body
WHEREAS, in 1820, glass industrialist Benjamin Bakewell and Reverend John Campbell constructed Pittsburgh’s First Unitarian Church at the corner of Smithfield Street and Oliver Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, in 1904, as the city of Pittsburgh grew and the message of Unitarian Universalism continued to spread, the First Unitarian Church outgrew its space and moved into its current location on the corner of Morewood Avenue and Ellsworth Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood; and,
WHEREAS, in 1906, Reverend Thomas Clayton and Dr. Robert H. Gilliford founded the Second Unitarian Church in Allegheny City and dedicated the North Side Unitarian Church at Resaca Place and West North Avenue in 1910; and,
WHEREAS, over the years, the two congregations focused their social activism efforts on addressing racism, homelessness, food insecurity, living wages, environmental protection, immigration, gun violence, LGBTQ rights, and other causes that help make Pittsburgh more livable for all; and,
WHEREAS, today, First and Second Unitarian Churches actively participate in the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network, which serves as an interfaith voice of justice and progressivism for Pittsburgh’s religious institutions and undertakes other justice work throughout the city; and,
WHEREAS, the Greater Pittsburgh Cluster of Unitarian Universalist Churches, which represents the eleven congregations in the Pittsburgh region and their members, convenes an Annual Assembly to discuss shared values, ways to promote interconnectedness with other faiths, and the vision for a more compassionate, just, and equitable Pittsburgh.
title
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize the charitable contributions of the Greater Pittsburgh Cluster of Unitarian Universalist Churches and commend the group for developing a progressive mission for Pittsburgh at its 2016 Assembly; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare November 5th, 2016 to be “Unitarian Universalists of Greater Pittsburgh Assembly Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.