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Who we are...Congregational Profile: (Based on results in 244 returned surveys distributed to 466 members in late 2000) The Schenectady Unitarians have a diverse religious
background. Only about 10-15 % of us are lifelong Unitarians. About 60%
were once associated with one of the many Protestant groups and about
20% come from a Roman Nearly half of the members have belonged to
the congregation for more than 25 years and nearly 10% more than 50 years,
but we have a strong group of new members (about 25%) who have joined
us in the last five years. Our religious interests (as opposed to our background traditions) are similarly broad. Ethical religion (including Christianity) is by far the most popular choice. Humanism, naturalistic theism, and agnosticism are not far behind. Many of us avow interest in mysticism, pantheism or paganism, but what best characterizes us is perhaps eclecticism, as many of us express interest in a combination of the above, with a few other choices as well. Our religious education program includes about fifty families, and upwards of 100 children attend on a regular basis. Our preferences for the Sunday service are,
perhaps, largely conditioned by long-standing conventions, but of paramount
importance is the sermon or address. We enjoy singing as a congregation,
and on occasion by our small choir. We have a strong music program, and
musical/aesthetic appreciation is felt to be one of the three most important
reasons for attending the Sunday Service. The other two are intellectual
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Catholic background. Other members range from Zoroastrian and Greek Orthodox
to Quaker, and a bit more than 10% ascribed to no religious group prior
to associating with us. The congregation is a very highly educated group,
almost all having some college education and two-thirds having postgraduate
degrees, but what really binds us together is an appreciation for a thoughtful
approach to the important questions in life. More than half of us work
(or worked) for either some level of government or for a not-for-profit
organization. More than 10% are self-employed.
Consistent
with this picture, roughly half our members are more than 60 years old.
We have few members less than 30 years old. We are not a particularly
diverse group; only a few members from minority groups. We are a welcoming
congregation, and that is also reflected in our membership.
stimulation
and fellowship. These are closely followed by personal reflection, exploration
of common values, and spiritual experience, which are felt to be very
important by nearly half of the membership. When it comes to topics for
consideration in our services, ethical and social issues easily top the
list. There is a very strong interest in philosophical ideas, religion
and science, and family and church community. There is little interest
in most traditional religious issues (e.g., the Bible), but there is obviously
interest in the relation of spiritual/religious thought to current problems.