Unitarian group changes name, settles lawsuit

Christian Century, Nov 7, 2001

A group of dissatisfied Unitarians who thinks its church has become too political will change its name in order to settle a suit filed by the national church. Members of the American Unitarian Association (AUA) organized to push the noncreedal church back toward an emphasis on God, not politics or social issues.

The Unitarian Universalist Association filed suit, claiming ownership of the AUA name--one of the church's predecessor organizations 40 years ago. Former church president John Buehrens said the group tried to "steal our identity."

Leaders of the AUA concluded that fighting a lawsuit would be too expensive for their small, Virginia-based group and agreed to rename themselves the American Unitarian Conference, but they have not dropped their campaign. "Our goal is to promote traditional Unitarianism," said David Burton, president of the group. "That tradition holds that faith in God, freedom, reason and tolerance should be central to the religious experience."

William G. Sinkford, the new president of the Boston-based church, was pleased. "It was never our intention to oppose the right of the American Unitarian Conference group to exist, only to protect ... our name," he said. --RNS