The Unitarian Universalist Church in Canton is celebrating its 200th anniversary. Founded on Nov.17, 1825 as the First Universalist Society, the church has held activities throughout the year to celebrate, and will conclude with a series of events on the weekend of November 14-16.

The Universalists of the 1800’s believed there would be Universal salvation, a view that stood in stark contrast to the fire and brimstone sermons of some churches of the day. Some referred to the Universalist church as the “no hell church”.

In the mid-1800s, there were multiple churches in every hamlet and village throughout St. Lawrence County, including more than 30 Universalist congregations. Today, the Canton UU church is the only one, and draws membership from throughout the county.

The charter members of the Canton group originally held church services in the local school under the leadership of circuit-riding missionaries who traveled from New England to bring universal salvation to Canton.

The local Universalists joined the Baptists to build a “Union” brick church on the site of the current church on Main Street in Canton.  In 1837, the Universalists bought out the Baptists and the brick church was used until the current church (the Gouverneur marble church) was erected in 1897.  

A significant factor in the history of the Canton church was the establishment of the St. Lawrence Universalist Theological School in 1856, to fill the need for educated Universalist clergy and educators. 

In 1892, the Universalist Ladies’ Circle spearheaded the purchase and repair of the Silas Wright house for use as our parsonage. It later became the Silas Wright House and Museum. Through its 200 years, the church has been noted for its progressive stances on social issues.

A few examples: In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the church was active in supporting women’s right to vote and in supporting conservation of the Adirondacks. In the 1930’s, the church’s minster led the establishment of numerous community gardens to feed the needy. Church members were active in opposing wars in Vietnam and Iraq.

In 1974, Rev. Max Coots played a central role in establishing the Canton Church and Community Program, which provides food, clothing and other assistance to those in need.  It’s a cooperative with five other local churches. 

The church was active in the gay rights movement beginning in the 1960’s, and recognized as an LGBTQ+ welcoming congregation in 1998, and starting in 2020 has supported Black Lives Matter. Current social action undertakings are in a separate article on this page. 

Throughout the Canton church’s history there were more than 30 settled ministers.  The longest tenured minister was Max Coots who served for 34 years (1952-1992).  Unique to the times, several women have held prominent roles:  Edna Bruner as pastor (1945-1950) and Harriet Druley as Minister’s Assistant (1920) and Ann Marsh, along with husband Wade Wheelock as co-ministers (1993-2009). 

As early as the 1850’s the Universalist churches realized the importance of a formal Sunday School experience from toddlers up through young adults. 

What made the Universalist stand out was the transformation of religious education from a Bible-centric and rote-memory model to a child centered, experiential process.  The lifelong quest for truth and meaning is a major component of our church.

A major transition occurred in 1961, when the Canton Universalist Society became the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton.  The Unitarian and Universalist denominations merged, after a democratic vote of the local members.

Seeking justice, extending compassion, choosing love

Social justice is a value deeply woven into the fabric of Unitarian Universalism. At our UU church , we put our principles and values into action in many ways.

We do this not only through programs presented by the church, but also by encouraging members to become involved in our communities.

One issue of focus has been serving the needs of the immigrant communities. We have been working closely with other regional groups, and in particular Catholic Charities, to provide services such as informational and family preparedness clinics, transportation to groceries and medical care, and legal referrals when necessary.

Another recent area of focus has been advocating for passage of the New York State Medical Aid in Dying law, also known as Dignity in Dying.

We have been educating legislators and the community about the importance of providing terminally-ill patients with compassionate options for approaching death without unnecessary suffering.

Both houses of the legislature passed the bill this year, and we are currently advocating for the Governor to sign the bill into law.

In similar fashion, the UU church has a long history of support for reproductive freedom, access to healthcare, and autonomy in what we can do with our bodies.

We collect donations for our Social Action Shared Offerings, which provides a way for our members and friends to learn about and support various local, national, and international organizations that are working on both short and long-term humanitarian projects.

We also work closely with a number of local organizations who are doing important work, including the Canton Church and Community Program, Campus Kitchens Program, Gardenshare, Poor Peoples Campaign, Potsdam Interfaith Community, PFLAG and Prism. Each year, we recognize someone from the community who makes a dramatic difference in our region with the Rachel Somers Grant Social Action Award.

Every two to three years, the church undertakes a Social Justice Initiative (SJI). Each SJI brings together people and organizations from around the North Country to share information and resources to address a current issue impacting the region. 

Religious Ed encourages critical thinking

“We create a space for children to do critical thinking about living our UU values,” says RE director Carol Zimmerman.

From our preK-1st grade Spirit Play class, in the Our Whole Lives sexuality education class for 7th and 8th graders through youth group for 9th-12th grade, we encourage children to delve into their own answers to existential questions: “Where did we come from?”; “What are we doing here?”; “How do we choose to live our lives?”. We keep love at the center of our values of justice, equity, interdependence, generosity and transformation.

“We try to keep things fun and experiential, with stories, games, role-playing and hands-on activities,” she added.

Programs for infants through 12th grade use the wisdom of the world’s religions to inspire our ethical and spiritual lives, using stories from Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other sources.

We want to nurture both the head and the heart, Zimmerman noted.

For more information, visit the church web site, or call Carol at the church at 315-386-2498.

The ongoing process of faith development is a multi-generational community experience.

We work together, modeling justice, integrity, and compassion, and the respect and concern we show for our interconnected world and all its inhabitants.

Frequently asked questions

Q - Do UUs believe in God?
A - Some do, some don’t, and some are unsure. Belief in God is not required for UUs. Generally, if there is a belief in God, he or she is a loving God. For some, God might be a mystery or a universal force at the center of all that is.

Q - What do UUs believe?
A -- 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. In our church, we look to many sources for guidance and inspiration, including the world’s great religions, science, literature, nature, philosophy and more. We learn and discuss together, but ultimately each person has to determine their own values and beliefs about life and ultimate reality. The most important part is to live out our values.

Q -- Does the UU Church do traditional church things, like having a choir or holding church picnics?
A - Yes, we have a choir, we have picnics and potlucks and do so much more to build a sense of welcoming community. We hold game nights, and have many interest circles ranging from gardening and church history to a science book club. A caring circle watches out for those in need. We recently held a Connections Fair, and had more than 30 different groups from within the church.

Q --Why such a long name?
A - The Universalists and Unitarians were two separate churches that shared a philosophy of religious tolerance and religious questioning. In 1961, the national governing bodies of the two churches consolidated, creating the long name. We frequently refer to ourselves simply as UUs.

An invitation to learn more...

If it seems that UU Canton may be right for you, there are several options for you in gathering more information.

• You can spend a few moments browsing our website at www.uucantonny.org  

• You can visit with us on a Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. and observe our services in person. (Be sure to stay for social hour after the service!)

• You can give a call to the church office (315-386-2498) and get linked to someone to answer your questions.