About GNOUU

After Katrina, leaders of the three UU churches in the metro area, First UU Church, Community Church UU, and North Shore UU Society, got together to plan the revitalization of the faith in the New Orleans metro area. Out of these discussions came the formation of a collaborative called the Greater New Orleans Unitarian Universalist Churches, or GNOUU. Together these three churches planned and implemented a fundraising strategy that included soliciting support from our own members, friends, and partner churches, and also solicitation of other UU churches around the nation. As momentum for the program grew, three key ministers agreed to lead the national partnership campaign. We are very fortunate to have the Reverend John Buehrens, past president of the UUA and currently minister of First Parish Needham UU, in Needham, MA, the Reverend Kim Crawford Harvie, minister of Arlington Street Church in Boston, and the Reverend Mike McGee, minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Virginia, all working on behalf of the GNOUU churches.

The goal of the campaign is $ 2.7 million, which will allow the two New Orleans churches to rebuild their sanctuaries and program spaces, and to help the North Shore church retire a steep mortgage that was taken on when membership was at its pre-Katrina high point. All three GNOUU churches are working hard to spread the message that, “It’s Not Over Yet!” – although the flood waters have receded, life, and especially church life, has not returned to normal. We spent the past three years rebuilding our lives and ministering to our larger communities and now it is time to restore our church homes so that we may continue to serve even more, and spread the good news of our UU faith during this critical time of rebuilding our city.

Please visit the GNOUU website, www.gnouu.org for more information on the campaign and how you can help. You can donate directly to the campaign from the website. All contributions are tax deductible, so please give generously. You can also contact Claudia Barker, campaign chair, at cbarker@bellsouth.net, for information on how to get involved.

Claudia Barker