Rev. Smith’s Winding Path To Westport

For Rev. Carlton Smith, the road to his position as the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport’s new senior minister was long and winding.

It began in Holly Springs, Mississippi. There were stops in Virginia, Queens, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Oakland, before he arrived at Lyons Plains Road.

Rev. Smth’s religious path was also neither straight, nor preordained.

Raised in the United Methodist tradition, he entered divinity school as a Pentecostal.

That’s about as far theologically from the UU church as Westport is, geographically, from Holly Springs.

The other day the minister sat in his new office, with views of the woods that have inspired congregants for 7 decades, and discussed the journey that brought him here.

It included Howard University (where he was in student government with classmate Kamala Harris), and an early job at the Discovery Channel in Washington.

Thirty years ago, heeding a call to the ministry, he returned to Howard for divinity school. He had joined the evangelical Pentecostal church.

But when a classmate invited him to a Unitarian Universalist Service, he discovered a tradition — including a strong emphasis on social justice — he’d never known of.

UU’s lack of a formal creed appealed to Smith too.

Rev. Carlton Smith, outside his new home. (Photo/Dan Woog)

He served in communities throughout the East — and in California — before joining the Unitarian Universalist Association staff. He led the Southern region – from Texas to Virginia, then headed a team of 10 overseeeing congregations from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast, plus Alaska and Hawaii.

His favorite place? “Each has its own magic. I like wherever I am at the moment.”

Right now, that’s Westport.

Smith has been impressed with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s “depth of history, sense of commitment, and all who have helped it thrive.” He was attracted to “the abundance of social justice programs, and the engagement with the community.”

Smith will serve as senior minister for a year, while a search committee seeks its next settled pastor.

That’s a familiar spot. He is an Accredited Interim Minister, filling the position in a number of places.

It’s a specialized role. Interim ministers “hold the congregation together, as it discerns its identity: what it wants to hold on to, and let go of,” Smith explains.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.

The match between a congregation and its minister is “like online dating,” he notes. There is a website where UU communities look for ministers, and ministers look for vacancies. Each provides detailed information. If there is mutual interest, in-person meetings follow.

Smith’s interest in Westport was piqued not only by UU’s rich legacy and social justice commitment, but something more personal. Westporter and member Denny Davidoff served as moderator — the highest lay position in national leadership — from 1992 to 2000. She helped shape liberal religion in North America, and inter-religious dialogue globally.

Smith knew her, through his work on the UUA staff.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport faces several challenges. Like many religious institutions, it still grapples with the effects of COVID on membership and participation.

“People are more selective now about their discretionary time. Volunteerism is a challenge,” Smith explains.

For a congregation that emphasizes social justice, this is a fraught time. It is also a time, Smith says, “when communities like ours must step into the gap.”

On the other hand, “when people are anxious, they seek out a congregation like ours. They’re looking for like-minded people, to grieve losses with, and share.” Westport church “can be a magnet for people looking for a place to belong.”

Since beginning his new post on August 15, Smith has met many congregants, on committees, in interest groups and at potlucks.

“This congregation does hospitality well,” he says. “There is no shortage of opportunities to gather around food and fellowship. People have great appreciation for each other.”

He sat in on 2 Sunday services, and led his first one this past weekend. Just before Labor Day, he spoke about the contributions of the labor movement to American society.

Ahead: meeting other faith leaders in town.

And, on September 14, the reopening of the Unitarian Universalists’ sanctuary, after renovations.

It’s a new look, for a new season — and a new minister.

The view from the sanctuary. (Photo/David Vita)