UU History Event:
Remembering Our Past as We Create Our Future

December 5, 2010

Thanks to all who packed Nathan Johnson Hall for the congregational “kickoff” of the “Year of Discernment”  as we remembered our past in preparation for creating our future. Rev. Jon Luopa set the stage for the day with fascinating stories in his Sunday sermon of the early history of Unitarians in Washington State and at UUC. Following a tasty lunch Dan Hotchkiss, our Alban Institute consultant for the planning process, led those assembled in an exercise to discover and understand the patterns and continuities in the last 60 years of UUC’s history.  A few highlights (too many to record in detail here) from recent eras:

1950’s and 60’s: Platform for liberal voices.  Rev. Josiah Bartlett invited left-wing speakers, banned elsewhere, to speak at UUC. A member of the original Unitarian Church in the University District remembered the garden gateway, from which our newsletter got its name. Some remember the Revs. Aron Gilmartin and Peter Raible as “the face of liberal religion in the community” during the 50’s and 60’s with a focus on civil rights, speakers to challenge McCarthyism, interest in the United Nations, and support for UUC member Lee Minto’s founding of Planned Parenthood. Oh yes, and a streaker ran through the church during a Sunday morning service in the 60’s!

1970’s and 80’s: “The “church whose lights were always on.”  In these decades the church had a highly-regarded music program, sponsored DeWolff House, the first residence in Seattle for people with AIDs, sponsored sanctuary houses for immigrants, applauded Peter Raible’s sermons on controversial topics, and explored hospice programs.

1990’s and 2000’s: A New Era Begins. Ralph Mero’s Death with Dignity initiative was a pioneering effort. Jon Luopa and Alicia Grace were called to our ministry, UUC became a Welcoming Congregation, the IGC was formed, Team UUC was born, covenant groups became a significant part of the church’s ministry, micro-lending projects were initiated, and SPAG, a regional high school social action group became prominent. pilgrimages to Transylvania involved exploration of our European roots, women’s retreats began, and UUC became a Green Sanctuary. 9/11 was a historical marker event of which one member wrote: “The night of Sept. 11, 2001, I came here unable to make sense of the world. . . .Jon held a torch to lead us on to the next step.”

Many other rich stories were shared and recorded for the Planning Team’s use. Some themes that emerged across time seem worth remembering:

• UUC has a history as a place for the open expression of ideas.
• Clergy have always pushed us and our children to emphasize deeds over words and to change the world.
• Throughout the decades, UUC has taken pride in being a community in which leaders arise and many are drawn into courageous activism on social issues.
• A strong religious education program has been a continuing value at UUC.
• Music has been valued and drawn people to UUC over the decades.
• The current decade is characterized by a balance of personal/pastoral/community ministry, as we turn increasing attention to deepening spirituality and sustaining our own community while engaging increasingly in collaborative action to serve the world.

Please watch for coming opportunities during this Year of Discernment to add your voice as we plan together for the next chapter in UUC’s history!