Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester

Name of congregation:

Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester

Location: West Chester

Denomination: Unitarian Universalist Association

Size of congregation: Currently 160 members

History: Our congregation was started in 1954, sponsored by the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington. In the 1960s, we purchased a large house on Franklin Street in West Chester. In 1996, the congregation moved to the historic New Century Club building on High Street near West Chester University. In recent years, the fellowship has grown significantly and offers two services each Sunday, a full religious education program from pre-kindergarten through 9th grade, and youth group for high school age youth.

Staff: Reverend Dr. Patrick O'Neill, Minister; Pamela Baxter, Director of Religious Education; Diane Vely, Secretary; Erin Behler, Hymnist; Barbara Kovaks, Choir Director.

Church operations are managed by the Fellowship Council, consisting of various committee chairs including: Religious Services; Social Justice; Communications; Fun and Fellowship; Building and Grounds; Music; Membership and Religious Education.

What makes you proud of your church? A free, creedless spirituality that lets people seek their own internal source of strength and connection from many sources and religious traditions, in a supportive and stimulating environment.

A welcoming congregation that brings people of wide backgrounds together in their own spiritual journeys, embraces diversity, challenges members to live responsibly, and is a catalyst for a just world.

Strong lay leadership: Our volunteers are the strength of the fellowship and provide support and stimulation to our minister and staff.

Music: We are rich in musical talent. Services often include special music from our pianists, our small instrumental ensembles, our drummers, and our choir.

Small group ministries and book discussions groups: These groups often explore spiritual and social issues on a personal scale not possible in a large meeting setting.

Social Justice: The church supports projects both locally and nationally including the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). The service committee is our main charity. Whether Darfur, Katrina or Tsunami relief, the UUSC is always there.

Because it receives no government funds or support, it acts totally independently and goes around the world to do social justice work where others fear to tread. Our congregation is proud of its high level of consistent giving to this important charity.

Shelters for the Homeless: Every month the Fellowship provides a lunch at the Salvation Army and a dinner at the Safe Harbor shelter in West Chester.

Habitat for Humanity: Four times a year the Fellowship works at a Habitat for Humanity site in Chester County.

Youth group projects: The youth group participates in a wide variety of social justice projects each year, including: the International Heifer Project, the MLK projects, the Philadelphia AIDS Walk, and many more. Our youth are very active in leading social action projects for the fellowship.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues: The fellowship supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons as members and through a variety of programs.

Earth Stewardship Task Force: During its 3-year tenure, the Earth Stewardship group performed several worthy tasks for the fellowship.

Welcoming Congregation Task Force: We are a welcoming congregation, which welcomes people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

How do you see your congregation's role in society? We are a creedless church that is not only a haven for spiritual people seeking answers to life's questions, but is also a congregation dedicated to confronting injustice and violence both in our community and in the wider World.

Days and hours of services: Sundays at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. Full religious education at the 9:00 AM service.

Street address: 501 South High Street, West Chester.

For more information: Please visit our Web site at ufwc.org or contact Marilyn Gross, Director of Public Relations, at public-relations@ufwc.org, or 610-363-9167.

We hope to run profiles of Chester County churches, synagogues, and other religious congregations regularly in the Thursday Chester County section.

These profiles are produced by clergy members filling out an e-mail questionnaire that we will send you.

If you would like to participate, call Bill Raftery at 610-701-7615.EndText