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).
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.
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.
Announcement!
We are very excited to announce that the UCCA's Reverend Brian Kelly has accepted the position of Executive Pastor of the Unitarian Christian Church of America, March 1, 2026. We are excited for this development as we continue on our journey together.
THE DUDE ABIDES
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” – John 15:4
The Gospel according to John often speaks in imagery rather than arguments. Light and darkness. Bread and hunger. Water and thirst. In John 15, Jesus turns to another everyday image: vines and branches.
For Unitarian Christians, Jesus is our teacher and example. When he speaks of abiding, we do not hear a call to mystical union or orthodox belief, but an invitation to formation, to let a teaching take root so deeply that it begins to guide how we live.
A branch does not bear fruit by trying harder. It bears fruit by remaining connected to what gives it life. When that connection is broken, the branch is not judged or punished; it simply stops being fruitful. It dries up. Disconnection is not a moral failure, it’s unsustainable.
To us, “abiding in Jesus” means remaining oriented toward his way of life: compassion over judgment, truth without domination, love that is practiced as well as proclaimed. To abide is to return to that way again and again, especially when we begin to grow astray. When Jesus “abides in us,” it means his teachings have moved from words we hear and admire into values that shape our instincts, choices, and very lives.
To some, this is a re-framing of how we think about spiritual growth. Fruit is not something we are required to produce in order to prove our worth to an all-loving God. Fruit is what appears naturally when a life is rooted in something life-giving. Love, patience, courage, generosity: these four outcomes, not requirements.
Even the image of pruning fits this understanding, and Jesus uses this imagery elsewhere in the passage. Pruning is not punishment to a fruit-bearer. It is discernment. For us, it is the careful letting go of unhelpful habits, commitments, or identities that tend to drain life without helping it grow. Growth often feels difficult, like loss, but it creates space for deeper vitality.
In a world that constantly pulls our attention in a dozen directions, the question John 15 asks is simple and demanding: What are you staying connected to? What abides in you and in what do you abide? Not everything that demands our attention is life-giving.
The vine does not demand belief or perfection; it invites connection. And when we remain, often imperfectly but still faithfully, something good will certainly begin to grow.
What teachings, what principles, shape you so deeply that they guide how you live when no one is watching?
Rev. Brian J. Kelley
Executive Pastor, Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA)
UCCA - A LAYMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
I would love to hear from you: Please reach out to me here for any questions or conversation! - Carroll "Chip" Fossett, UCCA General Counsel
SALVATION - Article 5 in a Series
March 1, 2026
As I considered my questions about Jesus and the Bible, I found that Church theology did not make sense to me:
The Gospel of John provides explicit statements about exclusive salvation through Christ:
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (3:16, Revised Standard Version)
“No one comes to the Father but by me.” (14:6, RSV)
But what about other people, other religions--Jews, Muslims, Buddhists? Does God condemn them to eternal damnation if they don’t believe in Jesus? I don’t think so:
God is the Creator and He loves His Creation—the Universe, life on Earth, the Human Race, even us “sinners.” If He loves us, I don’t think that He wants to sentence us to eternal punishment. There are considerations to putting oneself “right with God” other than an orthodox belief in Jesus—love and doing God’s will to suggest two examples: In Luke 10: 25-28, Jesus admits that love is the way to eternal life; Similarly, in Matthew 7:21 he says “He who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” shall enter the kingdom of heaven. (RSV)
Paulo Coelho in “Aleph” has a compelling take on Heaven and Hell:
“In the second before our death, each of us understands the real reason for our existence, and out of that moment, Heaven or Hell is born. Hell is when we look back and know that we wasted an opportunity to dignify the miracle of life. Paradise is being able to say at that moment: I made some mistakes, but I wasn’t a coward. I lived my life and did what I had to do.” (“Aleph,” second chapter)
Carroll “Chip” Fossett
UCCA General Council
QUESTIONS ARISING - Article 4 in a Series
February 15, 2026
After my spiritual awakening, I returned to church life and was active in the United Church of Christ (UCC) for over 30 years. Before long, however, I began to question the orthodox, Trinitarian theology of the Church—the representations of Jesus and the Bible complicated my understanding of God and His relation to the world:
- Must we “believe in Jesus” to be “saved” to eternal life? (John 3:16, Mark 16:16)
- After suffering crucifixion and dying on the cross, did Jesus actually rise, exit the tomb and meet his followers? (Matthew 28: 16-20, Luke 24: 36-49)
- Did Jesus walk on water (Matthew 14: 22-33), feed 5000 people with a few fish and loaves of bread (Matthew 14: 13-21), raise Lazarus from the dead? (John 11:38-44)
- Is the Bible the “Infallible word of God?”
- Why do we have a “historical Jesus” and a “Jesus of Faith?”
- Do we need Jesus to experience God?
- Is Jesus God?
My response to these questions would reshape my understanding of Jesus, religion and my personal spirituality.
Carroll “Chip” Fossett
Unitarian Christian Church of America
GOD’S MIRACLE - Article 3 in a Series
February 1, 2026
After graduation from my Trinitarian Christian education, I had a decade-long “agnostic” period—during college, military service and graduate school, I didn’t think much about God or religion.
Then I had my first Godsend: I met Becky who would become my friend-of-a-lifetime, companion, partner-in-life, and now my wife of 48 years. Two people became one and we have built our adult lives together.
Once A Trinitarian - Article 2 in a Series
January 15, 2026
So that we are on the same page, I believe that the essential difference between Trinitarian and Unitarian is that Trinitarians believe in a “triune,” three-in-one, God—Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit, while Unitarians believe in a unitary God and that Jesus is not God. I believe that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of God which Jesus has brought to us.
I received my strictly Trinitarian, Christian education at the Wellesley Congregational Church, Wellesley, MA. I learned my lessons about the Holy Trinity well: That Jesus is one with God, seated at His right hand; that he is our Lord and Savior; that he preexisted the world with God.
Welcome - Article 1 in a Series
January 1, 2026
Thank you for visiting the newly-updated UCCA website—we on the General Council of UCCA hope that you will visit often to learn more about the UCCA and Unitarian Christianity, and hopefully join us on our mission.
My name is Carroll (better known as “Chip”) Fossett and I am the Director of Public Relations and Information on the General Council. I was a long time Trinitarian, but over the last 15 to 20 years, I have found that my religious beliefs align more closely with Unitarian theology. I connected with the UCCA early last year and think that I have found my new religious home.
In the future, I plan to post additional notes relative to Unitarian Christianity which I hope you will find helpful. In the meantime, if you have any questions for me, please feel free to contact me at chezfossett@aol.com.
Thanks and best wishes for 2026.
