Justice and Faith Projects - The North Parish Church of North Andover

“Unitarian Universalists across this country are among those to meet whatever the moment requires, the first to show up, speak up, and embody truths that others, in time, come to embrace. It occurs to me that in the work of social justice and inclusion, Unitarian Universalists are almost always among those who go first. Going first is your gift, your vocation, and your strength.” ~ from the 2026 Ware Lecture offered at the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly by Episcopal Bishop the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde (Washington, DC)

Our Unitarian Universalist values, centered in Love, call us to recognize our interdependence with all beings and with the earth and to build a world where no one is left behind or left out. What moves us to help create a kinder, more just, connected, life-sustaining wider community? For some it comes from a deep sense of our interdependence with other humans and all life. For others, it comes from a desire to give back, to pay it forward, or to discover new people and new purpose. Some are tired of struggling alone against principalities and powers and others are just waking up to conditions that they can no longer tolerate. There are as many reasons to engage as there are people at North Parish, but when we join together to work on projects on behalf of love and abundant life, momentum and magic happen.

At North Parish, service and justice work includes direct help, advocacy, education, community building, ballot initiatives, witness, and protest. There are teams or groups that work on specific areas:

Photo: Social Change Eco-system workshop leadership team, Jan 2026

Membership in groups and teams is open. The leaders of those projects meet regularly to plan, to offer support, and sometimes to plan joint projects. Please email the leaders of particular projects to ask to be included in their communications list and/or watch the e-news for particular opportunities to join in short-term or long-term initiatives and projects.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Each of the justice and faith teams and groups collaborates with other groups in the congregation and builds partnerships with community organizations beyond the congregation. Some of these include…

North Parish has a long-standing history of social activism. We have also learned from our history, especially the times when members of the congregation created injustice- such as involvement in the witchcraft fanaticism of the 1690’s or racial segregation in the 1700’s. At other times, members moved forward with causes such as promoting women’s suffrage in the 1880’s, civil rights and opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1960’s, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in the early 2000s. More recent activities have focused on environmental and biodiversity crises, creating an inclusive campus for those with disabilities, responding to the crisis of food insecurity, and justice initiatives on many levels.

Congregational Commitments

Dedication of Cato and Lydia Freeman Hall, parishioners of the North Parish for over 60 years, who were not afforded full privileges of membership because they were Black. A plaque in their memory hangs in the Parlor. (2024)
Adoption of “8^th Principle”: We the members of North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist covenant to affirm and promote: Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. (2023)
Statement of Acknowledgement and Promise regarding North Parish’s Unexamined History (2019)
Adoption of UUA Statement of Conscience regarding immigration (2017)
Green Sanctuary Resolution (2011)
Welcoming Congregation Resolution (2003)

In addition, North Parish has also made commitments to be a Fair Compensation Congregation (UUA certification), a Teaching Congregation for Ministerial Interns (per UUA guidelines), and a fully Accessible Congregation (MAAB, Mass. Architectural Access certification). Please note: our organ and balcony and pulpit are not accessible and have been granted historical variances.