First Universalist Church

A Very Brief Summary of Our History

Early Universalists in Yarmouth

In 1832, the seeds of our present church were sown when James and Eliza Hill and several supporters were expelled from the First Congregational Parish for allowing a dancing school in their house! They gathered as Universalists, and in 1834 a parish was organized and a chapel dedicated on West Elm Street. The first settled minister took office in 1835.

Early Unitarians in Yarmouth

In 1859, some forty-five members of First Parish withdrew to organize another "orthodox" Congregational church named the Central Parish. The founding members erected and dedicated the present building in 1860. This church flourished, but members moved away due to the decline of shipbuilding, and numbers dwindled due to other factors as well. In 1886, the remaining members of the Central Parish, together with members of the Universalist Church, established a Unitarian church, kept the name Central Parish, and retained ownership of the building.

First Universalist Church

The Universalist Church continued a formal but shadowy existence and in 1920 became the beneficiary of a substantial bequest. Since there were no doctrinal impediments, members of the Central Parish became members of the Universalist Church, which then became the more active body. In 1962, following the consolidation of the Unitarian and Universalist denominations, the local organizations consolidated under the name First Universalist Church. Three times in our history, First Parish Congregational has sought to merge with our church; and three times we have declined. Members seemed to affirm the real need in the Yarmouth area for a free liberal religion that is not constrained by creed or dogma.

Recent History

From 1963 to 1979 the Rev. Dr. Vincent Silliman was the settled minister in the First Universalist Church. Some of his numerous accomplishments were the writing of many hymns and editing two hymnals, which were widely used in UU churches and fellowships. The mid-70s were lean years, and funds were scarce, and membership had declined. After Dr. Silliman’s death, the congregation had to decide if they were willing to make the great effort necessary to help the church grow and become once again a vital and significant institution.

They voted to try, and in calling the Rev. Thomas Chulak to be the settled minister in 1979, they opened their hearts and doors wider. Tom’s tenure saw significant growth in attendance, membership, and participation in the Religious Education Program. In 1981, the church opened the Community Universalist Nursery School under the leadership of Tom’s wife, Diane.

As the church grew, space became more crowded, and members Bob and Alice Hodsdon donated a 500-square-foot two-story building for additional space for religious education, a library, and storage. (It was detached from the church in 1993 and moved to yet another new home in North Yarmouth.)

Because of his great talents in organizing and revitalizing congregations, Tom was called to the UUA as Extension Consultant. The Rev. Dr. Peter J. Luton was welcomed as our next minister and formally installed in February 1983. Peter stayed with our Church until June of 1994, when he accepted a new position in Bellevue, Washington. Peter saw the Yarmouth church through a period of tremendous growth and guided us through a successful three-year capital campaign, which resulted in renovations to the Sanctuary and the construction of the new office and program wing we now joyfully inhabit!

In May of 1995, the congregation called the Rev. Erik W. Wikstrom to serve as its next minister, and Erik was installed in October 1995. Erik is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and served his internship at First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.