The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport does not rush things.
Whether the issue is tapping the endowment to pay for building maintenance, or where to stand on a social justice issue, members study and debate deliberately.
Then they act decisively.
That’s the process they’re taking to replace former minister Rev. Dr. John Morehouse.
When Rev. Alan Taylor showed interest in becoming interim minister — while still serving at Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois, where he’d developed a refugee resettlement program and mental health awareness team, engaged his church in legislative advocacy and charity work, and where his wife and teenage children were living happily — they worked out a hybrid model.
Rev. Taylor spends 10 days a month in Westport. Back home, he carries out his duties via email, Zoom and phone. He serves in partnered ministry with UU Westport’s longtime minister of music, Rev. Ed Thompson.
Rev. Alan Taylor
The Westport church still has not called a permanent minister. They’ve renewed Rev. Taylor’s contract for a second year, through August of 2025.
And there’s an option to renew it again, for one more year after that.
As he did a year ago, Rev. Taylor asked his family if the arrangement was okay. His wife, Angelica Taylor-Cortes, gave up her career as a language instructor and cross-cultural consultant to stay at home with their children, now 16 and 13.
Being away from his family one-third of every month is not easy. But, Rev. Taylor says, “my wife recognizes how fulfilled I am. This is such meaningful work, providing leadership to a congregation that was once a flagship in our denomination.”
The congregation is still, he says, “thoughtful and engaged. They want to create a community that benefits themselves, and the entire country.
“A significant number of folks want to figure out how to live their faith in a meaningful way, through charity, social justice and advocacy.”
Noted architect Victor Lundy designed Westport’s striking Unitarian Universalist building.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport has a long, storied history. Activists like Jerry and Denny Davidoff were national leaders in the UU movement. The church played a major role too when Connecticut considered eliminating the death penalty.
Locally, Rev. Ed Lane had coordinated clergy to protest the Vietnam War.
Over the years though, the local church pulled back a bit. There was, Rev. Taylor learned, “a certain amount of conflict” over the past decade.
They always continued their charity work. During COVID, for example, the congregation provided meals in Bridgeport, by making sack lunches. It was the only organization to do so.
That type of problem-solving — and the Westport church’s history — appealed to Rev. Taylor, whose background included 3 years as a counselor for abused children, and working in Illinois on gun violence prevention, the criminal justice system, and with undocumented immigrants.
In Westport — and from his home office in Oak Park — Rev. Taylor wants to help the church here lay the groundwork for the next 25 or 30 years.
The sanctuary on Lyons Plains Road.
He is challenging the congregation to have “difficult conversations about what is important, both as a group and one-on-one. We need to understand what we really value.”
To do that, Rev. Taylor says, “individuals need to hear each other’s thoughts. These are not natural conversations to have. They take incredible energy. But they can be really beautiful.”
Church members like David Vita are, he notes, “very effective at this. They’re helping us figure out how to come together as a progressive faith community, and discern our core commitments.”
In Westport, Rev. Taylor has joined with other clergy on important projects. After October 7 he headed to Temple Israel, the congregation’s Coleytown Road neighbor.
In return, Rabbi Michael Friedman brought their Torah to the UU church.
Rev. Taylor has also taken his congregants to Bridgeport’s Islamic Center, to show solidarity.
The newly rehired interim minister looks forward to uniting the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport over the next 16 months.
Or perhaps the next 30.
Rev. Alan Taylor.
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