The congregation formed as a fellowship in 1949 and by 1952 had gained enough families (50) to become members of the American Unitarian Association. A charter was issued on February 22, 1952, and a plaque with the names of the original members hangs on the wall in the foyer of the church.

The members met on a regular basis, first at a YMCA and then at a recreation building, relying on their own resources and guest speakers for programs. Rev. Erwin A. Gaede was our first minister. He came to town in 1952 and by dint of hard work, both professional and physical, got things going. At about the same time, the group purchased a building at the corner of Michigan Street and North Shore Drive, which we called “the Manse.” It was a large, three-story residence, with the third floor being a ballroom, and had belonged to the prominent Morris family. The Manse was renovated to include classrooms, an office for the minister, and a sanctuary for Sunday worship. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, those in attendance dressed rather formally, with most men wearing coats and ties, women in dresses.

Rev. John Hanly Morgan, our second minister, came to us in November of 1956. Around that time, it was evident we needed additional space and we held a building fund to build a new church sanctuary and social hall as an addition to the Manse. Rev. Morgan wrote poetry, and one of his hymns is in the UUA hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition.

In May 1961, the American Unitarian Association merged with the Universalist Church of America, and our group officially became a Unitarian Universalist congregation.

The 1960s were a tumultuous time. In the wake of the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s, the church provided a liberal religious presence during a national period of political unrest. Our congregation became quite involved in local and national social action causes. The church newsletter from this period reflected congregational interest in fair housing, anti-Vietnam war activities, civil rights, and other social issues. Rev. Rudolph C. Gelsey was our third minister from September 1960 until December 1963, followed by Rev. Joseph Schneiders from January 1965 through 1968. The church political activism increased during this period, with members taking part in marches and demonstrations in our community as well as elsewhere, including the historic march on Selma.

On August 18, 1968, the Manse was destroyed in an apparent arson attack. It was front page news in the South Bend Tribune and the story was picked up also by Time magazine. The arsonist was never apprehended, and though it is unknown if the church’s political activism was a contributing factor, there was an outpouring of support from members of the local religious community as well as the Central Midwest District of the UUA. Several Protestant, Catholic and Jewish congregations offered assistance and the use of their facilities. The members continued to meet in other churches while the remaining building was put back in order and a new entryway built. The chalice hanging outside our conference room was made from stained glass salvaged from the Manse after the fire.

In the summer of 1971, Rev. Joel Scholefield arrived in South Bend from California. With his yellow Volkswagen convertible and fairly long hair, he had a winning and energetic way about him throughout his tenure to 1977. In 1979, Rev. Patricia Bowen was called as our sixth minister, and her New England roots were evident in the traditional services she conducted, including a silent candlelight recession on Christmas Eve. Rev. Susan Weickum was called as our seventh minister in 1984. A recent theological school graduate, married and in mid-life, she was a solid Unitarian Universalist, staying with us until 1989. In 1990, we called Rev. John Morehouse. He was an excellent preacher, and his inspired sermons drew many people to the church. With his wife, Kathie, as religious education director, the two moved the church forward in a very positive manner. Rev. Morehouse left in 1994 for a larger church in the Washington, DC area. After two years with interim ministers, Rev. Arlene Lukas and Rev. Anne Buehler, in 1996 the congregation called Rev. Lisa Doege to the pulpit. She was a native Minnesotan who had held various positions within the denomination, and this was her first church ministry. She was with us for 11 years, and left in 2007 to return to family in Minnesota. Two years with interim ministers, Rev. Denise Tracy and Rev. Jennie Barrington, followed.

In 2010, the congregation sold its building of 59 years to find a larger building in which to grow, and we called the Rev. Harold Beu to our pulpit. He was active in social justice, and helped us settle into a temporary location. Two years later, Rev. Sian Wiltshire served as interim minister to help us find a larger facility with better amenities and access to call our permanent home, as well as a new settled minister.

In 2013, the congregation hired Rev. James “Chip” Roush as Consulting Minister and purchased its current building at 801 East Washington Street, completely renovating the facility for church use. The following year, we called Rev. Roush as Settled Minister and moved into our newly renovated building in August.

In 2020, COVID-19 struck. From late March 2020 through November 2021, the congregation met for Sunday services and committee meetings solely via Zoom. Rev. Roush preached from his desk at home, and the Worship Arts Committee found videos of hymns to sing along with. Social events were canceled or adapted to be outdoors or carryout. A task force hammered out a policy about masking and other measures to keep people safe, while accommodating the spiritual and social needs of our friends and members. By the time services were held in person again, certain traditions, such as joining hands in a circle at the end of service, had simply gone away. Today, many members still attend via Zoom.

Rev. Roush completed his tenure at First Unitarian Church, as it was known then, on July 31, 2024.

In 2025, after market research and many discussions, the group voted to adopt “Unitarian Universalists of South Bend” as our “doing business as” identity, to acknowledge both the 1961 merger of the two denominations, and those who may be wary of the word “church.”

Today we are a primarily lay-led congregation with a robust community of committed Unitarian Universalists supporting each other and our local community. The church is working toward hiring a new minister in the near future.