Our goal is to create a beloved community and  this will require a qualitative change in our souls  as well as a quantitative change in our lives.  ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie are passionately committed to the creation of a Beloved Community, not just within our own congregation, but within the larger community of Poughkeepsie. The seven principles of Unitarian Universalism are a firm foundation from which to build such a community. We endeavor, to the best of our abilities as fallible human beings, to uphold these principles, and to be living examples of our faith in action. 

In other words, we strive to keep love at the center of who we are and  all we do.

Words from founding member June Gillespie:

"There is a deep yearning in all creatures to find a home that is secure, nurturing and life-giving. We, those who started this Fellowship, wanted to be - and truly were - an alternative to conventional religion.

We wanted a sense of community greater than the sum of individuals, sought to shape a religious community attractive to people who are seeking to make their lives whole. While drawing people for a variety of reasons by providing a place where we could - and can - ask questions out loud, we also make our lives a religious whole.

People stay if they find what they seek. Our ability to thrive was based on our reaching out, our caring for those who came, and our anticipation of and sensitivity to the needs of our members.

Ours has been a gathering of people who matter to each other in a significant way, and who discuss things and ideas that matter. This has been a place where the dimensions of our lives come together."