How Emerson Unitarian Universalist Came to Be a Presence in Marietta and East Cobb County
Emerson UU's Earliest History
We were founded on May 1, 1982 and at that first pot luck meeting, we even decided on our name. Everyone came prepared to share something from a famous Unitarian; Ralph Waldo Emerson got the most support so Emerson Unitarian Universalist we became. Twenty-five people signed the application for fellowship status, which was approved by the Unitarian Universalist Association. At first, our meetings were held every other Sunday in the community room of the DeKalb Federal Savings and Loan on Johnson Ferry Road. In those days, the children held their classes in stairwells and the kitchen! By 1984 our space needs had become critical. We found "a little yellow church" on Holly Springs Road, which we purchased, along with 1.6 acres from the Methodists. Though we do not own the historical cemetery in front of our little yellow church, we think its part of the charm of our site. We understand there has been a church on our site since Civil War times. Ours dates from the turn of last century -- the previous church had burned.
We had a lot of fixing up to do and folks pitched in to repair, polish and be sure we had heating AND air conditioning. It was ready to be dedicated on December 12, 1986. During those first years, our services were led by guest ministers and speakers from our congregation. From 1986-1995 we also had two part-time ministers, Joan Armstrong and Terre Balof.
The Extension and Expansion Period
By 1998, after being without professional ministry for three years, we were getting a little weary so we applied to the UUA for Extension Ministry status. Through that process, we got a small three year stipend so we could hire a full-time minister.
The Reverend Dr. Glenda Gray came to candidate with us; she planned and preached at a service, met our Board of Trustees, and met with the committees. We voted to ask her to become our Extension minister and she accepted. At the end of the three year Extension grant, the congregation called Glenda as our settled minister. We had steady growth over the years that Glenda was with us; growth in membership, growth in activities, growth in social action and justice, and spiritual growth. She usually facilitated classes on what she called Theological Thursdays, classes such as: Thoreau as Spiritual Guide, World Religions, UU Theology, Sermon Preparation, and Everyday Spiritual Practices.
Another area of wonderful growth has been in our Religious Education (RE) department. When Beth Kline was hired as our part-time Director of Religious Education, she has helped grow our RE program into one of which we are quite proud. Our first expansion project involved adding a mobile classroom to serve the overflowing demand for religious education.
In 2001 the opportunity arose to purchase the almost 4 acres of land south of us. The congregation voted to buy the land and launched a capital campaign drive to fund the purchase. The land has a house which was rented out for awhile. Due to space needs in 2003, we stopped renting and moved RE into the house, naming it Quest House. The young folks love it, but we've already begun to exceed the capacity!
An Exciting Future Awaits Emerson
Another exciting time in our congregational evolution looms! With phenomenal growth, our Space Solutions Committee is actively pursuing options that will help make our expansion growth less painful. The Ministerial Search Committee is has done an amazing job finding Reverend Jeff Jones. He will start serving our Congregation in August.