Rev. Alison Duren-Sutherland is Saltwater’s contract minister for the 2023-24 church year, operating in a hybrid/remote capacity from her home in Southern Oregon and onsite at Saltwater one week per month.
We are proud to claim as a foremother Universalist Rev. Olympia Brown, one of the first women to serve as a minister in the US. But Rev. Brown achieved her ordination in the 1860’s in spite of barriers put in her way by the Universalist religious establishment. On the first Sunday of Women’s History Month, … Continue reading Rev. Olympia Brown’s Legacy
We are Saltwater UU Church! Come join us as we welcome new members, acknowledge our dedicated volunteers, and celebrate that all of us have freely chosen to be part of this beloved community.
Join Rev. Alison and author and activist Kokayi Nosakhere as they share lessons and practices from Resmaa Menakem’s book My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. This service offers an understanding of the way racialized trauma is passed down through generations — and practical tools we can use … Continue reading My Grandmother’s Hands
Join Saltwater Church’s Covenant of UU Pagans and Rev. Alison to honor the cross-quarter holy day of Imbolc, half way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. At this time, sacred to the Celtic Goddess Brigit, we begin to see evidence around us that spring is coming even in the heart of winter. Let … Continue reading Celebrating Imbolc: The Promise of Spring’s Return
Today, when we ought to be celebrating the 51st anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, Rev. Alison will share the ways that her work in reproductive healthcare made her a Universalist and informed her life and her ministry.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, like Black American Christians before and after him, found in the Bible the seeds of their liberation from oppression. Rev. Alison will help us look beyond the ways Christianity has been used to oppress and find the message of liberating love that inspired Dr. King and countless other Black … Continue reading Finding Liberating Love in Christianity
Rev. Alison explores our monthly theme “Liberating Love” drawing from our Universalist ancestors who believed that God loves us too much to condemn us to hell.
Spiritual midwifery recognizes that each and every birth is the birth of the Christ child–Ina May Gaskin On Christmas Eve morning, Rev. Alison brings lessons from her midwifery study and practice to explore the miracle and mystery that are present at every birth.
We gather on a dark winter night to tell stories, sing carols, and light candles honoring the promise of peace and love that was born with one little baby over two thousand years ago. To accommodate the regular Sunday evening worship service of the Haitian Christian United community with whom we share our space, our … Continue reading Christmas Eve Eve Candlelight Service
In late November of 1991, HIV/AIDS activists Ibrahim Farajaje and John Paul Hammond lost a dear friend to AIDS and struggled to imagine facing Thanksgiving without him. Out of their pain and love, Thanxgrieving was born. Rev. Alison will share the history of the Thanxgrieving observance and explore its continued relevance in the 21st century.
