3 /5 Katherine Rubie: Review after 12 years of attendance: Ive been attending services here since 2008. The congregation is very friendly, & this is a welcoming church for anyone regardless of their religious background & beliefs, cultural experiences, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. The kids have a Sunday School program that teaches about many religious & spiritual practices & promotes love & acceptance of everyone. MPUUC is very focused on social justice & has done several projects to support & promote various causes. They also donate money to various local organizations that promote social justice.
Edit: Unfortunately, after about 15 years, Ive found this congregation has lost its appeal. In all those years, weve had too many transitions and changes that have affected the quality of this once beloved community. Between many congregants retiring and moving away, or simply dropping away from the congregation for various reasons, too many Ministers transitioning in and out, some people wanting to grow the congregation in memberships and more inclusiveness and others wanting to remain small and unchanged, our social justice committees being pared down, some congregants carrying large burdens by volunteering in multiple positions year after year and suffering from burn out, I feel this congregation has been losing its way, and the membership is suffering for it.
I believe, for many of us, our hearts have always been in the right place, but for others the push to evolve and go further has too difficult. For those of us who wanted to stretch out, welcome more members into our community, and be more sensitive & welcoming to others whove not felt welcome, I believe we gave great effort and committment, but overall failed to achieve those goals and lost the momentum. And the overall end result has led us to talk the talk, but not walk the walk.
I was initially excited about our new Minister when he came. I believed he would be very good for our congregation. His sermons were unique, fresh & insightful, & his demeanor was friendly & loving. However, as time went on, his sermons lost their flavor, much like chewing gum does. In addition, he had said & done some things that were insensitive & painful (tho Im sure I am not the only one, I can only speak from my own experience)...
In this mix of multiple issues ongoing within the congregation, I also came to see the end of my relationship with my spouse and was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over time, I felt more & more alienated by people Id considered my friends, and I could not say if it is because they distanced themselves due to not knowing how to be around a dying person, or if it was due to choosing to support my spouse over me. Depression over my relationship, loss of friends, & the keen awareness of death knocking at my door, created in me a failure to manage my life very well. Finding myself suicidal, I was admitted to a treatment center for several weeks. It was at this time I began to see another side to our Minister, which became painful for me.
Ive determined that MPUUC has changed too much over the years. Too many people Ive loved have either moved away or simply stopped coming, & the people who remained there have abandoned me. The principles I thought we once stood for seem to have also fallen away.
MPUUC has potential. So much goodness has been done & I believe so much more can be done, but IMO, theyre failing to thrive & membership is dwindling. My prayer: may they bounce back & find their way! But, for now at least, Ive chosen to put my energy elsewhere. My heart is broken over this loss.
