This is a layer-cake of data, but you should be able to see which congregations have “emerged” into Unitarian Universalist Association membership, those which disbanded and those that carry on. There are even a few that only have a relationship with a district, and might be thought of as “pre-emerging.” Surely many of the emerging congregations are as functional, large and institutional as they are ever going to be. Because there’s no membership reporting mechanism — indeed no requirement — to join the UUA, the law of unintended results puts a positive value (for some congregations) to merge but never join. And with the bad-mouthing of “those fellowships” and the meager benefits (voting?) a congregation gets with actual membership, why shouldn’t they?
View Emerging UUA congregations in a larger map