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.
The UCCA teaches that life should be lived with love, humility, compassion, spiritual openness, and a commitment to personal and communal flourishing.
"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).
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.
Weekly Sermon
THESE TRYING TIMES
June 14, 2026
“These are the times that try men's souls.”
Thomas Paine (1737-1809), Founding Father & Political Philosopher
I have seen and heard this same statement many times recently. Just as it was true at the birth of our nation, it is true today. These truly are “trying times.” We are a divided people, not just within our political spectrum but across our society as a whole. Our people are divided and in chaos. Our faith institutions are attacking one another and taking radical, divisive positions. Our government, commerce, industries, and even our families are rapidly becoming divided and moving further apart. These are indeed trying times.
But take heart. Just as the “Faith of our Fathers” brought us together and created our nation, we too can persevere if we do what we must and want it enough. But this will require us to come together and use our unity to rebuild all we have lost. Our “Founding Fathers” had faith that we could be a great nation, a great people, and a witness to the world of what unity of purpose and vision can achieve. For a while, we did just that, and God truly blessed us all. But today we find ourselves being “tried” once again.
The answer to these times is not found in the dogma of a religious institution that teaches rejection, judgment, or condemnation of others. That is not “godly unity.” It isn’t found in looking down on those who are different from us; that is not “godliness.” It is only found when we, as a people, a great nation, an example to all nations, come together and work as one to make our differences our strengths. We have done so before; we can do so again if we “repent,” turn from the ways we are on, and return to the way of righteousness. To live in a right relationship with our God is to live in a right relationship with all of God’s creations, including all humankind.
“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), Author & Philosopher, Unitarian
Emerson is still correct. But the key is “what to do with it.” Ask yourself, “What am I doing with the time God has given me?” Look at your life and take inventory. Look not just at your position, status, or wealth, but, more importantly, look within. Are you living a godly life? A life that attracts others to do the same for the good of all, not just yourself? Most are not, if they are honest. We live for today or for the lust for wealth and power over others, which gives us false pleasures and blind hopes. When humankind understands that we are designed by our Creator to come together and learn to live in peace, harmony, and unity as “God’s Family,” each one working for the good of all, we can be all we are created to be. Until then, we are fighting the purpose we were created to fulfill. How are you doing with this issue?
Matthew 6:34, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today."
We waste our time worrying about everything, from our past to our future, when we should be focused on the troubles we face today. When we do, we find solutions, and our lives change for the better. When we worry about the future or the past, we can’t focus on what we are to accomplish today. God will guide us to the answers we seek, direct the paths we are to take, and bless our lives if we choose to let “His Love” be our guide. The trying times will fade away when our faith is founded in and reflected by the Love of God, the love we live. Is this how you are living?
Micah 6:8, "He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?"
I will close with this final verse of Scripture. It tells it all. If we lived in this manner, we would be living in God’s Kingdom. If we lived in this manner, we would be what God designed and created us to be. When we, as a people, each of us and collectively, learn to live by these standards, humble ourselves in our walk of life, do justice for all, and live in loving kindness toward everyone without exception, these trying times will fade, the path will be found, and the way will be clear for each of us to be all God created us to be. That decision is one each of us must make for ourselves. No church or other institution can do it for you. It’s a way of living, not a way of believing. How are you living?
Rev. Dr. Shannon Rogers, DDiv
Sr. Pastor and President, Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA)
A FAITH WHOSE TIME HAS COME
A FAITH FOR TODAY
A Layman's Perspective
A LAYMAN’S PERSPECTIVE—Article XII, final in a series
June 15, 2026
LIBERATION
I have come to the conclusion that in my youth, I was indoctrinated with Christian orthodoxy, and I don’t think that I am alone: From a young age, kids across the country—I have no presumptions about the world—are taught the fundamentals of Christianity.
At the risk of sounding facetious, I note that we are barely old enough to perceive the light of day when we are introduced to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, our first representatives of Christmas and Easter. And it is all so much fun with Christmas trees and presents, getting up at 5:00 AM to see if Santa had come; Easter egg hunts and jellybeans. For myself, I can say that I was hooked!
In church school, religion gets a little more serious: “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so,” Bethlehem, Silent Night, the manger and all—still benign, comforting and uncontroversial.
It wasn’t until my children were born—I was in my mid-thirties—that I got serious about religion. Then, I began my introduction to the big orthodox tenets of Christianity—salvation, resurrection, Jesus’ miracles, the infallibility of the Bible, Jesus as God. It wasn’t long before I began to question or reject much of this doctrine.
I may be a late bloomer, but I have found it tremendously liberating to consider Christian orthodoxy and formulate my own beliefs most of which are not orthodox but which I believe are rational, reasonable, reverent and which reflect a modern understanding of science, history and God.
Rediscovering Unitarianism with which my beliefs align well has been a great gift, providing validation of my spiritual journey and the company of fellow believers. When I meet God, I don’t think that He will condemn me to eternal punishment for my divergence from Christian orthodoxy; in fact, I think that it is possible that God will give me credit for using my powers of discernment which after all, He gave me.
I hope I am right!
Thank you for reading!
Carroll “Chip” Fossett
UCCA General Council
