The Church of the River, located in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, a liberal religious tradition. Services are held each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Unitarian churches have no creeds to which members must agree. Each congregation has its own covenant, or statement of purpose, which describes the spirit of how members are united in religious community. The Church of the River covenant states:

''The purpose of this church shall be to promote the high ideals of a rational, progressive, and exalting religion, in the love of God and service to humanity, and to hold regular church services in this community. To this end, all activities of the church shall be conducted without distinction related to race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or previous religious affiliations; and the right of private judgment and the sacredness of individual conviction shall be recognized in all things. To join our church is to walk with other members of the congregation in the spirit of our covenant.''

History

The Church of the River traces its roots to 1893.

Edward Everett Hale Edward Everett Hale (April 3, 1822 – June 10, 1909) was an American author, historian, and Unitarian minister, best known for his writings such as " The Man Without a Country", published in '' Atlantic Monthly'', in support of the Union ...

, Unitarian minister and author of ''

The Man Without a Country "The Man Without a Country" is a short story by American writer Edward Everett Hale, first published in ''The Atlantic'' in December 1863. It is the story of American Army lieutenant Philip Nolan, who renounces his country during a trial for t ...

'', was instrumental in influencing the church's first minister, Frederick Preston, to come to Memphis. From the fall of 1898 to about 1900, there were no regular ministers. But the congregation regrouped, and was chartered as the First Unitarian Church of Memphis in 1912. In 1965, the church moved to its current location on the Fourth

Chickasaw Bluff The Chickasaw Bluff is the high ground rising about above the Mississippi River flood plain between Fulton in Lauderdale County, Tennessee and Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee. This elevation, shaped as four bluffs, is named for the Chickas ...

facing the Mississippi River, and has become known as the Church of the River. The building, constructed from an award-winning design by architect and church member

Roy Harrover Roy Perkins Harrover, FAIA (November 23, 1928 – December 13, 2016) was an American architect who designed the Memphis International Airport as well as numerous civic buildings across the southern United States. His designs range in style from N ...

, features five floor-to-ceiling windows in the sanctuary that look out over the river. Reverend Sam Teitel is the current minister.

References

Churches in Memphis, Tennessee Unitarian Universalist churches in Tennessee {{Tennessee-church-stub