About Us

Founded in 1958 as a small group of families who wanted a religious education alternative for their children, our Fellowship now consists of over 115 members and friends of all ages.

During the early years members met in each others homes. The Fellowship grew rapidly as the only liberal voice in a small central Oregon town. Two factors fueled the growth, the Vietnam War and the lucky happenstance that the first community college in Oregon was founded in Bend. Some of the community college staff joined the Fellowship just as opposition to the war was mounting. The combination of the intellectual excitement of newcomers and the social activism of the 1960s made for a powerful stimulus for growth.

A small building was purchased and continued growth seemed inevitable. The Fellowship grew to a peak of about 140 members during that time. Unfortunately a clash of cultures resulted between some of our members, who were also on the faculty of the community college, and the college administration. The straw that broke the community's back was a public reading of Allen Ginsburg's "Howl." The controversy led to the dismissal of several faculty/UU members and the eventual downfall of the college president who initiated the firings. One of the ironies of that era was that the president of the college at that time later returned to Bend to become an active member of our Fellowship.

In the late 1970s the Fellowship's vitality began to lag and membership started to decline. The building became difficult to maintain and eventually was sold. By the early 1980s membership was at an all time low of five people. Ken Robinson, a retired mill worker, decided to try to revitalize the Fellowship. He used money from the sale of the old to rent meeting space. It was like starting all over again. The group met twice a month, usually in a discussion group format. Eventually the lay-led group hired local speakers and an occasional UU minister from the Willamette Valley to supplement discussion Sundays. The Fellowship was a very independent group with a strong humanistic flair that did not really feel connected with the larger UU movement. Religious Education happened when families with kids joined the group. The Fellowship usually moved every couple of years as rental conditions necessitated. Growth was slow in the 1990s, but by the end of the century the membership had grown to 32 people.

During the 1990s the face of Bend began to change. The word got out about Bend's sunny weather and incredible recreation opportunities. Bend became a rapidly growing destination and retirement community. Some of those arriving were retirees from larger cities with well established UU churches. The newcomers brought new talents, vision and leadership. A choir was formed, a part-time church administrator was hired and new worship elements were added to the Sunday service. UU ministers from some of the larger western Oregoncities played a larger role in our Sunday services.

By 2004 the Fellowship had grown to 63 members and a serious discussion began regarding the benefits of part-time ministry. Although finances were tight the Fellowship felt the time was right to hire our first consulting minister. Rev. Jeanne Pupke was hired 1/4 time in 2004 and she moved to 1/3 time in 2005. Her hiring had a dramatic affect on the Fellowship. She brought continuity in the pulpit, an emphasis on new members, and a high level of pastoral care. Membership grew 50% to 94 members during that two year period. During that time the Fellowship relocated to a larger church building, hired a part time Religious Education director, increased the budget of the music program, and worked to strengthen the Fellowship's various committees.

In 2006 Rev. Pupke decided to accept a position as the minister in Richmond, Virginia. A new phase of our Fellowship began with the search to call a permanent, if part-time, minister. We were fortunate to find Rev. Heather Starr who now leads us in our commitment to growth as we move from a family sized congregation toward a pastoral sized church, and as we become the voice for liberal religion in Central Oregon.