Registration Open: Join us in Little Rock and/or Windsor!

March 27, 2024

On behalf of the UCA Board and the UK International Conference committee, I’m delighted to announce the opening of registration for two 2024 UCA conferences:

Each conference will feature that special UCA conference blend of thought-provoking presentations, practical workshops, and plenty of time for fellowship, food, and getting to know this year’s Conference Partners. Mutual encouragement is the order of the day, and interesting cross-pollinations and collaborations have resulted from past conferences. We are united by our convictions that the God of the Bible is the Father and that Jesus is his human Messiah. Come and make new connections with like-minded believers. You can register now at either of the above links; don’t delay, as space is limited.

The programs for each conference are still being built:

Workshops! Participate in the Planning for UCA Conference 2024 (USA)

March 18, 2024

If you have an idea for a workshop or are interested in presenting one, please review the following:

Workshops are designed to complement the theological presentations. They are intended to be practical and interactive, and are aligned with the “connecting with others” aspect of the UCA mission. Having meaningful dialog among a group is a way to learn about each other and make new connections. A lecture results in you getting to know the lecturer, but a topic that creates lots of discussion means you get to know a dozen people in the room. Workshops give us the opportunity to put unitarian thought into action.

Workshops are designed to be in a different format than the paper presentations to holistically round out the conference and participants’ needs. So, we have opted for a clear demarcation between these two types of sessions.  Paper presentations are theological, scholarly, detailed lectures, with a Q&A at the end to dig in. The workshops are designed to facilitate discussions. They could be run by an individual, a team, or a panel.

To make workshops as broadly useful as we can, we are favoring topics that are practical, like tools, skills, or building more connections. Some examples of past workshops include homeschooling, interpersonal conflict, deconstruction of faith, and running online church groups.

If you have a workshop idea that fits the above guidelines or the ability to present a workshop, please submit your idea to Laura Willenburg, our workshop coordinator, using the email: workshops@unitarianchristianalliance.org. Please provide a detailed explanation of the topic and some possible points of discussion for the session.

Thank you for making the workshops a valuable part of the UCA conference experience!

Call for UCA UK International Conference Papers

March 15, 2024

The Unitarian Christian Alliance UK International Conference organisers are pleased to announce a general call for papers to be presented at our first annual conference in Windsor, UK, July 25-27, 2024. (Watch this blog for the opening of registration)

The submission deadline is the end of the day (UK time) of Friday May 24, 2024.

Please do not submit multiple papers.

Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a committee of three.

We are looking for scholarly (or at least: informed, insightful, and well-argued) papers which are also accessible to an educated lay audience on topics which can advance the cause of unitarian Christianity. Previous conference presentations can be seen on YouTube and some Model Papers are referenced here.

Topics may include but are not limited to: biblical theology, systematic theology, biblical studies, textual criticism, history of theology, history of unitarian Christianity, apologetics, Christian philosophy, analytic theology.

Authors may submit even if they are neither a member of the UCA nor a unitarian Christian.

Paper submissions must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (Notes and Bibliography style, with footnotes and bibliography). A fully written paper must be submitted; an outline or proposal is not enough.

The main text should be no longer than 6,000 words, so that the presentation is no longer than 45 minutes. Submitted papers longer than 6,000 (in the main text – so not including footnotes) will be automatically rejected.

Authors should plan on about 10 minutes of audience Q&A after their talk. Papers may be read, although authors are encouraged to present the material in an engaging way.

Conference presentations will be video-recorded and may be posted on the UCA YouTube channel, and our social media committee may also snip out interesting “sound bites” for short videos. By submitting a paper, you agree that your presentation may be filmed and used in these ways by the UCA.

Authors of accepted papers must supply a PowerPoint or Keynote or Google Slides (etc.) presentation to accompany their talk by the end of Monday, July 1, 2024. (This should be emailed to the address below.)

After removing any self-identifying features (e.g. your name, references to your other publications or other work), please email your submission to ukconference@unitarianchristianalliance.org.

Our conference coordinator will ensure that the papers are suitable for blind review and then pass them on to the committee.

The committee’s decisions will be emailed to authors by the end of Monday, June 3, 2024.

Save the date: UCA Conference 2024!

February 22, 2024
Conference Preview Video

The UCA Board is pleased to announce that our fourth annual conference will be at the Vines Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, October 17-20, 2024! Registration will open in the coming weeks!

The conference will be all inclusive (connect, eat, sleep, repeat!) so show up Thursday afternoon, October 17, 2024, and settle in for the teaching, networking, and fellowship, till checkout after breakfast Sunday morning, October 20.

The venue has great meeting spaces; look at the comfy seats in the auditorium and the breakout rooms for workshops!

Sleeping accommodations are onsite: choose at registration for single occupancy, double, or triple if you want to save some money and room with new or old friends!

Their food gets rave reviews: 3 square meals a day, plus cinnamon rolls for brunch, popcorn for mid afternoons, and 24 hour beverage service if you need some caffeine to keep focused. (Post-conference diet plan not included.)

There will be plenty of room to relax and fellowship. I can’t decide if I want dibs on the firepit by the lake or the comfy couches more.

Their grounds are beautiful, quiet, and should probably have some fall colors.

The trip from the Little Rock airport to the conference center is about 30 minutes; we’re looking into shuttle ideas – stay tuned . . .

Last year, attendees had the opportunity to attend church on Sunday at one of the unitarian Christian groups in the area. It was a positive experience for many, and it will be an option again this year.

Watch this space for coming announcements about submitting a scholarly paper or an idea for a practical workshop to be considered for inclusion in the program.

Registration will be announced here, and also via the UCA Facebook Group, so stay tuned!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Extracurriculars at the 2023 UCA Conference

October 17, 2023

There’s more in store than just the workshops, meals, and excellent presentations!

Pre-party at “The Abbey”

Arrive early and drop in at “The Abbey” for the UCA Pre-party, Oct. 19, noon to 5pm. It’s just up the road, so stop in for refreshments, and visiting. Alan Cain shows you around in the video below!

UCA Pre-party Video

Evening Visits

Gather with others after the evening meeting (ending around 8:30). There are restaurants, a brewery downtown, and plenty of space to just hang out and get to know others. If you are a young adult, hang out after the evening session on Thursday and Friday nights for a dedicated time together of encouragement and new friendships.

Baptistry

There is also a baptistry available Saturday lunch for any who want to use it.

Local Attractions

Come early or stay later and take in some local attractions, including the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, and more (listed on the Conference page).

See you there!

Please Register ASAP

October 5, 2023

As I write this more than 150 people are registered for the third annual Unitarian Christian conference! We must give our “final” headcount to the awesome local caterers by the end of afternoon of Thursday, October 5, 2023—so please, if at all possible, register for the conference before then.  

We will still accept some registrations after that, but at some point the food will run short and you may have to pledge to be last in the food line. (And trust me, you don’t want to do that!) 

I’m looking forward to seeing new and old friends in Springfield, Ohio, October 19-21! To learn more about the conference and to register, go here.  

White vs. Tuggy debate: “Is Jesus Yahweh?” – March 9, 2024 in Houston, Texas

August 30, 2023

Back in 2017 I challenged Dr. James White to a debate. Now, God willing, it will happen, thanks to the efforts of host church Pastor Evan McClanahan. I am delighted to say that Unitarian Christian Alliance is co-sponsoring this debate. For those who can’t attend or catch the church’s livestream, you will eventually be able to see it on our excellent YouTube channel. Our topic will not be the Trinity, but rather the deity of Christ, in the form of the debate question Dr. White has chosen: “Is Jesus Yahweh?”

                I’ve been in a similar debate before (video, soon-to-be-reprinted book). In that debate I argued that a unitarian Christology is easily stated in the very words of Scripture, whereas any “two natures” theory depends on questionable inferences from what is actually written. I urged that my opponent Mr. Date was “reading between the lines,” whereas I was just reading the lines. I began by pointing out the obvious numerical distinctness of Jesus and God, summarized the clear New Testament teachings that Jesus is a very special man who is someone other than the one true God (a.k.a. the Father), and then explained the desperate morass which is traditional catholic “two natures” speculations.

                My approach will be different here. Dr. White has since his 1998 book endlessly hurled the accusation that every advocate for unitarian Christianity is “merely assuming” unitarianism and/or “merely assuming” that the human Jesus isn’t also divine. So I will argue in a style that undeniably does not assume such things. I will argue from more than a dozen facts about the New Testament, or rather classes of facts, each of which confirms the hypothesis that the authors believed that Jesus is a man who is not also divine over the hypothesis that they believed Jesus to be a “godman” (i.e. both human and divine). Dr. White has over the years urged that clearly it is “Philosophy” and not the New Testament which determines my views about God and Christ. But I will present a case for a non-divine, human Jesus which does not assume any controversial philosophical theses and which is based on a broad view of the whole New Testament, focusing on the many clear passages, and I will expose the many unjustifiable assumptions of Dr. White’s arguments for “the deity of Christ,” or as he prefers to say, that Jesus “is Yahweh.”

Tickets are available here; get them while they last!

Building Connections and Advancing Truth: New UCA Giving Options

August 23, 2023

The Unitarian Christian Alliance has been steadfast in its commitment of connecting unitarian Christians and promoting the teaching that God is singular, and Jesus is God’s son, our human Messiah. In pursuit of these vital objectives, the UCA is thrilled to introduce three new giving options, each providing a unique opportunity for donors to directly contribute to specific areas of our mission. These targeted funds allow you, our valued supporters, to actively participate in the growth of the UCA by investing in the initiatives that align most closely with your passions.

1. The International Conference Fund: Building Connections Worldwide

The UCA is committed to help forge relationships and share the truth among unitarian Christians, regardless of their geographical location. The International Conference Fund is designed to support efforts in hosting UCA Conferences outside of the United States. By contributing to this fund, you are helping us

  • Cover venue down payments and expenses
  • Offset meal costs
  • Provide financial assistance to attendees

Keeping conference costs low helps ensure that as many individuals as possible can attend and benefit from these events.

International UCA Conferences provide a remedy for the widespread isolation that afflicts so many, letting us come together to share, form friendships, and promote truth. Your support for the International Conference Fund directly contributes to these invaluable, in-person gatherings on a global scale.

2. The Marketing and Advertising Fund: Amplifying Our Message

Effective marketing and advertising are essential to reaching a broader audience with the truth. The Marketing and Advertising Fund is instrumental in

  • Creating compelling content
  • Promoting on various platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and other online channels
  • Purchasing tools (e.g. animation software), and covering social media fees and other costs

Your support here directly translates into more people encountering the message of our marvelous, unique Creator and the extraordinary testimony of his authentically human son. It’s an investment in the future growth and impact of the UCA.

3. The Publishing Fund: Crafting Theological, Philosophical, and Historical Scholarship

Education is core to our mission, and the Publishing Fund plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal. This fund supports

  • Publishing and editing tools
  • Editing, design, and publishing costs
  • The valuable time of individuals like Dale Tuggy in creating high-quality and compelling books

When you contribute to the Publishing Fund, you become a partner in the dissemination of works designed to push back against the tumultuous slurry of Trinitarian academia and apologetics. Your support enables us to produce exemplary resources for those seeking to either deepen their understanding of unitarian Christianity, or to interrogate their own traditions.

Conclusion

The Unitarian Christian Alliance is excited to offer these three new giving options, empowering you to be directly involved in the areas that resonate most with you, ensuring that your giving goes exactly where you want to see truth flourish. These options exist in parallel with the UCA Operations Fund which is financed through membership subscriptions and other generous donations, and which covers website and podcast hosting, website development, and the annual UCA Conference.

Join us in building a brighter and bolder future for unitarian Christians where the truth of the Shema (Deut. 6:4) rings out, unmistakably clear and unhindered by traditional Christian speculations.

Registration is OPEN! UCA Conference: October 19-21, 2023

July 19, 2023

Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE for the third annual UCA Conference, in Springfield, Ohio, October 19-21, 2023!

You can register right HERE, right now!

The UCA Conference planning committee and the UCA Board of Directors have been hard at work bringing to life what is set to be a spectacular event full of fellowship, food, and teaching! This year, you’ll get the opportunity to network with like-minded believers; to learn about new ministries, projects, and opportunities; to be challenged by insightful academic presentations; and to be enriched by a variety of topical workshops hosted by Unitarian Christians from all over!

Please visit the Conference page for information and to register right away! And if you have contributed financially to the UCA, please use code “contributor” at checkout for a discount!

We can’t wait to see YOU in Springfield, Ohio this October 19-21!

Looking for a New Twitter Manager

June 3, 2023

Over the last two years our brother Manasseh has expertly managed the UCA Twitter account. During his tenure he has greatly improved the UCA’s visibility and reach. We’re so thankful for his service and hope to continue the legacy he has begun.

We’re seeking someone to take over the UCA Twitter account and so join us in advancing the truth of unitarian Christianity. Ideally this person would post once per day, showing the world that our organization is alive and active.

Posts can include polls, important scriptures, provocative questions, observations, links to resources, memes, and shared tweets by other unitarian Christians. Direct but kind and friendly interaction with trinitarian Tweeters is encouraged. To get an idea of what kinds of posts we’re looking for, visit our Twitter feed or see a few examples below. If you’re interested please contact me or the moderators of the UCA Facebook group.

If you’re interested in helping us carry the torch, email ??