FORT WORTH - A former atheist who is now president of the Unitarian Universalist Association will push to put the word "God" into a new statement of principles of the Boston-based, liberal church group, he said Sunday.

"God" was not mentioned in a statement of principles approved in 1984, the Rev. William Sinkford said at First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church. That reduces the document's effectiveness in comforting people and also puts the denomination out on the fringe of religious life in America, Sinkford said.

"We have lost the ability to speak of what is sacred and holy to us," said Sinkford, 56, who became the first African-American president and chief executive of the 250,000-member denomination in June 2001.

Sinkford says he believes that adding "God" to the denomination's principles would help attract members and would also increase the denomination's influence in world affairs.

Sinkford and other liberal clergy have been highly critical of the United States for taking a "Lone Ranger" role in planning a war against Iraq.

"These are troubled times, and we need to reclaim our goals and values," Sinkford said in a message at First Jefferson. "We need to be able to say Unitarian Universalists believe there is one God, and that God is a loving God who would condemn no one out of hand."

The Unitarian Universalist Church was founded in 1961 with the merger of groups based on the Judeo-Christian and other religious traditions.

In the diverse denomination -- which ordains gays and lesbians and embraces many unorthodox members, including pagans and Wiccans -- many might be uncomfortable putting "God" into the statement of principles, Sinkford acknowledged. Many claim that adding "God" to its principles would make it a "creedal denomination."

The denomination's principle statement now affirms such things as "the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations, a free and responsible search for truth and meaning and the right of conscience."

While Sinkford embraces the principles, the failure to mention God or an unseen power of the universe weakens the document, he said.

"I doubt if many would want the principles read to them on their death bed," he said.

As a teen, Sinkford said he turned away from churches where a punishing God was taught and declared himself an atheist. But later he found a deeper faith within a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Cincinnati.

For many years, Sinkford said, he held to a humanist belief that reduced the concept of God. But he had a change of heart and mind when his teen-age son was critically ill after a drug overdose.

"I found myself praying, and I felt a loving hand of the universe reach down to hold me," he said.

Sinkford said the statement of principles adopted in 1984 was supposed to be reconsidered after 15 years. He will ask trustees to reassess the statement during a national convention in June.