Welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills on-line!  Our church is a wonderful community of about 200 adult members and friends, plus about 80 children and youth.  We have diverse beliefs about matters theological, religious, and spiritual, yet share common principles and values that allow us to journey together as a vibrant people of faith.

My own story is not unusual.  I was raised Lutheran in a very active, church-going family.  In fact, my parents were “pillars” of the church, and I sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, was President of the youth group, and so forth.  Church was central in my life, but my doubts grew as I matured and increasingly questioned traditional Lutheran teachings about God, Jesus, and vicarious salvation.  In my freshman year of college, I lost my faith altogether and began a 15-year hiatus from religious life.  Then, in my early thirties, I inadvertently heard a sermon on the radio that moved me to realize how angry with God I had been all those years, and how much I missed being part of religious community.  So I began church shopping and quickly discovered that the Protestant churches in my town were not right for me because I could not with integrity affirm the beliefs articulated in their creeds.  What a thrill it was when I walked into my first Unitarian Universalist church and discovered a community grounded in principles rather than doctrinal beliefs!  I felt at home right away, yet was not pressured to join until I felt ready—several years later.  Then I got active on the Worship Committee and served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for several years before feeling called to our professional ministry in my early forties. 

Ministry is my third career.  First I was a chemistry professor.  Then I was a businesswoman doing instructional design and development of employee training programs.  Then I went to Harvard Divinity School for three years, got my Masters of Divinity, and completed all the requirements for being credentialed as a minister by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations—the UUA.  I was ordained by the First Parish of Cambridge, MA in 1994, and served a small congregation in Kingston, Ontario for five years before being called by the members of  UUCNH to be their minister beginning in the fall of 1999.   

What a wonderful community UUCNH is!  I hope you will visit us and come to discover for yourself just how special our church is.  We are warm, friendly, and caring folks who treasure freedom of thought and belief in religious life.  We truly try to live our seven  UU Principles:

·        The inherent worth and dignity of all persons

·        Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations

·        Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth

·        A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

·        The right of conscience and use of the democratic process within our congregation, our ethical and spiritual lives, and in society at large

·        The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

·        Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

This past fall, we gathered in small groups and congregation-wide workshops to re-define our church’s mission.  Here is the statement we shaped together: 

The UU Church of the North Hills exists to—

·        be a loving community,

·        support lifelong learning and personal and spiritual growth,

·        gather for personally meaningful religious experience,

·        grow Unitarian Universalism as a free-thinking religious sanctuary, and

·        serve the wider community

to the end that striving together we might better ourselves and our world.

If you are looking for a liberal, non-creedal, self-governing community of seekers with whom to share your religious or spiritual journey, I hope you’ll consider visiting UUCNH some Sunday morning.  I’d love to meet you, and I can guarantee you a warm welcome!

Blessings,

       Carol

Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills
2359 West Ingomar Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone (412) 366-0244
Fax (412) 366-4389
Email: uucnh@nauticom.net