In late 1973, about a dozen individuals looking for a liberal religious home constituted the fist Unitarian Universalist presence in Statesboro. Aided by several members of the Savannah UU Church (John and Mary Ralston, Milton and Betty Rahn, Clay Gerkin, and Martha Fay), the group was officially recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and known as the Statesboro Unitarian Fellowship. After about two years of monthly meetings with speakers, however, the Fellowship became inactive in 1976.
The current Fellowship began in 1985 when the late Rev. Frank Anderson, then minister of the Savannah UU church, compiled a list of Statesboro residents visiting his church and circulated a copy to each of them. As a result, a number of these individuals began to gather again for monthly pot-luck suppers and programs. After several years, the group decided to re-affiliate with UUA (the earlier membership had lapsed). In April 1990, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro became an official society of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.
During 1991-1994, the Fellowship met in the Developmental Studies building on the Georgia Southern University (GSU) campus and later (1994-1996) in the Bland Cottage at GSU's Botanical Garden. When average attendance at Sunday services outgrew the capacity of the Cottage, the services were moved to GSU's Nursing Building.
In the spring of 1998, the Fellowship voted to increase dramatically the operating budget in preparation for renting or building a structure dedicated to Fellowship purposes. The opportunity to buy two lots from the Bulloch County Hospital Authority led then-President Judy Holleman to launch, in July 1998, a three-year capital campaign and, during 1998-1999, to coordinate the development of building plans and to oversee building construction while Pauline deLaar coordinated the Decorating and Usage Committee work. All members and many friends of the Fellowship contributed labor (all interior and trim painting, lot and construction clean-up, initial landscape preparation and plantings), and gifts (over $40,000 pledged to the capital campaign), and loans ($50,000 in promissory notes). With a grant of over $16,000 from the Thomas Jefferson District Chalice Lighters, the Fellowship was able, in November 1999, to move into its new building at 609 East Grady Street and to furnish it with comfortable seating for the dedication ceremony in April 2000 (at which the Rev. William Sinkford, current UUA President, spoke).
Since
then, the
Fellowship has paid off all its debt on the building, held weekly
services throughout the year, undertaken more Fellowship and
community outreach activities, and become the tangible presence of
a liberal religious community in Statesboro.