The Universalist Church: Cultural Influencer

Children of 1st Universalist Society of Grand Rapids, Iowa
[Undated]

In our writing of the history of the Universalist Church we seem to often gloss over the significant influence that Universalists and the Universalist Church had in the settling of the territory beyond Boston and the Northeast, oh had on the social issues of the day—Abolition, Temperance, the Sunday School Movement, Education, Women’s suffrage, Racial Equality. To name just a few areas of influence.

Sometimes the “influence” was a dabbling: spiritualism, phrenology, mesmerism, and so on. Admittedly, these were often the in-thing, the fad, of the day. And for some they seemed as a potential avenue to explore both the divine and human nature.

These were all part of the Universalist Church’s legacy, both corporately and individually and they. deserve to be fully explored. Sometimes an individual church or individual will make a significant contribution. For example, the Rev. Dr. Charles Leonard, who in 1857 introduced the first “Children’s Day” at his church, the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, MA. Or, Sojourner Truth delivering her, “Ain’t I a Woman?’ speech at the 1851 Ohio Women’s Right Convention hosted by Stone (First) Universalist Church in Akron, OH. If it weren’t for the Ohio Universalist Convention, there would be no University of Akron (or at least as we know it today, a state university, but once Universalist.

Just a few examples, The list goes on and on, and we need to both proclaim and celebrate the contribution the Universalist Church has made to our nation.

Frank
Sheffield Lake, OH
July 27, 2026