Our Beliefs

We are a community of adults and children with diverse spiritual orientations, who come from many different backgrounds. We invite you to come visit us and learn more about us.

We seek to share a journey of spiritual growth and work together to find ways to live our faith in the world, while respecting the right to freedom of individual beliefs. Our principles and statements of covenant and mission speak our most cherished values, both as part of a larger faith and as an individual congregation. We invite you to explore this website to find out more about who we are and what we do.

Our Ministry

The ministry of the congregation, in our free tradition, is the responsibility of the entire Congregation. It’s a ministry in which the lay leadership, the professional staff and the membership all have complementary responsibilities in fulfilling the covenant between the members and friends of the congregation and in carrying out the mission of the congregation.

Our Values

Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition that has changed in many ways from the original Christian roots of its Universalist and Unitarian heritages, and it continues to evolve today. Most recently, this evolution has taken the form of adopting new language to describe who we are as UUs. At General Assembly in June 2024, UUs voted to replace existing Eight Principles and Six Sources language in our bylaws with language describing Unitarian Universalism through these shared values:

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Equity
We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities 
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Generosity
 We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality. 
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Interdependence
We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. 
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Justice
We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes.
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Pluralism
We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. 
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Transformation
We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect. 
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Love
Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love. 
Our Covenant
Adopted June 11, 2023

As a compassionate and nurturing community, we:

  • Affirm our interdependence by celebrating our differences and the gifts each of us bring.
  • Create a brave and courageous space that welcomes our whole selves while providing fertile ground for challening discussions.
  • Treat each other respectfully regardless of our differences, calling each other back into covenant with love when needed.
  • Support the work of our congregation with both time and money to the extent allowed by our circumstances.
  • Share the responsibility of creating a nurturing environment that widens our circle of inclusion for all.
Our Mission
Adopted January 23, 2022

The Mission of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville:

We gather to create community, nurture spiritual growth, and act on our values. Together, guided by reason and inspired by love, we celebrate diversity, confront oppression, and promote environmental and social justice.

View Our Vision Statement Learn About the UUA