Unitarian fellowship draws from different beliefs
Places of faith
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers WORK IN PROGRESS- Rev. Betty Stapleford stands in front of the future home of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Newbury Park. The Fellowship currently meets in Thousand Oaks, but they have purchased two buildings in the new development. One building will be the sanctuary and the other wil be a Fellowship Hall including offices and religious education classrooms.

Conejo Valley Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship
Goebel Senior Center
1385 E. Janss Road
Thousand Oaks
(805) 492-8751
Rev. Betty Stapleford
Founded: 1962
Size of congregation: 300
Denomination:
Unitarian Universalist
Service: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Foundation of beliefs: "We are a domination that

encourages individuals to

find their own spiritual

path," Stapleford said. "We provide the tools for them to

use along with other people

who are there to support them with their study and exploration and journey."

Fun fact:

The church has a theater

company directed by Rev.

Stapleford that presents skits

on particular themes to provoke ideas and discussion.

Questions of faith (answered by Stapleford):

What is the purpose of life? To understand what your purpose is and find a way to act positively. To make the world a better place because you have been here.

What must humankind do to get into heaven?

We don't really know what happens after life. Our purpose is to realize our best selves and the best selves for the world in this life.

What is your belief in heaven or hell?

We don't have a belief in heaven or hell as a place. Some people in our congregation do individually, but it's not a tradition among the denomination.

What is the role of the church in the community?

Our hope is that we live our faith. It is working with other people to create a better world for all of us. We have a number of religious education programs people can attend. Every Sunday we collect for the food bank and some of our people take part in programs to feed the homeless.

We support a living wage. We are in the New Sanctuary movement. There are undocumented people here that are part of families. We feel families should be together instead of deporting that individual.

Does your church believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible or are we free to draw our own meanings from those writings?

We use a number of books and I teach a class in world religion. We find value in the Bible; we find value in philosophy; we find value in Buddhist teachings and Christian teaching and a whole variety of sources.

What is the church's view on gay rights and abortion?

We are supportive of gay rights. We are a "welcoming congregation" and we speak out on gay rights.

In terms of abortion, most members would say they believe in a woman's right to make a choice about her body. It's not that you have to believe that to be a Unitarian.

What about women's role on the church?

A woman's role is anything she feels called to do. In our denomination, 51 percent of our ministers are women.