The Rev. Mervin C. Helfrich served the North Branch Association congregations (Athens, Sheshequin, Standing Stone, and Towanda) from 1949 to 1951.  I recently came across his ironic “Litany for a Self-Satisfied Church,” which was published in the Christian Century magazine in 1958.  The litany was noticed by syndicated religion columnist Dr. Charles L. Allen and … Continue reading Litany for a Self-Satisfied Church

This is the second of two posts that are adapted from a reflection given at the UUCAS worship service on Sunday, March 26, 2023. In Part 1 of this series, I told a story about Joseph Kinney’s generosity.  Here are two more stories about members of the Kinney family: Julia Kinney Scott’s “The Slave” Julia … Continue reading Living Our Values, Part 2

These two posts are adapted from a reflection given at the UUCAS worship service on Sunday, March 26, 2023. The early Universalists were distinguished from their “orthodox” Christian neighbors by their belief that everyone would be reunited with God after death.  In the early 1800s, most Christians of other denominations believed that only a few … Continue reading Living Our Values, Part 1

Julia Kinney Scott (1809-1842), a member of the Sheshequin Universalist Society, was well-known during her lifetime, and for decades after her death, as a poet.  An extensive biography and collection of her poems, compiled by her friend Mrs. Caroline (Fisher) Sawyer, was published in 1853, eleven years after Julia’s untimely death.  While the book contains … Continue reading Julia Kinney on the Church Roof

In the late 1950s, the Sheshequin and Athens congregations were grieving the deaths of several long-time members.  Their minister, the Rev. Harry Means, proposed soliciting memorial donations to purchase some new furnishings for the Sheshequin meeting house, where the two congregations had been worshipping together since 1948. Means designed two flower stands, a pulpit and … Continue reading Oscar’s Flower Stand

I have noted in earlier posts that Universalists were disproportionately drawn to spiritualism in the nineteenth century.  Many, like the Rev. James Peebles, were ministers.  At least a few members of our local Universalist congregations also gravitated to spiritualism.  One of them, Laura Steele McAlpin, became a well-known lecturer on the subject. Laura Eliza Steele … Continue reading Laura McAlpin, Spiritualist Lecturer

This post is adapted from a talk I gave at the joint worship service of the Binghamton, Cortland, and Athens/Sheshequin congregations on Oct. 16, 2022. One silver lining in the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the development of our congregations’ capabilities to connect virtually with our members and with each other.  Binghamton, Cortland, … Continue reading 200 Years of Collaboration

A few years ago I wrote about a scrapbook at the Tioga Point Museum that I concluded probably belonged to Athens church member Ida Winifred Corbin.  Here are some Universalist tidbits from newspaper clippings in that scrapbook: Obituaries of Obadiah Gore and Matilda Shaw Gore Matilda Shaw and her soon-to-be husband Obadiah Gore were among … Continue reading The Ida Corbin Scrapbook, Part 2

During the Athens church’s morning worship service on Jul. 3, 1882, the congregation received two surprises – a new name and a gift from Philadelphia. After the singing and a prayer, the minister, the Rev. Benjamin Brunning, stepped down from the pulpit and told the congregation “that it was the wish of himself and some … Continue reading Surprises in 1882

In Part 1, I noted that opposition to consolidation was strong in the North Branch churches, with the possible exception of Athens.  Herbert Campbell, the long-time Clerk of the congregation, and his wife Mazie supported consolidation. The Athens congregation, which had no building and only a handful of members, experienced a sudden influx of new … Continue reading The Consolidation Rebellion, Part 2