2. Congregation Histories : Minnesota

Bloomington

Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (MVUUF)

The years 1966 to 1969 were a time of experiment and discovery as the group began to settle into character. A high level of work, thought, and enterprise characterized this period, as it has marked the entire life of the fellowship.

Later we shared the difficulties of many UU congregations across the country—static or decreasing membership and budget. Fatigue also took a toll, and our confidence drooped a little. In 1971, our morale got a boost from the Prairie Star District Minister-on-Loan Program.

From 1972 to 1975, the fellowship grew slowly, refined its organization and operations, and looked for a permanent home. (Services had been held in the Fort Snelling chapel, a Masonic lodge, two public schools, and a Holiday Inn.) The home we eventually found was an empty and slightly run-down church building in the suburb of Bloomington. The membership committed itself financially, and with the help of the Interdistrict Representative, Prairie Star District, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Veatch Committee we got four loans and made the down payment. In September 1975, we held our first service in our new building.

Thus began a love-and-sometimes-hate affair with building management that continues today.

Since the building was bought there has been a fairly steady growth in membership—slow at first and more rapid later with new young families joining.

In 1981, MVUUF took part in Prairie Star District’s Extension Ministry Program and in 1982 we hired, as Administrative Assistant and later as Director of Religious Education, an experienced DRE who had long been a member of the fellowship. For the past three years a young minister from St. Paul has addressed us once a month. Now in 1986 the congregation has begun a search for a regular half-time minister.

A celebration in September of this year will mark MVUUF’s twentieth anniversary. At the age of twenty we are proud of our successful Women’s Group, our members young and older including thirteen 20-year members, our strong interest in music and the arts, the devotion of our committee members and our religious education teachers, and the steadiness and warmth of our support of each other. Membership at present is 87, and with the budget also at an all-time high Minnesota Valley Fellowship looks forward to the next twenty years.

(Author not noted)

This history has been updated.