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Our Church History
The Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (HVUUC) was founded in 1958, as the Holston Valley Unitarian Fellowship. The original group met in members' homes and the studios of WKPT radio in Kingsport, Tennessee. The congregation bought a house on Old US 23 (now State Route 36) between Kingsport and Johnson City and worshipped there for a number of years.
Eventually, they bought their present land in Gray, TN and erected their own building. Later, the kitchen and fellowship hall were added to the structure and a mobile home was purchased for use as Religious Education classrooms. Another addition to the structure was completed in November 2005 and doubled the space of the church building.
The character of the congregation has changed during the time that the church has been in existence. For much of its history, the church was lay led and service tended to have an intellectual emphasis. In recent years and presently, worship services have a more spiritual content. The congregation includes members from several different religious backgrounds, including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Hindu, among others and some who practice Buddhism, Paganism and Native American traditions. The church is proud of its tradition of inclusiveness with regard to religious background, spiritual paths, ethnic origin and sexual orientation. Members are encouraged to build their own personal theology based on reason, experience, and gained insight.
The church has had several ministers who have stayed for a short time, one to three years, and one who stayed almost six years (1999-2005). The Rev. Christine Riley, then served the church as Interim Minister for two years (2005-2007). In 2007 the church called the Reverend Jacqueline Luck as their settled minister.
