Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Mankato

Summary History as of 2019

• Fall, 1952 Formation of Unitarian Fellowship of Mankato
  • The charter members included John and Jane Foster, Grace L. Burnell, Wm. F. and Harriet Hinrichs, Louise Roth, G. S. Arnold, Ethel Ann Devaney, and C.J. and Dorothy Arnold. Although GS Peterson helped form the Fellowship and was active in it, he never formally joined.
  • Primary focus was on religious education for children, and an active Wednesday evening Speakers Forum.
  • The Fellowship also had a strong social action focus; in 1961, our children’s RE group collected their pennies and sent $6.05 to the Tyrone Guthrie Theater Foundation to help build the first Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
  • In these early days, the Fellowship met in people’s homes and in rented space at the YWCA, the Town Hall, and a house which Jim Maslon helped us find on the Honeymead property.
  • Membership was 24 members and $136 budget in 1953
  • Services were lay-led, with occasional visiting ministers.

• 1961 114 Pohl Rd.
  • With the merger of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, the renamed Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Mankato incorporated as a nonprofit for the purpose of acquiring a permanent home, and 8-room house on 2 acres of land.
  • Membership around 35 people
  • 1979 school rooms in basement remodeled and brought up to code
  • 1984 a larger meeting room was added to the building.
  • Membership grew to about 60 people, with regular attendance at Sunday services of around 45 people.
  • Mary Kelley reinvigorated the Religious Education program at the newly expanded Fellowship
  • 1988-90 we had a part-time intern minister, Leonetta Greene, while she was a student at United Seminary in the Cities.
  • 1990 we shared a quarter-time yoked minister, Mary Kapper and then Rev. Sara Oelberg, with Nora Church, our sister congregation in Hanska, MN.
  • 1996 UUFM & Nora Church hosted Prairie Star District Conference
  • 1996-97 full-time theology school intern, Dan Schatz, served under minister’s supervision
  • 1998 Growth Fund established by bequests from estates of Roy Cook & xxxx.  Dedicated to building improvements or new building.
  • 2000 Congregation visioning process determined three priorities—full-time ministry, resolving space problems, and increasing diversity.  First Mission Covenant Statement developed and 5-year plan initiated.  Capital Campaign initiated for purchase of new building.
  • 2004 We call a quarter-time ministry of our own, Lisa Friedman, when Sara Oelberg retired
  • 2004(?) UUFM recognized as a Welcoming Congregation

• 2005 937 Charles Ave.
  • Lisa Friedman led us to our new home on Charles Ave.
  • Membership was 93 people
  • Strategic Plan called for continued growth in membership and children’s religious education, expanding to full-time ministry and part-time religious education director, and doubling the budget.
  • 2010 Ministry expanded to half-time and Kristi Schuck hired as first part-time Religious Education Director
  • Membership increased to 120 members.
  • UUFM recognized by UUA as a Breakthrough Congregation.
  • Laurie Bushbaum served as part-time interim minister and helped us work through the growth from a “family-sized” fellowship to a mid-sized congregation.
  • Don Cameron became our first full time minister on an interim assignment and led us to take the leap and call our first full-time settled minister.
  • In May, 2018 we called Rita Capezzi who joined us in August of that year and has been serving us ever since.
  • Congregation of around 120 members, with a paid part-time Religious Education Director, Office Administrator, and Choir Director.