| Faith Without Borders |
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International Unitarian Connections
From September 2009 until Fall 2011, we were involved in a two year effort entitled “Faith Without Borders”. We had numerous activities and opportunities for members and friends of First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor to learn more and become more closely involved with our international programs. In July 2011 seven members of our congregation, including the Rev. Mark Evens, travelled to Budapest and on into Transylvania to our partner church congregation in Kezdivarsahely. In Fall 2011 a group will travel to our school program in the Khasi Hills, India. Both programs are now involved with our all-church strategic planning, looking forward to the next five years and in 2015 the celebration of 150 years since our congregation’s founding.
The Unitarian Church of Kézdivásárhely, Romania (Transylvania) is a partner church for UUAA. At left is a photo of minister, the Rev. Maria Pap reading to children during a visit to our congregation. This relationship formally began by congregational vote in 1997. Our partnership is under the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council program. Transylvania was the birthplace of Unitarianism in 1565 and the Unitarian Church has persevered through centuries of hardships. Ethnically Hungarian, Transylvanians have suffered under the Romanian governments of the past decades. Read more... 
Our Khasi HIlls Sponsor-a-Student Program has been connecting with a lower primary school in Mawkisyiem, India (Khasi Hills) since 2001. Our congregation's Unitarian relationship with the Khasi Hills began in 1896 when our minister Rev. Jabez Sunderland began a theological friendship with Hajom Kissor Singh which led to the establishment of a Unitarian church in the Khasi Hills. Our relationship was renewed when our then assistant minister, the Rev. Eva Cameron, visited the area in 2001. The Khasi Hills are isolated and not part of industrialized India. The area is reputed to be the wettest on earth. Read more...
In March 2010 we extended the hand of fellowship to the 6 year old Unitarian Church of Burundi. Church and State are so meshed in Burundi that it is illegal to practice a religion other than Roman Catholicism unless the Church can provide its own building. They have already raised half the necessary $40,000. We sent $1,000 from the Minister's Discretionary Fund which is matched in full from a grant administered by the People's Unitarian Universalist Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. To quote the Burundi Church President, Fulgence Ndagijimana, we are "helping to keep the light of liberal faith alive and growing in Burundi and on the African continent."
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