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 FAITH WHOSE TIME HAS COME
A FAITH FOR TODAY
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 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
MORE THAN WE CAN SEE
March 29, 2026
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11
Human beings are a different people than we once were. Once people exchanged ideas to learn from one another, explore different viewpoints, and find out what we can and can’t know. Now, we seem to be an information-driven and argumentative people. When we have so much knowledge at our fingertips, it’s can be hard to accept that there might be things we don’t or can’t know. At the same time, we’ve become obsessed with “being right.” Even when presented with evidence contrary to our current understanding, we tend to “dig in” and keep arguing for our own preconceived ideas.
It’s kind of natural, though. We want things to make sense, and in the information age, we want things to make sense NOW. We want clarity about the world around us. More to the point, we want clarity about who we are, where we are, what God is doing, and how everything fits together. When clarity isn’t there, it can feel like something is wrong, as though we are not trying hard enough to learn or as though we are missing an answer we should have found by now.
But Ecclesiastes offers us a more classic view of things. It suggests that life does have a semblance of order and meaning, even when it isn’t visible to us on demand. “Beautiful in its time” is not a promise that everything will feel right in every given moment. It is a reminder that our view is shaped by our circumstances, by where we stand. We do not always stand at the precise place where things come into focus.
At the same time, this verse names something human. We ARE drawn to meaning. We look for patterns, purpose, and connection because something in us reaches beyond the immediate. We have the capacity to analyze the past and look to the future. We have the capacity to conceive of the things that are not in our immediate presence. That longing for patterns and purpose isn’t a flaw, it’s a byproduct of our human capacity. It’s often what keeps us searching, growing, and paying attention.
Yet, the verse is wise in its clarity about our limits. We are not able, nor are we meant, to see the whole of what God does throughout the whole universe from the beginning to the end of time. This isn’t a failure on our part. We haven’t tried too little. We’re just not born with the capacity to hold the entire picture at once.
Maybe faith is not about resolving that tension and trying to gain all the answers about everything so we can always be “right.” Maybe it’s about learning to live with the reality of our limitations, being honest about the tension of wanting to know but not being able to. We cannot force answers where none are available and we really should not mistake uncertainty for failure. There can be trust without full explanation, and there can be meaning without full understanding.
In the meantime, our work remains. Even in uncertainty, we can still live with integrity, treat others with care, and move in the direction of what is good. You do not have to understand everything to live a humble, faithful life. Not knowing does not place you outside of meaning, even if you don’t fully grasp it.
“I do not occupy myself with things too great and marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul.” – Psalm 131:1-2
Rev. Dr. Brian J. Kelley
Executive Pastor, Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA
