About Us

 

What kind of church is Saltwater Church?

 

Saltwater Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation, is a growing, thriving, welcoming liberal religious community serving all of South King County.

 

Our mission is to nurture connection and meaning in the lives of individuals and to create a world of compassion and justice. Our vision is to be a beacon of liberal religion in South King County.

 

Where is it? How old is the church? 

 

Saltwater Church is located on five wooded acres nearby Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, Washington. The church has been in South King County since 1954.

 

Who is welcome to attend?

 

All are welcome, regardless of creed, class, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. The church is wheelchair accessible and has assisted listening devices for the hearing impaired.

 

What happens at the church?

 

There are services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays (and only at 10 a.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day). Services last about an hour. They include singing and other music, the sharing of joys and sorrows by members of the congregation, a time for reflection and meditation, announcements, an offering, inspirational readings, and a message of the morning. Most people dress casually for the services.

 

There is programming for children and youth at our 9:30 a.m. service and a nursery for crawlers and toddlers at both services. Click here for a schedule of programming for children and youth. 

 

There are also many programs, classes, social activities, and other gatherings at the church during the week. Click here to find out more about these.

 

Does the church have a minister?

 

Our minister is the Reverend James Kubal-Komoto . He is a native of the Chicago suburbs, has a doctorate in ministry, and has served as minister of the church since 2000. He lives with his wife in Federal Way.   

 

What is Unitarian Universalism?

 

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition with roots in liberal Protestantism that seeks inspiration from many sources, including all the world's religions, while affirming individual experience and conscience as the ultimate authority for belief.

 

How did Unitarian Universalism get started?

 

Unitarianism and Universalism got started as separate movements in the United States around 1800, both as reactions against Puritanical Calvinism. The two movements merged in 1961.

 

Do Unitarian Universalists believe in God?

 

Unitarian Universalists have a variety of beliefs about God. Many Unitarian Universalists have rejected traditional images and understandings of God, but many of us believe that there is sacredness within all existence, known to us by many names and understood by us in different ways.

 

Are Unitarian Universalists Christians?

 

Our roots are in the Christian tradition, but we no longer look only to the Christian tradition for inspiration.

 

Do Unitarian Universalists believe in Jesus?

 

Unitarian Universalists have a variety of beliefs about Jesus. Most Unitarian Universalists believe that Jesus’ life and his teachings are good examples of how we should live our own lives, but most Unitarian Universalists don’t believe that Jesus was God. Neither do many of us believe in the literal truth of many of the miraculous stories that were told about Jesus, though many of us find those stories meaningful. Unitarian Universalists believe more in the religion of Jesus than any religion about Jesus.

 

Do Unitarian Universalists believe in heaven or hell?

 

Unitarian Universalists have a variety of beliefs about what may happen after we die, but many of us believe that death is ultimately a mystery. Most Unitarian Universalists believe that religion should be about how we live this life, not about what happens after we die, and that the purpose of life is to grow as individuals.

 

Do Unitarian Universalists believe in the teachings of science?

 

Most Unitarian Universalists believe strongly in the teachings of science. Unitarian Universalists believe there should be no conflict between science and religion.

 

What social values do Unitarian Universalists affirm?

 

Unitarian Universalists believe in creating a society that is compassionate, that affirms the worth, dignity, and ability of every person; that values the diversity of humanity; that values liberty, and equality; that is democratic; that contributes to a peaceful world community; and that respects the natural world of which we are a part.

 

How many Unitarian Universalists are there in the United States?

 

There are more than 200,000 Unitarian Universalists and more than 1,000 congregations in the United States.

 

Are there any famous Unitarian Universalists?

 

Famous Unitarians, Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists include John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Paul Revere, Daniel Webster, and Adlai Stevenson in politics; Susan B. Anthony and Clarence Darrow in social reform; Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin, and Linus Pauling in science; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Ray Bradbury, e.e. cummings, and Kurt Vonnegut in literature; Frank Lloyd  Wright in architecture; P.T. Barnum, Pete Seeger, Rod Serling, and Christopher Reeves as entertainers; and Clara Barton, Jane Addams, and Albert Schweitzer as humanitarians.