Background
EDUCATION
Ministries
1973-1975 Associate Minister, Unitarian Church, Harrisburg, PA
I worked as the Director of Religious Education and youth programs. We had a church school of 100, 14 middle school youth and 16 high school youth. I was in the pulpit once a month and took charge of the annual canvass. I was mentored by the Rev’d Earnst Sommerfeld, a noted humanist thinker, and teacher. This 200 member congregation turned me into a minister and graciously ordained me.
1976-1982 Minister, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Charlottesville, VA
1982-1988 Senior Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, GA
In the unforgiving, oval sanctuary of this large congregation, with people on all sides and above me, I learned the intricacies of preaching. In my years as senior minister, the congregation devised and carried out a successful five year plan; the budget doubled; three hundred new members were welcomed; the Association’s first and only full-time youth director was added; Rising Press, now with 15 books in print, was established; and a Conflict Resolution Center was developed using a three year Vetch Grant.
While I was serving in a co-senior ministry with my spouse, the congregation devised and carried out a successful strategic plan; added five hundred new members (for a total of more than a thousand); increased its budget from $183,000 to $768,000; experienced a
successful capital fund drive ($1.7 million); moved to new quarters; added the Association’s first full-time coordinator for social justice; developed an inner city youth partnership, Unity Summer, supported by a $250,000 Veatch grant; won the Pickett Award for congregational growth; built a large (17 groups, 100 people) music program; enhanced the church school to 610 children; established professionally supported youth programs involving more than a 100 junior and senior highers; and became a major force in the community.
During four decades of working with more than 450 different church boards and many district, denominational, ministerial and community committees, I have practiced organizational consulting. In my consulting practice I have conducted church board retreats; conflict interventions; strategic planning and visioning workshops (based on the Peter Drucker Tool of Nonprofit Assessment); and mainly, fundraising programs (more than $500 million raised).
I was responsible for delivering field services to congregations, ministers and religious
educators to the nearly fifty Unitarian Universalist churches of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I conducted more than 100 workshops in those three years covering every aspect of congregational life and relating to all congregational sizes. More than twenty of these congregations have participated in vision and planning work with me. Almost all congregations have participated in my fundraising workshops. During my tenure, the District improved its dues compliance from 60% to 83% of the ask and added Religious Education and Youth Professionals.1999-2000, Interim Senior Minister, All Souls Church, Washington
This deeply divided congregation asked me to help heal its wounds, stabilize membership and improve fundraising. During the year, the entire congregation participated in more than 40 focus groups to find common hope for the future. Over 100 new members were added to the congregation. And, the church had its most successful canvass ever. One of my great joys is seeing it thrive in its new settled ministry.
2000-2002, Special Assistant to the President, UUA: The Campaign for UUism
I was responsible for the organization, publications, major donor phase and management of this $32 million campaign. We raised more than $35 million as we closed the Campaign at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association in June of 2004. Of the $35 million raised more than $20 million came from donors cultivated and closed by me.
2002-2014, Senior Advisor to the President, UUA
Continuing my work as the senior fundraiser for the Association, I added responsibilities for public outreach campaigns, establishing a UUA Donor Advised Fund and assisting the President in planning for financial development. During the leadership transition in the Association’s Financial Development (summer and fall of 2003), I assumed leadership and mentoring role on the management team. Additionally, I was charged with setting up regional UU growth funds with an ultimate goal of raising $50 million for use in local societies and metro areas.
2004-2014, Vice President for Stewardship and Development, UUA
At the President’s request, I started as Acting Vice President in January 2004 and was appointed Vice President in June 2004. In this role, I was responsible for the comprehensive fundraising efforts of the Association including over $15 million annually in cash and $10 million in deferred gifts. During my service as chief UUA fundraiser, we brought over $200,000,000.00 in cash to support Unitarian Universalism. It’s a joy to have helped hundreds of donors make their dreams come true in the faith they love.
2014- 2016, Interim Senior Minister, Beacon Unitarian Church in Summit, NJ. This wonderful congregation asked me to help them through the abrupt loss of two beloved ministers and to implement a collaborative leadership team approach to church operations. They have settled the exceptional Reverend Robin Tanner as Minister of Worship and Outreach, and their future is bright.
2016-2018, Interim Senior Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills, 
MA. This quintessential New England congregation asked me to assist them in implementing shared ministry. Once worried about their prospects of settling a minister, they have now called the remarkable Rev. Dr. Kelly Murphy Mason.
Serving another nearly 400 year old congregation in a time of pandemic and virtual worship has been a special challenge. Four of our eight members contracted COVID-19 and one died after an extensive ICU stay. Through it all, the congregation persevered and found an inspiring settlec minister, Elizabeth Carrier- Ladd
DENOMINATIONAL SERVICE
1989-93 Chair, Unitarian Universalist Association Distinguished Service Award Committee
Association, Ministry Days, General Assembly, Salt Lake City, UTLeading UU’s at a protest in Foley Square, NYC
Thriving Through Transition 