General Assembly Delegates Arrive in Fort Worth

Prepared for UUA.org by: Margy Levine Young, Reporter/Editor

The weather is sunny and very hot, but that's no surprise to Unitarian Universalists who attended GA the last time it was in Fort Worth , back in 1994. Looking around the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, UUs spot each other and compare past GA experiences on the shuttle bus ride to the hotels in the downtown area. Volunteers are already on hand at the Convention Center, greeting early arrivals and handing out badges.

The Fort Worth Convention Center was completely renovated in 2003, with plenty of space for GA's plenary sessions, break-out sessions, and workshops. The Exhibition Hall is taking shape as exhibitors set up their booths with books, jewelry, religious education curricula, chalices, and information about various Unitarian Universalist organizations. Pre-GA events have begun, including meetings of the UU Minister's Association and the Association of UU Administrators.

The theme of this year's GA is "Ministering to Families in Today's World." The UUA's Family Matters Task Force will sponsor several programs focusing on how we are all family, each with our own inherent value. Family-related workshops include "Guiding Youth into Young Adulthood," "Aging Through the Eyes of the Family," "Our Whole Lives: What It Means to Me," and "Making Magic: Stories and Activities for Pagan Holidays." An intergenerational barbecue lunch is planned for Friday, and the Youth Caucus (for youth ages 14 to 20) has a full schedule of events.

Other highlights include Pete Seeger in "Pete Seeger and Friends Celebrating Our Tradition" and Dr. Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University , delivering the Ware Lecture on the controversy over the characterization of Jesus as presented in the New Testament Gospel of John and the recently-discovered Gospel of Thomas.

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