As members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Rappahannock, we come together to create a welcoming community of diverse people who search for spiritual meaning in our lives. We listen to each other, speak our truths, and respect ideas and beliefs that are different from our own. We take responsibility for our words and actions. We strive to be compassionate and loving with ourselves and with others. We promote social justice and serve all in our community.
UUFR members are from different backgrounds and different spiritual paths. Those who wish to pursue their path with a commitment to mutual respect for other beliefs and lifestyles are welcome.
We are a Welcoming Congregation, committed to the inclusion of every person. All are welcome without regard for race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or economic status.
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Rappahannock affirms and promotes these Seven Principles:
Our Unitarian Universalist Shared Values are centered around Love ~ Equity, Generosity, Interdependence, Justice, Pluralism, and Transformation:
The Principles and Shared Values are the backbone of our UUFR Fellowship.
For more information on Unitarian Universalism click here.
Before 1997, there was no Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in the Northern Neck. A recent arrival, David Daugherty, wondered if there were Unitarian Universalists in the area who might be interested in meeting together. He obtained a list of those who belonged to the Church of the Larger Fellowship and contacted people in the area. As a result, he met with Susan Fallin, Ina Fuller, and Janet Sutton. Beginning in October 1997, home-based meetings were held every other Sunday.
In the spring of 1998, the group began meeting at the Lancaster Community Library. Linda Lane-Hamilton and David Hamilton, from the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalist Church, met with the group in several development sessions. After this, they decided to meet every Sunday, to become a Fellowship, and adopt a name indicating a wide territory. Thus, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Rappahannock (UUFR) came into being.
The first Sunday of August 1998 was the first meeting of the Fellowship at a new home, the White Stone Woman`s Club. Charter Sunday was May 2, 1999, with Roger Comstock, President of the Thomas Jefferson UU District, as guest speaker. Our first president, Andrew Kelsey, presided. Andy identified “A Home of Our Own” as a future priority. The UUFR was accepted into the Unitarian Universalist Association and continued as a lay-led congregation with guest speakers twice a month and members speaking the other Sundays.
President Bob Weekley initiated a search for a long-term rental or purchase of property for a permanent home for our Fellowship in June 2000. A great deal of planning and activity led to the ground-breaking ceremony on June 3, 2007. The first Sunday service in the not-yet-finished building was on August 17, 2008, and then on November 16, 2008, the building was officially dedicated.
Now, in a home of our own, the mission to inspire intellectual and spiritual growth is reinforced by the informal and provocative services and programs led by the congregation and visitors. The Fellowship continues to be involved in several community programs. Our “Kid’s First” program, to support high-quality pre-K programs in four of our county schools, has been implemented in Lancaster and Middlesex, with talks underway in Matthews and Northumberland. We have a butterfly garden, a labyrinth, and a memorial grove. In June of 2018, we hired our first part-time minister, and the expansion of the building was completed.
In March of 2024, our first minister retired and we will be starting our search for a new minister.
Promote a welcoming, inclusive, diverse community in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
Be a “covenantal” community that embraces and promotes the Unitarian Universalist principles in our personal lives, the fellowship, and the world.
Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of the Rappahannock
366 James Wharf Road
White Stone, VA
Mailing Address
PO Box 1266, White Stone VA 22578