Who we are and what we are about
News –
The recent disclosure from the federal government that an undercover agent from the Department of Homeland Security engaged in surveillance within our building, while not a surprise, demonstrates the continued disregard for the rights of free speech that are guaranteed by our Constitution. This surveillance has reached not only First Universalist Church, but several other congregations and nonprofit organizations in our larger Twin Cities community.
There is no need for covert surveillance of our church community. We make no secret about who we are and what we are about. Founded in 1859, our mission has been clear for more than 166 years. We are a people of love and hope who believe that each and every person is born whole and holy and worthy, welcome and wanted exactly as they are, all with room to grow. We believe that the experience of unconditional love is the ground from which Beloved Community grows. We believe that a world of justice and joy is possible not only in the hereafter, but in the here and now, and our faith compels us to do everything we can to create it.
When you join us in our building, you will see people of all ages laughing and crying, singing and praying, learning and laughing. You will see us sharing meals and making friends across generations and across differences. You will see us comforting the sick and the grieving, welcoming the stranger and the outcast, and celebrating the milestones of life and faith. There is no secret about who we are and what we do. As has been true for generations, the church at its best holds up a moral mirror to the empire it finds itself within, and strives to make the largest love available to the most vulnerable among us. This is who we are. This is what we do. This is the work of the church.
Department of Homeland Security Spied on Churches in the Twin Cities