Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship

Lella Lowe
2026-05-10 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Exploring a Faith-Based Response to Climate Migration

The global surge in migration over the past decades, often linked to climate change, is now frequently in the news and has spurred a new era of hard-right politics in wealthier countries, including the United States. According to Colette Pichon Battle, a New Orleans-based climate justice strategist and lawyer, “We must start preparing for global migration today. It’s a reality now. Our cities and our communities are not prepared.”

Join Lella Lowe, long-time environmental champion, as she sets the stage for what we are facing and invites conversation about the role of faith communities in preparing for climate-linked mobility and our call to compassion and solidarity with the poor and the stranger.

Lella Lowe is a long-time climate justice champion, involved for many years in creation care programming at her church and in her Episcopal diocese. She has obtained climate justice certifications from the EPA, Climate Reality and Blessed Tomorrow, and is a member of the Mobile Environmental Justice Action Coalition, Gulf Coast Creation Care, and Mobile Bay Sierra Club. Lella has been rattling creation justice cages at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Mobile for nearly 40 years.

Kelly Childress
2026-05-17 11:00 - 12:00
Council on Aging

Kelly will discuss resources available in Baldwin County for the aging population. The Council on Aging’s mission is to serve as an advocate for Baldwin County seniors. To educate and enlist the support of all levels of government, service agencies and private organizations that can assist with securing resources and implementing programs. The Council on Aging is dedicated to preserving dignity, independence, and peace of mind for the senior citizens of Baldwin County.

Born and raised in Baldwin County, Kelly has been employed with the Council on Aging for 26 years.

FUF Flower Communion
2026-05-24 11:00 - 12:00
The Flower Communion is a UU celebration originated in 1923 by Rev. Norbert Capek, a Unitarian minister in Czechoslovakia. His wife Maja Capek, also a Unitarian minister, introduced it in 1940 at the Bedford Massachusetts Unitarian Church where she was serving at the time. The program will include information on the Capeks, the historical era of WWII and his acquaintance with Rev. Waitstill and Martha Sharp who are featured in the Ken Burns documentary, Defying the Nazis.

This ritual is not a historical reenactment, but an affirmation of our continuity with the generations of struggle for liberty. You are each asked to bring a flower to the Fellowship, from your gardens, field, or roadside. Upon entry, we will place these flowers in a vase. At the end of the service, each of you will take from the vase a different flower from the one you brought. This symbolized the uniqueness of each individual and the coming together in communion to share this uniqueness.

Presenters:

Mary Anderson has been a Unitarian Universalist for over 20 years and currently serves as President of the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship. Originally from Minnesota, she now resides in Daphne.

Mark Preston has been involved with Unitarian Universalism for two years and serves as FUF’s Second Vice Chair and Program Coordinator. Originally from New York, he now lives in Fairhope with his wife, Joanne.

Carol Motley
2026-05-31 11:00 - 12:00
Quakers in Fairhope: A 100+ Year History

Dr. Motley will share the origins of the Fairhope Friends (Quaker) Meeting on Fairhope Avenue, just down the street from FUF. The meeting and its historic building have been part of the community for over 100 years and carry a rich history. Her talk will include the story of the meeting’s founding, the building itself, and a story of Conscientious Objection. She will also reflect on her personal understanding of what it means to be a Quaker and welcomes questions and conversation.

Dr. Carol Motley attends the Fairhope Friends Quaker Meeting. She is a retired family physician who spent most of her career in academic medicine, including 12 years at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Recently, she presented at the Annual Meeting of the Alabama Historical Association on the legacy of Quakers in Fairhope. She lives in Spanish Fort with her two basset hounds.

Scott McNair: Indivisible Baldwin County
2026-06-07 11:00 - 12:00
Indivisible Baldwin County began as a way for local residents to come together and speak out on issues impacting their community by organizing rallies and public demonstrations across the county, including the “No Kings” protests. The group felt it was important for local residents to have a dissenting voice, under the philosophy that “silence is compliance.”

Meanwhile, the immigrant community has suffered greatly amid increased ICE enforcement, and Baldwin County has been among the hardest-hit areas in the nation, with more than 3,000 individuals being detained, arrested, or deported since January of last year.

As a result, Indivisible has become increasingly focused on supporting immigrants and their families within the community. The organization monitors ICE activity in the county, collects donations for mutual aid and support to impacted families, and offers assistance to those choosing to self-deport.

Scott McNair will talk about how Indivisible supports the community and will discuss practical ways that others can get involved and help.

Scott McNair is a member of Indivisible Baldwin County, a grassroots organization dedicated to resisting authoritarianism and giving local citizens a voice. A key focus of the organization has been providing mutual aid and support to members of the immigrant community affected by increased ICE enforcement during recent years.

Alan Samry
2026-06-14 11:00 - 12:00
Organic Matters: Marietta Johnson and Her School

Organic Matters will provide an overview of Marietta Johnson’s School of Organic Education from its founding in 1907 to the reopening of Marietta Johnson Museum in the newly restored Bell Building on the Fairhope Campus of Coastal Alabama Community College.

Alan Samry, a below-the-knee amputee, is a writer, librarian, and historian. He serves as the Coordinator of Library Services and the Marietta Johnson Museum on the Fairhope Campus of Coastal Alabama Community College. Alan serves as the Place 5 Director of the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation, a Fairhope Historic Preservation Commissioner, and is a contributing writer to Mobile Bay Magazine.

UUA General Assembly - Live-Streamed
2026-06-21 10:00 - 11:00
Please note: due to the live broadcast schedule, this program will begin at 10:00am rather than our usual 11:00am Sunday program time.

Join us as we live-stream the 2026 Unitarian Universalist General Assembly Sunday program, part of the UUA’s annual gathering that brings together Unitarian Universalists from across the country.

This year’s virtual “Everywhere GA” format offers an opportunity for connection, reflection, music, and inspiration as we gather together at the Fellowship to participate in the experience as a community. The 2026 Sunday program will feature Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryu.

For more information on the General Assembly, go to https://www.uua.org/ga

Victoria Taylor, AIDB
2026-06-28 11:00 - 12:00
“What Compassion Sounds Like: Creating Spaces of Equity and Understanding”

Grounded in the Unitarian Universalist principle of justice, equity, and compassion in human relations, this talk explores what it means to create a world where every person is fully seen, understood, and supported. Drawing from my work with individuals who are Deaf, Blind, and DeafBlind, I will highlight both the human experience of access and the role of AIDB services that support independence, communication, and dignity. The talk is designed to move from awareness to action within a community context.

Victoria Taylor serves as the Director of the Mobile Regional Center for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, where she leads community-based services for individuals who are Deaf, Blind, DeafBlind, or experiencing hearing and vision differences. As the hearing daughter of Deaf parents and a trained historian, Victoria brings both personal insight and diverse professional expertise to conversations about access, dignity, and belonging. Her work focuses on helping individuals and families connect to the services, tools, and support they need to live fully in their communities.

Tom Czekanski
2026-07-05 11:00 - 12:00
The 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

We have all heard of the Declaration of Independence, but how many of us know what it says? Mr. Czekanski will read the Declaration. You may be surprised by what you hear.

A retired museum curator Mr. Czekanski is enjoying his retirement in Silverhill, AL and sharing his interest in history.

Mary Anderson & Virginia McClintock
2026-07-12 11:00 - 12:00
UU History, Part 1: Early History of UU

Mary Anderson and Virginia McClintock will present this special 3-part series on UU History.

Over the centuries, historical events suppressed and inspired religious thinking that led to Unitarian Universalism concepts. Unitarian Universalists over the ages have been radicals living in small minorities, often prolific writers and/or orators, who have brought us to who we are today. It began with Origen and Arius of Alexandria in the 3rd and 4th centuries proposing one God (Unity) rather than the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This idea was suppressed under the Nicene Creed, the Crusades, European Wars of Religion, re-emerging through Reformation, Calvin’s TULIP, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and Transylvania!

Mary Anderson moved to Daphne, Alabama in 2024 and is a 20-year Unitarian Universalist currently serving as President of FUF. Her other title is “Grandma” to a bunch of grands and greats—”It keeps you young and makes you old!”

Virginia McClintock chose Fairhope in September 2025 in large part due to the UU Fellowship and a hunch that she could meet quirky, interesting folks in Fairhope. She was an active member of First Unitarian Church in San Diego in the 1990’s.

Mary Anderson & Virginia McClintock
2026-07-19 11:00 - 12:00
UU History, Part 2: UU Coming to America

Mary Anderson and Virginia McClintock will present this special 3-part series on UU History.

Unitarianism came to America via the Puritans; Unitarianism and Deism influenced our Founding Fathers; Unitarianism emerged over the centuries; and Unitarians and Universalism merged as one faith in 1961 providing us with our Living Traditions, Principles, and Values.

Mary Anderson moved to Daphne, Alabama in 2024 and is a 20-year Unitarian Universalist currently serving as President of FUF. Her other title is “Grandma” to a bunch of grands and greats—”It keeps you young and makes you old!”

Virginia McClintock chose Fairhope in September 2025 in large part due to the UU Fellowship and a hunch that she could meet quirky, interesting folks in Fairhope. She was an active member of First Unitarian Church in San Diego in the 1990’s.

Bellamy Watson
2026-07-26 11:00 - 12:00
The Wheel of the Year: The Pagan Sabbats

A brief overview of the Celtic holidays that many modern pagans celebrate, and a deeper look at the next one, with some rituals you can do to honor it.

Bellamy Watson (He/They) has been a practicing pagan for around ten years. He mostly works with Demeter, though he calls upon gods from many pantheons when he needs their particular expertise.

Dr. Suzanne Tormoen
2026-08-02 11:00 - 12:00
“Breakthroughs That Shaped Modern Medicine”

This talk explores key developments in infectious disease, neurology, genetics, surgery, emergency care, and modern therapeutics. Its central theme is simple: progress in medicine often comes from careful observation, the courage to challenge established ideas, and stronger evidence. Through these examples, we will see not only how treatments changed, but also how physicians learned to think differently about disease.

Dr. Suzanne Tormoen is a recently retired internal medicine physician with a master’s degree in nutrition. Raised as a Unitarian, she has lived in Fairhope and Mobile for 42 years.

Mary Anderson & Virginia McClintock
2026-08-09 11:00 - 12:00
UU History, Part 3: UU Coming to Fairhope, AL

Mary Anderson and Virginia McClintock will present this special 3-part series on UU History.

In the Utopian community of Fairhope, Alabama, a bunch of free thinkers came together and gradually formed the Fairhope Unitarian (Universalist) Fellowship now growing and thriving!

Mary Anderson moved to Daphne, Alabama in 2024 and is a 20-year Unitarian Universalist currently serving as President of FUF. Her other title is “Grandma” to a bunch of grands and greats—”It keeps you young and makes you old!”

Virginia McClintock chose Fairhope in September 2025 in large part due to the UU Fellowship and a hunch that she could meet quirky, interesting folks in Fairhope. She was an active member of First Unitarian Church in San Diego in the 1990’s.

Going Native! (With Plants)
2026-08-16 11:00 - 12:00
This talk explores the growing sustainability movement to convert lawns to native plants and pollinator-friendly landscapes with a wilder, more naturalistic design focus. The speaker will discuss the history of lawns and turf grasses, as well as the types of native plants best suited for pollinators in our area. This talk will also cover the initiatives the Landscape Committee has begun on the Fellowship grounds.

Growing plants and landscapes has been an interest of our speaker since the age of eight. She was a Master Gardener in Alabama and Tennessee from 2013-2019, completed her Advanced Master Gardener certification in Landscape Design in 2019, and passed the Alabama landscape design exam in 2018. She has volunteered at Cheekwood in Nashville, the Nashville Zoo, and the Gardens at South Illinois University of Edwardsville. In 2019, she also worked for three months on the 30-acre Edward Jones campus in St. Louis, Missouri.

FUF Circle
2026-08-23 11:00 - 12:00
More information coming soon.

"The Power of Our Past"
2026-08-30 11:00 - 12:00
Speaker: Beverly Cooper

Grassroots advocacy was used to gain power for our community yesterday and it is still the energizing force that will sustain us today.

Beverly Cooper, co-founder of STAND-UP MOBILE a community engagement organization dedicated to bringing the voice of the Black community to community needs and issues at all levels. Beverly is chairman of the CNB Bancorp Inc., holding company for the Commonwealth National Bank of Mobile.

www.standupmobile.org

A Celebration of American Labor in Poem and Song
2026-09-06 11:00 - 12:00
Speaker: Mike Turner

In observance of Labor Day, Fairhope poet/songwriter Mike Turner shares a selection of poems and songs that celebrate the American Worker.

Mike Turner was named 2017 Male Gospel Entertainer of the Year by the North America Country Music Associations International; featured performing his original songs about life on the Gulf Coast at the 2020 Monroeville Literary Festival; and is president-elect of the Alabama State Poetry Society, which previously named Mike as its 2025 Poet of the Year.

www.facebook.com/MikeTurnerSongwriter
