Our History
At the 2009 LREDA Fall Con, a group of interim religious educators gathered informally in the lobby to dream about a support organization for the specialized field of interim religious education. Over the next several years, this group expanded and organized. In 2016, the Guild of Interim Religious Education became an official organization. During this time, our mission is clear: support of religious educators who have identified transition and change in their portfolio, provide continued education because learning never ends, and advocate for the valuable work of interim religious education. Our leadership exists with the Executive Team and the broader programmatic work of the Steering Team.
Over the years, our membership has grown to include other UU professionals who are doing the of transitions within our UU network. Ministers, Music Directors and Administrators from UU congregations recognize the value of transitions work and how to best navigate a group through changes. In 2023, our members voted to change our name to the Association of Unitarian Universalist Transitions Professionals in order to be able to connect UU professionals who are doing transitional work in their congregations.
Our Mission
- Support interim religious education professionals and settle religious education professionals who see the value of the interim process in their ministry;
- Advocate for interim religious education work in Unitarian Universalist congregations;
- Provide continuing education for AUUTP members (and other UU professionals as possible). To learn more about upcoming education experiences, go to our Education page.
Meet the Executive Team
The executive team is responsible for overseeing the organization, handling legal and financial matters, and setting the mission and vision.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone who engages with transition with their religious education professional work. AUUTP supports the work of interim, transitional, and developmental religious education, music and other ministries and all practitioners in faith-based communities. To be a member, one must:
- Wish to connect with others engaged in transitional or interim work in our UU congregations or within the Unitarian Universalist denomination.
- Be a member of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) or similar organization.
- Have completed the AUUTP Transitional Religious Leadership interim training.
To become a member, please see details on our Membership page.