Verdis Robinson in Person at Unitarian Church Sunday, February 12, 2023

Verdis LeVar Robinson

​Jamestown, N.Y. – Members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown (UUCJ) are excited to welcome Verdis LeVar Robinson as their in-person preacher on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

A newly fellowshipped Unitarian Universalist minister, Robinson is UUCJ’s regular first Sunday preacher, normally addressing them from Vermont, where he serves the Unitarian Church of Montpelier as ministerial coordinator of worship arts production and adult religious education. 

Robinson, who hails from Rochester, New York, will discuss “Frederick Douglass’s Dreams” at the 10:30 a.m. hybrid service.

Douglass also called Rochester home. His dreams of freedom and liberty brought him there in 1847, where he lived till 1872, longer than anywhere else in his life. Robinson asks, “Why were his dreams deferred in Rochester rather than realized? As we honor Black History Month and seek to build a Beloved Community, what wisdom can we glean from Douglass’ dreams?”

The sermon primarily relates to the second of the seven principles that Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm, promote and hold as strong values and moral guides: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.

In May, Robinson will receive his Master of Divinity from Chicago’s Meadville Lombard Theological School. He also holds a B.M. in Voice Performance from Boston University, a B.S. cum laude and M.A. in History from SUNY College at Brockport, and an M.A. in African-American Studies from SUNY University at Buffalo. 

For ten years Robinson was a tenured assistant professor of history and African American studies at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Before joining the First Universalist Church of Rochester in 2008, he was a confirmed local minister in the African American Holiness-Pentecostal tradition. He is currently an associate of the Kettering Foundation, specializing in deliberative democracy in community colleges and interfaith institutions. 

Congregant Emily Garrick is the service leader, and Janine Chimera will provide the music from her personal studio.

A potluck follows the service.

Participation can be either in person at 1255 Prendergast Avenue in Jamestown or online. To join virtually, use the link at UUJamestown.org/calendar.

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

---