First Unitarian Church of Baltimore
Unitarian Universalist
Organized 1817
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Rev. David Carl Olson
Minister
Corner of Charles and Franklin Streets in Downtown Baltimore
Mailing address:
1 W Hamilton St, Balt MD 21201
Hours: Tues-Fri, 10-4
P: 410-685-2330
Fax: 410-685-4133
Office E-mail
Home
Our ChurchBoard of Trustees
Meetings: 3rd Tuesday of each
month in the Parish Hall. Members are welcome.
| MEMBER | UU HISTORY | GOALS FOR CHURCH |
|---|---|---|
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Nancy West
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I first signed the book at the Joseph Priestly Unitarian Fellowship in rural Central Pennsylvania in 1966. I found there a community of people who shared my concern with how we live together in this world and how we can do that better. When I moved to Baltimore in 2001, I knew just where to look for a like-minded community—a Unitarian church. I have found that community at First Unitarian I and I signed the book in 2002. Since that time, I have become very active in the community it offers me. |
I would like to see First Unitarian Church become an increasing force for change in our downtown neighborhood. I would like to see us grow in size and in programming that reflects our principles as well as restore and take good care of our physical plant. For this to take place, we must insure that our finances are in order and transparent to the congregation. We must help all of our members and friends understand how our ability to do the things we want to do requires a commitment of both time and money from each of us as we are able. Finally, I want all us to fully embrace the changes that come with installing a new settled minister--to be a part of how our future unfolds. |
|
Sally Wall |
I've been a member for 7 years now. First
Unitarian's welcome, acceptance, and support has given me "The
Courage to Be" [with a nod to Tillich] and the freedom to explore my
own spiritual path. My current passion is growing the music program
and restoring our beautiful Niemann organ.
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My goal is to sustain and grow this precious community that others so lovingly created and nurtured while I was still searching, and to help others find the community they need! |
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Marianne Freedman |
When I first visited our church in the fall of 2008, I was moved by hearing the words "come, come, whoever you are" and seeing a congregation reflecting that vision. Being with people who shared my wish for tolerance and acceptance of all people convinced me that I had finally found a spiritual home.
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My dream is for First Unitarian Church to become more directly involved in addressing the economic justice and social justice issues of the communities around us. To do this, we first need to strengthen our own finances by combining strong stewardship with creative fundraising. My hope is that we use our prime location to attract new members and to fundraise from the general community. I hope we can find ways to make our events and beautiful buildings more welcoming to people who don't know us. I hope we can reach people in our community who, like myself, have been lifelong UUs without realizing it. |
|
Betty Dabney |
I've been a UU for about six years, first joining in Texas. When I came to Baltimore five years ago, I moved to the inner city in order to be close to this church. Since joining First Unitarian I have served on the Membership Committee, Adult RE Committee, Raising the Roof Team, and was member and Co-Chair of the Worship Committee and Chair of the Leadership Council. I have also coordinated the Ten-Year Celebration for John and Phyllis, and have been to several out-of-town training sessions. In my professional life, I'm on the Governor's Commission for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, which puts my UU faith into practice by helping. |
This is a critical time in our church's history. In the next two years we will have a new settled minister and develop plans for the Bicentennial and refurbishment of the Sanctuary. It will be important for us to have strong leadership, and to work together toward these common goals. My goals for the church during this time are to play a role in bringing people together to take our church to the next level, and to help our congregation embrace change. My vision for our church can be summed up as: Honoring our history, celebrating our diversity, and creating the future together. |
|
Gina Foringer |
I found my spiritual home in Unitarian Universalism in 1993. I belonged to the Unitarian Church of Norfolk (Unitarian Universalist) until 2005 when my partner - Laura Laing, daughter - Zoe Foringer-Laing, and I moved to Mount Washington. We spent time at the Towson UU Church before finding First Unitarian Church of Baltimore where we became members in 2006. We attend the Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute every Summer where we deepen our UU faith. I've served as Board trustee, Vice President and President in Norfolk. I've also served on the Committee on Ministry, Worship Services Committee (chaired), Council (chaired) and co-introduced and taught the Montessori-style curriculum, Spirit Play, to the CRE community. |
I love church as an intergenerational village where the children sit at the knees of the elders and adults call the children by name, whether an active parent or not. I believe in the combination of humility and the generosity of the human spirit in conducting human affairs, particularly Board work. |
|
Richard Masters |
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Judy Mayer |
I joined the church 17 years ago. It was a relief and a joy to find a loving, supportive community within which I could seek personal spiritual growth. It has made my life so much more meaningful. I have served over the years on various committees and was previously Vice President of the Board. I am now Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. The beautiful sanctuary is almost 200 years old. Pratt Parish Hall is over 120 years old. To serve as a guardian of this historical church, which has housed remarkable people who did remarkable things over its existence in Baltimore, is awesome. My aim is to keep the history and beauty intact while updating the facilities. It would be great to have a more user-friendly and “greener” environment for our members and our visitors. I look forward to being on the Board as we begin a new and exciting chapter in the life of this church. |
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My initial exposure to Unitarians and Unitarian inclusive philosophy and behavior was in the 1950's at the University of Oregon. When settled in Denver, Colorado my family and I joined the Unitarian Church. I continued my commitment to Unitarianism during the succeeding 50 plus years while living in Baltimore, Hagerstown, Portland, Oregon and back to Baltimore. Singing in the choir was a pleasure that I enjoyed in each church. As a Board member, I will always keep in mind our seven principles and act according. Our own UUSC is actively carrying out our principles in the world and I will try to alert our congregation to opportunities for service in their projects. |
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Roberta Van Meter |
I joined the Church 7 years ago shortly after hearing Phyllis Hubbell’s “Rosa Parks Sermon”. I have served as Co-Chair of the Social Action Clearinghouse, participated in the Race/Class Discussion Group and Leadership Council. I was instrumental in helping our church join the Baltimore Interfaith Hospitality Network, which provided services for homeless families and served as the Volunteer Coordinator for that program. For several years I participated in the Doers Covenant Group and shared the experiences of my social work career with other church members working in human services. This will be my last year on the Board where I have served as liaison to the Social Justice Cluster. Currently, I am a member of the Music Committee, Social Action Clearinghouse, Kinn Bequest Task Force and the Policies and Procedures Task Force. I enjoy playing my violin and viola for occasional worship services. |
I would like our church to continue to be active in peace and social justice issues. Efforts should focus on increasing our volunteer involvement to help those in need in our city, providing financial support of our involvement in organizations such as BRIDGE, UUSJ and BIHN and expanding our Change for Change project. Through our increased visibility in the community we will be able to expand membership. As a member of the Music Committee, I am looking forward to helping build our Organ Fund for the restoration of our wonderful organ. |
