Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana Seeking the Spirit | Building Community | Changing the World
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History

Church Timeline

1949:  Unitarians first organize in Bloomington when a small group of Indiana University faculty and students create a Fellowship under the auspices of the American Unitarian Association. Meetings are lay-led and held in members’ homes and at the Indiana Memorial Union building.

1950-2015:  By 2015, our congregation grows to over 450 members. Our current property, purchased in 1964, undergoes several additions.

1999:  With a capital campaign totaling nearly $1,000,000, we nearly double our square footage with the construction of our Meeting Room and additional office and classroom space.

2011-2014:  Green Spaces Capital Campaign supports improved landscaping and parking, energy efficient windows and doors, better playground and drainage.

Today:  We have a membership of over 500, and our staff includes ordained ministers as well as professionals in charge of religious education, church administration, membership, and music.

Elof Carlson, our designated congregational historian, has written about 100 Prologue UU History for You pieces for our semimonthly newsletter since 2012. These have been compiled chronologically with five accompanying short essays as an e-book for you to download or read.  The surprising effect of reading the Prologue Histories in chronological order is that they create a history of the Unitarian and Universalist movements: PROLOGUE HISTORIES by Elof Axel Carlson (June 2016)

Plus, a site of broader historical interest:

Unitarian Universalist History and Heritage Society

Our Ministers, Since 1958

Rev. Paul Killinger, 1958-1963

Rev. David A. Johnson, 1963-1970

Rev. John Young, 1970-1977

Rev. William R. Murry, 1977-1981

Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman, 1981-1987

Rev. Dr. Clarke Dewey Wells, 1987-1988 (interim)

Rev. Bruce Johnson, 1988-1992

Rev. Peter Weller, 1992-1993 (interim)

Rev. Barbara Carlson, 1993-2005

Rev. Mary Ann Macklin, 2002-2022

Rev. William T Breeden, 2002-2014

Rev. Emily Manvel Leite, 2005-2023

Rev. Dr. Douglas Wadkins, 2014-2016 (interim)

Rev. Scott McNeill, 2016-2020

Rev. David Clements, 2020-2021 (interim)

Rev. Connie Grant, 2022-2024 (interim)

Board Presidents 1948-present

Past Presidents 1948-present