Visitor Information
Greetings
Thank you for looking in. This website is intended to give you a sense of our congregation and its liberal religious tradition. We offer a stimulating Sunday service for adults and Religious Education activities for children and youth. You and your family are always welcome and encouraged to look in at any meeting to learn more of what we’re about. For more information, simply call the office or send an email. If the office is closed, you can leave a message, assured of receiving a prompt reply.
Maps & Directions
The Unitarian Church of Hinsdale is located only blocks from downtown Hinsdale. Click on the following for details.
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THE UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST DENOMINATION
We are made up of heretics, the Greek word that means “choice.” Early history dates us back to 16th Century Transylvania in the reign of the Unitarian King Sigismund, and to Rakow, Poland, where Michael Servetus was burned at the stake for his liberal beliefs. Later in America, Liberals continued their struggle, this time against Puritan orthodoxy, as they embraced the Enlightenment. Notable among these were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. During The Civil War, Unitarian minister, Theodore Parker, cried out against slavery as did Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix. That fight continued during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s when James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister, was murdered in Selma, Alabama. He was responding to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s call, being one of some twenty percent of all the ordained Unitarians in the country. More recently, the denomination has affirmed the rights of bisexuals, gays, lesbians, and transgendered persons, ordaining and settling gay and lesbian clergy in our congregations, and in 1996, affirming same-sex marriage. Our history has carried us from liberal Christian views about Jesus and human nature to a rich pluralism that includes theist and atheist, agnostic and humanist, pagan, Christian, Jew, and Buddhist. As our history continues to evolve and unfold, we invite you to join us by choosing our free faith.
For more information consult the following websites:
The Unitarian Universalist Association (www.uua.org)
Famous Unitarian Universalists (www.famousuus.com)
Religious Tolerance.org (www.religioustolerance.org/u-u.htm)
Unitarian Church of Hinsdale History
This church was founded in 1887 by William Channing Gannett, a blueblood Bostonian who counted himself an intellectual renegade of the west, asserting that religious authority was not to be found only in the Bible but rather in intuitive, direct experience of God, a kind of ethical theism. His belief reflected a divide between Christian-leaning Unitarians based in New England and the transcendentalists led by Ralph Waldo Emerson. But Gannett was also committed to unity within the denomination, writing a document called "Things Commonly Agreed Among Us," in which he affirmed Christian roots but acknowledged other sources beyond the Judeo-Christian tradition. He also wrote a hymn that was sung at the dedication of the church and remains the congregation's motto today, entitled Here Be No Man a Stranger, emphasizing commonalities rather than differences. This was underscored when the Parliament of World Religions came to Chicago in 1893, welcoming religious leaders from around the world, some of whom came to speak from the UCH pulpit. After that, a number of ministers held the pulpit, some more successful than others. Then in 1952, Sunder Joshi, an Indian Christian and lecturer at the University of Chicago, attended as a guest speaker. The congregation liked him so much, they hired him as their minister, and he served for seventeen years. The current minister, Reverend Ed Searl, began his ministry in 1983 and describes himself as "humanist by nature and steeped in natural religion."
Becoming a Member
The only formal requirement of membership is the signing of our membership book along with a pledge to support the church and its community. To help that process, we offer “New UU” courses that tells the Unitarian Universalist story and introduces new members to each other and to church leaders. If you are a visitor, stop at the visitor’s table for a nametag and newsletter. Chat with the person at the table who would be happy to answer questions. Browse the free pamphlet rack and take home a bundle to learn about our denomination and social, intellectual and environmental programs. We look forward to seeing you.
Use of Facilities for Events
If you are interested in using our facilities for a wedding, child dedication, memorial service, special gathering, recital, or on-going program, you can peruse our wedding page then contact the church office at 630-323-2885, ext. 101, or office@hinsdaleunitarian.org.