We Have a New Minister!
Brandon, Board of Trustees President
Sometimes, things in life happen just a bit too smoothly for my skeptical mind. Events occur one after another with a bit too much coincidence for my taste. Like when you hear about someone who did a nice job installing a hotwater heater, and then the next day your water heater has a heart attack. Or you hear a story about someone you don’t know and then run into them a few days later while the kids are playing at the park.
Well, here is another coincidence…
Last week, Rev. Joan was moving from Indiana to Harrisburg. On Saturday, she loaded the truck and moved on to the next adventure in her life with UUPlan, where she will be doing important work related to social justice and activism in the state capital. A huge chapter in her life and in the life of the congregation closing, turning the page to something new.
The next day, Sunday, a new minister walked through the doors of our church to sign the contract to become our new minister. Coincidentally, this person was leading a UU youth camp in State College and had time to come to Indiana, to worship with us, and get to know us a little bit. Just one day after our last minister moves to the next journey, our new one shows up to start their new journey with us. An interesting coincidence… maybe the universe is telling us something!
All this to say, “We have a new minister!” Pastor Elizabeth Mount (pronouns they, them, theirs) will be moving to Indiana and joining our congregation next month. They will start a two-year contract to guide us through an interim period and bring energy toward our mission to Inspire, Care, and Act. After a seven-month long minister search, the Search Team interviewed Pastor Elizabeth two weeks ago and made a recommendation to the Board. The Board agreed to make an offer, Pastor Elizabeth accepted, and everything was made official soon after.
Elizabeth is a UU minister joining us after completion of a Master of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School, a year of work as a Director of Religious Education in Columbus, Ohio and a two-year internship at the First Universalist Church of Denver, Colorado.
As a lifelong UU, Elizabeth has seen the transformative possibility of our religious communities. They want to continue fostering such a nurturing environment, utilizing skills from years of experience in education, activism, and UU church work. In collaboration with this congregation, Elizabeth is excited to create community, work for justice, deepen spiritual formation, and engage diversity.
Prior to entering seminary, Elizabeth was an organizer with environmental and Latinx community projects in Western North Carolina, the Appalachian coal fields, and the highlands of Guatemala. They bring strengths in organizational work, volunteer management, and multigenerational community building.
They participate in ongoing work on climate change, anti-racism, and disaster relief within and beyond Unitarian Universalism. Additional interests include rereading all of Octavia Butler’s novels, weaving, playing Ingress, and climbing rocks, trees… and the occasional bridge.
I am confident in saying that Pastor Elizabeth has devoted their life to a mission of Inspire, Care, Act. If you want to reach out, we have a new email for correspondence with the minister: MinisterUU.IndianaPA@gmail.com.
In a similar way to how Rev. Joan said that a place was made sacred by the focus of individuals coming together, I think that people “make luck” or create coincidence by their shared energies toward common goals and by acting on common principles. I am excited to think about where our congregation is going from here.
Please keep an eye out for more blog posts from me, as I will be sharing information related to Soul Matters, an event coming up with NAACP, and asking for discussion regarding our vision as a congregation.
Feel free to contact the board at BoardUU.IndianaPA@gmail.com.
Have a great, sunny summer!
Brandon
