The BFF-DRE and I have a question.
Do you know of any UU churches that were planted in the last 20 years that were not planted as a function of "we want a UU church that is more convenient to us."?
(Other than Micah's Porch and A Third Place.)
Edited to add: (And other than all of the UU Albuquerque satellite churches.) Kit's already mentioned some congregations planted as outreach churches. Keep 'em coming. And if they were deliberately planted in low-income areas, let me know that, too.
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Columbine UUC and Prairie UUC in the Denver area were planted as outreach churches. So was Rainier Valley in Seattle, though it is struggling now. It was planted as a deliberately diverse congregation, though that hasn't been the outcome.
If you consider, "we want a Unitarian Universalist church that takes a different tack" then you might count the Unitarian Universalist Peace Fellowship, Raleigh, N.C. (http://uupf.org/) and All Souls Church, Durham, N.C. (http://www.allsoulsdurham.org/)
In the same vein as what Scott said, UU Community Church of Glen Allen (in Richmond - Alane's "country church" of a few years back) was a result of folks who wanted something a little different than what First UU of Richmond offered.
"we want a UU church that is more convenient to us."
Are you talking in terms of "comfortability" or driving time here LE? ;-)
The UUPF of Raleigh was actually a breakaway church, not a plant but rather a rebellion...so to speak. But as a former resident in the area, it could also be seen as a convenience plant because a number of UUFR members lived in North Raleigh and the UUPF was closer to them.
I can think of one (faltering at the moment) about five years old--started in an area about an hour (fwy time) from any other UU church.
Another that started in the last 10 (or so) when a somewhat more functional group left a church in high dysfunction (eating three ministers in a row...).
One that's a merger of two that were both started in the last 20. Midsized, healthy, now owns a building. All those are SoCal.
I suppose we toss First Church San Diego's satellite into the same bin as ABQ's? (It is in a different economic/ethnic demog. area...).
I'm not sure about "more convenient" as a disqualifier (entirely). There's one in S. Indiana that's not yet large enough to be a UUA member, started by one fellow who felt an hour was getting too far (a few times a week), and bought an empty church in his town and started it. More a "this town oughta..." feeling there.
The Unitarian Congregation of Taos, New Mexico, began around five years ago with a group of around 8-10 people who wanted to be a liberal religious presence in their already liberal community. Since that meeting, UCoT grew, and now welcomes between 30 and 50 people on first and third Sunday mornings of the month, has thirty members and a mailing list of around 80. They are delighted to see visitors in their old (Ranchos de Taos Presbyterian) adobe gathering place. They have a board, by-laws, a very successful annual pledge drive, have completed a number of service projects and have received a Chalice Lighter grant and a UUFP grant. In a town of 6000, this is quite an accomplishment!
Anne Odin Heller
James Reeb UU in Madison was started a bit more than 15 years ago. Planted on the East side of Madison, not so much because it would be more convenient to get to, but to consciously be a congregation in the more non-university community side of town (if that makes any sense at all).
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