I was amazed to read, in the article about the UCC church in Cumberland (“This Cumberland church takes pride in its role in LGBTQ+ history,” June 16), that it was the “… home of first openly gay minister of any denomination in Maine.” And to read, further along in the article, that that happened in 1998.
Here’s why. Back in the early 1980s, the King Street Unitarian Universalist Church in Augusta had called an openly gay minister, Douglas Strong, who served that congregation for a number of years.
He was minister there when I joined that church in 1983. I have heard about his interview for the role, during which there was some dancing around the issue. “Why is it that you aren’t married?”
Doug thought that he could have responded: “… because I haven’t found the right person yet,” but decided to instead come out to the search committee. The search committee, then the full congregation, decided to call him as minister anyway, knowing he was gay.
In more recent years, the King Street Unitarian congregation merged with the Winthrop Street Universalist congregation to form the Unitarian-Universalist Community Church of Augusta. We’re still very “open and affirming” with many members of the congregation and leadership LGBTQ+. It is simply a non-issue for us.
Harold Booth
Hallowell