Unitarian Church in Summit

Coordinates: 40°43′7″N 74°21′15″W / 40.71861°N 74.35417°W / 40.71861; -74.35417

The Unitarian Church in Summit
Location	Summit, New Jersey
Country	United States
Denomination	Unitarian Universalism
Membership	500 adults, 250 children[1]
Website	www.ucsummit.org
History
Founded	1908 (1908)[1]
Founder(s)	Area residents[1]
Architecture
Status	Church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Joy Wheeler Dow
Architectural type	Colonial "meeting house"[1]
Completed	1913[1]
Clergy
Minister(s)	Terry Sweetser, Interim Minister[1] Tuli Patel, Dir. Religious Education[1] Emilie Boggis, Minister of Congregational Life[1]

The Unitarian Church in Summit is a Unitarian Universalist ("UU") church in Summit, New Jersey notable for being "one of the country's premier Unitarian churches" which features a "top–notch music program and a string of renowned preachers," according to one report.^[2] Unitarians do not have a common creed and include people with a wide variety of personal beliefs, and include atheists, agnostics, deists, monotheists, pantheists, polytheists, pagans, as well as other belief systems.^[3] It is led by Interim Minister Terry Sweetser, Executive Director Tuli Patel, and Minister of Congregational Life Emilie Boggis.^[1]

History

Unitarianism was born in the Reformation and developed during the rationalism of the period known as the Scottish Enlightenment, and rejected the Christian idea of the Trinity.^[2] According to one report, Unitarianism since the mid nineteenth century has been de-emphasizing links with traditional Christianity of its past.^[2] Unitarians in America have had a long history but have been "something of an oddity," according to the Star-Ledger.^[2] Church membership was "marked by the graciousness of the upper-crust New England society" and has had a New England orientation.^[2]

A rally outside the church in 2012 advocating marriage equality in the state of New Jersey.

Summit businessman Parker D. King was riding on the Long Island Railroad in 1906 and met childhood friend and Unitarian minister Frederic Curtis Brown.^[4] Regular meetings happened in 1907 and 1908 which culminated in the formation of a formal congregation with seventeen charter members, and with King chairing the Board of Trustees and Brown acting as the first minister.^[4] The group met in a rented location until funds were allocated to construct a building.^[4] Architect and member Joy Wheeler Brown designed the building to reflect the style of Colonial New England meeting houses, and incorporated elements of St. Paul's Chapel in New York City and King's Chapel in Boston.^[4] Construction began in 1912 and finished in 1913.^[4]

In the 1940s, the church continued to grow, assisted by administrators such as Marjorie Mettee.^[5] In the congregation were inventors such as James William Welsh.^[6] In 1961, Unitarianism merged with Universalism, to become known as the Unitarian Universalism Association or UUA, and had a position once described in a newspaper report as "One God, no one left behind."^[2] In the late 1970s, the steeple became structurally unsound, and was removed and remained gone for about two decades. In the late 1990s, the building underwent a major renovation, with the building lifted off the ground to permit excavation and installation of a basement, among other projects; a new steeple was built and attached to the top using a crane. William Sinkford, a Unitarian minister and head of the Boston UUA, suggested that national membership had increased from 1982 to 2002, growing from 172,000 members to 221,000 members during those two decades, while many Protestant churches lost members during those years.^[2] In 2002, Sinkford was present at the dedication of the newly renovated church building in Summit.^[2] Under the leadership of minister Vanessa Southern (2001–present), Summit membership grew from 100 to 500 members, children's education numbers grew to 200, and charitable and social action efforts increased.^[7] In late 2011, the congregation voted to pursue the purchase of an adjacent property.

View from the entranceway of the Unitarian church following an early snowstorm in October 2011. Photo: looking across Waldron Avenue towards Springfield Avenue.

Membership and staff

The church has a program of classes to help new members grasp its "user-friendly approach to faith".^[2] After completion of the class, there is a brief ceremony to welcome new members.^[8] It is a venue for weddings.^[9] Monica Bottone is the office manager. The church has many prominent members, including computer scientists Wim Sweldens and Erna Schneider Hoover.

Congregation and beliefs

Members dressed in 1960s "peace movement" attire to promote a charity fund-raiser called the Services Auction.

In 2009 selected members flew to Salt Lake City to attend an annual conference of Unitarian Universalists.^[10] The 2009 national meeting discussed issues including "peacemaking, workshops on ethical eating, U.S. ratification of the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and a call for a commission of inquiry regarding U.S.-sponsored torture."^[10] A statement suggested that the Summit Unitarian congregation "encourages people to seek their own spiritual path" and "draws on many religious traditions," and is a spiritual home for "bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people and promotes marriage equality."^[10] The church has sponsored numerous talks on such subjects as racial justice, experiences of civil rights protesters in the 1960s,^[11] readings of speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr.,^[12] "intentional integration,"^[13] Darfur refugees,^[14] healthier eating and diet,^[15] shamanism,^[16] meditation,^[17] and other topics. The church cooperated with other churches on a project entitled Raise the Roof to build affordable housing for persons in Summit,^[18] working alongside Habitat for Humanity.^[19] It held an annual garage sale from 1977 to 2010.^[20]

Programs

Church volunteers wrote the names of fallen soldiers in recent foreign wars -- each name on a separate ribbon -- and the 4000+ ribbons hung outside the church for several years as a memorial and tribute to their sacrifice as well as a symbol of a hope for the wars to end. In May 2012, the ribbons were retired, and will later be buried as part of a memorial to honor the fallen soldiers. Photo: Vanessa Southern removing a ribbon in May 2012.

Social action

The church has undertaken programs to preserve rainforests in Kenya, and assist small farmers in Myanmar with loans to help them feed the indigenous population.

Music

The music program is varied, and features an Afternoon music series, including performances by jazz pianist Bill Charlap^[21] and harpist Elaine Christy.^[22] The church has hosted numerous concerts by musicians, including Vibraphonist Makoto Nakura,^[23] violist Kenji Bunch,^[23] Violinist Deborah Buck,^[24] and numerous other artists and performers.^[25][26]

Ministers

Gallery

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  The building in 1913.

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  An architect discusses renovation plans for 2014-15.

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  Minister of Congregational Life Emilie Boggis.

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  Thomas S. Howard.

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  Petros Sanchez.

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  Food for the needy.

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  Celebrating the human-animal bond.

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  Parishioners hold therapy cats.

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  Harpist Elaine Christy.

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  Arthur Perkins.

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  Singer Bernadette LaFond.

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  Jazz pianist Brian Halpin.

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  Singer Bernadette LaFond (l) pianist Marina Korsakova-Kreyn, violinist Peter Borten.

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  Banner of sister church.

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  Violinist Karin Andrea Cuellar Rendon.

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  Jazz band The Universals.

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  Musical trio.

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  Celebrating Diwali.

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  Classroom.

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  Olympia's Daughters singing group.

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  Thinking game for children

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  Charcoal project members including Sylvia Herzog (left).

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  Celebrating a seder.

References

External links

• Unitarian church in Summit website