Who We Are
Founded in 2007, the Christian Universalist Association is an association of churches, along with individuals. We teach the overwhelming historical and scriptural evidence that all are reconciled to God as revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus (see our doctrinal beliefs). Like the early Church, we spread this message with an emphasis on how it positively impacts and motivates people to love in action (James 2:8).
For most of the Church’s history, there has been a mistaken belief in a retributive God who will punish unbelievers with endless torture. This error has poisoned the behavior of generations of believers into being retributive to others. Jesus taught us that we love God by loving our neighbors and enemies. Just as Jesus taught, we strive to promote restoration of relationships, with each other, and with God, rather than retribution.
What We Do
The Christian Universalist Association teaches, equips, and connects individuals and congregations who agree with the early Church’s teaching of universal reconciliation, and Jesus’ central teaching to devote oneself completely to his restorative love and peacemaking ethic: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
While we avoid the term “denomination,” we provide many of the services, resources, and events of a small denomination:
- Official recognition for congregations
- Ministerial Education by correspondence (as an alternative to seminary)
- Ordination as Clergy, for both chaplains and congregational ministers
- Endorsement for chaplains
- Search assistance for hiring a pastor or chaplain
- Resources to support, understand, and spread the message of universal reconciliation–that the restorative love and peacemaking ethics of Jesus frees people to love one another rather than struggling under the burden of religiosity
- Resources and support, to understand and spread the practice of working toward restorative solutions and responses to conflict and social problems
- Conventions, conferences, regional gatherings, and online conversations
Where We’re Going
As the only international, big-umbrella group for all Christian Universalists, our calling is to motivate people to act in love, peacemaking and making the world a better place. To accomplish this, we desire to:
- Promote global fellowship and camaraderie among Christian Universalists
- Expand the number of Christian Universalist congregations
- Train and recognize Christian Universalist clergy through the education, and ordination, of both chaplains and congregational clergy
- Continue our college-level Christian Universalist educational program for scholarly believers who are not called into the clergy
- Identify and promote specific, proven restorative justice models that align with the principles of universal reconciliation