''Vancouver Unitarians'' is the largest and oldest Unitarian congregation in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada, established in 1909. The congregation meets every Sunday morning in the building at 949 West 49th Avenue (at Oak) in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. It has many active groups and committees and also offers space to various organizations.

Beliefs

Like most North American Unitarian congregations, the belief system is pluralistic and could be phrased as "spiritual but not religious" in the sense of required adherence to a particular creed. Rev. Phillip Hewett was quoted in the

Vancouver Courier The ''Vancouver Courier'' was a Canadian semi-weekly local newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, by the Van-Net chain owned by Glacier Media Group. In 2007, it was Canada's largest distributed community newspaper, with a we ...

saying, “The Unitarian movement has been set up to be based on personal spirituality, your own development, rather than adherence to a particular creed”.

Advocacy and social responsibility

The congregation has active teams that work on social justice issues, including the environment, gender equality, racial justice and resettlement of refugees. In 1971 a committee of environmentalists started meeting in the Fireside room of Vancouver Unitarians. They had been loosely affiliated with the

Sierra club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...

and called themselves the “Don’t Make a Wave Committee.” Once they decided to take unsanctioned direction action against nuclear testing, they decided to reformulate independent of the Sierra Club. The new name was

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...

. According to Rex Weyler, this historic naming happened on the campus of Vancouver Unitarians. The Vancouver Unitarian congregation is particularly well known for its environmental advocacy. In 2012, the congregation divested

Enbridge Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline transport, pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and n ...

stock and encouraged members to do the same. In 2023, they voted to divest all fossil fuel stocks.

Architecture

The campus was designed by member and architect, Wolfgang Gerson, and has won architectural awards. It was constructed in the 1960s. UCV’s award-winning 1964 buildings, the sanctuary, Hewett Centre, and the office building, are noted for their "simplicity and serenity". In 1998 they were voted among the "most beautiful" in Vancouver by a panel of architectural experts. The Fireside Room is noted for being an early meeting place of the

Don't Make a Wave Committee The Don't Make a Wave Committee was the name of the anti-nuclear organization which later evolved into Greenpeace, a global environmental organization. The Don't Make a Wave Committee was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to protest a ...

, which later evolved into

. It received a Places That Matter designation and plaque noting this history. The site has two

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

s on the property. One is a classical three-circuit square and the other a double-processional labyrinth in the garden on the west side.

Leadership

As of August, 2023, the current minister is Rev. Shawn Gauthier. Rev. Dr. Steven Epperson served as minister from 2001 to 2020. Rev. Phillip Hewett was parish minister for 35 years from 1956 to 1991. He was appointed minister emeritus. He died February 24, 2018, at the age of 93.

References

External links

Vancouver Unitarians

溫哥華尋道會
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unitarian Church Of Vancouver Unitarian Universalism in Canada Churches in Vancouver Heritage buildings in Vancouver