Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth

2009 50th Anniversary

History of the Congregation by Lincoln Baxter circa 2000

In 1958 there was no Unitarian Church in Falmouth, and there never had been. When Congregational churches in New England were becoming Unitarian, the Congregational Church in Falmouth remained Trinitarian.

Lincoln and Fran Baxter, who had been married as Unitarians, were looking for a Sunday school for their sons 7 and 6 years old. The nearest Unitarian Church was in Barnstable, too far away. Fran wrote to the Rev. Ken Warren, the minister of that church, asking if there was any chance that a Unitarian group could be started in Falmouth. Ken Warren passed the question to Monroe Husbands, the AUA director of extension. At his suggestion, Fran and Lincoln hosted Ken and Monroe and their wives for dinner at the Baxter home. At that dinner, Monroe told us about the Fellowship movement of small lay led Unitarian groups which were succeeding in states where there were no Unitarian churches. We laid plans to found the first Fellowship in Massachusetts.

The Baxters placed an advertisement in the Falmouth Enterprise inviting those interested in forming such a group to a meeting. At that meeting an organization committee was formed with Lincoln as chairperson. With 16 prospective members the purpose and bylaws were crafted and an application forwarded to the AUA. We were accepted by the AUA on May 27,1959 as the Unitarian Fellowship of Falmouth. Most of the charter members were, like the Baxters, young couples with children who had no experience as adult members of a Church. With advice from Ken Warren, and Fellowship literature from the AUA, we crafted a Sunday school and an adult program, including worship services.

The Unitarian Fellowship of Falmouth was accepted too late to vote on the merger with the Universalists, but as we gained Universalist members, we voted in 1985 to change our name to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth.

After meeting for a few years in private homes and town meeting rooms, we were informed in 1962 that we could use the Quaker Meeting House in West Falmouth, and share in the expenses of its maintenance. This amicable arrangement continued for 29 years. With our use of the building, both the Quaker and the Unitarian congregations grew, meeting at different times in the same building, and joining together for work parties. We had always had regular services year round, though sometimes only twice a month and in the early years on Friday evenings.

In 1970 the Sunday school became defunct as the children became adults, moved away, and both the new members and the faithful cohort of the earlier members were older.

Beginning about 1977 we had regular services on Sundays. The congregation grew as many retirees, who had experience as adult church members, joined us. Especially notable in this group were Horace and Roberta Homer. The atmosphere became more churchlike during this period, and we attracted enough families with children that Sunday School was reborn in 1982, with paid administration and 15 children in three classes.

Priscilla Rixman had many connections with ministers and arranged many guest speakers ministers and others on her list. One of the most frequent of these was G. Peter Fleck, at first a lay speaker, who, during this period, was ordained by the Brewster Congregation.

Throughout its first thirty year history, the Fellowship was lay led, but for twenty years generously advised by the Rev. Warren who was given the title of Consulting Minister. The Rev. William E. Gardner, a retired minister and member, served the Fellowship as a Minister-in-Residence in a voluntary capacity for ten years beginning in 1979.

Toward the end of our tenure at the West Falmouth Friends Meeting House, both the UUFF and Friends congregations had grown so much that the facilities there were too cramped for two congregations. We recognized the need to move to space of our own and grow into a Church with a professional minister.

To learn to do this, we applied to the Minister on Loan program. The Corvallis Oregon Congregation generously accepted our application, and supplied their minister, the Rev. Arthur Wilmot, who served us under this program in February and March of 1988.

Encouraged by that experience, we applied to the Extension Ministry Program. In 1989, the Rev. David Nash Williams was accepted as Extension Minister, and called as Settled Minister in 1994.

During the period 1991-1992 the Housing Committee with Fran Baxter as Chair searched for suitable space. It was reluctantly recognized that we would still have to rent space during a transition period. After several rental spaces proved inadequate or unavailable, we discovered the New Alchemy agricultural conservation complex in Hatchville, which was undergoing a change of management and reorganization as Cape Cohousing. We negotiated with them to upgrade one of their existing buildings for our use, and the agreement was concluded on August 16, 1991. Use of this space and the leadership of our minister, the Rev. David Nash Williams led to another period of growth and increased visibility in the Falmouth Community.

After due consideration to the geographical distribution of the congregation, and Sandwich Road’s potential to draw attention to a church building as the existence of essential town facilities, 3.2 acres of land contiguous to that of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation was purchased in November 1992. A denominationally guided three-year Building Campaign was launched in 1993 and was successfully extended into a fourth year to terminate in 1997.

Ground was broken in May of 1995, and the building ready for occupancy In December of that year. With the transition to our own meetinghouse in January 1996, a group of members, several of whom had been active in the founding years, volunteered to assume housekeeping and office duties. Completion of the initially unfinished East Wing was accomplished in 1999, allowing more space for Religious Education.

1999 was a year of great changes; our foremost founder and active leader, Fran Baxter, who had been seriously ill for three years, died in February. Two of the graduates of our first Sunday school spoke at her memorial service. The cohort of charter members from the early years is reduced, but most of those that remain are still active volunteers, and/or officers.

With the resignation of David Nash Williams in 1999 and the commencement of the half time interim ministry of the Rev. Rob Ross we searched for a full time settled minister to be called in September 2000. The search was completed in time. We called the Rev. Robert Francis Murphy, our current minister. He arrived with his wife Lyn Dalzell, who is also a great asset to our congregation.