Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos Our congregation strives to create a place where people feel inspired to see, hear, and think in ways that deepen their understanding of each other.

The UUFP is a Welcoming Congregation. The Welcoming Congregation Program is a volunteer program for Unitarian Universalist congregations that want to take intentional steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of people with marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities. First launched in 1990, the program grew out of an understanding that widespread prejudices and ignorance about le***

an, gay, bisexual, transgender, and q***r (LGBTQ) people existed within Unitarian Universalism, which resulted in the exclusion of LGBTQ people from our congregations. Today, 66% of U.S. Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations and 94% of Canadian UU congregations are recognized as Welcoming Congregations. The program is supported by LGBTQ Ministries.

The following is the obituary for UUFP Member Gloria Finch. Join us in sending prayers to her family and all who loved ...
08/06/2026

The following is the obituary for UUFP Member Gloria Finch. Join us in sending prayers to her family and all who loved her.

Gloria Jean Finch of Long Pond, Pennsylvania passed away on Wednesday July 29, 2026. She was the loving wife of Vincent B. Finch and for 48 years they partnered to support extended family and guide their children, Randy and Diana.
Born October 8, 1940, in Richmond, Virginia, she was the daughter of Willie and Louise (Ruffin) Parker. Gloria graduated from Virginia Union College in 1963 and became a social worker. Her hard work, dedication and further study led her to become the Director of Child Guidance for Newark, New Jersey Public Schools.

After retiring, the family moved to Long Pond in 1997. Gloria fully embraced her new home and found many ways to live a life of service, happily filling key roles in several community organizations.

She was a member of the Board of the Stroudsburg Little Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church built in 1868 in Stroudsburg by returning Colored Troops (USCT) who were Civil War veterans. Gloria was instrumental in the multi-year community-led restoration of the building, which reopened in February 2025 as a museum and African American literature lending library.

Gloria served the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos in several capacities. She was Chairperson of the Membership Committee, and as a member of the Fellowship’s Board of Trustees, she single-handedly located an available building that the Fellowship subsequently purchased, making it possible for the Congregation to own its own building for the first time in their history. Gloria was dedicated to the Congregation’s social justice initiatives and worked with others to provide summer day camp arts activities for young children that were designed to encourage learning.

In the broader Monroe County community, Gloria was an active member of the Women’s Resources of Monroe County (now called Safe Monroe) as well as the Monroe County Democratic Party.

Gloria is predeceased by her parents, including her stepmother, Ruth Parker (Lee), and her beloved older sister, Doris L. Parker. She is survived by her husband, Vincent; son Randall T. Finch, his companion Tawana Graves; daughter Diana Finch; 3 grandchildren Sydney, Kyla and Aaliyah; niece and nephew, Dawn Hawkins and Davie Hawkins; sister-in-law, Anasa Tatum; 6 great-grandchildren, 2 great grandnieces, one great grandnephew, and a host of other extended family members.

There will be a viewing on Monday, August 10, 2026, from 11 am to 12 Noon and a service at 12 Noon at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos, 118 Knight Street, Stroudsburg, PA. .Joseph J. P**a Funeral Home will oversee the arrangements.
To join the service via Zoom, click on the link below:
https://zoom.us/j/4647463847
Passcode: UUFP
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Stroudsburg Little Bethel Historical Association https://stroudsburglittlebethel.org/
or the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos. http://uupoconos.org

Our upcoming Services!
08/05/2026

Our upcoming Services!

A letter Rev. Susan Odessky wrote to a local newspaper.On Friday, June 4, 2026, the United States Department of Defense ...
06/08/2026

A letter Rev. Susan Odessky wrote to a local newspaper.

On Friday, June 4, 2026, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) removed 180 separate religious affiliations from the US military’s list of religious affiliations. This includes the codes for Unitarian Universalists, among many others, including Humanists, members of Pagan traditions and many others. Members of the eliminated faith groups will be categorized as “other” in the military’s religious affiliation codes.

This change means that Service members of these groups now only classified as “other” will not be able to select their specific religious identity in their personnel records. This may make it more difficult for uniformed members of religious groups classified as “other” to access the spiritual care they need. In all, the DOD has reduced the number of religious faiths from over 200 down to 31.

There are more than 1 million Unitarian Universalists practicing their faith across the United States. Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a progressive, inclusive, and non-creedal religion, and we are united by our shared values centered around love, equity and the free search for truth and meaning.

As a Minister of a small, but thriving UU congregation in Stroudsburg, I find the DOD’s decision to effectively erase our faith tradition and that of so many others to be in violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment Clause calling for the separation of Church and State to be an immoral attempt to effectively “other” or erase certain religions. The Poconos has long been home to a diversity of religious faiths. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country, I hope that this diversity of faiths continues to thrive in our community and throughout our country, despite efforts by our government’s military leadership to erase many of them.

A great sermon and service today by the Rev. Susan Odessky. We also dedicated our Pride flag today and placed it on our ...
06/07/2026

A great sermon and service today by the Rev. Susan Odessky. We also dedicated our Pride flag today and placed it on our church.

The Pride Festival was amazing, and we were happy to be able to share information about Unitarian Universalist faith traditions to many who stopped by.

Love in Love. 🌈🌈🌈

Love is love. 🌈
06/07/2026

Love is love. 🌈

“We gather on this day in mourning, in lamentation, in outrage, and in deep, profound love,” the Rev. Sofía Betancourt, ...
05/17/2026

“We gather on this day in mourning, in lamentation, in outrage, and in deep, profound love,” the Rev. Sofía Betancourt, the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, said from the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, where the daylong event began. “We gather in the knowledge that we must rise up and say, Never again.”

Reverend Susan was discharged from the hospital and is resting comfortably. She appreciates all the E-cards (and some co...
04/29/2026

Reverend Susan was discharged from the hospital and is resting comfortably. She appreciates all the E-cards (and some conventional get well cards) she received while recuperating. Thanks to all for good wishes. 🙏

Reminds me of one of John Prine’s most famous songs - “Hello In There.”
04/21/2026

Reminds me of one of John Prine’s most famous songs - “Hello In There.”

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118 Knight Street
Stroudsburg, PA
18360

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10am - 2pm

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