What is the UCA?
Q: What is ‘unitarian’ theology?
A unitarian theology is any theology in which the One God is the Father alone. UCA Members do not hold to the catholic “doctrine of the Trinity,” the idea that the one God is tri-personal, or to “Oneness” (modalist) doctrines, but believe the Bible teaches that only the Father is the Most High God. For more, see the UCA Affirmation.
Q: What do UCA members think about Jesus?
UCA members all believe that Jesus is a human being, and is distinct from and subordinate to the One God. He is the Messiah, the King of Israel, who God raised from the dead and exalted to his right hand. UCA members may hold to a variety of opinions about Jesus’ “pre-existence”; some may say he had his origins in the womb of his mother Mary, like other human beings, while others may say he first existed in some other form before his birth, but all agree that Jesus was, and still is, a genuine human being. For more, see the UCA Affirmation.
Q: Is the UCA a denomination?
No. The UCA is a network of individuals and organizations with a variety of backgrounds, organizational alignments, and beliefs. See our About section for more.
Q: If it isn’t a church or denomination, what sort of group is it?
First, think of the UCA as similar to an issue advocacy group in the political sphere. Any organization within the pro-life movement is issue-based. Its main purpose is to stop abortions. It doesn’t have a position on tax policy. It doesn’t make a stance on military involvement in other countries. It doesn’t exclude participants because of their views on immigration policy. Catholics, Protestants, and atheists can march together for the single purpose. This may be perceived as very “liberal,” but that would be a misunderstanding of what an issue-based organization does. By not excluding people based on their other beliefs, they can gather by the thousands for marches. They can influence in unique ways. Other issues are certainly important, but those are outside the scope of a issue-based group. For a single purpose, working together opens new doors.
Second, think of the UCA as a unitarian fellowship marketplace. When you want vegetables, you can go to a market and visit multiple booths. You can compare quality, prices, etc. The UCA has created a virtual gathering of unitarian Christians who are looking for, or offering, fellowship. There will be differences. Fortunately, you can see the members and groups, read the profiles, visit their websites, and compare. You can reach out and ask questions. Using the UCA “fellowship marketplace” means you have reduced your search to groups who believe only the Father is the one true God. For many around the world, this tool can be an answer to prayer.
Q: Are you Unitarian Universalists?
No. Unitarian Christians are not to be confused with “Unitarian Universalists,” who are a non-Christian religion. Members of the UCA are committed Christians who hold to the Scriptures as their standard for Christian faith and life.
Q: Are you Jehovah’s Witnesses?
The UCA is not affiliated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. While individual members and ex-members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are welcome to join the UCA (if they agree with the UCA Affirmation), the UCA has no connection with that organization.
Why Join?
Q: How does the UCA help me connect with others?
You’ll be able to find members and groups within relative proximity to you. You can search the directory using your postal code and a specified radius. If you want to reach out, there’s a “Contact” dialog on their profile. Your message is sent via email. If they respond to the email, it goes to your email. All further communication is done outside of UCA.
Q: Some UCA members promote certain doctrines I strongly disagree with; why should I join?
The UCA exists to promote unitarian theology and to encourage and connect all Christians who agree with the UCA Affirmation. Because of this focused mission, the UCA has only one criterion for membership: agreement with the UCA Affirmation. Individuals should read the profiles of other individuals or groups to determine if they would be comfortable fellowshipping with them. This is why we recommend that members and groups describe themselves clearly in their profiles. By becoming a UCA member, you are not endorsing any other members’ individual or group beliefs. Rather, you are standing alongside other Christians in order to promote unitarian theology and the building of like-minded communities.
Q: If I’m happy attending a traditional (e.g. Trinitarian) fellowship, why join?
Many have found ways to participate with non-unitarians despite the differences. You may not be seeking a new avenue of fellowship, but you still might enjoy an occasional lunch with like-minded folks. More notably, there could be other people in your area who feel isolated. Your presence on the UCA could be a blessing to them.
Q: I already fellowship with a unitarian Christian group, why join?
Others in your area may not realize you are there. You would have the opportunity to be a blessing to them and to invite them to visit your group. Your participation increases the size and reach of the UCA. Together, we can challenge the notion that unitarian Christians are an insignificant minority.
Q: I like my privacy. Why would I join?
We understand. Members will be able to see your profile and reach out to you through UCA. You decide if you want to respond. Only your Public Name (which you can make up, like “Kittens81”), your profile description (also up to you), and your general location (i.e. city and postal code) are visible to others. Your email becomes known only if you contact someone or reply to someone contacting you. The purpose of the UCA is to connect unitarian Christians. If that is what you want, we suggest not being too private, or you’ll miss out. There are a few more privacy tips below.
Costs
Q: Is it free to join the UCA?
Yes, basic membership is free. However, there are many reasons why you should become a Supporting Member with a monthly or annual subscription. See our Join page for more details.
Q: Are Membership Subscriptions and Donations tax-deductible?
Yes. The UCA is a 501 (c) (3) organization operating in the United States. Contributions are tax-deductible in the United States, but please check your local laws and tax regulations in your area.
Q: What’s the difference between a Donation and a Membership Subscription?
A subscription is a payment model where you pay a recurring fee rather than make a single purchase. You can cancel the subscription and switch to a free membership whenever you like. Likewise, you can upgrade and change your subscription amount any time. The options are shown on the My Account page when you are logged in.
A Donation is entirely independent of your membership. Anyone (member or non-member) can donate. Donations work best as an occasional gift. Note that if you give a recurring amount through the Donations option, it won’t be noted in the Subscriptions section of your My Account page. Donations are made on the Donate page.
Q: Why is PayPal used for Subscriptions and Donations?
Subscriptions are a fantastic way for an organization to operate because it allows for planning. Because subscriptions are recurring (monthly or yearly), we can anticipate what the finances will be like in the coming months. To have recurring payments, we need a system which can store payment information and apply a charge on an ongoing basis.
The UCA does not want to have access to our members’ credit card information. That would require significantly more security measures, and you would be required to have strong passwords. Having that data would also make us a target for hackers. We decided to let a third party who specializes in this take care of it. We chose PayPal. They’ve been doing this for many years.
You do not need a PayPal account if you chose a Free membership.
Q: If I really, really don’t want to use PayPal, can still I become a Supporting Member?
Yes. The PayPal method is preferred, but we understand that you might have reasons not to use it. If so, first sign up as a Free membership. No PayPal involved. Then you have two options to give.
- Go to the Donate page and click the PayPal button. PayPal offers the option to make a donation by credit card. You do not need a PayPal account for one-time payments. Note that PayPal is still involved. They do the processing of the payment.
- Or, send a check to:
Unitarian Christian Alliance
PO Box 1036
White House, TN 37188
When we receive the payment, we will manually switch you to be a “Supporting Member – Annually.” To do this successfully, we must be able to correlate your payment to your UCA account. If you can, have your information in your Free account match what is on the credit card or on the check (i.e. Name, city, postal code).
IMPORTANT: If we can’t match your contribution with your member account, we can’t set you as a Supporting Member. Let us know if after a week you are still listed as a Free membership on your Subscriptions listing—reach out to us through the Contact page.
Profile
Q: What is the purpose of the “Public Name” in my profile?
The public name is what anyone visiting the site would see (not just members). For this reason, consider your privacy. Some may prefer just their first name or a made up name like “Kittens81.” Your account also has a place for your actual name, but it is not seen by other members. It is only for internal use, like when we email you about your account.
Q: I’m still nervous about my privacy. What other options are there?
If you want people in your area to be able to reach out, but you are still concerned about being identified, you could generalize your location. Maybe you are are 40 minutes from Dallas. You could just put Dallas as your city and use a Dallas zip code. Of course, you’d also want a public name that was non-descriptive, and you would avoid revealing too much in your profile. This would allow people in your area to reach out to you. You could decide to tell them more details about yourself later, after some email conversation. Using a nearby city would still serve the purpose of helping others who are isolated in your area find you, but it would not reveal as much about you.
Miscellaneous
Q: How is the UCA any different than all the existing Facebook groups for unitarian discussions?
The UCA site does two things that Facebook doesn’t do. It provides anonymity for those who want it, and it lets you find others by location. Facebook doesn’t do anonymity very well. And trying to use Facebook to find unitarians near you is not easy. You may post, “Who is near Boston?” and maybe someone will see, maybe they won’t. Eventually your post drifts away in time. But being on the UCA, the proximity information accumulates. You find more and more people over time, as they join.
Additionally, being a part of the UCA is putting your support behind a movement you believe in. Supporting Facebook is probably not as personally satisfying.
Q: Is the UCA affiliated with the CONVERGE festival which took place August, 2019?
No. However, the UCA and CONVERGE both share the belief that unitarian Christians benefit from fellowship and relationships with each other. CONVERGE is an event. The UCA is a network of people making themselves and their groups available for others to discover. Visit CONVERGE website.