Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami

We are a liberal religious community that:  provides a safe space for spiritual and ethical exploration, education, discourse and dialogue;  respects human diversity, dignity and rights;  pursues personal and world peace;  and promotes protection of natural resources of the world.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision.  As free congregations, we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

OUR PRINCIPLES

We the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:
· The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
· Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
· Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
· A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
· The rights of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
· The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
· Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The living tradition we share draws from many sources:

· Direct experience of that transcendent mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which move us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
· Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
· Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
· Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
· Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
· Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision.  As free congregations, we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

Non-discrimination Clause:  The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member societies and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, language, citizenship status, economic status, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

OUR GROUNDS

Our campus is composed of five acres of Pineland Hammock, fruit trees, a meditation garden, a butterfly garden, a barbecue area, a labyrinth, a sanctuary, offices and an education wing which houses a Smart Starts Day School during the week.  We endeavor to keep plants native to South Florida and to weed out the “exotics” at work parties on third Saturday mornings.  The property was purchased by the congregation in 1962 when they were forced to move out of their previous home at the juncture of US 1 and the then new I – 95, by eminent domain.  The architects of the striking new sanctuary, a “hyperbolic parabola,” with shapes inspired by the surrounding palmettos and the image of a cluster of tents, were Earl Starnes and Joseph Rentshcer.

OUR ROOTS

The First Unitarian Church of Miami was organized in the 1930’s and chartered as a member congregation of the American Unitarian Association in 1939. This was the era of the rise of Nazism and the night rides of the Ku Klux Klan in southern cities and states including Florida. Unitarians were encouraged to organize in Miami by Rabbi Jacob Kaplan at Temple Israel who said he felt safer living in a city where there was a Unitarian Church because it meant that city would be less emotional and less subject to racial and religious hatreds.
 
The congregation, now named the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, and its ministers have, over the succeeding decades, continued to affirm and promote interracial cooperation, interfaith dialogue and social action against oppression and injustice wherever it appears.

On April 25, 2008, The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami celebrated its 70th anniversary. Through the years the work of our members and ministers has secured for us an undeniable presence in South Florida. As a liberal voice, we have consistently striven to bring together all people and promoted humane solutions to society’s challenges.

Marvin (Rey) Baumel, longtime member and once president of our congregation, has discussed our history during our Annual Dinner on March 15th, 2008. To see his presentation, click here for part 1, click here for part 2. Remembrances 2007 (video).

More information about our programs and services: www.uumia.org