Welcome to the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville!

Our church has over 300 active members. We come from a range of religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and we value the diversity that each individual brings to our growing congregation. Our mission and covenant guide us in our goals of a safe and compassionate community, seeking our spiritual truths, affirming our interdependence, celebrating our differences, and creating a thoughtful and harmonious voice for liberal religion. Our bylaws reflect our commitment to inclusivity.

Many in our congregation have been with us for a very long time, while many others are very new. We are all exploring what our community does and how it might fit our needs and lives. We learn and grow from our differences. And we all uphold our shared values: 

  • Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
  • Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
  • Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
  • Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
  • Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
  • Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.
Our History and Architecture

According to the history of our church, Unitarians have been in Nashville on and off since 1851. Our congregation began in 1950, and in 1963 completed the building we now use and love. The building was designed by Bruce Draper, and inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s design for the First Unitarian Society in Madison, Wisconsin.

We acknowledge the Cherokee, Shawnee, and Yuchi people, the traditional custodians of the land on which the chapel stands. We recognize that they have occupied and cared for this land over countless generations, and we celebrate their continuing contributions to the life of the world.

We belong to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), which represents the interests of more than one thousand Unitarian Universalist congregations, on a continental scale.

View a Brief Timeline of Our History
An Involved Congregation with a Focus on Social Action

Community and lay leadership are core values of our congregation. These are nourished in many ways, including lifespan religious education, music ministries, and a wide variety of dynamic and involved committees. One of our largest programs is Social Justice, whose goal is “to build a world where each person’s inherent worth and dignity is affirmed.”

We Are A Welcoming and Affirming Congregation

The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville has made a commitment to opening its doors to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Join us as we worship and as we hold each member of our community as a sacred being.

Each of us has worth and dignity, and that worth includes our gender and sexuality. We the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville not only open our doors to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, but we value a diversity of sexuality and gender and see it as a spiritual gift. We create inclusive religious communities and work for LGBTQ justice and equity as a core part of who we are. All of who you are is sacred. All of who you are is welcome.