The Unitarian Universalist church of Spokane began on May 10, 1887, when twenty Spokane area pioneers signed a charter organizing themselves into a congregation. Their first services were held at the YMCA hall on the corner of Front and Howard, and the following year they built their first church at the corner of Jefferson and Sprague.
The congregation continued to grow and prosper, and by 1911 called John Dietrich to Spokane. Dietrich was a liberal Dutch Reformed minister from Pennsylvania, who became a Unitarian minister as his faith changed and evolved. He grew the church to over 1,000 who met in the Clemmer Theater (now the Bing Crosby Theater), and by 1915 his full sermons were printed in each Monday's issue of the Spokane newspaper. Dietrich's theology preached freedom of belief and personal responsibility, and became what is known as religious or scientific humanism.
When the dynamic Dietrich moved on and the interest in humanism declined in the roaring twenties, the church floundered for many years, moving from place to place, membership dwindling to 150 by 1930. The former church home at Jefferson and Sprague was rented to a used car lot. The 1930's saw the church nearly dissolve, but in 1942 the Rev. Lon Ray Call, a skilled organizer, came to minister to Spokane. With a grant from the Comstock Foundation and a loan from the national Unitarian Organization, the Glover House was purchased. The community utilized the Kirkland Cutter mansion to hold services, church school and many public events. By 1962 the congregation had grown once again to 200, and built a new chapel on the same property. The church had survived nearly 40 years of decline, and was once again a vital force in Spokane.
Liberal theology and social activism were well joined with the ministry of Rudy Gilbert from 1957 to 1972, focusing on reproductive rights, civil rights, and questioning the Vietnam War. Members of the church began the first Planned Parenthood chapter in Spokane, established the Spokane Human Rights Commission, and traveled to Selma to participant in Dr. Martin Luther King's march to Mongomery. Rev. Gilbert led these efforts, walking his talk with conscience and compassion.
The 1980s again brought the Unitarian church to the forefront of social activism with the Rev. Bill Houff's passion for justice and concern with the corrosive effects of nuclear secrecy surrounding the research and reactors at Hanford near the TriCities. HEAL, the Hanford Education Action League, was formed following Rev. Houff's 1984 sermon titled "Silent Holocaust." Church members joined with many in the community to bring the historical record to light, using the Freedom of Information Act to disclose the many times radiation was released in Eastern Washington, and the potential health consequences to thousands who lived within range.
Under Rev. Houff's leadership, the church grew to over 400 members,approximately where it remains today. .
In 1994, due to lack of disabled access options at the Glover House and a desire for growth, the church left its well loved home and built a new facility at Fort Wright Drive and Government Way. The congregation continues a pattern of social activism with members involved in many projects involving human rights, the environment, hunger, poverty, and growing community both within the church and with others in Spokane. In the 1990's the Spokane church completed the process to be designated a Welcoming Congregation, welcoming the GLBT community.
We have worshipped with several ministers since Rev. Houff retired. We hope that you will join us for Sunday worship!
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