Follen Church

What Follen Church does

Follen Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation located at 755 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington, Massachusetts, founded in 1835 by abolitionists and named for Rev. Charles Follen. It serves individuals and families seeking an inclusive, progressive spiritual community that combines liberal theology with social justice activism. Serviceable constituents include congregants, religious-education families, music-program participants, and external community groups that rent the church's facilities.

Core programs include weekly Sunday worship services (held at 10:30 AM in the Sanctuary and live-streamed online), a religious exploration program spanning nursery through high school youth group, a music program featuring adult/youth choirs, Follen Folk Nights concerts, and Music Sundays, and a portfolio of social-justice initiatives organized through the Racial and Economic Justice Group (REJG), Immigration and Sanctuary Group, Partner Church Committee, and the Interfaith Garden. Additional community offerings include the Justice Book Group, Covenant Groups (small-group ministry active 25 years), Theology on Tap, Story Slam Jam, and the annual East Village Fair. The technical surface is minimal: live streaming and a video library are hosted on Vimeo, and the website runs on a standard content management system; no proprietary technology, apps, or APIs exist.

Revenue is generated primarily through an annual pledge drive (FY26-27 campaign raised just over $660,000 against a $650,000 goal) supplemented by facility rentals of the Sanctuary, Community Center, and Sonin Room. The congregation is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association, is a designated Welcoming Congregation affirming LGBTQ+ inclusion, and voted in 2017 to become an intentionally antiracist congregation. Governance is by membership and board of trustees under called minister Rev. Claire Feingold Thoryn, with paid staff of 1–10 and substantial lay volunteer involvement (31 volunteer stewards drove the most recent pledge campaign).

Name

Follen Church

Legal name

Follen Church Society

Website

https://follen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services and Congregational Worship

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Unitarian universalist worship
• Religious education programs
• Congregational community services
• Social justice ministry
• Facility rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington, Massachusetts

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Pledges: The church raises funds through annual pledge drives and voluntary donations from congregants. The FY26-27 pledge drive exceeded its goal of $650,000, raising just over $660,000 with the help of 31 volunteer stewards.
2. Building Rentals: The church generates revenue by renting out its facilities for events and community use through the Building Use and Rentals program.
3. Share the Plate: On selected Sundays, Follen donates all funds from the Sunday service offering to outside organizations, creating goodwill and community engagement rather than direct revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Follen Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation offering weekly Sunday worship services in its Lexington, MA sanctuary and online, alongside a religious exploration program for children and youth, a comprehensive music program including choirs and the ticketed Follen Folk Nights concert series, and social justice initiatives such as the Racial and Economic Justice Group and Immigration and Sanctuary Group. The church also generates supplemental revenue through a Building Use and Rentals program that makes its sanctuary, community rooms, and meeting spaces available to outside groups for events.

Product overview

Follen Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation offering a comprehensive suite of spiritual and community programs. Core offerings include weekly Sunday Worship Services (10:30 AM in Sanctuary and online) and Religious Exploration for children and youth. The Music Program features adult and youth choirs, the Follen Folk Nights concert series, and annual Music Sundays. Social justice programming includes the Racial and Economic Justice Group (REJG), Immigration and Sanctuary Group, Justice Book Group, and Interfaith Garden. Additional programs include the Follen Library, Covenant Groups for small group ministry, Building Use and Rentals, and community events such as Theology on Tap, Story Slam Jam, and the annual East Village Fair. The congregation was founded by abolitionists in 1835 and is located in Lexington, MA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services held Sundays at 10:30 AM in the Sanctuary and online, with religious education and child care available for attendees.
• Religious Exploration (Children and Youth RE) Religious education program for children from nursery through high school youth group, including the Coming of Age program and Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education curriculum.
• Music Program Comprehensive music programming including adult and youth choirs, the Follen Folk Nights concert series, annual music productions, and Music Sundays featuring guest artists.
• Follen Folk Nights Concert Series Ticketed concert series featuring folk musicians performed at the church, including events such as the Peter Mulvey concert on September 18.
• Social Justice Programs Social justice initiatives including the Racial and Economic Justice Group (REJG), Immigration and Sanctuary Group, Partner Church Committee, and environmental justice efforts.
• Justice Book Group Monthly book discussion group focusing on social justice topics, meeting in the Sonin Room or Room 210.
• Building Use and Rentals Rental program for the church's spaces including the Sanctuary, Community Center, Sonin Room, and meeting rooms for community events and gatherings.
• Interfaith Garden Volunteer garden program near Lexington Green that grows food for the Lexington Food Pantry, now in its 17th season with volunteer shifts on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• Covenant Groups Small group ministry program fostering meaningful connection, reflection, and spiritual growth, active at Follen for 25 years.
• Follen Library On-site library with collections on Unitarian Universalism, social justice, history, mental health, and civic engagement, available for member borrowing.
• Kiva Microfinance Lending Program Congregational participation in the Kiva peer-to-peer microfinance lending platform, with Follen Church Society ranked in the top 1% of Kiva lenders globally with $97,375+ loaned across 3,520 loans.
• Membership Programs Membership onboarding including signing the membership book and recognizing milestone membership years for congregants joining Follen.
• Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education Program Comprehensive sexuality education curriculum for youth as part of the Religious Exploration program, offered through the Unitarian Universalist Association's OWL curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,320+ lives touched through Kiva microfinance lending globally
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UU Urban Ministry (UUUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen's Racial and Economic Justice Group connects with UUUM in Roxbury, which works across race and place to dismantle racism and white supremacy culture and advance racial, social, and economic justice. Follen has a long history of financial and volunteer support for UUUM programs including the Roxbury Youth Program, Renewal House shelter, and community partnerships. Follenites contributed funds to the restoration of UUUM's historic meetinghouse.
• Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen partners with ABCL to promote public events and support research and interpretation of Black history. In 2023, Follen partnered with ABCL to start a new celebration of Dr. King's birthday. REJG funds one of the 2 ABCL Black History Portrait Banners each year and supports the Quock Walker celebration. Margaret M. from REJG provided research incorporated into the Black History Trail.
• Lexington History Museums (LHM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen provides financial support for LHM projects including the Stopping Stones memorial outside the Hancock Clarke House. REJG has written and produced the 'Slavery in Colonial Lexington' brochure distributed at historic sites, now in its 6th printing with 14,000+ copies distributed. Follen also supports LHM's newly opened museum in The Depot.
• LexSeeHerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerREJG collaborates with LexSeeHer on projects related to promoting and interpreting Black history and women's contributions in Lexington.
• Louis D. Brown Peace InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen has participated in the Mother's Day Walk for Peace for 13 years, the principal fundraiser for LDBPI founded by Chaplain Clementina Chéry. Follen supports families affected by homicide, youth education programming, and advocacy for survivor-centered policies through this partnership.
• LexRAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen's Immigration and Sanctuary Group works with LexRAP to help local Afghan, Venezuelan, and Haitian families acclimate to the United States, including ensuring legal representation and summer camp opportunities for children.
• Interfaith GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated near Lexington Green, the Interfaith Garden grows food for the Lexington Food Pantry. Follen volunteers participate in work shifts on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with community service hours available for students. Now in its 17th season.
• Dee Dee's CryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen supports Dee Dee's Cry through UUUM partnerships, an organization providing suicide prevention and mental health education resources for the BIPOC community.
• LUCE (Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollenites join LUCE which seeks to keep communities safe through grassroots organizing, information sharing, and mutual aid related to immigrant justice.
• Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen Church is affiliated with the UUA, the central organization for Unitarian Universalist congregations in the United States. The church displays the UUA logo and follows its principles and sources of authority.
• Welcoming Congregation ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollen has been designated as a Welcoming Congregation by the UUA, affirming its commitment to intentionally welcoming and affirming LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• First Parish in Concord: Historic UU congregation in Concord, MA with similar mid-sized New England suburban profile, multigenerational religious education, music programming, and progressive community engagement.
• First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin: Mid-sized progressive UU congregation combining worship, RE programming, music, and social justice action — a structural analog to Follen outside the Northeast.
• Arlington Street Church: Prominent downtown Boston Unitarian Universalist congregation with progressive social justice activism, public arts programming, and a streaming worship model directly analogous to Follen's hybrid delivery.
• First Parish in Cambridge: Long-standing Unitarian Universalist congregation in nearby Cambridge, MA, offering Sunday worship, religious education, social justice programming, and music series on a comparable scale to Follen.
• First Unitarian Society of Chicago: Large, progressive Unitarian Universalist congregation combining worship, social justice organizing, and music programs with a streaming and digital presence similar in spirit to Follen's Vimeo-based model.
• Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church (Houston): Suburban Houston UU congregation with multi-generational religious education, music programming, social justice focus, and volunteer-driven stewardship model comparable to Follen.
• All Souls Church Unitarian (NYC): Iconic midtown Manhattan Unitarian Universalist congregation emphasizing progressive social justice, music, and arts programming with streaming worship comparable to Follen's hybrid approach.
• Community Unitarian Universalists (White Plains): Mid-sized suburban UU congregation in Westchester with RE programming, music, social justice groups, and pledge-based funding comparable in scale and structure to Follen.

Broad incumbents

• Riverside Church: Larger progressive Protestant congregation in NYC with deep social justice programming, music and arts programming, and streaming worship — overlapping Follen's activist-and-arts positioning but at significantly larger scale.

Others

• Unitarian Universalist Association: Central denominational body of which Follen is an affiliated member congregation; provides shared principles, Welcoming Congregation designation, ministerial credentialing, and cross-congregation resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/follen/video
• Facebookfacebook.com/follenuuchurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/follen-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Follen Church