Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church
Portland, ME
Unitarian Universalists, as a whole, hold to the conviction that all existence is interconnected, and thus interdependent. But in the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church of Portland, Maine, it was the youth of the congregation who reminded the church of this tenet, and urged them to act on it: launching a successful educational campaign on the long-term effects of nuclear weapons testing and development in 1986 that moved the church to declare itself a nuclear free zone. In 1992, the church declared itself a “Green Sanctuary,” dedicated to promoting awareness of environmental issues and protecting the living Earth.
Church prior to the Alternative Energy Fair
As a Green Sanctuary, AAUUC focuses on the spiritual and ethical aspects of human actions that impact the earth in a number of different ways: through conservationist, sustainable living at home and in the church; the promotion of recycling programs; active public-education and advocacy programs such as letter-writing campaigns and publicizing their efforts to local newspapers; incorporating environmental concerns into religious education and worship through field trips and annual Earth Day observance; and a dedication to broader environmental justice that includes hosting speakers on topics ranging from toxic waste or the effects of globalization on the environment, to the plight of refugees or the potential to be found in green energy.
Though AAUUC’s outlook is global, some of their most important teaching comes from the very local example they set at home. In the church itself, significant efforts have been made to use only reusable goods and energy supplies, and to discourage “throw-away,” wasteful, or ecologically unjust items. To this end, they’ve switched from paper plates and cups to cloth napkins and china for church functions; installed energy-efficient light fixtures and sold the same to parishioners for home use; switched to green power sources; educated church-members on home-energy audits and alternative transportation options; sponsor a local food co-op; use only fair-exchange coffee; and provide information on recycling and help to parishioners in recycling specific items such as batteries, mercury, or printer ink cartridges.
Additionally, AAUUC participates in a wide range of activist activities, with members active in the nuclear disarmament effort through Peace Action Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Maine Council of Churches; endorsement by the church’s Social Action Committee of the “Smart Security” nuclear abolishment movement; association with Earth Care Teams; and anti-war activism. Public education goals are being fulfilled with a series of environmental articles the church writes for local newspapers; hosting a monthly table to distribute information on environmental justice issues; maintaining a website as a resource to environmental information; hosting a state-wide meeting for Green Sanctuary representatives from the Unitarian Universalist Association; and sponsoring public educational events such as the “Great Anti-Gas-Guzzling Gathering and Gala” to introduce people to hybrid cars, alternative energy options, and other environmental topics, and convince the public that earth-stewardship is a basic religious concept in itself.
Contact Information:
Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church
524 Allen Avenue
Portland, ME 04013
Phone: (207) 797-7740
Fax: (207) 553-2288
Email:
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