Meeting Details

• Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
• Location: UUA General Assembly 2026 in Louisville, KY, and online
• Meeting time: 10:00 a.m. Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Central
• Delegate credentialing deadline: Monday, June 8, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern / 5:00 p.m. Central

This Call to Meeting notification includes:

• Tentative agenda for the Annual Business Meeting
• Process for submitting items for the 2026 Annual Business Meeting agenda
• Proposed Rules of Procedure

Delegates

The Bylaws of the MidAmerica Region of the UUA state that congregations and individual members of the Church of the Larger Fellowship may have the same numbers and kinds of delegates at the Region’s Annual Meeting as are permitted at the UUA General Assembly. This includes member delegates in the numbers set out in the UUA Bylaws. In addition, ministers in fellowship serving congregations, credentialed religious educators, credentialed musicians, and those serving as directors of religious education are also eligible to be delegates.

Delegate credentialing process information will be sent to congregations at the end of April 2026, when the MAR ABM Delegate Portal opens. Delegates must ensure their names and email addresses have been provided no later than Monday, June 8, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central / 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Delegates will be sent information about voting prior to the meeting.

Voting materials will be made available on the MidAmerica Region website and will be emailed to presidents, ministers, religious educators, musicians, administrators, and those credentialed as delegates for the Annual Meeting by no later than June 9, 2026.

Questions? Contact the Regional Office at 312-636-9724 or email midamerica@uua.org.

Annual Meeting FAQs

When should we receive our delegate credential information?

The Delegate Credential Information should reach your congregation office through email in late April 2026, with the opening of the Delegate Credentialing Portal. Only one person per congregation—President, Minister, or Administrator—should enter information into the Delegate Credentialing Portal.

When will delegates receive voting materials?

Voting materials will be emailed to all those credentialed as delegates by June 9, 2026. Materials will also be available on the Region website.

How many delegates is each congregation entitled to send to the Annual Meeting?

Your congregation has the same number of lay delegates to the Regional Annual Business Meeting as you have been certified to have for the UUA General Assembly. If there is a discrepancy between the number of delegates authorized in the Delegate Credentialing Portal and your UUA Delegate authorization, please reach out to midamerica@uua.org.

How is the number of delegates determined?

The number of delegates is determined by the MidAmerica Bylaws. For congregational delegates, the numbers are the same that the congregation would be entitled to for General Assembly. Ministers in fellowship serving congregations, affiliated ministers, ministers emeritus/emerita, credentialed religious educators, credentialed musicians, and directors of religious education are afforded delegate status by virtue of their position. However, all delegates must be certified in the Delegate Credentialing Portal no later than June 8, 2026, to be eligible to vote at the Annual Business Meeting.

How are membership numbers determined for each congregation?

The congregational membership is reported/certified with the UUA in February each year. The number of certified members as reported by February 2, 2026, is used to determine the number of delegates for each congregation for this year’s Annual Meeting.

Tentative Agenda

The following business comprises the Tentative Agenda for the 2026 MidAmerica Regional Annual Business Meeting:

• Call to Order and Opening Words
• Introduction to MidAmerica Region of the UUA
• Credentials Report and Certification of a Quorum
• Greetings from the UUA
• Approval of the Rules of Procedure
• Report of the Nominating Committee and Election of MidAmerica Trustees, MidAmerica Nominating Committee members, and Midwest UU Conference Directors
• Bylaws Amendment discussion and vote related to the MidAmerica Nominating Committee
• Report from the MidWest UU Conference
• Introduction of new staff
• Closing Words
• Adjournment

Process for Submission of Items for the Regional Annual Business Meeting Agenda

The MidAmerica Bylaws, Article IV, Section 5, Business Submitted by Congregational Action, state that “Member congregations wishing to have business considered by the Annual Meeting shall do so following a process to be determined by the Board and communicated to the member congregations.”

Regional Business Submission Process

A congregation in good standing may propose an item of business for consideration by the 2026 Annual Business Meeting of the MidAmerica Region in the following manner.

1. The leadership of the congregation should contact the Region President, Patty Notch, or Vice Presidents, Terry Mark and Hans Kelson, for a preliminary discussion of how the proposed item of business relates to the authority and jurisdiction of the Region prior to submitting any items for consideration.
2. The item should be formally proposed by vote of the congregation’s governing board or its membership.
3. The proposed item should be formally endorsed by at least four additional congregations in good standing, in each case by vote of the congregation’s governing board or its membership.
4. The proposed business item and the endorsements should be received by the Region President, Patty Notch, or Vice-President, McKenna Revel, by June 1, 2026.
5. Upon certification by the MidAmerica Board that the business item is within the authority and jurisdiction of the Region, it will be added to the agenda of the Annual Meeting.

Possible categories of business submitted by congregational action could include:

• Social justice statements on issues specifically affecting our region
• Policies affecting the governance of the Region and/or its congregations
• Other business appropriate for consideration by the Regional Assembly

Please submit proposals to midamerica@uua.org.

The above process was approved by the MidAmerica Board of Trustees on April 7, 2026, for the 2026 Annual Business Meeting.

Proposed Rules of Procedure

Annual Meeting of the MidAmerica Region, UUA
June 20, 2026

Rule 1: Order of Business

Consideration of and action upon items must proceed in the order set forth in the Final Agenda unless, during the meeting, that order is changed by majority vote.

Rule 2: Participation in Debate

Speakers recognized by the President shall identify themselves by name and congregational affiliation. Participation in debate is limited to delegates. The President may waive this requirement.

Rule 3: Means of Voting

Action on any question, unless the Bylaws otherwise provide, will proceed by vote of those in attendance. A vote will be called by the President. The required proportion of votes cast by delegates to approve any action or resolution will be as set forth in the Bylaws or these Rules of Procedure. Given the recent global pandemic, those present in person and online have the right to declare a quorum being present, without an actual tally of all delegates.

Rule 4: Presentation of Items

The provisions of Rule 5 notwithstanding, the Board will, at its discretion, either move the item as printed on the Final Agenda or move an amended version of the item.

Rule 5: Amendments

Except for clarifying amendments, amendments to the main motion and motions to refer, table, or call the question will not be in order until there has been at least ten minutes of debate, if that much is needed, on the merits of the main question as moved.

No amendment or other change to any motion under consideration will be entertained unless it is submitted in writing. However, the President may waive this requirement.

Rule 6: Time Limits

The following time limits are imposed on all business transacted by the assembly. If, however, there is no objection from the floor, the President may grant minor extensions of time. Any time limits imposed by this rule may be extended by a two-thirds vote.

• No person may speak on any motion for more than two minutes, and not more than once, so long as there are others who have not spoken who desire the floor, except that persons having special information may, with the permission of the President, reply to questions.
• Twenty minutes is allowed for discussion of any proposed bylaw amendment, rule change, resolution, or action on a report that is on or admitted to the Final Agenda, unless the time limit is extended in the manner provided in the first paragraph of this Rule 6.
• Whenever possible, the discussion time will be equally divided by proponents and opponents and by the alternate recognition of Pro and Con speakers.
• A motion to call the previous question on the main motion shall not be in order if there are potential speakers at both Pro and Con microphones and the original or extended time for discussion has not expired.
• A motion to call the previous question on a motion to amend the main motion is in order after eight minutes of discussion concerning the amendment.

Rule 7: Committee of the Whole

At any stage of the meeting, the President, without a vote of the assembly, at their discretion from time to time may order the meeting resolved into a Committee of the Whole or reconvened in regular Session.

While the meeting is acting as a Committee of the Whole, the following Special Rule will apply: The Presiding Officer, without a vote of the Committee of the Whole, may permit reconsideration of any action taken by the Committee of the Whole, and other departures of the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure if it appears to them that the work of the Committee of the Whole will thereby be expedited.

When the assembly is reconvened, the only motion in order will be to adopt the recommendation of the Committee of the Whole. A motion recommended by the Committee of the Whole will not be subject to amendment, debate, or delay.

Rule 8: Amending the Rules of Procedure

These Rules of Procedure will be adopted by a two-thirds vote and may be amended, suspended, or repealed during the course of the assembly only by a two-thirds vote.