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GA 08: Day One (Wednesday)

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. I have been meaning to blog before now, but I've only got internet properly set up in my room today. I've brought my camera with me, but not the cable to connect it to my computer, so I'll upload photos when I get back home. So I'll try to catch up with my brief coverage:

Minister's conference

Nothing of interest to report.

International worrkshop

We had speakers from USA, South Africa and Uganda. The Ugandan speaker, Mark Kiyamba, was most interesting to me, as I already know a fair bit about Unitarianism in the USA (obviously) and a bit about South Africa as well. It really excites me to hear about growing Unitarian communities in Africa. Could it still be possible that the renewal of our faith could come from the third world? Historically Unitarians have been really rubbish at supporting emerging Unitarian communities outside of Euro-America, I really hope that might change.

Hymnbook panel

The new book should be out in 2010. It's really good, I'm excited, some good stuff that will get me swaying in the aisles in there (I do have a bit of charismatic Christian in me). I like to have a good sing-song at GA, rather than it been all listening to speakers. Can't wait for the new hymnbook.

Opening celebrations

A celebration of the 100 years of the Unitarian Women's League. Very pleasant and dignified. Me, I'd have prefered a good old sing song and some really loud celebration. As much as the whoope-whooping that goes on at American UU GA gets a bit tiresome and inauthentic, I think in the UK we could do with a bit more of it.

UniPride

Are we going to get around to making some kind of vaguely official Unitarian queer group? Hopefully. I'm hoping we can move beyond the secret meetings in darken rooms late at night at GA (very 70s) to get a proud and loud and activist community. Organising is so tiresome though.

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