Are you a Unitarian and don’t know it? Do you believe that striving to live a wholesome, useful life is more important than accepting religious creeds and doctrines? This is the text of our first newspaper ad that drew the first 12 people to a meeting in Tallahassee to discuss Unitarianism on November 6, 1953. Three months later the Unitarian Fellowship of Tallahassee adopted a constitution and applied for a Unitarian charter. By 1955 the Fellowship had eight students in their first Sunday School. Today we have over 50 children in our Religious Education program.

              Dr. Paul Finner donated land on Wildwood Drive (now part of the FSU campus) for a new chapel that was dedicated Christmas Eve, 1957. In 1960 when the Fellowship voted for the merger of Unitarians and Universalists, the 67 members had a monthly budget of $150 to maintain the chapel. In 1978 the Fellowship became a church and our name changed to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee—UUCT. Today the UU Church, which was built in 1967 on Meridian Road, has 175 members, over 50 friends, and a budget of $227,564.

              Unitarians have a history of supporting civil rights, racial harmony, and religious freedom. Here In Tallahassee, UU"s protested daily Bible readings in the public schools; worked against segregation and marched for minority rights; urged federal intervention in Selma; supported the UU Service Committee to help distressed populations; worked with hammer and nails at Habitat for Humanity sites; supported opponents of the California Loyalty Oath; prepared monthly meals for The Shelter; and helped start TEAM—Tallahassee’s interdenominational social action ministry.

              We are a certified Green Sanctuary and strongly support energy conservation. Our members have organized protests against the building of a coal-fired energy plant in nearby Perry, Fl. In 2007, our members raised money to install photovoltaic panels to produce our own clean energy. They are installed on the roof of our new Religious Education Building.

              From the beginning, our members have enjoyed social events that draw us closer together. We participate in “Dinners for 8,” canoeing parties, theater and movie events, family camp-outs, musical programs, book clubs, pot-luck meals every second Sunday after church, and weekends at The Mountain retreat in Highlands, North Carolina.

              Today this community for liberal religious faith is thriving with a newly-settled minister, Rev. Robin Gray ; a campus ministry that reaches out to young adults; Religious Educations programs for children led by Keitha Whitaker, our new RE Director; Adult inrichment programs and activities; and a fine choir and music program under the direction of Helen Meacham. We encourage you to read our newsletter, The Meridian,  to find out about the wide array of opportunities we have for individuals and families to achieve spiritual and intellectual enrichment.