This is a list of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist churches. Various congregations (churches, societies, fellowships, etc.) and/or individual churches as buildings, of these related religious groups have historic or other significance.
Numerous Unitarian churches are notable for having historic buildings, and there are former church buildings that are historic as well. There are numerous Unitarian churches that are listed buildings in England, that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States, or that are noted on other historic registers.
This article includes churches notable either as congregations or as buildings or as both.
Founded in Adelaide 1855 as the Unitarian Christian Church; original church building in Wakefield Street 1857, sold 1971, demolished 1973. Current building 1972 at 99 Osmond Tce, Norwood.
Founded in Melbourne 1852 as the Unitarian Church; original church building in Cathedral Place. Current building 1964 at 110 Grey St, East Melbourne.
Canada
This is a list intended to cover notable Canadian Unitarian Universalist (UU) churches as either congregations or as buildings or as both. UU congregations in Canada are members of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). The CUC is made up of 46 member congregations and emerging groups.[1]
Congregation Founded in 1898.[2] Current building constructed in 1967, it's memorable for its soaring spire and beautiful interior design. Architect, James B. Craig, won second place in an annual city design contest run by the Ottawa chapter of the Ontario Association of Architects for his work on the building.[3]
Jemaat Allah Global Indonesia (JAGI), internationally known as Unitarian Christian Church of Indonesia (UCCI), was founded in 1998 and formally registered in 2000, headquarter in Semarang, Java, includes several congregations, member of ICUU. For the church are observed some Law of Moses practices, such as dietary laws and seventh-day Sabbath.[11]
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines, Inc. Status: Full Member Members: 2000 Ministers: 34 Founded: The Universalist Church of the Philippines was started in 1954 by Rev. Toribio S. Quimada (d. 1988; martyred). In 1954, the Church was affiliated with the Universalist Church of America. In 1988, UUCP was admitted as a member congregation of the UUA. In 1995, UUCP was one of the founding churches of the ICUU. Congregations: 30 [12]
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Cross Street Chapel, Manchester. The Dissenters' Meeting House was opened in 1694 and holds a special place in the growth of nonconformism within the city. It became a Unitarian meeting-house c.1761.[16] It was wrecked by a Jacobite mob in 1715, rebuilt and destroyed during a World War IIair raid in December 1940. A new building was constructed in 1959 and the present structure dates from 1997
The only Unitarian Universalist congregation in Stanislaus County, which is within California's Central Valley. Has oldest building of any church in the county, owned by this congregation since the 1960s.
1887 first permanent church, later destroyed by fire 1927 relocation to current building
2936 West 8th Street
Koreatown, Los Angeles, California
Founded by Caroline Severance on March 7, 1877. Embracing of progressive causes and sometimes radical politics have earned it a reputation as both a place of controversy and a beacon of justice.
was founded in 1887 by Amos Throop and is the largest ex-Universalist church building west of the Mississippi River.[18] Certified membership 2012-13 was 49.[17]
Founded in 2002 by four Petaluma families, and has grown to a membership of over 100 as of 2023. UU Petaluma acquired the historic 1901 Congregational church in 2021, designed by Brainerd Jones.
Founded in 1941 as The North Shore Unitarian Society
48 Shelter Rock Road
Manhasset, New York
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock is a spiritual home that nourishes both the heart and mind. It is a mix of engaging worship, religious education, opportunities for social action, and a community of caring, curious and compassionate people. www.uucsr.org
Only Universalist church in the state. In 1969, church offered refuge to U.S. service members protesting the war in Vietnam; the service members were arrested by military police within the church grounds.
was founded in 1817 and is the oldest church building specifically built for worship by Unitarians, whereas older UU churches were built and initially used for other Christian denominations. The church gained prominence early in the American Unitarian movement when William Ellery Channing preached the "Baltimore Sermon" in 1819 at the ordination of Jared Sparks. The sermon was then the most published Unitarian tract in the United States and articulated for the first time the idea of Unitarian Christianity.
(founded 1729 in Boston) was the congregation of William Ellery Channing and Dana McLean Greeley. The congregation played a large role in the origin and foundation of the faith and has been a leader in social justice causes. It is considered by many to be the 'Mother Church' of the faith.[22]
is one of the oldest New England churches of any denomination (1686), and is on the Freedom Trail. It is one of the oldest surviving congregations in the United States. It was originally Episcopalian but unitarian Christian after the Revolution, in practice today an open but strongly Christian ecumenical church, traditional in its worship and using the latest (1985) revision of its Common Prayer Book.
was, from 1836 to 1838, the last pulpit of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Its unique octagonal sanctuary was designed by first minister Charles Follen, a noted abolitionist.
Unitarian Universalist church; building designed by Richard Bond (architect) and built in 1836 when the congregation changed from Puritan to Unitarian. Fifth meetinghouse of the congregation that was founded in 1645. The building's architecture is called "Cardboard Gothic" architecture.
Greek Revival Founded in 1829 as The Church of the Redeemer (Universalist). The name was changed to the Universalist Church in 1863, and later to the Universalist Meeting House. Current Meeting House was built in 1847.
A small log cabin on Meeting House Lane served as the first church. The site is marked today by a monument that lists the early members of the parish, "The Men of Kent," and by gravestones from the 17th century.
The First Parish in Wayland, Massachusetts, was erected in 1814, although the congregation first gathered in 1640. The original church bell, still hanging in the recently renovated bell tower, was cast by the foundry of Paul Revere and Son.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Weymouth Successor to three Weymouth congregations, the oldest founded in 1836. Built in 1873. Provided the first pulpit for Olympia Brown, the first American ordained woman minister.
Articles of association launching Unity Church of St. Paul established: February 25, 1872
Current building: 1905
733 Portland Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104
St. Paul, MN
Norman Romanesque style built of local yellow limestone with trimming of Bedford stone. Sanctuary features a Noack Tracker organ, the first of its scope and style in the Upper Midwest.
was founded in 1835 and is the first Unitarian church west of the Mississippi. William Greenleaf Eliot, the first minister of the church, along with members of his congregation, founded Washington University in St. Louis in 1853, and was its first President.[32]
Founded in 1819 following an inspiring sermon by William Ellery Channing during a visit there, All Souls is one of the largest and most influential churches in the denomination. Herman Melville and Peter Cooper were members of All Souls, and minister Henry Whitney Bellows led the congregation for 43years. Forrest Church, author and theologian, served as senior Minister for almost 30years and was Minister of Public Theology until his death on September 24, 2009.[34]
St John's is one of the oldest congregations west of the Appalachians. The congregation occupied several locations before moving to historic Washington Park building (now The Transept). The Congregation relocated to current Clifton location in 1960. Architectural lines in the floor of the current building track the sun at the winter solstices and the equinoxes; at summer solstice, the sun shines along the interior ceiling. The facade is said to be slightly curved which if extended would be create a circle centered in the heart of Cincinnati. Sound quality for musical performances is said to be extraordinary.
Late Gothic Revival. Springboro's Universalist Church built the "Old Stone Church" in 1905, the congregation disbanded in the 1950s. Church presently used by South Dayton Church of Christ.[35][36]
Church was established by Joseph Priestley on June 12, 1796, and is currently the first continuously functioning church in the United States to proclaim itself "Unitarian". Frank Furness-designed Gothic building.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in Mt. Airy
on Harvard Street in DC, was founded in 1821 by (among others) John Quincy Adams, and has spawned many Unitarian congregations in the Joseph Priestley District.
Oldest Freethought-oriented congregation in the United States, located in Sauk City, Wisconsin, since 1852. Its current building, known as Freethinkers' Hall or as Park Hall, was built in 1884.
This is one of the largest congregations; its Modern Movement building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Located in Shorewood Hills, a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin
The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist congregations in Canada. It was formed on May 14, 1961, initially to be the national organization for Canadians belonging to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) which formed a day later on May 15, 1961. Between 1961 and 2002, almost all member congregations of the CUC were also members of the UUA and most services to congregations in Canada were provided by the UUA. However, in 2002, the CUC formally became a separate entity from the UUA, although the UUA continues to provide ministerial settlement services. Some Canadian congregations have continued to be members of both the CUC and the UUA, while most congregations are only members of the CUC.
The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) was an umbrella organization founded in 1995 comprising many Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist organizations. It was dissolved in 2021 along with the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council to make way for a new merged entity. Some groups represented only a few hundred people; while the largest, the Unitarian Universalist Association, had more than 160,000 members as of May 2011—including over 150,000 in the United States.
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America Christian denominations with Unitarian and Universalist doctrines, respectively. However, modern Unitarian Universalists see themselves as a separate religion with its own beliefs and affinities. They define themselves as non-creedal, and draw wisdom from various religions and philosophies, including humanism, pantheism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and Earth-centered spirituality. Thus, the UUA is a syncretistic religious group with liberal leanings.
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious movement characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists assert no creed, but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth. Unitarian Universalists do not have an official, unified corpus of sacred texts but rather draw inspiration and guidance from the six sources: personal experience, prophetic utterances, world religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, humanist teachings, and spiritual teachings. Unitarian Universalist congregations include many atheists, agnostics, deists, and theists; there are churches, fellowships, congregations, and societies around the world.
Unitarianism is a Nontrinitarian branch of Christianity. Unitarian Christians affirm the unitary nature of God as the singular and unique creator of the universe, believe that Jesus Christ was inspired by God in his moral teachings and that he is the savior of humankind, but he is not equal to God himself.
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christians, and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was formed in 1928, with denominational roots going back to the Great Ejection of 1662. Its headquarters is Essex Hall in central London, on the site of the first avowedly Unitarian chapel in England, set up in 1774.
The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans is an independent affiliate of Unitarian Universalists who identify with the precepts of classical or contemporary Paganism: celebrating the sacred circle of life and guiding people to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. CUUPS members foster the development of "liturgical materials based on earth- and nature-centered religious and spiritual perspectives" as well as encourage "greater use of music, dance, visual arts, poetry, story, and creative ritual in Unitarian Universalist worship and celebration." Many members of CUUPS embrace the cycle of seasons and beauty of all life forms found in nature. Unlike many mainline religious sects, Unitarian Universalists and Pagans both value the "sacredness in the present world rather than on an afterlife." CUUPS is a community open to all Unitarian Universalist members and those who support the tenets.
A flaming chalice is the most widely used symbol of Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism (UUism) and the official logo of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and other Unitarian and UU churches and societies.
Our Whole Lives, or OWL, is a series of six comprehensive sexuality curricula for children, teenagers, young adults and adults published by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries. Publication was the result of seven years of collaborative effort by the two faiths to prepare material which addresses sexuality throughout the lifespan in age appropriate ways.
The Rev. William G. Sinkford is a Unitarian Universalist minister who served as the seventh president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA), from 2001 to 2009. His installation as UUA president made him the first African American to lead that organization, or any traditionally white religious denomination in the United States.
Unitarian Universalism, as practiced by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC), is a non-Creedal and Liberal theological tradition and an LGBTQ affirming denomination.
Unitarianism, as a Christian denominational family of churches, was first defined in Poland-Lithuania and Transylvania in the late 16th century. It was then further developed in England and America until the early 19th century, although theological ancestors are to be found as far back as the early days of Christianity. It matured and reached its classical form in the middle 19th century. Later historical development has been diverse in different countries.
Chowbent Chapel is an active Unitarian place of worship in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1721 and is the oldest place of worship in the town. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians. The chapel was granted Grade II* Listed status in 1966.
Peter Morales is an American former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Morales was the UUA's first Latino president. In the early 2000s, he was the senior minister of the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Jefferson County, Colorado, a rapidly growing Unitarian Universalist congregation in the northwestern Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. He also worked for the UUA from 2002 to 2004. In 2008, he announced his candidacy for president, and in 2009 he was elected. As the result of a controversy regarding the UUA's hiring practices and charges of institutional racism, Morales resigned as president in 2017, three months before the end of the term.
All Souls Unitarian Church is a Unitarian Universalist (UU) church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is one of the largest UU congregations in the world.
The Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (ERUUF) is a Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation located in Durham, North Carolina. In 2018, over seven hundred people were members of ERUUF, making it the largest UU congregation in NC and one of the largest in the UUA. It sponsors the UU campus ministry program at Duke University, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship @ Duke.
Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit is a Unitarian Universalist ("UU") congregation in Summit, New Jersey, formally organized in 1908 as The Unitarian Church in Summit. It is active in social justice initiatives and received the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Social Justice Award in 2010. It has also been recognized as an outstanding UU congregation by various UU groups. In 2016, Robin Tanner became the Minister of Worship and Outreach.
The First Universalist Church in Wausau was designed by Alexander C. Eschweiler in Tudor Revival style and built in 1914 for the local Universalist congregation. Additions and remodeling were done in 1928, 1956, and 2006. It is still used by the local Unitarian Universalist congregation; in this context, it is called the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Wausau. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
First Parish in Malden, Universalist is a Unitarian Universalist ("UU") church in Malden, Massachusetts and a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association. It was gathered in 1648 to support the establishment of the city of Malden. It is one of the oldest churches in Massachusetts. The current minister is the Rev. Otto O'Connor, who was called to be the congregation's minister in 2017.
↑ Joycelyn Loeffelholz-Rea (1998). Looking forward at the past!: a History of the Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. LEGAS. p.211. February 25: The first formal meeting of the executive committee held in Room 18, Senate Building, the office of George C. Holland.
↑ Hether M. Watts (1996). Universalism in Nova Scotia. Unitarian Universalist Church of Halifax. p.9. The first Universalist sermon was preached by Dr. Trulon in the Dartmouth Schoolhouse in December of 1837.
↑ "Unitarian Church North East India"(blog). Indian Council of Unitarian Churches. September 23, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2011. ICUC also publishes its quarterly Newsletter in English called ICUC Bulletin
↑ Muir, Frederic John (June 1, 2001). Maglipay Universalist: A History of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines. Annapolis, MD: Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. ISBN978-0-9707903-1-6.
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