History of Evergreen UU Fellowship
This organization began as the Everett
Unitarian Fellowship in 1955. The first person to sign the membership
book was Charlotte Beaman. Beaman Hall is named after her. Edwin and
Helen Parker are often referred to as the founders of this
congregation. They often hosted worship services and congregational
discussions at their home. The Parkers had some support from the Rev.
Lon Ray Call, a minister-at-large with the American Unitarian
Association. The Rev. Call's mission from 1941 to 1955 was to help
start Unitarian Fellowships in the Pacific Northwest area.
When
a decision was made to relocate from members' homes to a communal
location, space was rented at the Everett YMCA. However, the YMCA
determined that we were not sufficiently "Christian" and terminated our lease after a short time.
Eventually,
the growing congregation purchased a church building on Baker Street in
Everett. The congregation grew through the 1960s, but as in other
Unitarian congregations the emotions of the Viet Nam War were divisive
and several members left in the late '60s and early '70s. By the time
the early '80s rolled around the attendance on Sunday mornings was
often fewer than 20 people. There were no children's program and many
members were concerned that the congregation was close to
organizational death.
In
1983 several members of the congregation attended a Weekend Extension
Retreat led by the Rev. Robert Latham. These members brought back
energy and a vision of growth to the congregation. The next year a
decision was made to establish a children's program and hire the Rev.
Annie Foerster as a half-time minister. With the Rev. Foerster the
congregation grew and by end of the '80s we were too large for the
Baker Street building.
The
congregation undertook a Capital Fundraising Drive and raised over
$100,000.00. They also sold the Baker Street building for about
$125,000.00. With this money and an additional mortgage, they bought
the current building in Marysville from a Methodist congregation. Under
the sale agreement, we were not able to meet in the new building for
several months and so we met across the street at the Masonic Temple.
Following our time across the street we shared this building with the
Methodists, taking turns on Sunday with our two worship services.
When
the congregation moved from Everett to Marysville, we changed our name
from the Everett Unitarian Fellowship to the Evergreen Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship. When our congregation was formed we were part
of the American Unitarian Association (AUA). In 1961 the AUA merged with
the Universalist Church of America and the denomination became the
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA). Our congregation
pays dues to the UUA and in turn receives direct services such as the
"World" magazine and support for ministers. In addition the UUA is
broken up into geographic districts that offer many different services
and support for our congregation and our other sister congregations.