About Our Church
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Bartlesville is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of North America and is an ethical and liberal religious community dedicated to promoting the ongoing search for truth and to affirming the inherent worth of the individual.
We welcome people of every race, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation.
We understand reality through human experience, enlightened reason, scientific method, and the democratic process, and we find the central source of power and goodness within the human heart, mind, and spirit. Individually and collectively, we assume responsibility for our future, our community, our children, and our interdependent world
Our History
November 13, 1949 - First meeting held in home of John Paul Jones, the son of a New England Unitarian minister, with 9 people in attendance.
1950 - Articles of Fellowship signed by 25 people. Sunday school and meetings were held at the YWCA. Sermons were presented by visiting Unitarian ministers from Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Wichita and Kansas City on Sunday evenings.
1958 - A 5 acre tract of land was donated to be used for a building site. Articles of Incorporation were prepared and approved in August, 1958.
1965 - Building completed and Dedication Ceremony held in October.
1970-1971 - Membership of 50+ adults drops to 30 adults due to Cities Service Oil Company relocating its home base to Tulsa causing a large number of members to move also.
1972 - Membership decreases to 19 adults, along with the resources to pay the mortgage, utilities and maintenance. Decision is made to sell the building.
1973 - Building is sold and equity funds are invested to be used only for the purchase of another building in the event membership increases substantially.
1984 - President Lois Splinter stated in a letter to UUA she might need to handle dissolution of the fellowship with a membership of 19, however membership increases to 25 by the end of that year.
1992 - President Jane Thomson did call a meeting of the 17 members to discuss the dissolution of the fellowship and the allocation of the savings. Instead some members wanted to have a more visible presence in Bartlesville as a full service church with R. E. for children. Subsequently, this was accomplished after several planning meetings. Services were held at the YWCA. Membership ranged from 20 to 28. Sermons were presented by visiting UU student and intern ministers until a part time minister is hired.
May, 1997 - Purchased the building that is now used for R. E. and potluck dinners, and remodeled with some hired labor and a lot of volunteer labor. Building Dedication held March 1, 1998.
Nov, 1999 - Expanded by having part of a school room building moved from Tulsa and remodeled as a sanctuary with volunteer labor. The entry bridging the 2 units was built by a contractor with savings and grant money from Southwest District UU Chalice Lighters.
- Purchased lot w/garage apt. across the street with plans to remodel for a youth group building.
2009 - 200 adult members and Friends with 11 pre-K and grade school members and 8 junior hi and senior hi members.
Our church has been privileged to engage the services of the following ministers on a part time basis beginning in 1992:
Rev Jim Eller, Rev Don Bissett, Rev Mary McAnally, Rev Ron Robinson
Our current minister, Kathryn Reese, has served since 2002 and represents our church on the Bartlesville Ministerial Alliance organization.
Kathryn resides in Bartlesville with her husband, Virgil, and 2 teenage daughters, Helen and Laura.
