Rev. Phillip Hewett
Phillip Hewett was minister emeritus since 1991; prior to that he was senior minister of the congregation for 35 years.
Click here to view the archive of Phillips Hewett’s sermons.
Born in England, where he received the bulk of his education and training for the ministry, he held the following degrees: BA, Oxford University, 1949; MA, Oxford University, 1951; STM, Harvard University, 1953; STD (honoris causa), Starr King School for the Ministry, 1969.
He served as assistant minister at the Unitarian Church of Montreal (1953-54) and as minister of the Ipswich Unitarian Congregation in England (1954-56) before coming to Vancouver in 1956 as parish minister. After his retirement in 1991, he served as interim minister at the Unitarian Church of Victoria (1991-92) and had shorter-term appointments with the Unitarian fellowship in St Catharines, Ontario, Auckland, New Zealand and Adelaide, Australia.
He traveled widely, visiting Unitarian movements in various parts of the world, and was active in the International Association for Religious Freedom and the the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, as well as holding responsible positions in the Canadian Unitarian Council and the Unitarian Universalist Association (which at that time included the whole of North America in its membership). In 1992 he was the recipient of the UUA’s Annual Award for Distinguished Service.
At a local level, he was involved in many community organizations, particularly those working in interfaith relations, family services, education, peace, and environmental concerns. He and his wife Margaret, who died in 2006, had two children and four grandchildren. He was the author of a number of books and other writings. Several of his books can be found in the congregation’s library which is open on Sunday mornings until 1 pm.
A Celebration of the Life of the Rev. Dr. Phillip Hewett, Minister Emeritus of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, was held at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, March 23, 2018. A video-recording of the service is available on our YouTube channel.
Click here for additional information about Phillip Hewett’s life and writings.