This page was updated 04/21/2006

The founders of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Wayne gathered together for the first time over 60 years ago, in 1939.  They sought to bring the principles of liberal religion to the city and surrounding communities.  Their first meeting place was the Art School Auditorium on Berry Street.  The congregation then located in the Fairfield Manor Apartments, and in 1945 they acquired a home on Fairfield Avenue, which became known as “Unitarian House.”  The Congregation remained at that location until the present Meeting House was built in 1960.  After the merger of the Unitarians and the Universalists in 1961, the name was changed to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Wayne.

We offer a warm, open, and inclusive religious community where people of all ages can meet in their search for answers to the big questions in life.  We seek to enrich our lives and our spirits by joining together for celebration, social action and service, friendship and support.

We are a religious community which welcomes people of all ethnicities, all colors, affectional orientations, different physical and mental capabilities, and religious backgrounds who wish to join with us in our quest for truth and meaning.

Our Mission

At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Wayne, we:

To become a member, one must be sixteen years of age, be in sympathy with our purposes, and sign the Membership Book.  We also ask that you speak with the minister or one of the members of the Welcome Committee.  Because we are self-governing and not subject to any denomination hierarchy, we depend on our members and friends for support. This requires commitment from each of us: through our finances, time, and talent.  For only in the act of creating and sustaining do we, as individuals and as a congregation, discover who we are and what we can become.

Our Building

The original building, called the Meeting House in honor of our New England forebears, was designed by local architect Ken Cole.  The unique construction is called a “double-hyperbolic paraboloid.”  It contains the sanctuary, social hall, kitchen, and the Langhinrichs Gallery, named for Richard Langhinrichs who served the congregation from 1965 until 1989 and was a leader for peace and justice in the community.

The addition, designed by the architectural firm of Morrison Kattman Menze, completes the vision for the Old Mill Road location.  New offices, handicap accessible restrooms, and Sunday School rooms fulfill our dream for a facility that will be a resource for the congregation and the community.

With its natural cedar walls and ceiling and its openness, the sanctuary is well-suited for congregational activities, whether they be a Sunday service, with its times of reflection, quiet and song, a concert, a yoga class, or listening to an exhortation to work for social justice in this community and the world.  The leather mosaics depicting the flaming chalice and symbols of the world’s religions, were designed and executed by congregation members Dianna Thornhill Miller and her late husband, Jim.

The Flaming Chalice of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation represents the search for truth, purity, and community.  The flaming chalice, like our faith, stands open to receive new truths that pass the tests of reason, justice, and compassion.  It has become a well-known symbol of our denomination, and unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work.

Our new Flaming Chalice was created by Charlie Cummings, professional potter, here in Fort Wayne.

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