The Book of Covenant
The sacred text of the United People of America. Adopted May 6, 2026, under the founding eldership of Jermaine Haughton.
The Founding Declaration
On the sixth day of May, in the year two thousand and twenty-six, at eleven fifty-eight in the morning, a gathering of people — bound by conscience, conviction, and the deep awareness that the present order had failed them — came together and declared a new covenant.
We, the United People of America, do not gather in opposition to our nation. We gather in devotion to its highest ideals — that all people are created equal, that life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not privileges of the wealthy but the birthright of every soul.
On this day, Jermaine Haughton, having been moved by spiritual conviction and the voices of thousands who shared his discontent and his hope, convened the first assembly of the United People of America. This Book of Covenant is the record of what was agreed, what was believed, and what was vowed on that day and in all the days since.
"We are stewards. We are not owners. And in that distinction lies everything."
The Seven Principles of Stewardship
The Earth Belongs to No One
The land, water, air, and resources beneath the earth are held in sacred trust for all living beings and all generations yet to come. We are stewards, not owners.
Labor Is an Act of Worship
Honest work performed in service of the community is sacred. Because labor is sacred, it must be honored. The fruits of labor belong first to the community.
The Body Is the Community's Responsibility
The health, shelter, nourishment, and rest of every member are communal obligations. We provide for one another not out of pity but out of solidarity.
Wealth Accumulation Is a Spiritual Harm
The accumulation of personal wealth beyond genuine need is a spiritual harm. When the community prospers, every member prospers. Prosperity belongs to the whole.
Transparency Is Sacred
Secrecy in financial and governance matters is a form of dishonesty. Every financial decision made in the name of this community shall be made openly and reviewed regularly.
Independence Through Interdependence
True independence is achieved when a community becomes collectively self-sufficient. We work toward the day when our members need not depend on systems that exploit them.
The Covenant Renews Itself
A living faith cannot be frozen in time. Every year the community gathers to affirm what it believes, question what it doubts, and revise what no longer serves.
The Order of Assembly
We gather as servants, not masters.
We gather as one people, bound by covenant.
What is ours belongs to all.
What belongs to all is sacred.
We are the United People of America.
And we are present."
The Code of Conduct
Membership carries both privileges and responsibilities. This Code defines the conduct expected of all members and the process by which breaches are addressed.
Expected Conduct
Disciplinary Process
The Rites of Passage
The Rite of Joining
When a person joins the United People of America, they do not merely sign a form — they enter a covenant. The new member reads the Statement of Belief and affirms it sincerely, makes their founding pledge, receives their Certificate of Stewardship, and is welcomed by name at the next assembly.
The Rite of Ordination
When a member is called to serve as a minister, they complete six months of active membership, the Five Modules of Stewardship Study, a written statement of calling, a Council interview, and two-thirds Council approval. Upon ordination, the presiding elder speaks: "By the authority of this covenant and the consent of this community, I ordain you as a minister of the United People of America."
The Rite of Covenant Renewal
At each Annual Assembly, all members renew their covenant. Members who have grown affirm it more deeply. Members who have struggled affirm it with honesty. Members who have doubts bring them into the open. The Covenant Renewal is the heartbeat of the organization.
The Rite of Passage to Elder
Members who have served with exceptional dedication for a minimum of three years may be elevated to Elder by unanimous vote of the Governing Council. Elders hold an advisory role, are consulted in major decisions, and may be asked to preside at assemblies.
The Founding Council
The United People of America was founded under the spiritual and organizational leadership of Jermaine Haughton, who serves as Founding Elder and Presiding Officer of the Governing Council.
The Governing Council consists of three to seven members, elected by the community for terms of two years. The Founding Elder serves for life or until voluntary resignation. The Council is responsible for oversight of all organizational finances, appointment and ordination of ministers, resolution of disciplinary matters, stewardship of the Book of Covenant, and representation of the organization in legal and official matters.
The Rite of Financial Liberation
The ancient scriptures of many traditions speak of a Year of Jubilee — a sacred reset in which debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was returned to its original holders. It was not a reward for the virtuous. It was a recognition that systems of debt, left unchecked, eventually devour the people they were meant to serve.
We live in such a time. Millions of people are bound not by chains of iron but by chains of compound interest, predatory lending, medical debt, and financial systems designed to extract rather than sustain. A member who has taken the vow of stewardship cannot fully honor that vow while legally obligated to systems built on principles antithetical to the covenant.
"The debtor is slave to the lender. The covenant calls us to freedom. These are not in conflict — they are the same statement."
The United People of America therefore recognizes the Rite of Financial Liberation — the legal exercise of bankruptcy protection — as a sacred and honored act for members who choose it. It is not a moral failure. It is the invocation of a right that society, reflecting the ancient Jubilee principle, has enshrined in law precisely for this purpose.
A member who completes the Rite of Financial Liberation is received by the community not with judgment but with celebration. They have shed what bound them. They stand before the covenant free. The community pledges to support them through the process and to receive them fully on the other side.
I surrender the burden the system placed upon me.
I invoke the ancient right of Jubilee.
I stand before this community free.
And this community receives me."
Under the founding eldership of Jermaine Haughton
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