Free societies protect houses of worship; they do not spy on them. Healthy democracies understand that the right of citizens to dissent from the state is a part of maintaining that sacred form of self-governance; unhealthy ones murder people in the streets when they are merely exercising those rights. As such, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) condemns the actions of this administration in secretly spying on at least one of our congregations, the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis.
To be clear, the news that an undercover agent, on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), used surveillance inside a Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation in Minnesota is not shocking to us. We know that First Universalist was specifically targeted because of documents obtained during discovery in one particular legal case; we should assume that other UU congregations and individuals may have also been covertly tracked, surveilled, and perhaps even infiltrated. This event is a further reminder that our Unitarian Universalist values call us into courageous, prophetic work. We must remain mindful that UUs, among others, are facing increased scrutiny and perhaps harassment and threats. Acting with intention, strategy, and in line with best practices for the security and safety of our members and communities is one of the best ways to remain vigilant.
This administration has made it clear from the first day of the second term that they were not interested in protecting the Constitutional rights of people of faith to practice our religious values unless they serve their political goals. This is just another incident in a long line that has revealed their hypocrisy and hostility to people of goodwill who are guided by their consciences. The role of the prophetic, dissenting church has long been to push back against authoritarianism and state violence — and to meet this moment, we must again answer this faithful call. We are in this together both as UUs and in courageous, unapologetic collaboration with other progressive people of faith and conscience.
As stated by Rev. Jennifer Crow, Senior Minister at the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis: “There is no need for covert surveillance of our community. We make no secret about who we are and what we are about. Founded in 1859, our [congregation’s] mission has been clear for more than 166 years. We are a people of love and hope who believe that each and every person is born whole and holy and worthy, welcome and wanted exactly as they are, all with room to grow. We believe that the experience of unconditional love is the ground from which Beloved Community grows. We believe that a world of justice and joy is possible not only in the hereafter, but in the here and now, and our faith compels us to do everything we can to create it.”
As a matter of faith, Unitarian Universalists believe in justice, including supporting the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within society at large. The Constitution of the United States is still in effect, despite the best efforts of this administration to disregard the protections it affords. As members of a religion, Unitarian Universalists are guaranteed the right to freely exercise our faith. We have grave concerns over the unconstitutional infiltration of houses of worship and will fight against this infringement on our rights. This incident is further evidence of the harm that is being perpetrated against faith communities and other sensitive spaces, and we will continue to pursue legal remedies like the pending multifaith lawsuit we joined in February 2025, as well as joining our partners in protesting these egregious actions at the state and national levels.
While we have witnessed the perversion of justice over the last few years, the UUA remains committed to working to create a just, equitable, and pluralistic society and protecting our congregations from state-sponsored efforts to intimidate them.