Beacon, previously known as The Unitarian Church in Summit, was founded in 1908 by area residents who wanted a church that would be less doctrinaire than other religious institutions. Today, we continue to be a congregation that welcomes people of varied beliefs and backgrounds — who come together to worship, to wonder, to share the joys and sorrows of life, and to try to better the world around us. We are a regional congregation of about 500 adult members and 250 children who live in Summit and some 50 other area communities.
Beacon has valued the role of ministers who challenge us morally, intellectually and spiritually. Inspiring music and strong programs for children and youth have also been part of our tradition for decades. Our building combines an elegant and intimate sanctuary that dates back to 1913 with modern classroom and meeting spaces completed in 2002.
A Little History
While on the Long Island Railroad in the summer of 1906, Parker D. King, a successful Summit businessman, chanced to meet a childhood friend, The Reverend Frederic Curtis Brown, who was the minister of the Unitarian Church of Buffalo, New York. Together, King and Brown imagined what it would take to establish a liberal religious community in Summit.
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The next year, a small group met to consider establishing a formal Unitarian congregation. They called Rev. Brown to serve as the first full-time minister. Parker King went on to chair the Board of Trustees for many years.
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Mr. Joy Wheeler Dow, a local architect and a member of the congregation, was commissioned to design the sanctuary on our newly purchased property at the corner of Waldron and Springfield Avenues. Dow took inspiration from Colonial New England meeting houses and also from the churches of 16th and 17th century England. He incorporated elements of St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City and King’s Chapel in Boston (the first Unitarian church in America).
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Construction using local craftsmen began in the fall of 1912 and was completed early the following year. The sanctuary was formally dedicated on October 21, 1913, with the participation of prominent Unitarian and Universalist ministers from around the region.
Beacon has always valued ministers who challenge us morally, intellectually and spiritually.
In January 1914 our church welcomed as minister Dr. Frank C. Doan, who held strong views and a passionate belief that a church must educate as well as inspire. On the Sunday following the United States’ entry into World War I on April 6, 1917, Doan spoke out against the war and made known his personal stance as a pacifist. The declaration of war spurred an outburst of patriotic fervor. In churches across the country, ministers were forced to resign for speaking against the war.
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Local New Jersey newspapers were sharply critical of Doan’s position. To avoid further controversy, Doan offered to resign as minister, but our Board of Trustees refused to accept his resignation. Even though many in the church disagreed with the minister’s pacifism, the Board publicly declared its strong support for Doan and the principles of free speech and tolerance of diverse opinions. Individual choice in matters of conscience and religious belief is fundamental to Unitarian and Universalist traditions. You can read the Board’s historic resolution of support for Dr. Doan in the lobby of our building.
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Dr. A. Powell Davies, who has been called one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, was our minister from 1933 through 1944. His eloquence, vision, and affirmations of faith—in democracy, in America, and in the prophetic role of the Unitarian church in a society scarred by depression, repression, and war—earned Davies a prominent place in 20th century liberal theology. Davies declared: “Religion is not something separate and apart from ordinary life. It is life—life of every kind viewed from the standpoint of meaning and purpose; life lived in the fuller awareness of its human quality and spiritual significance.” At his death in 1957, he was eulogized for placing himself and the denomination “militantly in the forefront of every assault upon intolerance and racial discrimination and injustice.”
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Dr. Jacob Trapp came to Summit from a staunch Dutch Reformed home where Bible passages were read each day. In Summit, Rev. Trapp evolved into a free spirit, close to nature, who gained inspiration from diverse religions and philosophies. The spirit of his ministry, which ran from 1945 through 1970, is captured in his words, “sharing is love and being shared with is love.” As minister, Trapp led the racial integration of the local YMCA and cinema and gave voice to liberal causes in a largely conservative city.
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In 1988 David Bumbaugh was called as minister. Raised in an evangelical Christian family, Rev. Bumbaugh drew spiritual inspiration from what he termed a “blend of paganism and earth worship.” He also welcomed female ministers onto our staff. Rev. Carol Haag joined us in 1990 to direct our religious education program and was called as our first formal Minister of Religious Education in 1996. Bumbaugh’s wife, Beverly, joined him as co-minister. David and Beverly Bumbaugh and Carol Haag are recognized as Beacon’s ministers emeriti.
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Rev. Vanessa Southern began her ministry at Beacon at a historic moment for our country. She gave her first Sunday sermon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A native New Yorker, Rev. Southern held our congregation and Summit (a commuter city of New York) through a traumatic time. She commemorated our 100th anniversary in 2008, declaring that our first hundred years heralded our charismatic ministers and our second hundred years would herald our charismatic leaders and members.
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At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Beacon moved to a leadership team model with two co-ministers and an executive director. After serving as our Director of Religious Education for eleven years, Dr. Tuli Patel became our Executive Director. Rev. emilie boggis, who had served Beacon for ten years, was called as our minister in 2015, and Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner was called as co-minister in 2016 after a nationwide search. Their joint installation service was held on Sunday, April 2, 2017. emilie boggis resigned in November 2023.
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You can get to know Beacon’s current ministerial and staff leaders [here].
