Welcome to
the Universalist Unitarian Church
of Santa
Paula, California!
|
of Santa
Paula, California!
|
05/21/08 |
|
|
Who Are the Unitarian
Universalists? We recognize the importance of sustaining a religious community of all ages, knowing that each of us needs support in our personal spiritual and religious journeys. We strive for an atmosphere of free and open inquiry, honoring our diversity. We affirm and promote our Unitarian Universalist Purposes and Principles. Unitarian Universalist Principles and Purposes
We, the member congregations of the
Unitarian Universalist Association
Our Living Tradition The Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula
(read about the Santa Paula Church's
reversal of names in the History section below)
is one of over 1000
churches, fellowships and societies that make up the Unitarian Universalist
Association. We trace our roots to the progressive wing of the Protestant Reformation.
We have no creed or dogma to which our members must subscribe; nor do we
find authority in a book or person. Rather, we look to our Jewish-Christian
heritage and recognize the richness of world traditions. We believe in the
exploration of religious truths on personal and collective levels. We urge you to explore the pages of this website and learn more about us, ask questions, and perhaps even come visit us. As one of our familiar hymns reads, 'Enter, Rejoice and Come In'.
Our History The Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula is one of the oldest churches in Ventura County and one of the first Universalist churches established on the West Coast. It is the oldest church building in the city and is the bearer of a proud liberal religious heritage that dates back to mid 18th-century America. The Universalist Unitarian Church was originally organized as the First Universalist Parish “the last of February [March 3] 1889,” with 23 members. It conducted its first meetings on the second floor of Cleveland Hall on Main Street, which later burned. Wallace L. Hardison, a co-founder of the Union Oil Company, had led the movement to start the church. The Rev. Dr. E. L. Conger of Pasadena, who had helped the newly forming congregation, preached the Parish’s first sermon in February 1889. On March 2, 1890, the fledgling movement formally organized as the Universalist Church, though it did not incorporate until the following year. By April 1890 the Church had a membership of 82 people. Renamed the Unitarian Universalist Church after the two denominations merged in 1961, the church reversed the wording in 1981 to honor its Universalist heritage by placing that denominational name first and thus creating the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula.
IncorporationParish members authorized incorporation on February 8, 1891, and Articles of Incorporation were signed on November 17, 1891 [November 13, 1891 is also found as the date of incorporation, though this is probably inaccurate] and filed with the County of Ventura the following day. The first trustees and incorporators were W. L. Hardison, Marquis DeLafayette (M.D.L.) Todd, George G. Sewell, Charles H. McKevett, and Lewis A. Hardison. The first officers were W. L. Hardison, President and Lewis A. Hardison, Secretary. The Incorporating trustees held their first meeting on November 28, 1891. NOTE: A page for historical information will be added soon.
Our Statement of Purpose
In March 1999, our congregation gathered for breakfast and discussion as
part of the Fulfilling the Promise process. Out of that morning came the
words and ideas that describe who we are and why we exist as a congregation.
Those thoughts were developed into the following statement of purpose: We gather in love as a religious community Our Covenant Our purpose is reaffirmed each Sunday morning when we repeat the words of our covenant:
Love is the spirit of this Church And service is its prayer To dwell together in peace To seek the truth in freedom To tell the truth with responsibility And to love one another This is our covenant.
Social Justice The Unitarian Universalist Association and its member congregations are active participants in the fight against injustice in any form. We affirm the rights and dignity of every person, regardless of creed, national origin, religious background, sexual orientation, etc. We believe all human beings have basic rights that should not be violated. For this reason, the UUA offers many social programs and is made up of diverse people. One of the things the Church of Santa Paula has done is become a Welcoming Congregation. The Welcoming Congregation Committee and program at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula formed in the early spring of 2001. The program is dedicated to creating, fostering, and maintaining awareness of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) issues as they relate to our Church’s members and potential members. Again, Welcome to the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula. |
|
•
This site was last updated 02/07/08
