Universalist National Memorial Church

Universalist National Memorial Church (UNMC) is a Unitarian Universalist church located at 1810 16th Street, Northwest in the Dupont Circle vicinage of Washington, D.C. Theologically, the church describes itself as "both liberal Christian and Universalist". Originally a member of the Universalist Church of America, it became a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in 1961 when the former merged with the American Unitarian Association to form the UUA, and in 2003, UNMC strengthened its ties to the UUA. History Universalist ministers visited the Washington area from at least 1827, and in the late 1860s, Universalists began organizing a permanent church. In 1869, The Murray Universalist Society was founded, named in honor of the centenary of John Murray's arrival in North America and the Church of Our Father (First Universalist Church of Washington, D.C.) was founded the following year. Universalist National Memorial Church was established to serve as the official representative in Washington, D.C., of the Universalist General Convention, later known as the Universalist Church of America. In 1921, the Universalist General Convention approved funding for construction of the church. The first services were held in 1925, although at a different location than the present facility. The first service at Universalist National Memorial Church on 16th Street, NW was held on Palm Sunday 1930, with Frederick Williams Perkins as its first minister. Architecture UNMC is an example of Romanesque Revival architecture and was designed by Allen & Collens, architects of the Riverside Church in New York City. The four-story building, a contributing property to the Sixteenth Street Historic District, features a stained-glass window and a stone tower that reaches a height of 98 feet (30 m). Affiliations UNMC is a member of the following organizations: American Unitarian Conference Christian Universalist Association Progressive Christianity National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Unitarian Universalist Association In 2003, UNMC hosted the Revival conference of the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship. Ministers Church of Our Father (First Universalist Church of Washington, D.C.) Rev. A. C. Barry: February–May 1870 Rev. C. H. Day: 1873–1877 Rev. Alexander Kent: 1877–1890 Rev. A. A. Whitcomb: 1890–1892 Rev. A. G. Rogers: 1892–1897 Rev. Leslie Moore: 1897–1899 Dr. John van Schaick Jr.: 1900–1918; emeritus: 1923–1949 Rev. William Couden (acting): 1917–1918 Dr. Levi M. Powers: 1919–1920 Dr. John van Schaick Jr.: 1920–1922 Dr. Clarence Rice: 1922–1926 Dr. Fredrick W. Perkins: 1927–1930 Universalist National Memorial Church Dr. Fredrick W. Perkins: 1930–1939 Dr. Seth R. Brooks: 1939–1978; emeritus: 1978–1987 Dr. William L. Fox: 1978-1988 Rev. James Blair: 1989–1993 Dr. William L. Fox: 1993–1998; current emeritus Rev. Vanessa R. Southern: associate, 1995–1998; sole pastor: 1998–2000 Rev. Scott Wells: 2000–2004 Rev. Lillie Mae Henley: 2006–2011 Crystal Lewis: 2014–2016 David Gatton: 2014–present References External links Official website The historical records of the Universalist National Memorial Church are in the Andover-Harvard Theological Library at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.