Humanist Association. During this program, we will also have some announcements and updates from the UUHA Board and a sneak peak at what is on the horizon for 2026.

Register to receive the Zoom details for this program.

Levers of Change:
Humanist Policy, Politics, and Advocacy
in the Time of Christian Nationalism
Rachel Deitch, Policy and Political Director
for the Center for Freethought Equality
and the American Humanist Association

How do we grow humanist influence at every level of government within the confines of our nonprofit groups? This presentation explores how the American Humanist Association (AHA) and its affiliate, the Center for Freethought Equality (CFE), are pressing every lever available to expand humanist visibility and impact. Learn what’s happening at the federal and state levels, how we’re responding (not just reacting) to the rise of Christian nationalism, and where you can plug in to advance humanist values through advocacy and political engagement.

We also hope you'll fill out this survey about what you'd like to see the UUHA do. And if there are any updated contact information for your group - or you need help restarting the group - please let us know!

Sincerely,

Your UUHA Board

Rev. Kevin Jagoe, President
Liz Hrenda, Vice President
Fish Stark, Treasurer & Secretary
Audrey Benenati
Rev. Greg Bonin
David Buckley
Dr. Mim Chapman
Rev. Dr. Neil Jones
Leika Lewis
Horst Schmidt
James Witker Read more about Community Conversation - Tuesday December 2 »

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Community Conversation - Tuesday December 2

A Message from the New UUHA President, Kevin W Jagoe

Dear UU Humanists, Non-theists, and Religious Allies

I am Rev. Kevin W. Jagoe and I am your newly elected UUHA President.

Thank you!

If you’d like to see my video message from our recent UUHA meeting, please click here.

Along with myself—Audrey, Greg, David, Mim, Liz, Neil, Horst, Fish, James, and Leika make up our first full board in several years. We bring prior UUHA experience, connections to Ethical Culture and the American Humanist Association, deep connections as Unitarian Universalists both as clergy and members of congregations, we span the country in terms of where we live and have lived as well as several having international ties. Some of us have been connected to Unitarian Universalism and Humanism for our entire lives, others have found both more recently.

We have executive directors, clergy, educators, union organizers, communications professionals, psychologists, social justice organizers, film and television production, social workers, and fundraisers among the skillsets and professional backgrounds of this incoming board.

The UUHA has been in a quiet period both programmatically and in terms of engagement with our membership. I see our new board as the beginning of a new chapter. But it isn't just for the board to make happen. We need you! Current UUHA members, those who understandably ended their memberships, and those who are new to us.

My hope, and I believe the hope of this incoming board is to renew the UUHA and reimagine it as well. Since 1962, we have played a bridging role between Unitarian Universalism and Humanism, between congregationalism and secularism. That key feature of who we are will not change. We are here to work with Unitarian Universalists who are Humanists, connecting to our broader Unitarian Universalist movement AND we are here to connect with the Humanist, Secular, and Atheist movements beyond UU circles. We have been practicing both/and thinking for more than sixty years.

I see the primary work of the next few years being in three main areas:

Internal - looking at our organization, updating bylaws, looking at our website, our finances, and programming to be a stronger institution.

Congregational - looking within our UU communities and serving those groups better. Connecting them to one another and providing resources.

Associational - looking at our work as UU Humanists and deepening our bridge building with the UUA and with Freethought, atheist, and humanist movements too. Intentional connections with the American Humanist Association, Ethical Societies, Religious Naturalism and non-theistic groups of all sorts. We are in this together and our current moment calls for all of us to work together more.

I want to close with two things, gratitude and invitation.

Gratitude for those who have built this organization and kept it going for over sixty years through times of excitement and times of challenge. Gratitude for those who are connected to the UUHA in real time and those who remain connected beyond this meeting. Thank you!

And an invitation, as I said earlier, while we have a revitalized and excited board to do many things, we need people engaged beyond the board too. I hope you will keep in conversation in the weeks and months ahead, bring new ideas, bring critiques, and bring energy to solve problems and build for the future.

You can reach the new executive team of the board at UUHAofficers@gmail.com and we will be planning more ways to continue this meeting’s conversations in the fall.

My colleague Wayne Arnason’s words are on my mind a lot these days:

Take courage friends.
The way is often hard,
the path is never clear,
and the stakes are very high.
Take courage.
For deep down,
there is another truth:
You are not alone.

And I would add, we are in this together.

Thank you,

Rev. Kevin W. Jagoe
President, UU Humanist Association Read more about A Message from the New UUHA President, Kevin W Jagoe »

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UUHA Annual Meeting - Zoom Login & Agenda

UUHA Annual Meeting - Monday August 25

From the UUHA

Dear Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association Member,

A reminder you are invited to join the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association for our Annual Meeting tomorrow.

Agenda and Zoom Login Instructions are listed in this email, and are also available on our website uuha.org.

When: Monday, August 25
Time: 8:00pm Eastern | 7:00pm Central | 6:00pm Mountain | 5:00pm Pacific
Zoom Link: Below

AGENDA
Our agenda will follow the below general outline:

Welcome
Org updates (membership and finance)
Recognition of Roger Brewin & departing Administrator
Certification of election results
Words by incoming board leadership
Announcement of how people can connect with the incoming board for questions or discussion
Adjourn

VOTING!
Members have been directly emailed a link to the ballot. If you believe you are an active member and have not seen a ballot, you may either email admin@uuha.org or inquire during the meeting.

ZOOM LOGIN INSTRUCTIONS:
UU Humanist Association (UUHA) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88927155338

Meeting ID: 889 2715 5338

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Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Sincerely,
Leika Lewis
President, UU Humanist Association

James Witker
Vice-President, UU Humanist Association

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An Update on the UUHA Annual Meeting

My fellow UU Humanists:

A lot has been happening with the UUHA. We had overwhelming support at UU General Assembly and the American Humanist Convo. That’s the good news. Bad news in we were not prepared for so many volunteers for the UUHA Board.

So: a summer timeline:

All paperwork for board nominees is will have been sent to us by today, July 25.

Then, we will announce the candidates and send a ballot with biographical information to all UUHA members via email August 1. The deadline for voting will be August 22. The nominating committee will tally the votes and announce our new board.

Our Annual Meeting then will be sometime the week of August 25, based on a Doodle Poll of the new board’s availability.

Thanks to everyone for your patience and enthusiasm.

Now more than ever, we need Humanism in Unitarian Universalism,

Rev. David Breeden
UUHA Board Nominating Committee

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Join the UUHA at our Reception this Friday in Baltimore!

My fellow UU Humanists,

As we announced a few weeks back, The UUHA will be at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland June 18–22. We will be co-hosting a booth in the GA Exhibit Hall with the American Humanist Association. Stop by, say hello, and learn about all the exciting things coming up.

I'm delighted to announce we have another opportunity for you to meet with the UUHA, as we will be hosting a reception on Friday, where hors d'oevres will be provided.

Some more information is here:

Join the UUHA for its
General Assembly Reception
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Friday June 20
Pratt Street Ale House
206 W Pratt Street (map)

Space is limited so we do ask that attendees RSVP. You may do so via the link below:

Please email me or contact Rev. David Breeden at davidbreeden7@gmail.com if you have issues RSVPing or need more information about the reception.

Hope to see you there!

Leika Lewis
UUHA President

Rev. David Breeden
UUHA Board Nominating Committee

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An Update from the UUHA

UU Humanists:

You haven’t heard from the UUHA for a while, but we are here and ready to explore what Humanism and Unitarian Universalism mean in and for the 21st century.

The UUHA will be at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland June 18–22. We will be co-hosting a booth in the GA Exhibit Hall with the American Humanist Association. Stop by, say hello, and learn about all the exciting things coming up.

Also at GA, meet the dynamic new Executive Director of the American Humanist Association, Fish Stark—who is a Unitarian Universalist himself. Enjoy snacks and conversation and catch up on UUHA plans. Fish will briefly address the need for a Humanist presence in the UUA and beyond. Also, learn about the candidates for the UUHA board. (Location TBA. Details at our GA booth.)

Our Annual Meeting will be online Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, 2025. Learn about new initiatives. Discuss your vision of Humanism and UUism in the 21st century, and vote for our next UUHA board.

Meanwhile, Rev. Dr. David Breeden, a former president of the UUHA, will serve on the Nominating Committee. If you have nominees for the board or want to nominate yourself, contact Rev. David at davidbreeden7@gmail.com for details.

Keep watching our website at UUHA.org.

Rev. David Breeden
UUHA Board Nominating Committee

Leika Lewis
UUHA President

James Witker
UUHA Vice-President

Roger Brewin
UUHA Journal Editor

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DARWIN DAY: A Zoom Conversation with Rev. Breeden & the UUHA

In honor of Darwin Day this past Monday, The UU Humanist Association is excited to offer a free Zoom presentation and celebrate the birthday, the work, and the legacy of Charles Darwin.

Darwin Day - "Religion, Science and the Great Story"

Date: Sunday, February 18
Time: 7:00pm Eastern (6:00pm Central | 5:00pm Mountain | 4:00pm Pacific)
Where: Zoom (Login instructions are listed below)

We will start with a 23-minute pre-recorded presentation, generously provided by Rev. David Breeden of First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis. (if you're running late, you can watch the presentation anytime right here.)

Following the presentation will be an open-ended discussion about Darwin and his significance to UU Humanism. The discussion will be led by UUHA Vice President James Witker, and all meeting attendees will be welcome to participate.

UUHA Members and non-members alike are invited to attend and participate in this lively, always-vital discussion about Darwin. Simply follow the Zoom login instructions below when Sunday's event is set to begin. Hope to see you there!

Zoom Login Information:

UU Humanist Association (UUHA) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88630140656

Meeting ID: 886 3014 0656

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Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdPzkBh23v Read more about DARWIN DAY: A Zoom Conversation with Rev. Breeden & the UUHA »

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Rev. David Breeden: A Philosophy of Radical Humanist Welcome

A Philosophy of Radical Humanist Welcome

Rev. Dr. David Breeden, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

A philosophy of radical welcome rooted in Humanism necessarily dives to to the very essence of what it means

to be human,
to be human in the fullness of human potential,
and to be human in a community of care.

As so many of the world’s religious and philosophical writings advise, and as evolution appears to have selected for, we human beings are at our best when we are welcoming the stranger.

The radical in radical welcoming goes further than mere welcome because we free-thinking people also read human psychology, and therefore we know that there is so much more to being human than those human attibributes that traditionally get shared at most human gatherings.

Radical welcome is about radical inclusion: no human characteristic, impulse, or thought is foreign to our gatherings. We are all fellow human beings.

That is the deepest lesson that Humanism has to offer.

Are Humanists perfect? Heck no! Our very commitment to living life to its fullest means we are never done experiencing, explaining, and exploring.

Yet, collectively we make the attempt to be our best.

We we are about meaning;
we are about purpose;
are about empowerment.

Nothing human is foreign to us—we are the LGBTQ+ community, we are the differently-abled community, we are the neurodiverse community, we are the marginalized for whatever reason—nothing human is foreign; nothing human is frightening; nothing human can be ignored.

Radical welcome is not passive acceptance—“Oh, sure, c’mon in if ya wanna.” Rather we see welcome as a transformative process. The more human minds with more experience and social locations, and on . . . more human minds only make us stronger: Stronger in our community of care. Stronger in what we know and what we can do to benefit sentient beings and our planet.

Because a philosophy of radical welcome is not about beliefs or the failure or success of particular ideas or institutions. A philosophy of radical welcome is about gathering the folk, gathering the power that resides in our very humanity. We find centering and rest we find companionship; we learn of and see new possibilities.

As I see it, a Humanist Community offers five central invitations:

Come in; slow down
Dive into diversity!
Bring all of you, all the time
Be authentically you, through and through
Practice compassion, commitment, and courage . . . together

We invite everyone to join our community of care!

Come sing. Come dance.

Come teach. Come learn.

Come to transform

and be transformed.

What isn’t welcome?

Dogma. Dogma is not welcome.

Especially snarling dogma.

Rather here, we pet our dogmas; we take them for walks.

A philosophy of radical Humanist welcome is inherently a philosophy of love, compassion, and radical acceptance of our common humanness.

We aim to create a space that is not only welcoming in word but also in spirit, deed, and action.

Be the welcomed.

Be the welcoming.

Join us in the common human project of freeing each other.

Why do we gather?

So that all human beings may be free!

Free to live a full, flourishing life of love, art, and purpose.

Come. Let us be human together!

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ONLINE ZOOM CONVERSATION: Evidence-Based Solutions with the Citizens' Climate Lobby UU Action Team

Please join the UUHA on Thursday for a terrific online discussion!

Evidence-Based Solutions with the Citizens' Climate Lobby UU Action Team
Thursday, June 1st at 8:00pm Eastern/7:00pm Central.

Climate change is overwhelming. So are the number of possible policy solutions and ways for individuals to take action.

One approach that has long been proposed by climate scientists and economists is tax on carbon emissions. While politically controversial, “pricing” pollution is based on tested and evidence-based mechanisms to steadily and sustainably transition society away from fossil fuels.

For more than 15 years, Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) has been the foremost American organization advocating carbon pricing and working to build political support for its “Carbon Fee & Dividend” plan. And for much of that time, many Unitarian Universalists have enthusiastically joined the ranks of CCL’s citizen lobbyists and volunteers.

Join the UUHA for a conversation with Nadine Sapirman, co-leader of the CCL UU Action Team. We’ll learn about CCL’s upcoming legislative efforts as well as its expanding action areas for 2023, as well as why the UU Team is an opportunity for citizen volunteers to pursue evidence-based climate solutions that are informed by UU and Humanist values.

Login: Zoom Login will be provided below

Topic: UUHA Presents: Evidence-Based Solutions with the Citizens' Climate Lobby UU Action Team

Time: June 1, 2023 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

More about our guest:

Read more about Nadine and the work of the CCL UU Action Team here.

Zoom Login Info:

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UUHA Annual Meeting - Monday August 25

Darwin Day - "Religion, Science and the Great Story"

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