I first encountered Vincent Silliman in the archives of Meadville Lombard Theological School in 1990. I love music, hymnody, and liturgy. Discovering this minister had similar interests piqued my curiosity. On sabbatical in 1998 I began a fifteen year journey to discover the real Vincent Silliman and his importance to the hymnody and liturgy of modern Unitarian Universalism.
This book traces his life through his eight ministries until his death. It describes the projects that he was involved with such as three widely used Unitarian Universalist hymnals for children and adults, worship arts material, special ceremonies for honoring ministers at the Unitarian Universalist national assembly, and special worship services and wedding material for use by clergy. He reformed the national ministers association and helped create and lead the Religious Arts Guild which produced anthems, dramas, and other material. He accomplished all this without compensation for what was a labor of love for his adopted faith.