Atlanta UU

Just wanted to introduce myself…

I am have only been a UU for just over a year.  I first set foot in a UU church just over two years ago.  My background before that had been Christian.  My family went to mainly Methodist churches, on and off, during my childhood.  As an adult, I spent over 20 years as a Prebyterian (PCUSA).  My beliefs had changed over the years, but we had been at our most recent PCUSA church for over 10 years and had so many friends there, we were reluctant to leave to try a church that was a better fit. 

That changed when, at 39, I became a father for the first time.  We wanted our daughter to grow up in a more liberal and welcoming religious community so we started looking around.  By Spring 2005 we started trying out local UU churches.  We had been familiar with UUism for  years, but we were hesitant to try it out because we were worried that local congregations were too secular.  In the fall of 2005 we first visited our current church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA).  It seemed like a great fit right away, but were were planning to move, so we thought we would have to go to another UU church in the metro area instead, long term.  My work situation changed in early 2006 and we no longer needed to move.  So, in February 2006 we joined UUCA as members.

Since they have been in a transition period, senior minister wise, since we have been at UUCA, it has been a bit of a bumpy ride, and we have seem some of the ugly side of UUism.  But, we are still hopeful for the future and very happy with UUCA's choice for a new settled senior minister, who will be joining us at the end of the summer.

Belief wise, I am a panentheist who draws from many sources.  Since my background is Christianity, it is still important to me, but from a more panentheistic and universalist perspective.  I am also interested in Gnosticism, Buddhism, Hindusim, Neo-Paganism, Integral thinking, and metaphysics, among others.

Jim