Steve Cramer - On Vision

Steve Cramer

My name is Steve Cramer.  I am part of the team that is developing plans for our congregation’s new building at 695 Springfield, the property that Beacon purchased last year. 

We as a congregation have been yearning for at least half a century for a larger sanctuary, and have explored many possibilities during that time.  We even purchased the property right next door and developed a design for a new sanctuary on that site.    

But then we learned about the possibility of buying the property at 695 Springfield, which has close to two acres surrounded by woods and parks. And we collectively jumped at the opportunity.  In the space of a month we discussed, analyzed, held town halls, and then voted as a congregation in June 2021 to purchase 695 Springfield.  

We were energized by the possibilities that this new site opened up for us. I want you to know that there is a lot of work being done now to realize those possibilities.  There’s the committee I’m on, the Facilities Expansion Task Force, which is working with the architect to develop a design; there is the Capital Campaign team, focused on fundraising, and Beacon’s board, which is devoting a lot of time to 695.     

And of course, there is our architect, Louis Cherry, and his team of consultants, who have been busy.  Some of you met with Louis over the summer when he held virtual meetings with various groups in our congregation, to get a better understanding of what we will need in our new building, and he is ready to begin work on the design, which we look forward to sharing with you in the new year. 

Building a new sanctuary is a change we have been seeking and I think one that we need, because we as a congregation have been transforming over the years and decades.  Today, we define ourselves as a radically inclusive congregation and we work hard to live into that aspiration.  In 2020 we voted to adopt Unitarian Universalism’s 8th principle, in which we pledged to work to dismantle racism and build a diverse, multi-cultural beloved community. 

So how do those aspirations fit with our current building?  Our building reflects our religious roots are in New England congregationalism.  But we have to be honest: our building also looks to the world like a Christian church, or, as one member of Beacon clarified for me, a white Christian church.  That does not express who we are now, or our aspiration to be radically inclusive.

This room we are in is a treasure. And it’s a miniature version of Kings Chapel in Boston, which was built 250 years ago, and houses a congregation of Christian Unitarians whose services are essentially Anglican.  The design makes perfect sense for that congregation, which, unlike us, maintains close ties to its Christian, Anglican traditions. 

Kings Chapel and this room also reflect the importance the Protestant Reformation placed on the sermon. The pulpit is front and center. Site lines are not important because nothing visual is supposed to happen up here—just preaching. 

Well, a lot has changed in the way we worship in the past 500 years, and we do a lot more than preaching up here. I think we have all experienced the frustration of sitting in this beautiful, intimate room but missing something important during a service because we can’t see.

We need a sanctuary and a building that reflect our current ideas and beliefs, as well as the way we worship today.  We also need a building that is welcoming to everyone, and that has room for everyone.  

We have an opportunity now to make an empowering change in our congregation’s life, and we have already taken important steps in that direction.  I am inspired by the courage our congregation has already shown in moving towards this change and all the challenges that come with it.  

So whether you came through our century-old doors for the first time only recently, or decades ago, we welcome you to join us and continue to support us as we build Beacon’s future together.