History

UUFB History 

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington (UUFB) began its history in May 1959 as a Unitarian lay-led group in the humanist tradition. As a Fellowship, it was part of a national Unitarian effort to create congregations that do not have enough members to hire a professional leader. 

Over its first several years, the Fellowship grew quickly. Starting witha few founding members meeting in private homes, it became a membership of 35, with a weekly service and a Sunday school. That initial membership growth, however, declined, and in September 1972 the group retrenched by moving its meetings to the first and third Sundays of the month, from September to June. Members, then, were a tight-knit extended family. Services were largely lectures and discussions. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the Fellowship met in the second floor of the McCullough Library in North Bennington. In the mid-1980s the Fellowship moved to new meeting rooms at the Bennington Free Library.

With the move to Bennington, the group slowly grew. By the mid-1990s attendance at services was about 18–20. During that period a piano and new hymnals were purchased, and a more regular order of service was established. 

The Fellowship benefited from a relationship with the Rev. William Baughan, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Rev. Baughan was invited to preach once or twice a year, then four times a year, then six, and then eight. Rev. Baughan then challenged the Fellowship’s members to take the steps needed to expand. These included meeting weekly, adopting a mission statement, starting a newsletter, strengthening the religious exploration program for children, and passing the collection basket. Membership grew, as did the commitment of members to a broader range of activities. Weekly attendance climbed over time from the mid-20s to the 30s by 2001. During this period the Fellowship adopted the name Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington, reflecting the 1962 merger of the two faith traditions.

For many years the Fellowship avoided participation in social action programs. Individual members, however, were involved in founding the Bennington adult literacy program, initiating recycling in Bennington, and helping to found Hospice of Bennington County. In 2003 the Fellowship identified the Coalition for the Homeless as a focus of its local social action efforts. Work parties, baskets of basic household supplies, monetary donations, and grants written by UUFB members helped the shelter with its transitional housing project.

In 2003 the Fellowship’s members undertook a systematic self-study and began discussing the changes necessary for sustained growth and impact, including the possibility of moving out of borrowed space into a building of its own. In the spring of 2005 two longtime members offered the Fellowship a challenge, which it accepted: they would provide the building located at 108 School Street, just off Main Street in downtown Bennington, at minimal cost for two years. The challenge also required that a quarter-time minister be retained and an annual canvass be held. 

During the summer and fall of 2005 members invested more than 700 hours of labor, gutting and refurbishing the building with the goal of creating a practical, versatile, attractive, and energy-efficient space. The other project that summer was advertising for, interviewing for, and contracting with a consulting minister. In October 2005 the Fellowship established a quarter-time consulting ministry relationship with Dr. Will Saunders, who had recently retired from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In December 2005 the Fellowship moved into the School Street meetinghouse. 

Continued planning shifted to improving the quality of worship services, improving programming for its members and for the larger community, and strengthening the organization. By February 2006 membership had increased to 49 members. Group processes led to a new mission statement, a covenant, and a five-year vision statement. The vision statement is revised regularly to identify benchmarks for success. 

In November 2007 a capital campaign raised nearly $100,000 to purchase the meetinghouse. At a special meeting of the membership on February 11, 2007, the congregation voted overwhelmingly to purchase the building the Fellowship has called “home” for the past 20 years. 

By 2007 membership reached a high of 75. Rev. Saunders was able to provide a consulting ministry of a quality that far surpassed our dreams and expectations. After two years he was followed by the Rev. Erica Baron, who also served the Rutland church. During her five years in Bennington, her ministry increased from quarter-time to three-eighths. The Fellowship became a Welcoming Congregation (welcoming to the LGBTQ community). In September 2013 the Rev. Lucy Ijams joined UUFB with a focus on increasing ministry to individual members and promoting adult programming. In September 2017 the Rev. Kathy Duhon, who had retired from the ministry, agreed to serve our congregation for two years. In the fall of 2019 the Rev. Barbara Threet, minister to the Rutland and Glens Falls, New York, congregations joined the Fellowship as a three-eighths-time minister.

The Fellowship has adopted a shared-ministry model. The membership shares with the minister responsibility for the spiritual, organizational, and social justice activities. Services, when Rev. Threet is not present, are led by members. Speakers include Fellowship members, community members, and invited guests. A Caring Committee has primary responsibility for responding to members is need and those who are unable to attend services. 

As is true of many other congregations, our religious exploration program for children is largely inactive. The Fellowship is ready to offer appropriate RE and child care services should families come on a Sunday morning.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Fellowship held virtual services via Zoom. It continues to provide remote access and shares most presentations on the web page.

As of 2025 the Fellowship’s membership is 75, and weekly attendance is about 40 individuals, with some on Zoom. In addition to services the Fellowship has an active Social Justice Reading Group, online educational programs led by Rev. Threet, a monthly meeting to explore issues of aging, and informal coffee groups. 

The Fellowship maintains a strong engagement with the larger community. Members were involved in establishing the Community Café, a Saturday-afternoon meal site with music, arts, and access to clothing for those in need. Members spearheaded creation of Bennington Cares in response to the need for additional community support in elementary schools and advocacy. UUFB is one of the congregations that serves, on a rotating basis, up to 150 meals on Sunday evenings in cooperation with Second Congregational Church. In early 2025 a Warming Center was hosted two afternoons a week so that unhoused individuals could get in out of the weather and warm up. That is likely to continue in November 2025.

The Fellowship’s meetinghouse is regularly used by community groups, including the American Association of University Women—Bennington Branch, the Bennington County Choral Society, Vermont Center for Independent Living, Sunrise Family Resoource Center, and Greater Bennington Peace and Justice Center. During downtown community events it is often kept open for nursing mothers and to make its restrooms available.