Unitarian Universalists embrace the guiding principles of love and compassion for others and believe that everyone has a right to their own beliefs. Our closely held values connect and bind us as a faith community: respecting the worth and dignity of every person, striving toward a peaceful world that promises equality and justice to all, and honoring and protecting our planet and all the life upon it.

Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal faith, which means that members make promises to each other as to how they will treat one another, work together, and build a community. As the great Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explained, “A contract is about interests. A covenant is about identity. It is about you and me coming together to form an ‘us.’ That is why contracts benefit, but covenants transform.”

Openness to growth and change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages and we are never complete and never perfect. By continuing to grow spiritually and ethically, it is possible to transform ourselves and our greater community.

The Unitarian Universalist faith tradition is diverse and inclusive. We grew from the union of two Christian groups: the Universalists, who organized in 1793, and the Unitarians, who organized in 1825. They joined to become the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in 1961. Both groups trace their roots in North America to the early Massachusetts settlers and the Framers of the Constitution. Across the globe, our legacy reaches back centuries to liberal religious pioneers in England, Poland, and Transylvania. Today, Unitarian Universalists include people of many beliefs who share UU values of peace, love, and understanding. We are creators of positive change in people and in the world.