Lighting the Chalice

Lighting the Chalice is a celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva. The first chapter, titled Historical Overview, recounts the story of the congregation from its founding in 1842, the first religious organization in the area. The church building was built the next year, mainly by the first minister and his father. That historic sanctuary is still the home of UUSG today. Each of the next 13 chapters deals with one of the church's activities (ministries) over the last 25 years since a previous history was published. Chapters on Social Justice, Religious Education, and Governance mix with Facilities, Finance, and Long-Range Planning to reflect a vital society, one that almost died in a dark period in the early 20th century. Considering our government's controversial position on climate change, the chapter headed Green Sanctuary is particularly relevant. A chapter reports on the ministers--intern and interim--who have come and gone in the last quarter-century. There has also been an associate minister and an assistant minister. All of these have assisted the senior minister, the Rev. Dr. Lindsay Bates, who is retiring next year after 40 years in the UUSG pulpit.