About the Netherlands Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

NUUF was founded in the 1980s by a small group of American expats and minister Leonora Montgomery. At first it gathered in people’s living rooms, at Leiden University, and at a protestant church in Wassenaar, before settling at the Keizersgrachtkerk in Amsterdam in the 90s.

NUUF is an English speaking, international community that is part of the wider European Unitarian Universalist constellation. We follow many of the traditions and rituals of Unitarian Universalism. Our services explore a variety of topics: from meditation or liberal Islam, to experiencing Druidic rituals to celebrate the spring and the fall, storytelling sessions, and discussions on peacemaking, cultural appropriation and the spiritual repercussions of climate change. We also regularly welcome travelling ministers from other UU groups abroad. Our church is run along principles of democracy and transparency. Each year in June we hold a ceremony to welcome those who wish to become members, followed by a general meeting where the members determine the direction of the fellowship and elect a board. The board is for purposes of keeping us on track to achieve goals and clarifying tasks and responsibilities, not for establishing hierarchies.
We also have a women’s group centered around Earth-based spirituality.

Our fellowship at the University of Leiden International House in 1994

Our founding minister Rev. Leonora Montgomery in the 1980s