Forming a Chapter
UUAM Chapters work to promote compassion for all species at the local level. In return, by being a chapter your leadership is prominently displayed on our UUAM webpage where people (and other chapters) can find you.
By being a chapter you know that you are part of something larger and can give and receive to other chapters and congregations. We are stronger together than alone.
Our goal in UU Animal Ministry is to embrace the various ways we celebrate and care for animals, and to affirm our faith’s call to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all beings through our daily actions. We accomplish this goal by drawing on UU theologies, traditions, religious practices, and our Principles and Resources. Forming a local UUAM Chapter will help members work together in the following ways:
To support individual and congregational exploration and deepening of UU faith as it concerns the understanding of humans in communities of mixed species, and our response to this understanding;
To encourage and support UU ministers, lay leaders, and congregants to open a dialogue about this challenging moral and religious issue;
To inform UUs and other people of conscience about the widespread abuse of animals;
To incorporate humane education materials and attitudes into our religious education programs at all age levels;
To encourage UU ministers to deliver sermons on animal rights issues and to develop services on animals during the yearly calendar;
To develop and support social action programs to implement our goals of justice and compassion for all creatures;
To work, along with other people of humane and compassionate beliefs, toward the exclusion of cruel, wasteful and repetitive testing of commercial products; duplicative, unnecessary, wasteful and even frivolous biomedical research using animals; the widespread abuse of “food” animals on factory farms and in transit to slaughter, the destruction of fur-bearing animals for profit; “sport hunting”, and events which mistreat animals for entertainment;
To encourage UUs and others to explore and adopt a more humane lifestyle, focusing on ethical consumerism, vegetarianism and veganism, the use of cruelty-free products and the development of alternatives to the use of animals in research and products testing.
How to Form a Chapter
There are many ways to form a UUAM chapter. Contact us here if you have questions or would like support and guidance. Here are the basic steps and requirements:
Review the UUAM website and the list of activities/goals for chapters below and see if they are part of your ministry, both within and external to your congregation.
If your goals are in line with UUAM’s, then you may begin the steps to form a chapter.
You need to begin with having two or more UUAM friends within the chapter.
Hold a meeting and invite other members within the congregation. You might want to have the meeting in conjunction with a meal, outing, or discussion group.
Determine that you have a ministry as a small group within your congregation.
Decide on a name for yourself (such as “UU Animal Ministry of [your town or congregation]). However, you may pick any name you choose, and perhaps have the UUAM chapter as part of your second line.
Decide on a vision/goal for your group.
Contact Rev. John Millspaugh, UUAM Executive Director (via the “Contact Us” page or emailing info@uuam.org), with your intention to be a chapter. Be sure to provide your history to date, name, goal/visions, and contact person.
Fill out the UUAM Chapter Application and submit it to info@uuam.org. The UUAM Board will consider your application at its next monthly meeting. Once the Board has approved your application, chapter dues are $100 a year.
Congratulate yourself on becoming a chapter and starting to bring about the change you wish in the world!
UUAM chapters are self-organizing and autonomous, but UUAM is pleased to offer a monthly Chapter Leaders meeting for leaders to exchange insights, challenges, and opportunities. We do ask that you report to UUAM on a yearly basis with any changes in your organization (such as the contact person), with updates for our website, and with a brief summary of your activities.
Possible Chapter Activities
Some of the things you might consider implementing for your congregation are:
Hold an annual “Animal Blessing” service*;
Provide support for those grieving the loss or illness of a pet;
Serve vegetarian and vegan fare at community meals;
Set up service projects for local shelters or rescue agencies and facilitate congregational participation;
Show documentary films that will educate your congregants regarding animal issues;
Hold a “Compassionate Coffee Hour” that features vegan snacks and provides information about the effects of various diets on the planet, human health, and animals.
Provide congregants a list of restaurants that offer sustainable/animal friendly choices.
Click here for a longer list of sample activities: What Do UUAM Chapters Do?
There are many excellent resources available for both adult and children’s RE viewing, activities and discussion. Please note the Resources pages on our website.
* Rev. Gary Kowalski and Rev. LoraKim Joyner have compiled a helpful guide for anyone wishing to plan a service celebrating our kinship with other living creatures. You can obtain this information in a slide show here: