The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs will host the ceremony at the church’s temporary home.

TARPON SPRINGS – The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs has invited the community to the installation of the Rev. Robert Murphy on Nov. 5.

The 10:30 a.m. service will be at the church’s temporary home at the Walton Center at 400 S Walton. A reception will follow the installation. The public is invited to the installation ceremony and the reception. The Rev. Marni Harmony of Orlando will lead the service.

Murphy first came to Florida in 2015 to assist with emergency services planning for Unitarian Universalists. He has served as a part-time consultant to the Tarpon Springs congregation. He will assist with rebuilding the Unitarian Universalist church. He will also be involved in community projects.

Murphy is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. He has a Masters in Public Health degree from the Boston University School of Public Health. Murphy is married to Helen Dalzell, who is a medical worker, a social worker, and a Florida naturalist. The couple has served churches on the coast of Massachusetts and the coast of North Carolina.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs is the oldest church in Tarpon Springs. It was established in 1885. The church brings people of different cultures and faith traditions together to help the community. In addition to welcoming Christians, the church provides meeting space for a Buddhist study group and a Jewish congregation.

In 2013, the church buildings at 57 Read St. were closed because of sinkhole damage. The church office building was repaired and reopened this past February. Construction is in progress on the sanctuary.

The church also provides a home for paintings by George Inness, Jr., a landscape painter who lived in Tarpon Springs during the early 1900s. A tropical storm damaged the church in September, 1918. The Inness family provided paintings to cover broken windows at the church. More Inness paintings arrived during the years that followed. Church members are making plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Inness paintings.

For information about the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs, go to uutarpon.org.

Unitarian Church | Tarpon Springs | Robert Murphy | Religion | Tampabay News | TB Reporter

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