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Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit

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Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit
Map
LocationSummit, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
DenominationUnitarian Universalist Association
Membership414 adults, 170 children[1]
Websitesummitbeacon.org
History
StatusChurch
Founded1908 (1908)[1]
Founder(s)Area residents[1]
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Joy Wheeler Dow
Architectural typeColonial "meeting house"[1]
Completed1913[1]
Clergy
Minister(s)Robin Tanner Minister of Worship and Outreach
Emilie Boggis, Minister of Congregational Life[1]

Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit is a Unitarian Universalist ("UU") congregation in Summit, New Jersey, United States, formally organized in 1908 as The Unitarian Church in Summit. It is active in social justice initiatives and received the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Social Justice Award in 2010.[2] It has also been recognized as an outstanding UU congregation by various UU groups.[3][4][5] In 2016, Robin Tanner became the Minister of Worship and Outreach.[1]

History

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A rally outside the church in 2012 advocating marriage equality in the state of New Jersey.

Beacon UU was founded by area residents who felt that Summit needed a liberal church, emphasizing ethics and love as the core of religion, and encouraging all members to search for their own religious truths.[6] Seventeen charter members of the church called Reverend Brown to be the first minister.[7][8][9]

The group met in rented locations until funds were allocated to construct a building at the current location on Springfield and Waldron Avenues. An existing house (later called "Community House") was moved up Waldron to make room for a new building facing Springfield Avenue. Architect and member Joy Wheeler Brown designed the building to reflect the style of Colonial New England meeting houses, and incorporated elements of St. Paul's Chapel in New York City and King's Chapel in Boston. Construction began in 1912 and the sanctuary was formally dedicated on October 21, 1913. Also in 1912, the church adopted the name All Souls' Church, Unitarian-Universalist, having members from both denominations.[7][10][11]

In 1914, the church called Frank C. Doan, a pacifist who voiced his opposition to war in April, 1917, when the United States joined in the "Great War." This was extremely unpopular in New Jersey, and given strong criticism from the state's newspapers, he offered his resignation to the Board of Trustees. They refused it.[7][12]

From 1933 to 1944, A. Powell Davies was the minister. A former Methodist, he had a profound influence on the church[12] and also on the Unitarian movement. In 1942, a convocation of Unitarian ministers was held in Summit to develop a Unitarian statement of faith.[7][12] Davies convinced the church, then unaffiliated and named the "Summit Community Church," that since it was accepting support from the American Unitarian Association, it should rejoin the Unitarian Association.[12]

In 1945, the church called Jacob Trapp, a theist and a poet. He was the minister until 1970.[13] He also took inspiration from St. Francis and wrote his own translation of the Tao Te Ching.[14] During Trapp's tenure, the church grew considerably, drawing many members from Bell Labs. Among these were Harold Black, inventor of the negative feedback amplifier, and James William Welsh.[15]

The years from 1970 to 1988 saw half a dozen ministers and interims, and reduction in the church membership, before David Bumbaugh served from 1988 to 1999, after which he became professor of ministry at Meadville/Lombard Theological School.[6] In 1995, the church called its first woman minister, Beverley Bumbaugh, David's wife.[6]

In the 1990s, the steeple became structurally unsound, and was removed.[citation needed]

Under the leadership of minister Vanessa Southern (2001–2014), Summit membership grew to 529 members in 2012.[16] In late 2011, the congregation voted to pursue the purchase of an adjacent property.

 
View from the entranceway of the Unitarian church following an early snowstorm in October 2011. Photo: looking across Waldron Avenue towards Springfield Avenue.

Governance

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Beacon UU has an unusual leadership model, combining two ordained ministers with a lay executive director.[17] The staff also includes a Music Director, a Director of Religious Education, a Religious Education Coordinator, a Stewardship Director, a Membership and Youth Coordinator, and a sexton.[18]

Programs

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Beacon UU holds two traditional Sunday morning services along with religious education classes for children during each service. On Sunday nights, the Youth Group holds a Worship Service.[19]

In 2007, the congregation began its involvement with The Irvington Initiative, a partnership between the congregation and the Chancellor Avenue School in Irvington, NJ. Beacon's Social Justice Committee provides tutoring, educational workshops, holiday gifts, and fund-raising events for the children in the largely African-American school.[16][20] Also in 2007, members of the congregation started the "Moving Toward Peace" initiative. The congregation voted to call for an end to the war in Iraq, began a weekly tradition of striking a gong for each service member killed that week in Iraq or Afghanistan, and prepared a wall of ribbons, one ribbon for each service member killed, to display in front of the building on Springfield Avenue.[16] In 2010, UCS was named a "Breakthrough Congregation" at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly and received the first Social Justice Congregation Award from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee "for its efforts to advance human rights work in collaboration with UUSC."[21]

Beacon UU is an active member of the Summit Interfaith Council, a coalition of 19 local religious groups that “seek the welfare of the city.” Rev. Emilie Boggis was president in 2014-2015 and the previous minister, Rev. Vanessa Southern, has also been president.[22]

Beacon UU has had a partner Unitarian church in Barot, Transylvania (Romania), since 1992. The partnership includes visits from Barot to Summit, and vice versa, and Beacon provides some financial support for the Barot church and scholarships for university students.[23]

The congregation has sponsored numerous talks on such subjects as racial justice, experiences of civil rights protesters in the 1960s,[24] readings of speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.,[25] "intentional integration,"[26] Darfur refugees,[27] healthier eating and diet,[28] shamanism,[29] meditation,[30] and other topics. Beacon UU cooperated with other churches on a project entitled Raise the Roof to build affordable housing for persons in Summit,[31] working alongside Habitat for Humanity.[32] It held an annual garage sale from 1977 to 2010.[33]

Music

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The music program is headed by Mitchell Vines, Director. It is varied, and features an Afternoon music series, including performances by jazz pianist Bill Charlap[34] and harpist Elaine Christy.[35] The church has hosted numerous concerts by musicians, including Vibraphonist Makoto Nakura,[36] violist Kenji Bunch,[36] Violinist Deborah Buck,[37] and numerous other artists and performers.[38][39]

Ministers

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Ministers
Years Name Notes
1908-1911 Frederic Curtis Brown
1911-1913 Howard Colby Ives
1914-1917 Frank Carleton Doan
1918-1919 Arthur G. Singsen
1919-1920 Frank Carleton Doan
1921-1927 Oscar B. Hawes
1927-1932 Stuart L. Tyson
1929-1931 Dayton T. Yoder Assistant
1933–1944 Arthur Powell Davies
1945–1970 Jacob Trapp
1970-1974 Deane Starr
1975-1977 Peter W. Denny
1977-1978 Horace F. Westwood
1979-1985 Jan Vickery Knost
1985-1987 Richard M. Woodman Interim
1987-1988 Alfred J.N. Henriksen Interim
1988–1999 David E. Bumbaugh Jr.
1995–1998 Beverly A. Bumbaugh
1996-2003 Carol S. Haag M.R.E.
1999-2000 George Kimmich Beach Interim
2000-2001 Oren A. Peterson Interim
2001–2014 Vanessa Southern
2005-2014 Emilie Boggis Assistant Minister
2011-2014 Kimberly Wildszewski Assistant Minister of Congregational Life
2014–2016 Terry Sweetser Interim Minister of Worship and Outreach
2015–present Emilie Boggis Minister of Congregational Life
2017–present Robin Noelle Tanner Minister of Worship and Outreach

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "myUUA: Congregations: Beacon UU Congregation in Summit". uua.org. 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  2. ^ "Social Justice Award Winners". Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "Metro NY District Award Winners -- Mendon W. Smith Award". Unitarian Universalist District of Metropolitan New York. 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  4. ^ "Breakthrough Congregations". Unitarian Universalist Association. 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  5. ^ "Metro NY District Award Winners -- O. Eugene Pickett Award". Unitarian Universalist District of Metropolitan New York. 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c From Where We Come: A Short History of the Unitarian Church in Summit. 2000.
  7. ^ a b c d The History Project (2000). From Where We Come: A Short History of the Unitarian Church in Summit. The Unitarian Church in Summit.
  8. ^ "Our Church and Staff". The Unitarian Church in Summit. 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2017-08-04. The Unitarian Church in Summit was founded in 1908 by area residents...
  9. ^ Parker D. King. History of the Community Church of Summit, New Jersey.
  10. ^ David E. Bumbaugh (2000). Unitarian Universalism: a narrative history. Chicago: Meadville Lombard Press.
  11. ^ D. Robinson (1985). The Unitarians and the Universalists. Denominations in America. Greenwood Publishing Group.
  12. ^ a b c d G. N. Marshall (1990). A. Powell Davies and His Times. Skinner House Books.
  13. ^ Nausica Zaballos (2010). "Encompassing the Southwest Spirit in Jacob Trapp's Poems". In C. Sarmento (ed.). From Here to Diversity: Globalization and Intercultural Dialogues. Cambridge Scholars Publisher.
  14. ^ Jacob Trapp (1959). Lao Tzu, the Hidden Wise Man: An Essay on the Tao Te Ching Together with a New Version of the Text.
  15. ^ "Obituaries: James W. Welsh dies, Summit inventor held several patents". Independent Press. April 11, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-07. A memorial service ... at the Unitarian Church of Summit...
  16. ^ a b c Staff writer (December 26, 2011). "Summit Unitarian pastor celebrates 10th anniversary". Independent Press. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  17. ^ "Our Leadership Model". Retrieved Feb 27, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Our Staff". Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved Aug 4, 2017.
  19. ^ "Spirit in Practice Circles". Retrieved Feb 28, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  20. ^ "Chancellor Avenue School". Retrieved Feb 28, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ "Social Justice Award Winners". Retrieved Feb 29, 2016.
  22. ^ "The Summit Interfaith Council". Retrieved Feb 28, 2016.
  23. ^ "Partner Church". Retrieved Feb 28, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  24. ^ Star-Ledger Staff (November 6, 2011). "Two Freedom Riders to discuss experiences". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2011-11-07. On Saturday, the Unitarian Church will welcome Francis and Laura Randall of New York City, who will speak about their experiences as Freedom Riders
  25. ^ Staff (January 17, 2011). "N.J. plans Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2011-11-07. ... readings by local youth and adults of excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech, sponsored by the Racial Justice Task Force ... Unitarian Church in Summit...
  26. ^ "Barbara Heisler Williams to speak on 'Toward Intentional Integration,' March 15". Independent Press. March 11, 2009. Retrieved 2011-11-07. Barbara Heisler Williams, who is known nationally for promoting racially and ethnically integrated communities, ... The Unitarian Church in Summit
  27. ^ Rybolt, Barbara (April 1, 2009). "Chatham High School Darfur Club readies for a big event". Independent Press. Retrieved 2011-11-07. The student-created Darfur Club ... The club has also arranged an evening presentation at the Unitarian Church in Summit.
  28. ^ "'Diet for a Better World' explored at May church event". Independent Press. May 5, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2011-11-07. Registered dietitian and author George Eisman will speak ... at The Unitarian Church in Summit...
  29. ^ "Unitarian Church in Summit hosts shamanism workshop Feb. 21". Independent Press. February 1, 2009. Retrieved 2011-11-07. John Foord, a shamanic practitioner and a member of the church in Summit, will lead the workshop.
  30. ^ Cerdeira, Marian (February 22, 2009). "Church in Summit will host five-week meditation series". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2011-11-07. The Dharmachakra Buddhist Center will begin a new five-week series of meditation classes at The Unitarian Church in Summit...
  31. ^ Duffy, Jamie (October 5, 2009). "'Raise the Roof' event in Summit supports affordable housing". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2011-11-07. The Summit Interfaith Build Congregation includes ... The Unitarian Church in Summit,
  32. ^ Keill, Liz (November 19, 2008). "Summit explores Habitat option for affordable housing". Independent Press. Retrieved 2011-11-07. Vanessa Rush Southern of The Unitarian Church in Summit echoed his views. ...
  33. ^ Continuous news desk (April 4, 2008). "31st Annual Unitarian Garage Sale in Summit". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2011-11-07. ... annual garage sale at The Unitarian Church in Summit...
  34. ^ "Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, performs in Summit Unitarian's Afternoon Music". Independent Press. January 28, 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-07. RARE SOLO PERFORMANCE — Jazz pianist Bill Charlap gives a rare solo performance at The Unitarian Church in Summit ...
  35. ^ "Afternoon Music concert at Unitarian Church in Summit, Jan. 29". Independent Press. January 6, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  36. ^ a b "Viola player, vibraphonist perform as duo in Afternoon Music concert at Summit Unitarian Church". Independent Press. October 31, 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-07. Percussion virtuoso Makoto Nakura joins violist Kenji Bunch for an unusual vibraphone-string recital at the first Afternoon Music program ...
  37. ^ "Violinist Deborah Buck ..." Independent Press. January 13, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
  38. ^ "Events in New Jersey". The New York Times. April 8, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-07. Unitarian Church in Summit Afternoon Music presents Sun Young Chang, soprano; Tia Roper-Penn, flutist; Carlo Pellettieri, cellist;...
  39. ^ "CALENDAR". The New York Times. November 5, 2006. Retrieved 2011-11-07. Summit Afternoon Music, Nova Chamber Artists and two New Jersey Youth Symphony string ensembles. ... Summit Unitarian Church
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