Former Settled Minister's Blog (29)

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted last week to change "Columbus Day" to Indigenous People's Day." Please join me in asking members of the City Council of Philadelphia to do the same. Thank you, Rev. Nate

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Inspired by the movie "Her," about a man who has an intimate relationship with his operating system, Reverend Nate introduced "My God," the app. It's a computer program that allows users to determine the attributes of their God and begin to have a personal relationship with the God of their…

In the spring of 2013, the congregation directed the Board to hire an external auditor to review the church’s bookkeeping and financial management. The results from the comprehensive audit are in.



The auditors granted the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia an “unqualified endorsement”—the highest possible rating.  …

Mary Beth shared a 6 minute video that may be of interest to many people in the congregation. In this clip, Daniel Goleman, author of "Focus: The Hidden Ingredient in Excellence," explains why leaders need…

This fall has been an exciting time to welcome four new professionals into the community:

• John B Hedges, Interim Music Director;
• Stephanie Cawley, Communications Director and Religious Education Coordinator;
• Kim McKay, Lead Teacher for Our Whole Lives (K-6); and
• Ranwa Hammamy, Lead Teacher for the Religious Literacy program (K-6).

Now that we are two months into the new church year, we would like your feedback about our performance…

Little Miracles Day Care Center is having open enrollment. Little Miracles provides child daycare for children in nursery, kindergarten. High quality after school programs and summer camps are available. Excellent rates for toddlers, preschool, after-school and summer camp participants. For more details visit…

Church rentals support bottom line, promote mission

Don Skinner | Unitarian Universalist Association | July 1, 2013

Many Unitarian Universalist congregations rent space in their buildings. Doing so not only helps out the community but gives the…

Please join us in welcoming Stephanie Cawley, who will begin on August 12, 2013 as our new Communications Director and Religious Education Coordinator, and John B Hedges, who began as our new Interim Music Director on Sunday, July 21, 2013.

Stephanie Cawley…

After hearing from over a dozen leaders in the LGBTQ community, and after having spoken directly with a representative of Deep Green Resistance, Executive Director and Minister, Rev. Nate Walker and Business Administrator, Norman Fouhy have determined that the Resistance Rewritten Tour with Rachel Ivey is incongruent with the church's Moral Clause: 

"The First Unitarian Church of Philadlephia (the "Owner") is a congregation strongly committed to promoting the inherent worth and…

A Celebration of Life!

Champagne, Desserts, Friendship & Merriment Guaranteed



Join us at 10pm on April 8 at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia for a Celebration of Life remembering Desiree Hines. THIS IS A CELEBRATION! Wear your happiest of spring colors and be prepared to party.…

NATALIE JOY (STEIN) PERKINS, died suddenly on February 13, 2013 at age 57.

A graduate of Lower Merion High School, New York University and the New School for Social Research, Natalie was the beloved daughter of the late Anna and Martin Stein. She is survived by her husband Gary Perkins, sister Carol Stein, and cousins Mimi Lenenberg, Joseph, Richard, Ruth and Fredi…

Dear Members and Friends of the First Unitarian Church,



I hope this note finds you healthy and happy. I certainly am – the last six months have been the most peaceful and productive time in my life. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. I’ve come to believe that if everyone received a sabbatical there would be world peace!



I am particularly…

Starting the Sunday after Father's Day through Labor Day Weekend, our services will begin at 10:00 am. To beat the heat we'll meet in the air-conditioned Parish Room. 

Lay Leaders in our congregation will lead eight worship services, sharing their many talents and deep wisdom. We'll also have two special guest speakers this summer, our Affiliated Community Minister Reverend Addae and our Director of Religious Education.

What an exciting and varied group of summer services we…

Paul Fussell, Literary Scholar and Critic, Is Dead at 88

By Bruce Weber Published by the New York Times, May 23, 2012. Photo Courtney Grant Winston    

Paul Fussell, the wide-ranging, stingingly opinionated literary scholar and cultural critic whose admiration for Samuel Johnson, Kingsley Amis and the Boy Scout Handbook and his withering scorn for the romanticization of war, the predominance of…

We are thrilled to celebrate Mark DeCourval for receiving his Masters of Divinity degree on Friday, May 18, 2012 from Union Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Columbia University.

He is a life-force in our community. As sponsored candidate for Unitarian Universalists Ministry, Mark is the Chair of the Caring Ministry Team and he's off this fall to start his…

Paul Michael Vazuka 

November 4, 1959 – May 11, 2012

     Paul Michael Vazuka was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Jean and Francis Vazuka on November 4, 1959. Paul was three years old when his father died of complications to leukemia. Jean remarried in 1970 to David Melnicoff…

Willie Frances Smith Penn Johnson, 79, expired on December 15 2011 in Philadelphia, PA. She was the daughter of the late George W. and Arletha McArthur Smith and step-daughter of the late Cleveland B. Hairston.

Born in Winston-Salem, NC, Willie Frances was a member of Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church and graduated from Atkins High School in 1950. She…

          A memorial service for Gerry Parchman will be held in the chapel on Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 4:00 pm followed by a reception in the Parish Room.

          Lonnie Gerald “Gerry” Parchman, 73, of Riverton, N.J. died December 21, 2011 at Cooper University Hospital. …