About Us
A Brief History
The Church was formed as a Fellowship on June 9, 1959 when its bylaws were signed.
It was brought about by the inadvertent headline:
"Unitarian Lecture Set By Bremerton Pastor" above an article
in the March 5, 1959 issue of the Bainbridge Review on a
Unity Church program. In the April 23, 1959 issue of the Bainbridge Review, The following headline appeared: "Unitarians
to Hear Seattle Guest Speaker." By-laws were signed shortly
thereafter, and the Fellowship has persisted and grown in various forms through
the years.
Through the 1980s, the Fellowship met both in members' homes and in public
places, but remained primarily a small adult study and discussion group of
approximately 30 members. Attempts to add children's programs and
Religious Education met with mixed success.
In the early 1990s, the Fellowship resolved to try a more open meeting
format and began meeting once a month at the Winslow Senior Center. The
June 1991 Newsletter noted that the attendance averaged "in the 20's each
month" at the end of the first year of meeting in a public location.
In October of 1993, a new Sunday morning intergenerational program format was
initiated, using a Montessori School as a twice-monthly meeting place, with
Saturday evening programs continuing once a month.
On a Sunday morning in September of 1995, when attendance reached 49 adults
and 44 children, the Fellowship realized that it needed to move into a larger
space. Membership had tripled in just a few years, and larger facilities
were needed. This resulted in a move to the Hyla Middle School, where the
Fellowship met until 2005. Continued growth necessitated another move in
the Fall of 2005, this time to The Playhouse in Downtown Winslow (Bainbridge
Island). After three years, the
church found that The Playhouse did not meet is needs, and in October, 2008,
moved to The Island School on NE Day Road (Bainbridge Island), where it currently meets.
In 1999, the Fellowship made the decision to call its first minister.
In October 2000, Rev. Rick Koyle was called as the
Fellowship's Half-time Consulting Minister. After two years of growth in
both membership and enthusiasm, the Fellowship applied to and was accepted in
the UUA's Extension Ministry Program.
In August 2002, The Rev. Dr. Peter Raible, STD, became the Fellowship's Interim
Extension Minister, and thus, the Fellowship embarked upon full-time ministry.
In January, 2003, Rev. Jeanne Pupke was chosen as Intern Minister to assist the
Fellowship and Rev. Raible during his illness.
In May, 2003, Rev. Drew Johnston was affirmed as full-time Extension
Minister on a three-year contract.
On January 9, 2005, the Fellowship voted to change its name to
Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church.
Rev. Johnston
and the Board of Trustees agreed to a negotiated resignation in May, 2006.
Rev. Julie Forest became Cedars' Interim
Minister for a two-year term beginning September 2006, thus continuing full-time
ministry for the church. She was ordained at East Shore Unitarian
Church on October 8, 2006. Her interim ministry concluded in June 2008.
Rev. Dr. Barbara Wells ten Hove and
Rev. Jaco ten Hove were called to be the co-ministers of Cedars UU Church by
unanimous vote of the congregation on April 20, 2088. Their ministry began August 1, 2008.
Unitarian Universalist Association
Principles and Purposes
The Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
covenant to affirm and promote
