Pictured is Reverend James Townsend, the founder of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown, founded in 1885 by the Rev. James Townsend, is set to celebrate its 140th anniversary this Sunday, in a special celebratory service complete with dramatic portrayals, history lessons, music and more.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County. The UUCJ’s mission is to support and celebrate each other, encourage spiritual and individual growth, and serve the wider community.

The Congregation traces its roots to a sermon preached by Townsend on Oct. 4, 1885, in the Allen’s Opera House, the current site of the Lucille Ball Little Theatre. Townsend’s presentation of his views on religion was received so enthusiastically that by the end of the meeting, 230 people had joined the new “Independent Congregational Church,” the forerunner of the Unitarian Church.

The church is commemorating its 140th anniversary during its 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday at 1255 Prendergast Avenue. Retired Methodist minister Lauren Turner, who speaks regularly at the church, is portraying Townsend for the event. Turner notes that Rev. Townsend’s beliefs made the “New York Times” in an article “He Rejects Eternal Punishment” and sent theological shock waves across the country.

“We share a lot in common,” Turner said. “We both came from a Methodist background and were even appointed to the very same church. We both attended undergraduate school in Ohio, and we both preached there briefly. We both thought of Jamestown as our home, we both loved Chautauqua, and we both got in trouble a lot for the things we said. We even look similar.”

Turner has been doing extensive research on Townsend with the help of church members Len and Carole Faulk in preparation for his role. He said while many of Townsend’s views were shocking to people 100 years ago, many if not most of the United Methodist Church’s pastors have adopted his views now, calling him “almost a century ahead of his time.” Townsend published articles in “The Monist” magazine alongside known philosophers such as Bertrand Russell, Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey.

Turner began his undergraduate studies as a theater major, and is enjoying the chance to use some of those skills once again.

“I’ve been reading all the actual writings of Townsend I can find so I can get inside of his head,” Turner said. “We were born 118 years apart, but it’s surprising how much we think alike.”

Turner added that he finds Townsend to have been “a fascinating character”, saying he had a tragic childhood, was severely wounded in the Civil War, and was described by his acquaintances as “warm and friendly”.

“His acquaintances described him as warm and friendly, but his ‘warm and friendly’ speech generated enormous controversy, sparking articles in newspapers across the country, including the ‘New York Times’,” Turner said.

A significant part of the service will be the welcoming of new members and recognizing current ones. There will be special music, a video scrapbook, and historical artifacts will be on display.

Some of the special music also has a connection to the church’s history. UUCJ’s minister from 1957 to 1962, the Rev. Christopher Raible, went on to become very well known, at least to Unitarians, specifically for writing Unitarian lyrics to parody hymns — including “Coffee, Coffee, Coffee” to “Holy, Holy, Holy” that is the song that will close the service — Christmas carols, and other music, like “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Unitarian” to “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance”.

Unitarians as a whole are known for social action, and some social action that UUCJ has been a part of includes; in the late 1960s and early 1970s the Social Responsibility Committee, under chair Jeffrey Victor, now retired from Jamestown Community College, organized community forums and sent Letters to the Editor opposing the Vietnam War, something that was not supported by all members, but attracted many young adults.

Other social justice activities that have continued to this day for the congregation include supporting literacy, immigrants, food programs, the annual T. Richard Parker Award for Social Justice, which is a recognition of the good work of others in the community, and in July Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnson spoke at the church, to a standing room only crowd.

The service will also include Sunday Services Committee chair Linnea Haskin leading the service, and UUCJ’s pianist, Julie Anderson will provide her usual music. Congregant and former board president Emily Garrick is preparing a welcoming ceremony for new members along with a recognition of current members. Current board of trustees president David Winner has secured and prepared a cabinet that will display historical artifacts, many provided by long-time members Len and Carole Faulk. In addition to his other tasks, tech guru John Anderson is creating a video scrapbook that will play before the service and during the luncheon that follows. The luncheon will be a catered donations-only Baked Potato/Salad Bar, fit for vegans, vegetarians, and those who are gluten-free, and a special cake that is none of those.

The public is invited to come out on Sunday to help the congregation celebrate, and the church hopes people will come to learn more about their history, both older and more recent.

All are welcome to the service and the donation-only catered luncheon that follows at 1255 Prendergast Avenue. To participate virtually, use the link at UUJamestown.org/calendar. Parking is available behind the church. To learn more about the UUCJ visit UUJamestown.org or find them on Facebook.