Last spring I learned about Ray and Frances Johnson, former members of UUCH, who were considering making a generous donation to this church they helped found over 50 years ago. Although the Johnsons moved away, they remained Unitarian Universalist. First, though, it appears they wanted to find out how we were doing as a congregation. So Nic Cable, a Donor Relations Specialist from the UUA, contacted me with questions about our current situation. When I told him I was in my 14th year as the minister here, that our professional staff included both a Religious Educator and a Choir Director, and that we had just renovated and moved to a larger facility, more suitable to our current mission and vision, he replied with certainty that they would be pleased to hear that we were doing so well.

A good bit of time went by before Ray Johnson actually contacted me. When he did, Ray asked what projects we might need support of, such as a capital need or fund for specific community projects. I told him how excited we were about our new facility and the potential to grow and serve in our new location. I explained that even with our successful capital campaign and the sale of our former building, our needs for renovations to increase visibility and accessibility might be more than our fund would allow.

A few days later, Pam Korb was surprised to find a generous donation, equal to a healthy annual pledge, from the Johnsons. A few weeks later we received another donation from their daughter, Daphne Holterman.

It’s good to know that even after all these years, UUCH is still in the hearts of those who helped give birth to the congregation, and who support its continued growth and service to the larger Unitarian Universalist vision. As we contemplate our own pledges to the church, we can remember the Johnson and Holterman families, who continue to find satisfaction in the work they started here so many years ago. May we, too, take pride in knowing that what we pledge today is also a gift to future generations of Unitarian Universalists in Huntsville.