Greetings from Our Minister
Rev. Darrah Bryans
Welcome to First Parish Church in Duxbury. We are a Unitarian Universalist congregation that centers on radical Love that transcends identity and sees the inherent worthiness of all people. Grounded in our shared UU values of Justice, Equity, Pluralism, Transformation, Interdependence, and Gratitude, we seek to center a radical Love, create Beloved Community, and to protect our Mother Earth.
What makes us different from other churches?
We are seekers of truth without creed or dogma. We believe that there are many beliefs and many paths to living a meaningful life. As Unitarian Universalists we take seriously the responsibility of a free and independent search for truth and meaning. What holds us in religious community is our covenant to hold sacred our shared values. We celebrate the Pluralism present in our congregation and in the world.
We lift up our differences as an expression of our beautiful, thriving and bountiful world. We see Justice and Equity as spiritual practices. We are heirs to our Universalist ancestors’ belief in a universal salvation. As a congregation we affirm the inescapable Interdependence that centers collective liberation, with the understanding that “none of us are free untilall of us are free.” (Fanny Lou Hamer)
We affirm what Unitarian Minister Theodore Parker wrote in 1853 “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.” As Unitarian Universalists we strive to bend that arc toward justice for all of creation. As a Welcoming Congregation since 1990, we uphold the conviction that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. We know that all are inherently worthy and deserving of safety and the ability to thrive in the fullness of who they are.
