Our History

1993: Humble beginnings

Our history began with people who wanted to make a difference.  Early in 1993, nine long-time Unitarian Universalists living in Southern Maryland confided to each other that they missed being part of the Unitarian Universalist religious community they had grown to love. These nine pioneers were Rick Kelley (Minister Emeritus of the Adelphi Paint Branch UU Church), former Paint Branch members Mary Ann Kelley and Suzy Camp, Davies Memorial UU church members Steve and Marianna Nystrom, and four UUs living in Calvert County – Joyce and Charles Conrad, and Don and Betty Burns.

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Reverend Rick Kelley

After many discussions, phone calls and meetings, they decided Southern Maryland was ready for its own liberal religious congregation. On a cold winter morning at Suzy Camp’s house, they made the decision to press on.  The hardy bunch went into overdrive to pick a date, reserve a hall, submit newspaper articles, and distribute flyer.  Then they crossed their fingers and hoped.

Imagine their astonishment when on the evening of March 7, 1993, at that first potluck (what else?), over 65 people showed up! Equally astonishing was the wish of the crowd that services begin immediately.  A collection for rent was taken, a steering committee formed, more phone calls and planning, and exactly one week later, on March 14, the Fellowship’s first service was held in the Fellowship Hall at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

That first service, with ministerial guidance and bulletin printing efforts by Rick Kelley, consisted of a sermon (“Joining the Stream of Light” by Mary Ann Kelley), hymns (from old hymnals donated by Davies Memorial Church), announcements and Chalice Lighting by Suzy Camp, music by Marianna Nystrom and, of course, that Unitarian Universalist elixir of life…coffee!

At the Fellowship’s first congregational meeting held April 25, 1993, the following persons were elected to the first Board of Trustees: Chairperson Suzy Camp; Vice-Chair Don Burns; Treasurer Mary Ann Kelley; Secretary Marianna Nystrom; and Program Chair Charles Conrad.  The congregation also approved the Fellowship’s Bylaws. On November 3, 1993, the State of Maryland approved the Articles of Incorporation, and the Fellowship was subsequently accepted as a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association on January 24, 1994.

1994-1999

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Loffler Center

The Fellowship celebrated its first birthday at a congregational meeting on March 20, 1994. Highlights of the year included reaching the canvass goal, holding a board retreat and two Building Your Own Theology classes, the establishment of a Children’s Religious Education class and a Book Discussion Group, and First Saturday Potlucks.  By the first Annual Fellowship Dinner held April 23, 1994, the Membership Book boasted 41 signatures.

During those first years, services were held at various places including at the First Presbyterian Church on Town Creek Drive, and in the home economics room at Esperanza Middle School.

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Easter Egg Hunt

In 1995, the Fellowship moved to the newly-opened Loffler Center on Chancellor’s Run Road.   The building provided worship space, a piano, a few children’s religious education classes, a kitchen for pot-lucks and coffee preparation, a back yard for Easter Egg hunts, and a small closet for our “gear.” Hymnals, banners, altar cloths and some classroom supplies could be left on site and not transported to the site each week.

The creation of our banner occurred about this time. Many meetings were held to decide which symbols would convey the meaning of UUism and our Fellowship to us and to the world. A wonderful illustration of a tree in four seasons was adopted. Arrayed around it in a central circle are symbols of our UU values: an unfinished book for learning, a Celtic harp for the arts, equality in friendship, and communal sharing. On the outside that are circles representing the natural treasures of Southern Maryland: rock fish, blue crab, beaver and heron. The banner was the result of collaboration in design and construction, hangs during our services, and has been carried in the Banner Parade at the UUA General Assembly.

As the years passed, the Fellowship enjoyed steady growth and many memorable activities including annual Labor Day picnics, potlucks, services led by visiting ministers, guest speakers from the local community and congregation members, congregational retreats, annual dinners, talent shows, member representation at the annual UUA General Assemblies, Joseph Priestley District meetings and functions, a Harvest Moon Ball, and lovely celebrations of the coming of winter.

 1999-2007: Ministers

At a congregational retreat in 1997, members voted to pursue acquiring a full-time minister through the UUA’s Extension Ministry Program, assisted by financial grants through the Unitarian Universalist Association and Joseph Priestley District. A newly formed Ministerial Search Committee worked diligently to prepare all the required paperwork.

On 16 May 1999, there was a congregational vote to accept Anne Dunn Herndon, a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., as the Fellowship’s three-year Extension Minister. The Rev. Herndon was ordained by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southern Maryland in a well-attended ceremony on November 21, 1999.

TChoir1999he next three years were exciting ones of growth and change. Our choir grew under the capable leadership of Alan Newhouse, and the Religious Education program began holding summer activities for children.

As the expiration of the extension ministry program approached, the congregation installed Rev. Herndon as the Fellowship’s first called minister on April 28, 2002. Two years later, the Reverend Herndon moved away from Southern Maryland to be closer to her family.

The Reverend Lori Staubitz came to the Fellowship that same summer. She was installed as UUFSM’s settled minister in October 2005 then moved to another congregation in July 2007.

2008 -2011 UUFSM on the move

In 2007-2008, UUFSM celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. The congregation enjoyed monthly sermons by visiting ministers, conducted lay-led services, and became a member of the Church of the Larger Fellowship. Members voted to begin a policy of tithing, agreeing to send an amount equal to ten percent of the organization’s annual pledged income to charitable organizations of choice. In 2008, the Fellowship was one of five congregations world-wide to receive the Helen Fogg Chalice award, in recognition of its exceptional support to the UU Service Committee.

In 2008-2009, the Rev. Russ Savage joined UUFSM as a regular guest minister; the Rev. Michael Relland was UUFSM’s consulting minister from 2009-2011. They spoke from the pulpit two or three times per month.

In the “snowpocalypse” of February 2010, the roof fell in at the Loffler Senior Center, where the Fellowship rented space and had met for many years. Fortunately none of the Fellowship’s possessions were damaged, but a move to a new space was required. After a hasty reconnoitering of available locations, the congregation moved into the Chesapeake Charter School in Great Mills. We met in the cafeteria on the ground floor for weekly services, and the children met in the art room and the teacher’s lounge.  Our winter solstice services were especially lovely in the darkened gymnasium.  This meeting place proved a long drive for some, so a task force of several members set out to find a new home that would be more centrally located.

2012-2019 Renewal and Community Service

In the summer of 2012, the Fellowship moved to its present location at the Hollywood Recreation Center.  Once an elementary school, the space provides a large gathering room with a stage, beautiful classrooms, and a playground out back.

James Gibbons WalkerMember James Gibbons Walker, a Unitarian Universalist since 1993 and a member of UUFSM since 2009, led many services and wished to attend seminary after his retirement as a licensed social worker. The congregation and Board agreed to subsidize his education for mutual benefit. The members of the congregation voted to call James as their Chaplain, and in 2012 he led the Fellowship in joining the movement for Marriage Equality, issuing a congregational statement in support. In January 2013, a month after Maryland’s law changed, Chaplain Walker officiated at the first religious marriage for a same-sex couple in St. Mary’s County.

In 2015 the congregation unanimously voted to ordain and install Rev. James Gibbons Walker as UUFSM’s Chaplain.  He was ordained and installed in October of that year in a joyous celebration.  Rev. Walker spoke from the pulpit 2 times each month and led a monthly Children’s Chapel. During his tenure at UUFSM until his retirement in July 2019, Rev Walker served as the Faith Director of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Leonardtown (beginning in 2017),worked with the St. Mary’s County NAACP and community clergy and other leaders in responding to the distribution of KKK recruiting flyers by organizing a “No Hate in St. Mary’s Unity Vigil” attended by more than 250 persons in November, 2018, and helped plan Pride Southern Maryland a rally, a march and celebration during its first three years, helping to grow its attendance from 75 to more than 400 persons.

2019 and Onward

In October, 2019 UUFSM partnered with the Lexington Park Church of the Ascension (Episcopal) and moved to its present home in the Ascension’s 1st floor Fellowship Hall.  Now a completely lay-led organization, UUFSM continues weekly hybrid Sunday worship services that are both in person and broadcast via zoom. Our growing nursery/preschool and an elementary age religious education class are organized and taught by parents with the support of a volunteer Religious Educator in a cheerful Montessori style classroom with toys and art stations. The children learn from several UU preschool curricula and the UU Spirit Play curriculum for elementary age children.  Outreach to the larger community includes participating in gift drives, food drives, and other projects in partnership with the Church of the Ascension and other churches in Lexington Park.  We enjoy member-led services with Soul Matters themes, livestreamed services from other UU congregations, guest speakers, and intergenerational services for all ages. We minister to each other with discussions, reflections, celebrations at Sunday services, and with gatherings and friendship during the week.