Our Covenant
We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, covenant with one another to:
● affirm and promote an open, safe, and respectful environment in which to come together for worship and fellowship;
● encourage spiritual and intellectual growth in our children, youth, and adults;
● respect one another’s viewpoints and experiences,
● offer our individual talents and resources, to be honest about what we can and cannot do, and
● celebrate our connections to one another and the sacred circle of life.
Our Mission and Vision
MISSION
We create just and loving community
VISION
In this spirit we, as a community of faith, seek to:
● Make Meaning as an ever-deepening spiritual community engaging with all we find sacred;
● Make Connections within our congregation, across generations, and with the wider community across differences of all kinds;
● Make Real our commitment to achieve a fair and just world by dedicating our resources, both physical and spiritual, to that end; and
● Make a Difference by empowering every person to serve others by working together as partners to eliminate oppression, to decenter whiteness, and to achieve social and environmental justice.
CORE VALUES
Members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley embody:
● Love, warmth, respect, and compassion;
● A welcoming spirit, offering hope and affirmation for all people and providing a sanctuary for members, friends, and all those working for a just and sustainable world;
● Respect for many paths and sources of religious inspiration and the continuing search for understanding; and
● An abiding commitment to fairness, justice, and equity for all people.
Our Staff
Kiya Heartwood - She/Her/They
Reverend at UUCBV
RevKiya@brazos-uu.org
In 2020, Reverend Kiya completed her Master of Divinity at Starr King School for the Ministry including classes in Religious Education. From 2019-2020, Kiya served as Resident Chaplain at Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, Austin and as Intern Minister and Temporary Assistant Minister at Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church, Cedar Park, TX.
Reverend Kiya is also a professional and award-winning roots rock, and folk singer-songwriter and composer. She received her B.A. in Music Composition at Petrie School of Music at Converse College, Spartanburg, SC. in 2010; her MA in Cultural Studies at Vermont College, Norwich University in 2000; and her B.A. in Honors English (Creative Writing) at the University of Kentucky in 1983. She also studied Graduate Music Composition at Westminster Choir College in Princeton from 2010 - 2011. Since 1983, Kiya has performed as a professional musician and award- winning singer-songwriter in the bands Wishing Chair and Stealin Horses and also as a solo performer. With twenty recordings, performing highlights include MTV, Farm Aid, South by Southwest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Bluebird Café, Kerrville Folk Festival, The Kennedy Center and the Edinburgh Fringe.
Allison Faber - She/Her/They
Director of Religious Education, Membership, and Outreach
DRE@brazos-uu.org
Allison (she/they) is passionate about lifelong learning and community connection. She supports individual, family, and congregational faith development. She has been a member of UUCBV since 2016 and joined the staff in 2021. Allison’s spouse, John, and children, Liam and Reid, are central to her purpose to live a nurturing and abundant life.
John Faber - He/Him/They
Online Administrator and Tech Support
Admin@brazos-uu.org
Leslie Dempsey - She/Her/They
Bookkeeper
Bookkeeper@brazos-uu.org
Our History
UUCBV has its roots in Texas A&M’s Department of Oceanography and Meteorology. As Unitarians, Billy and Betty Thomas and Richard and Georgine Tarble, presented their idea of forming a Unitarian fellowship to other members of the department.
In 1956, the Unitarian Fellowship of College Station was formally organized as the 200th fellowship of the American Unitarian Association, originally meeting at the campus YMCA, or in each other's homes.
In 1964 the group was officially incorporated by the State of Texas after having recently moved into a church property built in 1956 located at 305 Old Highway 6, now known as Wellborn Road.
Our congregation has been involved in local justice movements for many decades and we look forward to our future in our new home on 29th Street in Bryan.