UUFF History
Early Years
The
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Flagstaff (UUFF) has deep roots considering that it is located in a
mid-sized mountain town that was founded only a little more than a century ago. The fellowship began in the 1950s,
when a small group of people from Arizona State Teachers' College (now Northern Arizona University)
began to meet regularly to listen to classical music. When several members of the Record Club realized
they shared a common interest in the philosophy of the Rev. A. Powell Davies of the
All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., they decided to form the
Unitarian Fellowship of Flagstaff. This group of about twenty members was formally chartered by the
American Unitarian Association on February 12,1958, and changed its name to the Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of Flagstaff when the denominations merged in 1961. An interest in fine music, live and recorded,
remained one of the unifying elements of the group and the focus of many of their meetings. Members of the
fellowship were actively involved in local community service and environmental projects, developed a
children's religious education program, and began publishing the The Peaks newsletter in 1962.
Building for the Future
One
of the most important events in the early history of the UUFF occurred in 1966 when the group, with some apprehension and not a little bravery, pledged the necessary financial support to secure two loans from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to purchase the land, an historic duplex, and a cottage at the corner of North Leroux and Elm Streets, on the site where the fellowship hall now stands. Because the group was small, active members knew the fellowship's financial needs and gave accordingly, although most of the income for the fellowship was generated by renting the cottage and half of the duplex.
In
the late 1970s, the fellowship had its first encounters with professional ministry. Rev. Bob Slater served as the UUFF's temporary minister during his sabbatical. A few years later, Rev. Arnold Thaw, a psychiatrist as well as a Unitarian minister, met his counseling clients in the north side of the duplex during the week and offered sermons in the same space on Sundays. Membership was approximately 20-30.
In
1981, the UUFF took another big step when they obtained construction loans and building on the current fellowship hall was begun. It was completed and dedicated on April 4, 1982. For the next twenty years, UUFF supplemented its income by leasing the downstairs space during the week to charter schools in Flagstaff, continuing this practice today.
From
1982 to 1990, the UUFF remained relatively small, averaging 35 members. No formal pledging process was in place. Members believed that when the new building was completed, there would be increased interest in Unitarian Universalism and membership growth would follow. Despite efforts to become more visible in the community, the anticipated growth did not occur. Additional income generated by the five rental units allowed the fellowship to retire the construction loan in 1990, shortly after the historic house was sold.
History of the Ministry
In
the early 1990s, the membership of the UUFF began to grow and change as it began to attract new members who had been affiliated with Unitarian-Universalist churches elsewhere. In 1992, UUFF applied to the UUA’s minister on loan program. As a result, Rev. Rudy Nemser, later of the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey ministered to the congregation for six weeks. From 1993-94, Rev. Joyce Smith of Phoenix served as part-time minister and helped organize its first pledge drive. An addition was made to the building and the fellowship hall was refurbished in 1994.
The
next milestone in the congregation's history came in June, 1994, when one of its members, Gail Tapscott, was hired to serve as part-time minister. Gail held a Masters of Divinity degree, and previous experience as the Religious Education Director of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead, Mass. By the end of 1994, thanks to the influence of professional ministry, improvements in the Sunday services and a well-organized children's religious education program, the congregation had doubled in size to more than 60 pledging units.
The
music program was strengthened and the committee structure formalized. Outreach and interfaith efforts, hosting homeless families, and engagement by the congregation in activities promoting environmental activism and multi-cultural awareness increased the visibility of Unitarian Universalism in the larger community, enhancing further membership growth.
In
1996, Gail Tapscott left Flagstaff to complete her training to become a UU minister. She returned in January 1997, serving as UUFF's part-time lay minister while completing her hospital chaplaincy internship. Rev. Tapscott was hired in 1998 as a three-quarter time Consulting Minister. In the spring of 1999, Rev. Tapscott received a call to become the full-time minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
At
that time, there was consensus that a full-time minister for UUFF was the next logical step to secure Unitarian Universalism in the Flagstaff community. That fall, members and friends participated in a congregational survey and attended cottage meetings to discuss UUFF’s future. During this important time, Rev. Nathaniel Lauriat of Sedona served as the fellowship's Consulting Minister. After interviewing several candidates, Rev. Robert Flanders was the choice for introduction to the congregation. At the conclusion of his candidating week, he was called as our first full-time minister. Membership grew to 118 by the end of 2000. Rev. Flanders resigned in 2003.
Planning for the Future
In
April, 2003, the congregation voted to participate in the UUA's Interim Ministry Program, hiring Rev. Gail Collins-Ranadive in August. Rev. Collins-Ranadive brought new energy and a clearer sense of direction to UUFF. A gifted speaker and poet, she led the UUFF through some soul-searching, prioritizing, and regeneration, and worked in harmony with the board-appointed Transistion Steering Team. At the conclusion of her first year, a vote was taken to go into ministerial search. Rev.Gail remained a second year in a part time role created jointly by her and the Board of Trustees.
A
ministerial search committee was elected and began the year-long process to find the right match for the congregation. The hard work and determination of the committee and congregation paid off when Wendy Williams agreed to be the candidate. She was enthusiastically received during candidating week in May, 2005, at the conclusion of which ballots were cast to call her as our second settled minister. Wendy and her partner Betsy Brown moved to Flagstaff. The congregation ordained her to the UU ministry and installed her as our settled minister April 23, 2006. Her nurturing of shared ministry with UUFF’s members and friends has resulted in growth in numbers, as well as depth of purpose.
To
learn more about Rev. Wendy Williams, see Our Minister page.
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