History of UU Belfast

Founded in 1994. In our current building (former Methodist Church building) since 2001.

Timeline:

1985 – Douglas Coffin and family visit friends in Westbook, Maine and attend the UU Church. Later started to attend UU Church in Rockland.

November 1993, Glenn Turner, director of the Northeast District, UU, suggests to Coffin that a UU church could be started in Belfast. Douglas puts an ad in the paper for an informal meeting. 22 people attend.

January 1994 – organizational meeting held the last Sunday in January at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church. 65 attended.

February 13, 1994 – First service held in the old Abbot Room of Belfast Free Library. Jull Saxby, then a seminary student, led the service and later became first part-time minister.

Started meeting every other week at the Belfast Dance Studio. Later went back to the Abbot Room at the library.

November 1994, celebrated charter Sunday and 20 people signed on as founding members.

1998 – renovations at the library meant meeting at the sheltered workshop space at the Industrial Park, then in the cafeteria/auditorium/gym at East Belfast School.

2001 – rented the then-unused United Methodist Church at 37 Miller St

April 21, 2002 – the congregation decided to purchase the building. The UMC removed the pipe organ to move to their new church building.

2008 – developed a seven-year long-range plan.

2009 welcomed Rev Mary Wellemeyer as pastor.

2016-2017 ? Renovated 37 Miller Street

Spring 2010 – hired Wellemeyer full-time

Pastors:

​Rev. Jill Saxby 1994 –
Rev. Pam Gross 1999 – 2009
Rev. Mary Wellemeyer, Interim Minister – 2009
Rev. Deane Perkins, Settled Minister
Rev. Steve Edington, Interim Minister  – 2019
Rev. Amy McCormick, Settled Minister – 2019 – Present