In 1950 John and Myra Bregger and Ray and Muriel Rutledge joined with ten Unitarians in Greenville to form the Unitarian Fellowship of Greenville. For a time the two couples journeyed to Greenville, but eventually there were enough Unitarians in Clemson to organize the Unitarian Fellowship of Clemson, South Carolina in March 1954 with twelve charter members. Meetings were held in the homes of various members.

For the first ten years, through 1964, Ray Rutledge served as President and John Bregger as Secretary. In 1958 the Fellowship began meeting in the Clemson Y.M.C.A. In 1964 the membership still stood at twelve. However, through the untiring efforts and enthusiasm of the members, by 1974 the membership had increased to fifty, and had outgrown the facilities at the 'Y.'

The decision to buy a lot on Pendleton Road and build a church was reached in 1978 and immediately fund raising efforts were started. Construction was begun in 1979 and completed in 1980. On April 20, 1980, the members celebrated the dedication of the new Clemson Unitarian Fellowship building. Rapid growth of membership resulted in adding the Religious Education wing in 1984 and an enlarged parking lot in in 1986-88. Merrill and Charlotte Palmer brought a regular music program to the congregation in the 1970s. In 1987 Dillman Sorrells, a longtime member, was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist Ministry by the Fellowship of Clemson.

In 1988 the congregation changed its name to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clemson, South Carolina, to reflect the previous merging of the national Unitarian and the Universalist Associations. In 1994, the present meeting room was added along with substantial renovations to the existing building in order to accommodate a growing congregation. The congregation had several short-lived experiments with professional ministry in the 1980s. In 1996 the congregation voted to initiate a process of seeking a full-time minister. As a result of that effort, with the support of the UUA and a grant from Chalice Lighters in the Thomas Jefferson District, Reverend Cynthia Prescott was appointed Extension Minister by a vote of the congregation in December 1997 and began her shared ministry with the congregation in February 1998.  She was called as a settled minister in 1999.

Another important addition to staff was a Director of Religious Education, beginning in 1999 with Janie Shipley as a consultant, followed by Georgeanne Stafford in the dual role of administrator and DRE and then Ginny Parrish Loy as our third DRE.

In 1999 the congregation had the opportunity to buy the two lots next door, one fronting on Pendleton Road and one fronting on Gregory Street.  In 2001 UUFC purchased the adjacent building now known as Founders’ House, built an environmentally responsible parking lot with grassed parking spaces supported by plastic grids, and renovated the building to use for office and meeting space.

Other important milestones in recent years were earning the designation as a Welcoming Congregation in 2005 and a Green Sanctuary in 2007. These two efforts reflect the congregation’s long history of commitment to social justice and environmental responsibility, values that we try to live in our individual lives as well as in our fellowship life.

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 right 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 which we share draws from many sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves 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.

In order to affirm the ties that unite us as a liberal religious community, we covenant as members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clemson to strive to

• nurture the ethical, intellectual, and spiritual lives of both children and adults;
  
• accept and celebrate diversity in many forms;
  
• support one another in our individual and collective search for truth and meaning;
  
• offer care and compassion to one another;
  
• respect the habitat in which we dwell and those with whom we share it;
  
• and live our values in the larger community as we work for social justice.

We seek to create a sacred space within which each of us has the opportunity to be supported and heard, to express our unique gifts, and to be challenged to grow, to learn, and to serve.

In this endeavor we search for balance between freedom and responsibility, continuity and change, individuality and interdependence, the shared values that unite us and the differences that both challenge and enrich us.

In acknowledging that building and sustaining this religious community is a shared ministry, we commit to offering our gifts, talents, resources, and energies as we are able.

U.U.F.C. Bylaws

The U.U.F.C. Bylaws in PDF format may be found at this link=>BYLAWS

U.U.F.C. Proposed Governance Structure

The New U.U.F.C. Proposed Governance Structure in PDF format may be found at this link=>Governance

 

Our Staff

UUFC Staff
Our Fellowship Administrator: Julie Craig	Our Pastor: The Reverend  Alex Holt	Our Fellowship Music Director: Elaine Fredendall	Our Director of Religious Education: Meg MacArthur
The UUFC office is located in the Founders' House at the other end of the parking lot from the main building. Our Fellowship Administrator, Julie Craig, provides administrative support to the Minister and the Board, maintains the master building-use calendar and prepares the Sunday Bulletin and the weekly UUFC group announcement email. Her office hours are Noon to 5:00 pm, Tuesday-Thursday and can be reached at (864) 654-5959 or by email at Yahoo.	The Reverend Alex Holt is now serving UUFC as full time interim minister. He has specialized in interim and consulting ministry for many years in the Pacific Northwest and other states. He graduated from Starr King School for the ministry in 1992 and also has studied medieval Icelandic culture. He can be reached at 864-654-5959 (church office) or at revalexholt@earthlink.net	The Fellowship Music Director is Elaine Fredendall. She can be reached at 654-3834 or by Email at Yahoo. During August to May the choir meets in the Fellowship sanctuary at 5:30 PM.	The Fellowship Director of Religious Education is Meg MacArthur. Meg has been involved in Religious Education at the Fellowship since 1987. During that time she has taught at every educational level, including adults. She is currently working on a master’s degree in education at Clemson University. Her office hours are from 10-12 on Sundays. She can also be reached at 639-2847 and uufc.dre@gmail.com.