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UUFG History, An Overview
The roots of the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville (UUF) go back to a meeting of 15
individuals at the Florida Union on the University of Florida campus in the fall
of 1952. Most of the persons present were members of the
Philosophy or Humanities Departments and their spouses. The group continued to
meet at the Florida Union for largely philosophical discussions for the next 10
years. Because of an influx of young parents with children, a religious
education program was developed.
The Fellowship began
meeting in the old Thomas Hotel in January of 1962. This was not a satisfactory
location. Attendance declined somewhat, and the entire Fellowship library was
ruined when a summer rain flooded the basement storage area. Fortunately, the
Seventh Day Adventist Church agreed to let the Fellowship use their building for
Sunday services from 1963 until 1967.
During this period, many
members of the Fellowship were active in the civil rights movement. For
example, the Social Action Committee picketed a university-area restaurant that
refused to desegregate. Also during this period, members of the Fellowship
recognized that they needed a building of their own. Fortunately, some
far-sighted members had arranged the purchase of the NW 43rd Street
site in 1961. A great pine tree standing like an isolated sentinel in the
four-plus acres of farmland became a symbol of the Fellowship’s aspirations. In
April of 1965 an architect was employed. However, because of difficulty in
securing clear title to the property, the building was not completed until
September of 1976. The great pine tree survived the construction project to
grace the courtyard beyond the sanctuary.
The Fellowship drew
strength from its new, permanent home on NW 43rd Street. From the 87
members listed for October 1967, the growth was substantial. Much of the growth
followed the calling of Linnea Pearson, who served as minister from
November 1976 to June 1979. Jack Donovan began his 17-year ministry in
August 1986. In April
1997, the Fellowship once
again moved to larger facilities, this time to NW 34th Street to new
facilities constructed on 9+ acres of property. In
2002, the congregation
celebrated its 50th anniversary. UUA President Bill Sinkford
traveled from Boston to attend the celebration. In 2003 the Rev. Donovan
retired from parish ministry. After three years of interim ministry, the
congregation called as co-ministers the Rev. LoraKim Joyner and the
Rev. Meredith Garmon, who
began serving the congregation in August 2006.
UUFG History, 1950s
UUFG History, 1960s
UUFG History, 1970s
UUFG History, 1980s
UUFG History, 1990s
UUFG History, 2000s
03/18/2008
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