New and Updated Histories : Kansas
Shawnee Mission
Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church (SMUUCH)
An update of the original SMUUCH history published in Part 2
Shawnee Mission UU Church was founded in early 1967 with the encouragement of the Rev. Raymond Bragg and his congregation at All Souls Unitarian Church, Kansas City, Missouri. Their first 60 founding members came from the All Souls congregation. They called themselves the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Society (SMUS).
The newly formed group originally met in a school building and provided its own church services for a year and a half. The Rev. Frank Smith was called as the first settled minister and served the congregation through 1973.
In May 1970 SMUS purchased its present property at 7725 W. 87th Street in the heart of Overland Park, Kansas. The dairy barn and the 1913 house were converted into spaces for worship, classrooms, and administration. After Rev. Smith retired, the members again provided their own church services for a year, and subsequently called the Rev. Dr. Vern Barnet who served from 1975 to 1984.
Dr. Barnet was an innovative minister, a proponent of world religions, Eastern thought, and liturgical experimentation. He and the church members initiated a “Coming of Age” program for younger teenagers. He also developed a very popular World Religion Series, and was instrumental in the development of Abraxis, an organization that studies the effect and importance of ceremonial rituals in a society, and CRES (Center for Religious Experience and Study). Membership grew to about 170.
The steady growth of the church was interrupted twice. The first setback was in 1981 when nearly one-third of the congregation left the Society and later formed the Unitarian Fellowship of Johnson County. The disagreement centered on the administrative style of the minister and the emphasis on ritual and Eastern religions.
There was recovery, however, and a building program was initiated. Disagreements over the church design developed, which led to the scrapping of the building plans, Dr Barnet’s resignation in 1984, and a second membership loss.
The next two years were a time of rebuilding from a membership drop to a low of 87. SMUS was served by two Interim Ministers, the Rev. Fred Campbell and the Rev. Dale Robison, who were very helpful in the recovery. In 1987 the Rev. David A. Johnson was called as minister.
Rev. Johnson successfully focused the congregation’s attention on the present and the future. This resulted in healthy growth in membership which led to a building program in 1994. In the fall of 1997 the new Fellowship Hall was dedicated and was followed by additional furnishings and the completion of the Religious Education areas. During this period, membership grew to 194 and the name was officially changed to Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church (SMUUCH).
Upon Rev. Johnson’s resignation in 2002 to enter the Interim Ministry program, SMUUCH called as Interim Minister, the Rev. Paige Getty. A Ministerial Search Committee was formed and the Rev. Thom Belote was called as Minister in 2003. During the three years of his ministry the church has experienced significant growth and enthusiasm, and has become more active in serving the local community. In 2004, the church was part of the UUA sponsored media campaign. Sara Sautter, Director of Religious Education, has managed active Youth and Adult Religious Education programs. The church added a second Sunday service in the fall of 2004, and membership has reached 274 as of July 2006.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the church, a series of events, beginning in the fall of 2006 and ending with an anniversary celebration in May of 2007, are currently being planned by the Board of Trustees.