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Cedar Falls
Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County
For more than a century, liberal religion has had organized groups in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. In 1863 the Universalist Society built a church at 5th and Main in Cedar Falls, and its minister also held services in Waterloo. In 1874 a Universalist Society was organized in Waterloo and a church was built on the corner of 4th and Mulberry Streets. This was used until 1919 when the group bought a house, the James Black home, and had a flourishing church organization for many years. Among the many ministers who served the Waterloo Universalist Church were two women: the Rev. Effie McCollum and the Rev. Edna Bruner.
Unitarianism had its start in Cedar Falls in 1950 when Munroe Husbands came from the American Unitarian Association (AUA) office in Boston to help set up one of the new Fellowship groups that were started at that time. This group first met in private homes and after that, met in rented rooms downtown. In the book, Bright Galaxy, Laile Bartlett made many references to the unique Cedar Falls Fellowship.
In the early 1960s both the Universalist Church and the Unitarian Fellowship were having difficult times with leadership, finances, and building needs. Experimental joint meetings were held, which led to a decision to merge. This was done on October 21, 1962, when 23 Universalists and 24 Unitarians formed the Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County, Iowa. For four years the group met in the Price Lab School of the University of Northern Iowa.
The Universalist Church sold its former church property and purchased a lot for $10,000 near the border of the two cities. In November 1965, groundbreaking ceremonies were held; one year later, the $65,000 building was dedicated at 3912 Cedar Heights Drive, Cedar Falls. They had too small an income to support both a building and a minister, but the group thrived remarkably well with lay leaders doing the necessary work to keep the Society functioning. After several good years, however, a plateau was reached. Revitalization took place when the Rev. John Cummins of Minneapolis, UUA Minister-on-loan, came to serve the group in 1972. His ideas brought a new spirit to the group, plus new members and a successful finance campaign.
The idea of using a support minister began in 1972–73 when the Rev. Robert Latham of Davenport’s Unitarian Church came for one weekend each month. In 1973–74, the Rev. Tom Mikelson of Iowa City and the Rev. Walter Kellison of Cedar Rapids served alternately as support ministers. The pattern continued the next year with the Rev. Alexander Meek, Jr. of Rochester, Minn. and with Walter Buenning in 1975–76.
In 1976, one of the founders of the Cedar Falls Unitarian Fellowship, Dr. John Cowley, agreed to serve as a paid lay minister. A retired professor of English from the University of Northern Iowa, John officiated at weddings, funerals, and child dedications. He led a Sunday morning service once a month. He also took part in local and district ministerial associations. In April of 1981 the Society named John Cowley “Lay Minister Emeritus.”
In the fall of 1979, the Society applied to the Prairie Star District for the services of its Extension Minister, the Rev. David Phreaner. David served the Society for four months, beginning February 1980. He led two services a month and worked closely with the Board and all the committees in helping to realize the goal of a permanent minister.
The Society’s desire for a full-time professional minister resulted in the formation of a five member Search Committee in May of 1980. Its effort resulted in a congregational vote on September 14th to call its first minister since the merger. The Rev. Michael Hennon began his ministry to the Society on November 15, 1980. He was ordained and installed on March 29, 1981.
Under his leadership the membership almost doubled from 75 to 135 members. The congregation still desired to have lay-led programs, so only one half of the year’s Sunday services were led by Michael. A program committee was responsible for the others. A paid Religious Educator Director was hired, from the Society’s membership, Tammy Hess.
Several traditional celebrations continued: a pancake breakfast for the first meeting in September, a Treats and Talents auction, a Christmas observance, a Symbol Tree on which items of symbolic concern are hung, an all-family Easter breakfast and celebration, a finance dinner, and a final year’s end picnic.
Michael served the society well during his leadership. He resigned (Spring 1985) to move to Seattle where his wife was starting her medical residency. The Society functioned as a lay-led group while a second search committee of seven members was working toward finding a minister.
By January 1986, it had chosen a husband-wife team. On the 19th, after an eight-day period of meeting with all the church groups and many individuals, the Congregation voted to choose the Rev. Carol Hilton and the Rev. Dwight Smith to be the ministers, beginning to serve the Society in April 1986.