Our History
by Irwin Kaufman
Part I: In the Beginning
The founding group of five families, who had a strong desire for a religious education (RE) program and a concern for social justice issues at the Van Nuys Fellowship, started meeting in 1954. They became recognized as the Emerson Unitarian Fellowship two years later.
Emerson has had a tradition of social action throughout its history even while overcoming adversities such as the bombing of the minister's home, the arson of its first church building, and the earthquake destruction of its next church building.
In the start-up period, the group first met in their homes. Between 1956 and 1958, worship services were held on Sunday afternoons in various rental halls, with a minister from the Santa Monica Unitarian Church serving Emerson on a part-time basis. In 1958, to accommodate strong membership growth, services were switched to Sunday mornings and Emerson had to hire another part-time minister.
With financial support from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Emerson called Reverend Brooks Walker as its first full-time minister for the 1960-65 period. Rapid growth occurred, requiring the additional full-time rental of an upstairs hall in the Canoga Park area to use for children's religious education, church meetings, and public forums.
The bombing of Reverend Walker's home two years into his ministry while he was speaking against right-wing extremism at a public meeting did not deter membership growth. A year later, following a successful building fund drive, loans were obtained to purchase nearby commercial buildings at 7121 Owensmouth Avenue, two blocks south of our current facility.
With the aid of much volunteer work, this sanctuary and its adjacent classroom building were renovated. At this time Emerson had about 125 family units, and 200 children in the religious education programs. The growing number of families with children attending Sunday morning services required Emerson to hire its first part-time director of religious education. Social justice activities included support of the United Farm Workers, the San Fernando Valley Fair Housing Council, and providing the initial classroom for a pre-school, which became an early Head Start school. Also, the minister and the RE director represented Emerson in the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama.
Emerson experienced considerable turmoil in early 1966 when the congregation did not elect as its new minister the candidate selected by their pulpit committee. Later that year, Emerson called the Reverend Francis Ricker to serve as its minister for the next two years. After his retirement in 1969, Reverend Ricker was named Minister Emeritus of Emerson. The church continued presenting public affairs forums and Farm Workers programs, as well as a series of classic films and concerts. The Emerson drama group was founded, and began its many years of presentations to the church, including worship services.
