First Unitarian Church of the River

Welcome
If you...

—are looking for a religious community in which to seek spiritual growth…
—are eager to consider religious questions with others who are not always certain they have all the answers, but who are determined to keep searching for them…
—would like the fellowship of others for worship, discussion and education, friendship and mutual support…
—are seeking a church where the freedom of the pulpit and the freedom of the pew are equally respected…
—desire an opportunity for women and men, regardless of race, color, religion of origin, business connections or political affiliations, to come together and be more concerned with the love of people than the love of things…
—want children to be helped to develop their spiritual curiosity, compassion and critical thinking…
—wish to preserve and extend the traditions of democracy, freedom of conscience and human dignity…
You should get to know us!

Our church is rooted in the Judeo-Christian heritage and came into being during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. We have no creeds to which members must agree, and affirm the 16th century statement of the Unitarian minister Francis David, "We need not think alike to love alike." We also affirm the Protestant notion of the "priesthood of all believers" by asserting that final authority for religious faith should rest in the conscience and experience of the individual. Though the congregation exhibits a wide spectrum of religious thought, we agree that faith involves inquiry. Thus our church exists to institutionalize religious freedom.

The First Unitarian Church of Memphis was organized in 1893 and moved to the river bluff in 1966 where it became known as "The Church of the River." We are a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, formed in 1961 by the merger of the American Unitarian Association which was founded in 1825 and the Universalist Church of America which was founded in 1778. We bring together the historic Unitarian affirmation of "One God, with many ways of worship" and the Universalist belief that no person is beyond the saving power of redemptive love.

We provide worship in a unique setting overlooking the Mississippi River. Services seek to uplift the heart and engage the mind. Our emphasis is not on saving souls, but on providing a religious community of inquiry and affection where one may grow his or her soul.

292 Virginia Avenue West Memphis, TN
901.526.8631 |  website