David Rodriguez grew up in New Jersey, the youngest of nine in a Catholic Puerto Rican immigrant family. He did not have a strong attachment to Catholicism and when two older siblings became UUs he became interested. An older sister became a UU hospital chaplain and an older gay brother found an inclusive community. The…
Brian Hopkins grew up in the Methodist church and has fond memories of the camaraderie and caring that church community provided. His parents were deeply religious, and he saw in them a commitment to love and volunteering. Alas, the Methodist view of God did not square with his work, decades of recording mayhem for News…
Dennis Scurry, MD did not quite fit into his wife’s Pentecostal church. His random remarks suggesting that Jesus was the son of a Roman soldier did not go over well. They did however fit Dennis who loved the interplay of discussion and ideas. He found his way to UUCSS and on December 6th, 1987 signed the book. His daughter Ebony Contreras recalls…
Zoë Randol was looking for a container for some things she did not grow up with, a container for spirituality and a container for religious community. She missed out on this, and her own unstructured efforts were not fulfilling. She does remember having UU friends and going with her family to the local UU Christmas…
The first thing you notice about Ron Turner is his quick smile and an even quicker laugh. He collects good wine to share with friends and at church auction dinners that he and Tamara Bowman host. He can get really excited about the plot of a Dresden Files novel and thinks that maybe you’d like…
Prepare for an adventure when you talk to Steve Leete. The subject may be music, dramatics, tech management at UUCSS, orbiting power generators, religious personification of natural forces, or human colonies in space. The last topic is a longstanding interest. As a teenager Steve saw the turmoil of the 70s and was looking for a way that he could make a…
Jeffrey grew up in Takoma Park and has lived there most of his life. His mother is Presbyterian and his father is Catholic. For most of his early years, his family attended Takoma Park Presbyterian Church for services and Sunday school. When the time for First Communion approached, his father wanted him and his siblings…
Ann Walk is not your typical UUCSS member. She lives in Michigan and has never lived in Maryland. An invitation from childhood friend Deborah Thornton to attend an online service led to a realization that we are her tribe. Since then, she has been a resolute attender and even helped with a church cleanup when…