Historical Timeline
Unitarian Universalists of the Blue Ridge

August 2008	Seven people gather in the home of Emery and Rita Lazar in Rappahannock County to discuss the possibility of establishing a local UU congregation.
September 2008	44 people have expressed interest in the formation of such a congregation.
October 2008	A Steering Committee is established, to help organize the congregation.  Monthly meetings, held at the Rappahannock County Library, are co-chaired by Don Loock and Emery Lazar.
December 2008	Winter Solstice Celebration at the Washington, VA, Town Hall, attended by about 70 people.
January 2009	A $5k Chalice Lighters mini-grant is received from the Joseph Priestley District, to pay for the services of Bob Johnsen, a UU congregation organizer.
June 2009	The Virginia State Corporation Commission issues a certificate of incorporation to UUBRidge.
September 2009	Regular monthly services begin to be held atThe Schoolhouse in Sperryville, accelerated in January 2010 to semimonthly gatherings.
September 2009	The congregation is awarded a $20k Chalice Lighters grant by the Joseph Priestley District to help pay the salary of a half-time minister.  (At that time, the grant was still contingent on meeting certain milestones.)
September 2010	Rev. Evan Keely begins his tenure as the congregation’s first part-time minister.  Weekly services begin, and a Religious Exploration program for children is instituted.
November 21, 2010	Charter Sunday is held, at which event over 40 persons sign the UUBRidge membership book.  The congregation’s bylaws are adopted, and the first board of directors is elected, with Howard Weingarten as President.
June 2011	UUBRidge is formally accepted as a member congregation by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, at the UUA General Assembly in Charlotte, NC.
September 2011	Rev. Russ Savage begins his tenure as our congregation’s second part-time minister, replacing Rev. Evan Keely, who assumed the position of Senior Interim Minister at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church.
October 2011	Dabney Kirchman is hired as quarter-time Director of Religious Exploration.
January 2012	The congregation receives another $20k Chalice Lighters grant from the Joseph Priestley District, to help turn the RE Director’s functions into a half-time position.
March 2013	The congregation moves from its initial rented space at The Schoolhouse in Sperryville to the nearby Hearthstone School.
September 2013	Kristin Worthington begins as half-time Director of Religious Exploration.
January 2014	UUBRidge participates in Celebrity Waiters Dinner to support Rappahannock Benevolent Fund (ongoing annually since then).
November 2014	UUBRidge participates in Community Thanksgiving Service organized by Rappahannock Clergy Association. UUBRidge members volunteer preparing and distributing Thanksgiving food packages at Rappahannock Food Pantry. (Both activities ongoing annually since then.)
October 2016	Dina Hoenmans begins as half-time Director of Religious Exploration as Kristin Worthington moves to a full-time DRE position at a larger UU church.
February 2017	Following several years of work led by the Welcoming Congregation Committee, UUBRidge is officially designated a Welcoming Congregation by the UUA.
August 2017	Kathryn Treanor begins as part-time Outreach Coordinator.
August 2017	Dina Hoenmans starts as Religious Exploration Coordinator
July 2018	UUBRidge provides financial support to Rappahannock Benevolent Fund to help fund the work of RBF Community Coordinator Montse Vittitow.
October 2018	Ninon Kirchman starts as part-time Religious Exploration Aide.
October 2018	Brittany Roy starts as part-time Religious Exploration Coordinator and Outreach Coordinator.
March 2020	On-line services begin as a result of the coronavirus pandemic; while in-person services are missed, on-line services provide the opportunity for those who are out of state or shut-in to attend.
October 2020	Tara Moylan starts as Outreach Coordinator; the position of RE Coordinator is left temporarily vacant as there is little demand for RE in our on-line services.
February 2023	Stacey Patmore starts as Outreach Coordinator.

UUBRidge is history in the making.  We invite you to be part of it.