Pamphlets are one of our most important resources for introducing
visitors and prospective members to Unitarian Universalism. Often the first
thing seen upon entering the church, pamphlets tell newcomers about our history,
beliefs and practices. UUA pamphlets
are developed and created by the UUA Pamphlet Commission.
The Rev. Ken Sawyer and Mary-Alla Holst represented the Pamphlet Commission, explaining the type of literature available and the process by which they are produced.
Recently, the Pamphlet Commission reduced the cost of the pamphlets to slightly over costs so that more congregation could afford this important resource. There are several categories from which to choose:
- History
-
Views of...series
-
Diversity
-
Perspectives
-
Faith of…series
-
Children and Youth
-
Gifts
-
Bookmarks and wallet cards
Assortment packets are also available and audio-video materials.
In terms of process, Rev. Sawyer described the five member committee made up of lay people and ministers. The Pamphlet Commission has been in existence for 175 years and has an annual budget of $1,000 to cover the costs of the committee. For that reason, participation has been limited to people who live in the greater Boston area until recently.
Most pamphlets are decided on by the commission. They perform the role of recruiting writers, editing, and coordinating the process with the UUA Publishing Department. The commission meets every 6 weeks with the exception of the summer months.
The commission is currently considering whether to provide information in other
formats, such as via the Web (some pamphlets are already available on the commission's
section of the UUA Web site). Also, the commission continues to struggle with
keeping information fresh. If you are interested in giving feedback to the commission
or would like to propose a pamphlet topic, visit http://www.uua.org/pamphlet/
for more information.
Reported for the Web by Jessie Washington; formatted for the web by Kasey Melski.
General Assembly 2001 · Program Grid
