Getting to Know UU
Ken Olin is a longtime member of First Church. Recently he was appointed to serve as the Vice President of the Joseph Priestly District until the 2009 District Annual Meeting. His monthly column, "Getting to Know UU" spotlights various UU churches throughout the United States
August 2009
In a surprising twist to what had been seen as a “liberal trend for the east and west coast states”, the state of Iowa recently became the first state in the heartlands to have a court ruling declare that it was unconstitutional to prohibit equal marriage for gay and lesbian citizens. Reports seem to be that, contrary to when a similar court ruling in CA resulted in sporadic instances of town clerks refusing to issue marriage licenses during that state’s brief flirtation with equal marriage, clerks in
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February 2009
The state of Utah, to many, is virtually synonymous with the Mormons. They are unquestionably a strong guiding force throughout the state, and were influential in providing substantial funds for the passage of California’s Proposition 8 in November. Five years ago, when the UUA selected Salt Lake City as its 2009 location for General Assembly, the Planning Committee could not have foreseen the firestorm that the effort to repeal equal marriage in CA would generate. That said, one may find some satisfaction in going to this fairly liberal city, a somewhat progressive oasis with a thriving, albeit small, l/g/b/t community, if just to thumb one’s nose at the dominant culture (did I just say that?), or rather, to enjoy what is described as a lovely city situated in the mountains, with a friendly, small-town feel to it. General Assembly 2009 will take place June 24 – 28, 2009, in Salt Lake City, UT. Early registration starts March 2; information can be found at www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/. GA this year will see delegates voting on the UUA President, Moderator, and Financial Advisor, as well as “UU University” – valuable lay leadership training – being incorporated into the general schedule. So there will be plenty for people to do, including some relaxation.
I do try to highlight a UU congregation every month, and SLC does have a sizable church of roughly 350 members. First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City was founded back in February 1891, and has stood as a bastion of ideas and causes, such as helping to found the city’s Planned Parenthood and National Organization of Women offices, that have often been unpopular with the dominant culture of the state. The church has continued to be a center of progressive causes, whether social, environmental, or justice in nature. Their website is www.slcuu.org. I suggest we consider sending a full delegation to GA, so we can show them the love of Philadelphia’s urban congregation. Let the Ministry Leadership Team know if you are planning to attend.
January 2009
Garrison Keiller, of Prairie Home Companion fame, routinely pokes gentle fun at the Lutherans in Minnesota, and at times it seems his second favorite religion to mildly mock are the Unitarians. This may be due to the long established and somewhat sizable presence of Unitarians in Minneapolis. Founded in 1881 – when the city already had 50,000 residents, the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis grew very quickly.
Within just a couple months, they moved to larger meeting space, and over the ensuing years, they would move to larger and more functional spaces three more times. During the 1920’s and 30’s, their Sunday services were so popular they were held in a theater, to accommodate attendance of up to 1000 people each week. The minister at the time, Dr. John Dietrich, was known as a vibrant (and occasionally controversial) speaker on religious humanism, and his sermons were broadcast over the radio as well as published in leaflets that were distributed throughout the world. Thanks to Dr. Dietrich, the FUSM became identified as the focal point of religious liberalism in the upper Midwest.
In its over 120 years of existence, the congregation has had just nine senior ministers, and only three of them were 10 or fewer years. All have addressed the social needs of their times, and the congregation has stepped up and served their community in many ways. They continue to do so with their current minister, Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons (now in her eleventh year), and they have raised in excess of $10,000 per year in special collections for various social causes. The congregation now numbers nearly 500 members, and their website can be found at www.firstunitariansociety.org.
December 2008
The state of Alaska has been the focus of numerous news stories in recent months, which is atypical for our largest but least densely populated state. Many of the news reports have not always been particularly favorable to the person or persons identified as the main topics of the reports. Whether it is a US Senator who has been convicted of 7 felonies, or an unknown and inexperienced (but self-assured) Governor thrust onto the national stage during the Presidential race (and potentially replacing the disgraced Senator), Alaska has been the focus of bad press. So there is some hope for the people in knowing that there is a Unitarian Universalist presence there.
Anchorage UU Fellowship was organized in 1955 when a handful of intrepid folk were visited by an outreach person from the Unitarian headquarters in Boston on the need for a congregation there. In 1963, after meeting in various locations, they purchased their first building, a log cabin church sold to them by the Assembly of God. Almost from the start, they found that the space was too small for their growing group, but they were pleased to finally have a home. In 1970, they called their first full time minister, and have since then ordained ministers who have gone on to start new congregations in the state. In the spring of 1991, they purchased a new, larger church with two and a half times the space, which they later renovated and expanded. A few years later, they undertook to fix up and manage a building that serves as transitional housing for women, formerly homeless or on drugs, who wanted to regain their independence. It is an affiliate program that church members still administer.
It is interesting to read that in 1968, church leaders started a tradition of paying the city of Anchorage an amount of money “in lieu of taxes”, as a token of their appreciation for services provided by the city. This tradition has been carried on to the present, and they have even increased the amount several times over the years. AUUF is believed to be the only church in the city that provides such a payment. This vibrant congregation of 193 members is a presence that is making a positive impact in their city and state. Check out their website at www.anchorageuuf.org.
September 2008
Tennessee Valley UU Church
Rev. Chris Buice is the current minister of the TVUUC congregation, which was founded in the 1950’s. During the rededication service the Sunday following the shooting, he was one of the many ministers who had served there over the past half-century who spoke at the service. In his homily, he said, in part, “… our community is part of a larger world community and we have many names for trying to describe that world community, and we are all of them today. We are God’s children: red, yellow, black and white, gay and straight. We are all human, members of the human family, sharing one earth, sharing one common home. We are tied together, we are woven together, we are bound together in more ways that we can ever really know. ‘We are one.’”
May we always remember that our congregation is but one part of a larger community dedicated to love, reason, and justice for all humankind.
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