First Universalist Church of Essex

59 Main Street

Essex, MA 01929

 

 

Welcome!

We are thrilled that you are considering joining us at First Universalist Church of Essex! We are a thriving, joyous, musical congregation that values our community inside and outside our walls.

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First, a little about our history: while this congregation has a long history in Essex, only the past 20 years should reflect what we are today. By around 2001, our congregation had dwindled to about a dozen members. It was the foresight of those members, who were faced with the idea of having a retired minister, to seek a full-time minister by using all the funds they had in reserve. They figured they had three years' worth of salary that they could be used to turn everything around. It was this decision that brought the church back to life. We are currently at about 80  members and have a typical church attendance of about 40 adults weekly. One of the main reasons that people come to church each week is our fellowship with each other. We value spending time together, as evidenced by the lingering coffee hour after church on Sunday.

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Over this period, we have had two settled ministers, Rev. Art McDonald and Rev. Eva Cameron, and one interim minister, Rev. Justine Sullivan. Art has become an active member of the church with the title of Minister Emeritus. Eva has recently retired due to a disability.

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We are a lively, friendly group of people who genuinely enjoy spending time together. Many congregants initiated and led such gatherings as weekly Tai Chi, an occasional knitting circle, a monthly fellowship game night (recently renamed UU hang out), and monthly Spiritual Parenting meetings. We have had minister-initiated and led activities such as UU history discussions and book groups.

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We are also involved in our surrounding communities. We have a strong presence in ECCO (Essex County Community Organizing), with our members holding leadership roles in the organization and bringing those initiatives back to our congregation. We also contribute our time and energies to local organizations that serve homeless or low-income members of our communities, such as Family Promise, the Grace Center, and Open Door. We also host monthly PFLAG meetings at our church. We believe in putting our time and energy into activities that we value, and it would be even better if we could do this together!

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We are a musical congregation, which is apparent in and out of Sunday services in many forms. We have a band that meets regularly in the evenings to practice and occasionally plays on Sundays. We have an active choir that meets regularly before church and then shares their talents with us some Sundays.

Before the last couple of years with the Pandemic, we held overnight retreats for adults in our community. Those who can make the time to attend have found it an excellent way to get to know each other better. Over the years, we have had a Friday night panel discussion and a Saturday full of workshop activities. Some of these have been led by the minister, and some have been lay-led. It is done locally, so people do not have to commit to spending the night, but while the organized activities are lovely, some of the best moments happen when we are in our PJs, just hanging out before bed. Whether lingering at coffee hour on a typical Sunday or a Friday night retreat, we are a group that cares deeply for each other and enjoys sharing time together.

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A growing congregation is not without its challenges. We are currently maxed out for space to support our RE program. And every year, we put forth an ambitious budget, working to pay a fair wage for the positions we have and coming in just at budget. And while we might purport that we don't argue, that is not entirely true — we have differences of opinion and feel free to speak openly to each other. We value our relationship above conflict, so we work through divergent views to come to a consensus with congeniality. For example, as we debated what to do in the short term about the space in the basement for the RE program, we had a group of two camps. One was adamant that we take down a wall, and the other was adamant that we clean out a closet. We listened closely and intently to each person, and within the hour, everyone had switched sides. Ultimately, we chose to do the thing that would require the least amount of work and money for a short-term solution. But this is indicative of our group, respectful disagreement, and continued listening and problem-solving.

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In some ways, we feel more significant than we are because we have a depth of talent and interests that our members freely share. Still, in many ways, we are a fledgling congregation looking for the next minister to help us continue the momentum and shape our future.

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I hope your search process goes well and you find a congregation that matches your interests, talents, and gifts. I would be happy to discuss your interest in joining our congregation anytime.

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Sincerely,

Ken Swanson

Moderator, First Universalist Church of Essex