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.