Unitarian Christian Church of America
We warmly welcome you to the UCCA. We believe we are a “faith whose time has come, indeed a faith for today.” Our aim is not to impose a specific belief but to unite with others to promote, educate, and improve a “way of living” in harmony and peace with everyone.
The world we live in is not what God intended for it to be. The old ways no longer work, nor are they relevant; it is time for an “awakening.” Our spiritual needs are unmet as we have evolved, creating a growing spiritual and moral void that must be addressed.
We invite you to join us in becoming the revival that awakens humanity into the next century and beyond. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. The time is right, the need is clear, and the answer is waiting.
"First, liberty, freedom of the individual to think, think as he will or think as he must; but not liberty for the sake of itself. Liberty for the sake of finding the truth"
- Minot J. Savage, Our Unitarian Gospel (p. 9).
Our Purpose:
Our Church is centered in our “Universal Principle”, thus, the UCCA declares and proclaims: “There is only one God, creator and sustainer of all existence, giver of life to all that lives. As God’s creation, we are to love and honor our God with every ounce of our being. When we purport to behave in a manner consistent with that belief, it is manifested by the unconditional love we have for, and the compassion we demonstrate to, all humankind and all creation.”
(Ref. Gospel of Mark 12:28-34)
Our Mission:
It is intended that the UCCA will become a common gathering place and a source of information, inspiration, and support for those who are considering or choose to become modern-day Unitarian Christians.
A FAITH WHOSE TIME HAS COME
A FAITH FOR TODAY
A Layman's Perspective Series
The Bible—Article VIII in a series
April 15, 2026
Is the Bible the “Infallible word of God?” I don’t think so:
The Bible was not written by God but by Man, who by definition is imperfect, fallible. We also know that the Bishops who compiled the Biblical Canon in the Fourth Century C.E. were human and that they had political and theological bias—they needed to include gospel accounts which indicated Jesus’ divinity. The Bible has excluded other gospels such as those of Thomas and Mary, which do not indicate his divinity.
The Creation narratives (Genesis, ch 1-3) certainly aren’t the infallible word of God: With modern scientific knowledge, it is believed that the universe is about 13.8 billion years old, the Earth 4.5 billion, and they weren’t created in seven days. Fossil evidence has indicated the existence of simple life forms on Earth 3.6 billion years ago, and we know that humans evolved in Africa from earlier hominids 300 thousand years ago. God knows these facts—He is the Creator; the writers of Genesis 3,000 years ago did not.
The Bible contains at least 100 notable contradictions including questions of faith v. works (Romans 3:28 v. Matthew 19:17 v. James 2:26); seeing God (Genesis 32:30 v. John 1:18); and the stone at the tomb (Mark 16:4, Luke 24:2, John 20:1 v. Matthew 28: 2)--(All RSV). With so many contradictory verses, it is difficult to defend the Bible as “the infallible word of God”—If we view Him to be omniscient, we expect that His word would be consistent.
I believe that the Bible is a sacred but fallible text, full of spiritual inspiration, particularly the teachings of Jesus found in the New Testament which lead us to a Godly way of life and to being “put right with God.”
Carroll “Chip” Fossett
UCCA General Council
A Message for Today's World
We sincerely hope you'll find a comfortable and welcoming environment and new home here with us. When we come together, our goal is not to impose personal faith or judge honest individual differences. Instead, we strive to unite through our love for God and to live in truth, peace, and love for all humankind and all of God’s creation.
As our Platform may be unfamiliar to you, we invite you to take this opportunity to learn more about who we are and what we believe. The UCCA is genuinely committed to a “faith whose time has come, indeed, a faith for today.”
We welcome everyone who chooses to participate in living our Platform. Those who actively practice our Universal Principle embodied within our Foundational Beliefs and to the best of their abilities, live the faith we share as a way of life, not just a statement made when convenient or appropriate.
What is the 21st Century Message from the UCCA?
The very nature of Unitarianism is diversity. We are definitively a non-creedal people, so we don't ask that people subscribe to any particular system of beliefs the way many of those other 40,000 churches do.
I see our role as sharing our understanding of those original teachings attributed to Jesus as we have them and supporting others in their journeys as they try to incorporate their own understandings of these teachings into their own lives, even insofar as we might differ in our understandings from theirs.
We have a basic framework for consistent messaging: things like one God, the human nature of Jesus, acceptance of all people, and the like. This will naturally attract people with similar mindsets, as there are myriad other options out there for trinitarians or more conservative, institutional religious expressions.
But if a trinitarian wants to listen to what I have to say or simply wants to fellowship, I'm personally not going to take the "You're wrong and I'm right" attitude with that person, you know? I'll speak honestly from my point of view and try to find common ground where we can be conduits for the love of God: strength through whatever unity we can build. Even if someone is loudly against my understanding, as far as my part is concerned, I will try and be peaceable and continue to offer what partnership may be possible. I think that's a core teaching of Jesus that's been lost in our divided world.
My vision of Modern Unitarian Christianity is not one that definitively has all the answers. Part of godly humility, to me, is the ability to say, "I don't know. Heck, I might be wrong. But this is my best understanding right now and it causes me to be a more loving, merciful, and hopeful individual." Maybe that's not the optimal view, but it works for me.
- Rev. Brian Kelley, Executive Pastor, UCCA
WHERE IS YOUR ATTENTION?
April 12, 2012
“Where focus goes, energy flows.” – Tony Robbins
In a world of distractions, it’s easy to overlook our attention. We often think of our lives in terms of major decisions or the external events that happen. In practice, our lives are more directly shaped by something quieter: the steady direction of our attention.
Attention is not just what we notice, as in passing. It is what we return to. It’s what we dwell on, what we focus on, what we rehearse, what we allow to occupy our inner space. Over time, the patterns of our attention, our focus, organize how we interpret the world and how we understand others and ourselves.
Attention has a kind of magnetism, a kind of gravity. Wherever it settles, it begins to pull our experience in that direction. If our attention is constantly drawn to what is uncertain or lacking, life begins to feel unstable or unfulfilled, even when circumstances are manageable. If we consciously direct our attention toward what is present and what we can control, life becomes more grounded, even when our circumstances are difficult.
I’m not suggesting denial or forced optimism. I’m talking about placement. Where attention goes, posture follows. A person who repeatedly attends to their fear will eventually stand in a fearful way and allow fear to govern their life. For a person who trains attention toward clarity, toward steadiness, toward compassion, and away from the things in life over which they have no control, such a person will begin to stand differently over time.
Jesus is recorded as saying, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). This is an astute observation. What we treat as significant, what we return to again and again, becomes central to our lives. Attention and value reinforce each other. We attend to what we value, and we come to value what we repeatedly attend to.
That raises a more practical question than what it is we believe. The better question may be this: “What do you actually give your attention to, day after day?” Because that is where our lives are being formed and the place from which we grow.
If attention is constantly scattered by distraction, futile comparison, and outrage, life becomes reactive and unfocused. If attention, though, can be brought back, deliberately and repeatedly, to what is real and actionable, life becomes more coherent and purposeful. I’m not saying it becomes easier, but maybe it becomes clearer.
This is not a one-time decision. It is a practice, a discipline. As attention drifts, we must consciously return it. It will drift again, and we must return it again. Over time, this repetition becomes a habit and shapes something stable and resilient within us.
We do not control everything that happens around us. But we do have some influence over how we look at our circumstances, and how we respond to them. We certainly have influence over what we return to, what we focus on, and what we allow to take root within ourselves. That is how a life takes shape.
Rev. Dr. Brian J. Kelley
Executive Pastor, Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA)
