Welcome to All Souls Church!

For more than 180 years, All Souls has sought to live up to its name. We welcome all souls to join us in pulling down the walls that separate us so that we may see ourselves as one human family.

We are a Unitarian Universalist congregation, diverse in many ways, but united in our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and the obligation to express our faith through acts of justice and compassion.

We hope you’ll join us as we create a diverse, justice-seeking, spirit-growing community.

Come Join Us

Please join us on Sunday mornings for a joyful, uplifting, and thought-provoking worship service. Here’s a little of what you can expect:

Our services begin at 9:30 and 11:15 am (summer service: at 10:15 am only), but we suggest you arrive early to fill out a guest card and get a name tag at the welcome table just inside the main entrance on 16th Street. There you can also ask questions about Unitarian Universalism, membership in our church, or anything else.

You can also ask an usher to help you with any special needs. We have large-print hymnals, and there is a sign language interpreter at the 11:15 service.

The service begins with a time for meditation, accompanied by an organ prelude. All are welcome to come to the front of the church to light a candle of joy, sorrow, or memory.

The service begins in earnest with a rousing processional hymn lead by the choir and a call to worship from the minister.

Music is an important and enriching part of the service. Our interim music director, Thomas Colohan, tailors the music to the sermon and the service as a whole. Our musicians draw from a rich range of music, including African-American spirituals, traditional Jewish music, and hymns from the Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition. The church has three talented choirs – the All Souls Choir, the Jubilee Singers (who perform traditional African-American music), and the Youth Choir.

After another hymn, first-time guests are welcomed and asked to stand or raise their hands. (Don’t worry, you won’t have to say anything!) We then welcome one another with a handshake, hug, or other appropriate greeting.

The service continues with more stirring music, a morning prayer, the moving Unitarian hymn, Spirit of Life, and a time for silent thoughts.

The 15- to 20-minute sermon by one of our ministers is central to the service. Sermons at All Souls Church engage the heart, spirit, and mind. They seek to give us the spiritual sustenance we need to live our lives and make our world a better place. More music and singing follow the sermon, and then we are sent on our way with a benediction.

After the worship service, members of the congregation gather for fellowship (coffee and tea after the first service; lunch after the second) in Pierce Hall, located through the double doors to the right of the sanctuary. As a guest, you’re invited for a free lunch (just pick up a ticket when you fill out your guest card). On most Sundays, Pierce Hall buzzes with signs of community: tables for information about social justice events, for signing cards for sick congregants, and for other causes and events.

If you are interested in learning more about membership at All Souls, please visit our membership page.

Children at All Souls

On the first Sunday of the month and special holidays, the children begin the service in the sanctuary and enjoy a story with the minister. On other Sundays, most children go directly to their religious education classes. As a guest, your child can choose to stay with you in the service or participate in the religious education classes. Nursery care is also provided. For more information about our exciting, progressive and multicultural religious education program, please visit our Religious Education page.

Directions

All Souls is located at 1500 Harvard St., NW. The main entrance to the sanctuary is at the corner of 16th and Harvard Streets, where the neighborhoods of Columbia Heights, Adams-Morgan, and Mount Pleasant come together.

ARRIVING BY METRORAIL:

The closest Metro stop is the Columbia Heights station on the Green Line. Exit the turnstyles, then take the elevator or the escalators to the left. When you reach the top, walk south two blocks on 14th Street and take a right on Harvard Street. All Souls is one block down on your left. The church is the large red brick building with the clock tower at 15th and Harvard. To plan your trip, use the RideGuide. Click here for a Metro system map.

ARRIVING BY CAR:

Street parking can be difficult, but there is ample, affordable parking nearby under the Target/Best Buy complex on 14th Street.

From points South:
Take 95 to 395 North over the 14th Street Bridge.
Take 14th Street, and turn left onto R street.
Turn right onto 16th Street.
Turn right onto Harvard Street. The church is on the right.

From Route 66 or Route 50:
Take Rte 50/66 to the Roosevelt Bridge.
Exit onto E Street.
Turn left on 18th Street and stay in the right lane.
Turn right onto Columbia Road.
Cross 16th Street. The church is on the right at Harvard and 16th.

From 495 and points North:
Take 495 to the Georgia Avenue exit.
Stay in the far right lane, and veer onto 16th Street.
Turn right onto Harvard Street.
Make an immediate U-turn on the left to Columbia Road.
Cross 16th Street, and the church is on the right.