Unitarian Church in Westport

The Unitarian Church in Westport is a diverse faith community of individuals and families, from a variety of personal and faith backgrounds, housed in a dramatic glass-walled and swooping-roofed building in Westport, CT. Although the building is in Westport, it draws from communities across lower Fairfield county - from Milford to Greenwich. We are a Welcoming Congregation, committed to being inclusive and expressive of the concerns of the LGBTQ community and of all races and heritages, at every level of congregational life. Together we affirm those values we hold in common, explore mysteries we cannot prove, live with our questions, and share each other’s journeys.

We are led by the Rev. Dr. John T. Morehouse who was called to the church in 2015 and has led flouring congregations across the country for 30+ years; he comes from a long line of Unitarian Universalist preachers. Since the pandemic, the community has held services virtually via ZOOM, and is now back to a hybrid model: in person and broadcast online. All are welcome to join us at 10 AM each Sunday; ZOOM links and Orders of Service are available on the front page of our website, uuwestport.org. Ongoing events and activities can always be found via our weekly newsletters, SOUNDINGS, both the weekEND and weekDAY editions. Please feel free to reach out to us so we can answer any questions you may have.

Our religious community is a robust and active group, made up about 450+ members and friends. We our known in the area for our outstanding Music Programs, with eight choirs - from children, to youth, to several different iterations for adult choirs including a bell choir. Our Julliard-trained Minister of Music, the Rev. Ed Thompson, is a gifted organist, composer, conductor and musician. Each year features an original, spiritually-inspired musical for our youngsters which is nearly professional in both content and performance. Our Family Faith Formation programs (known as "religious education" in other denominations) has helped young children and youth explore and develop their own values and understanding of how the world works and their roles in it. Our Our Whole Lives ("OWL") sexuality programs are often attended by youngsters not directly affiliated with us, because it is recognized as being so comprehensive, thoughtful, and formative. Our Social Justice programs are many and robust. We are proud of our strong record as a place of social activism and anti-oppression work. There are countless opportunities for involvement in our programs, ranging from school mentoring programs to supporting the LGBTQ communities. Whether it be toys for prisoners’ children; books and tutors for inner-city schools; furniture and shelter for immigrants; outdoor soccer games for under-privileged youth: we provide support to those in need in the greater community. The opportunities to serve are endless. Each is a point of pride and distinction for us as a congregation that acts on its beliefs.

We are a member of the UUA - the Unitarian Universalist Association - and we support and ascribe to its 7 principles (soon to be 8! we just approved the 8th principle at our annual meeting June 13, 2021). Our roots are from the Judeo-Christian tradition; we are now a true amalgamation of many values and beliefs. Friends and members come from a variety of spiritual backgrounds and all are always welcome. Current members include but are not limited to folks raised in Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant traditions; many self-describe as naturalists, atheists and agnostics.

While coming from different faith backgrounds, we all share our covenant with one another: “Love is the spirit of this church, and service its law. This is our great covenant; to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.”

Many know us for our remarkable church building designed by modernist architect Victor A. Lundy and completed in 1965. It won an award from Architect magazine.^[1] It has been compared to E. Fay Jones' Thorncrown Chapel (1980) and to the wooden tent Lundy designed for the interior of his Unitarian Meeting House (1964) in Hartford, Connecticut.^[1] The nickname New Ship Church is a reference to the Old Ship Church built in 1681 in Hingham, Massachusetts.^[2] The congregation was founded in 1949 as "The First Unitarian Fellowship of Fairfield County," and changed its name is The Unitarian Church in Westport in the early 1960s. It is currently considering a name-change to reflect its Unitarian Universalist affiliation, and its broader reach than what traditional "churches" conjure; the Trustees are inviting the congregation to weigh in on this in the coming months.

References

^ ^a ^b Higher Power 1960 P/A Award: First Unitarian Church, Victor Lundy ARCHITECT February 10, 2009 Past Progressives
^ ^a ^b Himmelstein, Drew. "Unitarian Universalist Church Design". Dwell.

External links

Official website

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[AIA-1] Higher Power 1960 P/A Award: First Unitarian Church, Victor Lundy ARCHITECT February 10, 2009 Past Progressives

[ship-2] Himmelstein, Drew. "Unitarian Universalist Church Design". Dwell.

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v t e List of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist churches
Australia	Unitarian Church of South Australia
Canada	First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto
Ireland	Unitarian Church in Ireland
Romania	Unitarian Church of Transylvania Unitarian church, Dârjiu
United Kingdom	Bank Street Unitarian Chapel Billingshurst Unitarian Chapel Brighton Unitarian Church Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford Brookfield Unitarian Church Chowbent Chapel Cross Street Chapel Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow Essex Street Chapel Fulwood Old Chapel Gellionnen Chapel General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches Hastings Unitarian Church Horsham Unitarian Church King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield Meadrow Unitarian Chapel Mill Hill Chapel Unitarian Meeting House, Newcastle-under-Lyme Newington Green Unitarian Church Norcliffe Chapel Northiam Unitarian Chapel Nottage General Baptist & Unitarian Church Octagon Chapel, Norwich Richmond and Putney Unitarian Church Rivington Unitarian Chapel Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel Shrewsbury Unitarian Church Taunton Unitarian Chapel Todmorden Unitarian Church Toxteth Unitarian Chapel Underbank Chapel Ullet Road Unitarian Church Unitarian Meeting House, Ipswich Upper Chapel York Unitarian Chapel
United States	Alaska Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship California First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles First Unitarian Church of Oakland First Unitarian Church of San Jose First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation Pacific Unitarian Church Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside Colorado Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder Connecticut Unitarian Church in Westport Unitarian Universalist Church Universalist Church of West Hartford District of Columbia All Souls Church, Unitarian Universalist National Memorial Church Georgia First Universalist Church Hawaii First Unitarian Church of Honolulu Illinois Beverly Unitarian Church Channing-Murray Foundation First Unitarian Church of Chicago Third Unitarian Church Unity Temple Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet Indiana Temple Israel Iowa First Unitarian Church First Universalist Church of Cedar Rapids Universalist Church Maine Dexter Universalist Church First Universalist Church Pittsfield Universalist Church Stockton Springs Community Church Universalist-Unitarian Church Maryland Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church First Unitarian Church Massachusetts All Souls Church Arlington Street Church Bernardston Congregational Unitarian Church Brattle Street Church First Parish in Cambridge First Church in Boston First Church in Roxbury First Church in Salem First Church of Christ, Unitarian First Parish Church (Duxbury, Massachusetts) First Parish Church (Taunton, Massachusetts) First Parish Church (Waltham, Massachusetts) First Parish Church in Plymouth First Parish Church of Dorchester First Parish Church, Arlington Massachusetts First Parish in Malden First Parish of Sudbury First Parish Unitarian Church First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Scituate First Religious Society Church and Parish Hall First Unitarian Church (Peabody, Massachusetts) First Unitarian Church (Somerville, Massachusetts) First Unitarian Church (Stoneham, Massachusetts) First Unitarian Society in Newton First Universalist Church (Provincetown, Massachusetts) First Universalist Church (Salem, Massachusetts) First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts) Follen Church Society-Unitarian Universalist Housatonic Congregational Church King's Chapel North Parish Church Old Ship Church Second Unitarian Church Theodore Parker Unitarian Universalist Church Unitarian Church of Barnstable Unitarian Memorial Church Unitarian Society Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and the Osgood House United First Parish Church Universalist Society Meetinghouse Wollaston Unitarian Church Michigan Barn Church First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit Unitarian Universalist Church Minnesota First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis Nebraska First Unitarian Church of Omaha New Hampshire First Universalist Church Peterborough Unitarian Church South Parish Unitarian Church New Jersey Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit Old Stone Church New York Chapin Memorial Church Christ Church First Unitarian Church of Rochester First Unitarian Church of Rochester (building) First Universalist Church First Universalist Church of Portageville First Unitarian Congregational Society First Unitarian Universalist Church of Niagara Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York Pullman Memorial Universalist Church Second Unitarian Church Unitarian Church of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo North Carolina Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Long View Center The Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte Ohio All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church Apostolic Bethlehem Temple Church First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Church of Marietta First Universalist Church of Lyons, Ohio First Universalist Church of Olmsted Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent Ohio Universalist Church of Westfield Center Oklahoma All Souls Unitarian Church Oregon First Congregational Church of Oregon City Philadelphia First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia First Universalist Church of Sharpsville Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster Rhode Island Bell Street Chapel First Unitarian Church of Providence First Universalist Church South Carolina Liberty Universalist Church and Feasterville Academy Historic District Unitarian Church in Charleston Tennessee Church of the River Vermont Cavendish Universalist Church Unitarian Church Virginia Mount Vernon Unitarian Church Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington Washington University Unitarian Church Wisconsin Bradford Community Church First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Society of Madison First Universalist Church United Unitarian and Universalist Church Unity Chapel

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