The Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (ERUUF), located in Durham, NC, is a caring, open-minded, and progressive religious community of over 800 members that seeks to make a difference in the larger community. In April of 2026, we are delighted to celebrate our 60th Anniversary of building beloved community in the Triangle region of North Carolina, and beyond.
ERUUF was founded on April 12, 1966 in response to the death of the Rev. Dr. James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister and civil rights activist, who was murdered in Selma, AL in 1965 during the Civil Rights protests led by Rev. Reeb’s good friend, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After Reeb’s death and a year of planning and determining their purpose, forty-two people met at a Holiday Inn in Durham and signed the charter for what would grow to become a successful Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, bringing together hundreds of people of like-valued hearts and minds from throughout the Triangle for the next 60 years.
Starting as the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durham and Chapel Hill the group held services throughout the area, until 1976 when, with promissory notes from members of the congregation and a grant from the Veatch Foundation, they purchased a property in the northwest part of Durham near the Eno River.
The congregation officially changed its name to the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in 1978 – or ERUUF, as it has become fondly known. In 1982, ERUUF called our first full-time, settled minister: Rev. Dr. Arvid Straube. Rev. Straube served as ERUUF’s Lead Minister for 21 years; his tenure was followed by Rev. Don Southworth 2006 - 2009, Rev. Deborah Cayer, 2011 to 2022, and Rev. Jacqueline Brett, who became the congregation’s Lead Minister in 2022.
Throughout the 1980’s ERUUF experienced significant growth, prompting another move to its current location on Garrett Road in Durham and was presented with the O. Eugene Pickett Award for its contributions to the growth of Unitarian Universalism.
Throughout the decades since, ERUUF has grown in size and program focus and is one of the larger UU congregations in the South. In response to political changes in the country, demographic shifts in Durham and the Triangle, ERUUF has placed great intention on its mission: to transform lives by building a free and inclusive covenantal religious community of spirit, service, justice, and love. In addition, ERUUF’s ongoing dedication to Racial Equity and Inclusion (REI) has resulted in the creation of an REI Theory of Change which guides the work and commitments of the congregation in all of its worship and program areas.
ERUUF has been a proud home to thriving Justice Ministries, Religious Exploration groups, and music and arts programming. The congregation has a strong and dynamic membership – over 800 members and growing, nearly 160 children and youth, and 400 additional adults who count themselves as active friends of the congregation.
The shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be quite a challenge, but the Fellowship began developing top-line streaming capabilities. ERUUF continues to broadcast our 11 am services on YouTube and Facebook Live to viewers across the state, the country, and the globe.
As we celebrate our 60th Anniversary, we welcome friends and family to celebrate with us. While we will hold many celebrations over the month of April 2026, our Anniversary Worship Service will be a highlight. Please join us in person or online. Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 11:00 am.
Sunday worship service led by three ministers called by ERUUFians over the past 5 decades: Rev. Arvid Straube, Rev. Deborah Cayer, and Rev. Jacqueline Brett. Music by Melanie DeMore, the ERUUF Anniversary Choir, ERUUF House Band, and Music Director Wendy Looker. The service is likely to run 90 minutes.
