Rev. Michael Carter

This Sunday March 6, the Tryon Unitarian Universalist Fellowship welcomes back Reverend Michael Carter to talk about giving of ourselves and of our fortune.

As Winston Churchill stated: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

March 6 is Canvass Sunday for The Thermal Belt UU Fellowship. Please don’t stay away this Sunday. When we think of Canvassing Sunday, we normally think of the Sunday where the minister gives a “fundraising” sermon to raise funds for the church. The minister, if he or she is good at it, is supposed to do it like a dentist, first gently putting the right amount of Novocaine in to numb the pain and then doing the tough stuff about raising money, but in a painless way so the patients won’t feel it. This is a chance for you to walk your talk, to walk your prayer, or however you want to put it.

Can you imagine your community without this Fellowship’s existence? Good. Neither can I. Join us as we take the time to show our gratitude and to put our money where our mouths are. As the philosopher William James once said, “The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”

Rev. Michael J. Carter is originally from Baltimore, Md. He moved to New York City in 1980 and lived there for 25 years, working as a professional actor before moving to Asheville with his family.

Michael is an ordained Interfaith minister and received his BA Degree in Letters from the College of New Rochelle where he graduated cum laude. He received his Masters In Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, class of 2000.

While serving various Unitarian Universalist Congregations in New York, Michael became an anti-racism instructor and has been recognized by President Clinton for his efforts. Michael was also a weekly columnist for the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Rev. Carter now serves as the minister for Unitarian Universalist Congregation of The Swannanoa Valley in Black Mountain.

The Thermal Belt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meets at 10:30 a.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month. Services are held at 835 N. Trade St. in Tryon.

The fellowship welcomes all regardless of their spiritual path, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Coffee, snacks and fellowship are available after the service. For more information about the fellowship call 828-513-0570 or follow them on Facebook at

TBUUF.

-Submitted by Phil Nungesser