In 1998, UUCOV was founded by six Unitarians Universalists who felt a liberal religion was needed in South Sarasota County. In April '98, Leonard Peck, Jeanne Peck, John Richards, Marilyn Richards, Rhoda Bernstein and Nancy Stone created the Steering Committee that undertook the organizing of the congregation. By the fall of 1998,The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice (UUCOV) was incorporated and became an official member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).
The first service was held November 1, 1998, in a small room in the Venice Community Center. A surprising 95 people came for the service! At first twice monthly services were held, but soon the growing church demanded weekly services. A bigger place at the Venice Ranch Club House was found for the church in 1999. The first Annual Meeting of the congregation was held there in March of 1999.
By early 2000, some members began looking for a property that we might purchase to serve as our own meeting place. In the spring of 2000, the congregation purchased the house at 2300 Edmondson Road.
In 2001, the Reverend Susanne Nazian was signed on as a part time minister. Also, in early 2001, through a partial land swap negotiated with the Island Village Montessori School, our property became 5.8 acres on the corner of Pinebrook and Edmondson, with two houses, and the decision was made to build a separate Sanctuary. An architect was hired, plans were drawn and a contractor was hired. Land clearing and construction began and ground was broken in early 2002. The first service was held in our beautiful new Sanctuary on Easter Sunday, 2003.
Since that historic day, the congregation has continued to grow and more than 160 people are now members. Our minister of eight years, the Reverend Susanne Nazian, moved to a congregation closer to her home in Tampa in 2009. The Reverend Don Beaudreault came to us the same year.