UUCR History

The Unitarian Church of Rockville (UCR) began as the Rockville Unitarian Center in 1956. It was an extension program of the Unitarian Church of Montgomery County, which later became the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church.

Our first church service was held on October 14, 1956, with 47 adults and 48 children attending. Members were heavily involved in local politics of the day. They helped elect a liberal Montgomery County Board of Education. Many members also took part in Rockville City government: four UCR members became council members and two became Rockville mayors. By 1960 membership had grown to 126, with 148 children in R.E. The church was incorporated as UCR, and Robert M. Doss became the first minister. Under Bob's ministry membership grew to 278 with 300 enrolled in Sunday School. The community bought land for a church building. In 1963 Bob returned to his home church in Wilmington, Delaware.

David Cole was installed as our second minister in 1963, and we moved to our newly completed buildings in September 1964. Again we grew, reaching 400 members and 369 in R.E. In 1965 we began two Sunday morning services and in 1968 added a Wednesday evening service. Dave Cole was very active in social action programs. He went to jail once for civil disobedience and made several trips to Selma, Alabama for demonstrations at the invitation of Martin Luther King. When Dave returned, he recruited seven UCR members to travel to Selma to demonstrate too. In 1969 Dave left for a ministry in Cleveland.

In 1969 the UCR congregation called William R. Moors to be our minister. From the start of his ministry until his death in 1976, Bill made a lasting impression on this church, and was perhaps the best-loved of our settled ministers. Bill was very active in the local community. Membership remained stable throughout his tenure. An annual fund raiser, "Bizarre Bazaar", began at this time and continues to be successful. UCR began sponsoring "Discovery", a popular social program for area-wide single adults that became a model for the demonimation. The Ministerial Affairs and Worship Committees were established. When Bill died, the Worship Committee provided services for two years with many members participating.

In 1979 Robert B. Fraser became our fourth minister. This was a stable period with an active membership of 300. As a fund raising activity, the "Action Auction" began at this time and continues to be successful. We also started the practice of having the children in the regular worship service for the first fifteen minutes occasionally. Bob served until 1984, when he moved on to Honolulu. After Bob left, Arthur Jellis became our Interim Minister in 1985. We also called our current R.E. Director, Deborah Kahn. Deborah was preceded by two other called religious educators. Ellen Fay Johnson was the first; she went on to become an MRE and then a parish minister. Betty Jo Middleton was called as a DRE and was later called as an MRE. 

During 1985 UCR's congregation decided to expand one of our buildings by adding a kitchen, Fellowship Hall and office space. The Senior High Talent show began that year and has become an annual event. Arthur left in 1986.

Construction on the new building additions began as Sara Moores Campbell (now Sara York) arrived in August, 1986. A master of the Sunday Service, Sara developed a sense of shared ministry. She was a strong supporter of intergenerational worship. Attendance at Sunday Services grew and once again UCR moved to two Sunday services. During Sara's tenure a Long Range Planning Committee was revived, and Pastoral Care and Child Care Committees were formed. UCR got its first computer and Computer Committee. Sara received a call to Santa Barbara, CA in 1991. David MacMillan was hired as interim minister in 1991. Dave helped the congregation to rethink its long range goals and to look more closely at our big issues, such as concerns about our growth and continued discontent with two services. Dave left in June.

Jack Young became our next settled minister in September 1993. During his ministry Myra Tate joined us as our new Music Director. Youth Coordinator and Nursery Coordinator positions were added to the staff. An evening "Wonderful Wednesday" program was revived. UCR also lobbied for abortion rights at the state level. Jack left because of illness in 1997. He was called as our Minister Emeritus in 1998. 

Mark Edmonston Lange arrived to serve as interim minister in September 1997. A gifted speaker, he provoked our laughter and inspired us with his sermons, often speaking without notes and away from the podium. During Mark's ministry "Universalist" was added to our congregational name. Now we are the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville--UUCR. In these years UUCR became a Welcoming Congregation, started YRUU, initiated monthly family potlucks, and created "Do-It Day" (now Stewardship Sunday), a day when we all spend a few hours working on church maintenance. Mark left at completion of a two year interim with us.

Jay Abernathy arrived as our next called minister in August 1999. From the beginning Jay understood the importance of Rockville to the UUCR congregation. He attended "Rockville University", a six week course explaining how the city government works. During his tenure UUCR sponsored Deborah Kahn in the UU ministry and ordained Virginia La Marche as a lay minister. A Church Council was formed to coordinate the church committee programs, thus allowing the board to govern and do long range planning. Small Group Ministries also began. Jay laid the groundwork for UUCR to become a program church. After a very successful capital fundraising campaign, a Building Committee was formed and plans moved forward to build a new sanctuary and additional classroom space. Jay resigned  in June 2003.

In August 2003 our interim minister, Sue Turner, arrived. Sue has been preparing us to enter into a shared ministry with a new settled minister. She has focused on open communication, examining our behavioral norms and building program structure in the church.

Reverend Lynn Strauss was called to UUCR by congregational vote on April 10, 2005 and began officially at UUCR on August 1, 2006.