The main UCA conference can only be in one location each year, so how can we facilitate in-person connections in other regions? Regional UCA Conferences! These conferences will be organized and hosted by a local group or church. The goals:
Introduce the host group and their ministry to a wider audience.
Allow UCA members within a region to gather and connect, experiencing similar elements of the main conference.
A UCA conference, by design, is not a denominational event. It’s an opportunity to connect with people from various backgrounds and practices and to advance the truth of the simple monotheism of our Lord Jesus.
A Regional UCA Conference is a partnership. The host group coordinates the details of the event, location, food, schedule, etc., and the UCA helps to promote it broadly, sends at least one board member, provides registration tools, and helps cover the expenses so the event is affordable.
These conferences will have some of the same features of the main conference, like ample time to visit, at least one scholarly or biblical presentation that advances the movement, and at least one practical workshop. The host group arranges the other activities of the event. For example, they may include other classes, panel discussions, roundtables, brainstorming sessions, Q&A, possibly offering a unique regional experience, other ways to get to know the host group and their ministries, or ways to learn more about each other.
If your group is interested, write conference@unitarianchristianalliance.org. Stacey Berger, our Conference Coordinator, will provide more information and help with questions.
The Board of the Unitarian Christian Alliance is pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at the third annual UCA conference in Springfield, Ohio, October 19–21, 2023. (Watch this blog for the opening of registration.)
The submission deadline is the end of the day (U.S. Eastern Standard / New York time) of August 1, 2023.
Please do not submit multiple papers.
Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee of three.
We are looking for scholarly (or at least: informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity.
Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.
Authors may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.
Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography).
The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes.
Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.
Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk.
Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.
Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.
Still, a fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.
Authors of accepted papers must supply a PowerPoint or Keynote or Google Slides (etc.) presentation to accompany their talk by the end of Friday, September 1, 2023. (This should be emailed to the address below.)
After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to conference@unitarianchristianalliance.org.
Our conference coordinator will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.
The committee’s decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of Friday, August 15, 2023.
The UCA Board is pleased to announce that our third annual conference will be hosted again this year by the Lawrenceville Church of God in Springfield, Ohio! The venue is excellent and the hosts are gracious. Stay tuned for plans to expand the locations and reach of future conferences.
Registration will open in the coming weeks.
Check-in for the conference will begin at 4:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, October 19, 2023, and the conference will end with the last session after dinner on Saturday, October 21.
Last year, attendees had the opportunity to attend church on Sunday at one of the several unitarian Christian groups in the area. It was a positive experience for many, and it will be an option again this year.
If your unitarian group, ministry, etc. would benefit from an opportunity to gather in person (e.g. a board meeting), the host church has generously offered to make rooms available before the conference starts that Thursday. If your team is already coming to the conference, get some extra work done! Please contact us at conference@unitarianchristianaliance.org.
Watch this space for coming announcements about submitting a paper to be presented. The deadline for submissions will be August 1, 2023 (one month longer than last year).
In this insightful presentation from the 2022 Unitarian Christian Alliance conference, Anna Shoffner Brown explains a biblical perspective on the dignity and value of human nature. Proponents of speculations about Jesus having “two natures” have traditionally derided human-only christology as involving “a mere man.” She shows why this lazy accusation is wrongheaded.
Allegiance to the King is once again a UCA Conference Partner. A2K continues their work to connect and fellowship with people far and wide, building faithful followers of our King.
For isolated unitarian Christians, their Christian Virtual Fellowship has proven to be a significant blessing. Connecting over the internet can be difficult, but A2K has worked diligently to learn and grow through the process. They have a successful model. A2K has helped put together a workshop for this conference called “How to Create and Lead an Online Fellowship.” If you are coming to the conference and looking to benefit from the lessons learned by those who have gone before you, this workshop is for you.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Edgardo Gavino (54. This Fire in Me) from the Philippines on the UCA podcast this last May, 2022. The ministry that is taking place there is amazing, as is God’s utilization of the humble, supportive, and encouraging people of A2K who work with Edgardo.
A2K produces many teaching resources and makes them available online. Check out their website (https://allegiancetotheking.org/) to peruse the hundreds of videos they have published on topics from Christian living, teachings on our God and his Messiah, and on the Kingdom of God.
Thanks to A2K for participating and supporting this conference. We are blessed to work alongside you.
Founded in 1921, the Church of God General Conference (COGGC) is a denomination of churches active in North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. Their largest concentrations of churches are in Mozambique (400), Malawi (100), and the United States (80). COGGC provides resources and support to pastors, churches, youth, missions, and the Atlanta Bible College. For more than a century now, they have provided a stable and experienced platform to help individuals and churches spread the truth about the kingdom gospel and the name of Jesus Christ.
Pastors
The Church of God (COG) provides pastoral education and training through the Atlanta Bible College. Once prospective ministers graduate, they participate in a hands-on internship program, serving at a local church. Next they apply for licensing, which involves a comprehensive process that takes into account the applicant’s personal history, doctrinal beliefs, references, and the recommendation of their mentor. Once getting a license and finding a church to serve in, pastors are encouraged to join the annual ministers’ conference, the monthly prayer group via Zoom, and the Facebook group for mutual encouragement. Lastly, the ministerial leadership team provides a “pastor’s pastor” to provide individual confidential counseling.
Churches
Over more than a century of ministry, the COG has always and continues to provide a wide range of resources to member churches. These include low-interest loans, funding for building projects, church health surveys, and free background checks for volunteers. Churches also benefit from literary resources, including biblical articles (Restitution Herald), ministry updates (Progress Journal), Sunday school lessons (Adult Quarterly), evangelism tracts, as well as several in-house published books. Additionally, churches can participate in a wide range of events, including Christian Workers’ Seminar, FUEL, and General Conference. Also, the COG keeps track of the history of their churches and noteworthy individuals over the years through maintaining archives, holding the annual Heritage Conference, and publishing a biographical encyclopedia.
Youth
The most exciting week of the year for youth in the COG is FUEL. Held at Manchester University in Indiana, FUEL is a high-energy event with 200 teens and youth workers. Campers participate in sermons, classes, worship, sports, and lots of other activities. Counselors meet with the youth a couple of times each day to develop relationships and mentor them. In the fall and winter, youth can attend reFUEL and the Young Adult Getaway. Additionally, the Atlanta Bible College invites high-school students to stay on campus and attended classes during their annual invitational.
Missions
The missionary agency of the COGGC is called Lord’s Harvest International (LHI). The organization supports churches and individuals in ten countries around the world. Some of these are war-torn, others are afflicted with chronic governmental corruption, and still others have oppressive policies towards biblical Christianity. LHI sends missionaries on short-term trips, provides resources to build churches, helps with humanitarian support, and supplies translated literary resources, including Bibles, books, and tracts. For more information about LHI, visit lhicog.com.
Atlanta Bible College
Currently there are two campuses in Georgia: (1) at McDonough the main building serves as the hub for English-speaking in-person and online instruction, (2) at Johns Creek the Korean extension provides classes in the Korean language. The goal is both to train future pastors as well as educate anyone who wants to know more about the Bible and Christianity. Students can earn a one year foundation certificate, an Associate’s degree, and/or a Bachelor’s degree with focuses in Bible, theology, or missions. Apply online or check out the fall semester schedule.
If you would like to learn more about the Church of God General Conference, visit them at COGGC.org. You can sign up to receive the Restitution Herald either digitally or in the mail for free. If you would like to donate to the work they are doing, you can that here.
Personal Note
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a note about how much the COG has benefited me personally. Although I’m part of an independent ministry, I have benefited immensely from attending COG events, graduating from their Bible college, and associating with their pastors. The organization strikes the balance between providing support to those both inside and outside the denomination without controlling individuals or groups. The executive director, Seth Ross, is a competent leader who genuinely seeks to serve God courageously and authentically. I’m excited to see what the Church of God does now that they have begun their second century of ministry!
If it wasn’t for our next Conference Partner, I might not be a unitarian Christian. The Trinities.org blog and the Trinities Podcast by Dr. Dale Tuggy were my crash course in all things Trinity, and conversely, a light for my path to unitarianism. I am certain I am not the only one with this experience, as Dale’s youtube channel alone has over 22 thousand subscribers.
The last year of the podcast has had plenty of “don’t miss” episodes, including:
And a hard hitting two part (Part 1 and Part 2) examination of the problems with the Trinity by a self identifying trinitarian, Dr. Steven Nemes
The Podcast is now up over 350 episodes chock full of analytic theological goodness, with interviews of the world’s top scholars on the topic, and Dr. Tuggy’s razor sharp analysis of competing Trinity theories.
The podcast also includes interviews with leading modern day unitarian voices, reviews of classic unitarian works, and examination of important relevant texts from early church history. If you want to be able to understand and challenge the best case Trinitarians (both ancient and recent) put forward, the Trinities podcast is your training ground.
You can also come share your own favorite episodes, and mix it up with his guests and and fans on the Trinities Facebook group. It isn’t for the faint of heart, but I can attest to it being a great place to test your views and connect with serious thinkers on the subject.
The UCA is proud to have Dr. Dale Tuggy serving as Chairman of the Board, to have him presenting at the Conference, and I am very proud to call him my friend.
The UCA is delighted to again have the Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation as a Conference Partner. They state that their mission is to help “individuals and families grow their faith in God and His Son. . . We help nurture trust in God and Jesus that endures through all the ups and downs of life. WCF sponsors programs and special initiatives around the world that:
Root faith in the word of God, learning from the faith lessons of faithful people in the Bible
Nurture faith by supplying tools that spur a whole faith to develop – one of head, heart and hands.
Inspire stronger growth by connecting people of faith, fostering a spirit that edifies all.
Show faith to others by enabling generous service for Christ.”
Be sure to stop by the WCF table at the conference to find out more about how this amazing organization is serving as salt and light in this broken world.
If you were thinking of registering, the time is now. On Sept. 30th the catering order goes in, so we need accurate numbers. That’s only a few days away.
So what can you expect? The longer…and funner(?)…answer is on UCA podcast episode 60, Pre-UCA Conference 2022 Roundtable (below). But here’s the purpose in short form:
Connect with other unitarian Christians
Present academic papers to advance the unitarian case
Share practical knowledge to empower each other’s ministries
It’s shaping up to be a great event. Your feedback from last year’s conference was excellent. It inspired this year’s workshops, the meetups, and a unique program for the closing night plenary session.
If you’ve registered, be sure to download the Eventleaf app to your mobile device and sign in. If you can’t make it this year, follow @UnitarianChrist on Twitter (the official UCA account) and watch for hashtag #UCAcon2022. We’ll have “live” updates and posts throughout the weekend.
We’re excited to see many of you again, and many of you for the first time!
Here’s the roundtable discussion skipped ahead to where we start talking (02:44).
Today’s UCA podcast roundtable is about next month’s conference (schedule here), and it’s brimming with information. Anna Brown, Jake Ballard, and I discuss:
The paper review process
Paper topics listed and discussed
Q&A time information
Affordances of the larger venue
Workshop topics (will run parallel to paper presentations)
Evening plenary sessions
Meetup topics for Friday afternoon
The available baptistry and debate training on Saturday afternoon
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