About Us
We are a small but growing community of liberal religious thinkers and doers.
We affirm every person’s personal pursuit of truth and meaning, and understand that each person’s spiritual journey is unique. We are a community of all ages, many beliefs and many backgrounds: people who come from different religious backgrounds, people with no religious background, people who believe in a God, people who don’t, and people who are still discovering their beliefs. We have a history as spiritual people of action. We think for ourselves and draw on many sources to guide our religious journey: scripture and science, nature and philosophy, pagan and ancient traditions, and our personal experiences. We believe that working for social justice is an important part of our spiritual path.
We welcome people of all identities: racial, ethnic, sexual orientations and gender.
We welcome you: your whole self, with all your truths and your doubts, your hopes and your worries, your joys and concerns. Join us on this extraordinary spiritual journey.
Our Mission
The Mission of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard:
We are an intentionally welcoming congregation of diverse faiths and shared values, fostering spiritual growth, community action, racial equity and universal justice.
Welcoming Congregation Affirmation
We, as a Welcoming Congregation, have chosen, through our words, our actions and the ways we engage our spirit, to fully open our doors and our hearts to the extraordinary richness and diversity of human life.
We affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
We honor the differences among us, whether due to race, color, gender identification, sexual orientation, family status, age, mental or physical ability, class, national origin, or other bases for discrimination, without requiring adherence to any given interpretation of religion or to any specific religious belief or creed. We celebrate our sense of community and the values that we share together, having affirmed this commitment
Our Vision
Our Vision 2030: We envision a flourishing and caring congregation that puts love at the center of all we do.
Guided by our Seven Principles and our Shared Values, we will…
…foster Beloved Community. Our congregation serves as a safe, welcoming space, where all people are valued and accepted.
…nurture our spiritual home. We share many ministries — tangible and intangible. Our shared ministries include worship, music, lifelong learning, outreach, and care for Stevens Chapel and grounds.
…seek UUniversal Justice. We are proud, ardent, and dedicated activists working on social, civic, racial, and environmental justice worldwide.
…focus on our future. We are grounded in the present and focused on our future, ensuring UUSMV’s long-term viability as an active congregation.
Unitarian Universalism Values & Principles
Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition that has changed in many ways from the original Christian roots of its Universalist and Unitarian heritages, and it continues to evolve today. Most recently, this evolution has taken the form of adopting new language to describe who we are as UUs. At General Assembly in June 2024, UUs voted to replace existing Seven Principles and Six Sources language in our bylaws with language describing Unitarian Universalism through these shared values:
Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.
Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
There are seven Principles which reflect deeply-held values and serve as a moral guide. The wisdom and spirituality of these Principles are drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. These seven Principles are as follows:
- 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
- 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
- 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
- 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
- 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
- 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
- 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
UU Sources
Worship is where the experience of the holy and daily life meet—a sacred space that holds the troubled heart, the seeking mind, and the active soul.
Worship is where the gifts of our shared ministry create communal experiences of awe and beauty that inspire and transform.
MINISTRY
We are currently without a settled minister, so worship service leaders are drawn from the UUSMV community, the Island, and other UU communities. Each speaker draws from the primary sources of the UU faith, which are varied to include and support people from all backgrounds. These sources are:
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men that challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
- Wisdom from the world’s religions that inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Teachings from the Abrahamic faith traditions that call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings that 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 that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Our Chapel
Stevens Chapel is located at 238 Main Street in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Built in 1901, the “sacred place with its warmth of natural wood and a glow through the diamond-paned windows” is named for our first minister, Daniel Waldo Stevens .
The Chapel is a warm and intimate space for Weddings and other Rites of Passage, meetings, or other gatherings. It seats up to 110 people. For more information on renting the chapel, contact the church administrator.