Our Mission

We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, united by our liberal religious tradition, seek truths and meaning, and commit to right action. We will nurture our congregation and carry our principles forth to better ourselves, our community and our planet. To these purposes, we pledge our hearts and hands, our minds and means.

Our Principles and Purposes

We are in covenant to affirm and promote:

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Our living tradition draws from many sources:

Direct experience of the transcending mystery and wonder affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life;

Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;

Wisdom from the world's religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life;

Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;

Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Brief History and General Information

Both Unitarianism and Universalism come out of Christianity. Unitarian Christians stressed the unity of God and of all existence. Universalist Christians believed that we are all saved and that a loving God would leave no one behind. Both traditions were seen as heretical by some, but "heresy" in Greek means "choice" and we are grateful that those who came before chose to value individual conscience and experience and shared values over creedal tests and institutional formulas.

The Judeo-Christian heritage is our primary home but members hold various beliefs. Our non-creedal religion is "America's Fourth Faith", trusting in the ever-evolving nature of knowledge that calls us to be open in our religious growth. We welcome young and old, straight and gay, persons of color and of all shades of belief.

Our congregation is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association whose churches include the oldest one in the U.S. (Plymouth, Massachusetts, founded 1620). A Ventura County Unitarian Fellowship was established in 1951, and this church was organized in 1958 as a Universalist Unitarian Church. The Universalists and Unitarians merged continentally in 1961.

Several times each year we offer an orientation program for persons new to our religion. If you are considering joining please speak with our minister, Rev. Jan Christian. She can be reached by calling the church office (644-3898).