On this U.U. Continuation Page 1:

On the Long Island U.U. Page

See also the UU Partner Church Program in Erdély (Transylvania); there is a large and historically-significant Unitarian presence there and we try to maintain close contact with our brothers and sisters in Erdély.  An expanded history of Unitarianism, especially of its founding in Transylvania, appears there.

UNIVERSALISM - although heavily submerged in Unitarianism today, Universalism, originally the belief that every person is born capable of salvation, flourished primarily as a religion of agrarian people, of the heart; Unitarianism was more of an urban, intellectual religion.

Let me hasten, belatedly, to add that, while I do not hold to their original belief, I treasure the Universalist heritage and applaud their tenacity and integrity in maintaining their identity without being absorbed by, or subsumed into, the UUA.   (30 May 06)

The story of the founding of Univeralism (in the Americas) is so fantastic that it beggars belief, yet it is quite true.  It has been moved here:

Thomas Potter, a farmer along the New Jersey shore near what is now Lanoka Harbor (south of Tom's River) formulated a belief in universal salvation and was so enthused about it that about 1760 he built a chapel, entirely by himself, on the marshland along Barnegat Bay, hoping that a minister would appear some day to preach this new gospel.  Lo and behold, one day in September 1770, the British brig "Hand in Hand" was driven over the outer banks by a storm, grounded on a sandbar in Barnegat Bay, and off-loaded just such a non-conforming minister, one John Murray, a young Englsihman who had just lost his wife and child, newly come to the shores of the New World precisely to avoid preaching that very gospel!  He wanted nothing whatever to do with Murray's goal but the ship's complement desperately needed food and water and Potter struck a deal with Murray.  If Potter fully provisioned the ship and it remained stuck until the coming Sunday, Murray would preach.  Sure enough, the ship remained fast on the sandbar and Murray, true to his word, preached (on 30 Sep 1770, to be precise) and the rest is history.  It's true!  That very chapel stood there until 1841, when it was taken down, the land (which Potter left to Murray but about which he neglected to inform him) was sold off and was eventually reclaimed by the Universalists, and the site is now known throughout the denomination as Murray Grove!  In a more superstitious sect, this would have occasioned claims of a miracle and all sorts of commercialization and publicity flack.

Murray Grove is now a retreat and conference center; their Website has a far-more comprehensive history of the Potter/Murray story.. I was there on 26 Jul 2002 and my pictures follow.

Universalists are represented in New York State by the New York State Convention of Universalists.

There is also more specific history of Unitarianism and Universalism on Long Island on the UU Long Island page.

Olympia Brown, ordained by the Universalists in 1863, is usually recognized as the first woman ordained with full denominational authority.  She was ordained in upstate New York soon after graduating from St. Lawrence University (founded by the Universalists); she served churches in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  Antoinette Brown Blackwell was ordained by a Congregational church in 1853, but the Congregational General Conference protested the action and later rescinded it.  She was eventually ordained by the Congregationalists and later fellowshipped with the Unitarians.  Celia Burleigh was the first woman ordained by the Unitarians (1871).

This information is provided courtesy of the Archivist of the Unitarian Universalist Association; if you're interested in further information, "Universalist and Unitarian Women Ministers" by Catherine Hitchings is recommended reading.

The old (1837) Huntington (LI, NY) Universalist Society church building is covered on the Long Island U.U. Page.

More on Universalism - Thomas Potter, John Murray, and Murray Grove.

The "miracle" of the meeting between Thomas Potter and John Murray in 1770 has been described briefly on the main U.U. page and bears repeating in more detail (done, above); here's the story as it appears on the welcoming placard at Murray Grove:

(26 Jul 2002 photos by and © 2002 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)

[Thumbnail picture; click on the image for a larger picture.]

(26 Jul 2002 photos by and © 2002 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)

Straight ahead (east) looks pretty good and you can sense where the Bay begins but it has been an awfully long walk (and I walk at three miles per hour).  Worse yet, mosquitoes are rising (West Nile, anyone?) and deer ticks are appearing on my pants legs (Lyme?) AND, because it's further than I remembered, the sun is lowering.  Also, note the all homes to the left (northeast) in the second picture:

(26 Jul 2002 photos by and © 2002 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)

So much for finding the place of the Universalist "miracle"!  Ellen Chulak, Murray Grove's Executive Director, advises that it's a full two miles to the water; can't say I didn't try.

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If you've read this far, you might enjoy my Religion and Philosophy page.

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(Illustration by and © S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
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© Copyright S. Berliner, III - 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006 - All rights reserved.