Good news from the Transition Working Group (TWG): We have a Bridge Minister! Rev. Deanna Vandiver (she/her/they) will serve on contract part-time to conduct about eight Sunday services, support our pastoral team, and staff through the end of the calendar year.  She will join us in the pews for the Sept. 15 Ingathering service!

Rev. Deanna comes highly recommended by Rev. Christopher, Rev. Tandi Rogers of the UUA’s Pacific Western Region, and Rev. Nancy Bowen, adviser to our recent Ministerial Search Team. Members of our Westside staff, worship and pastoral teams, TWG and Board have also interviewed Rev. Deanna.

Ordained in 2012 by the three member-congregations of the Greater New Orleans Unitarian Universalists (GNOUU) cluster, Rev. Deanna served as a Community Minister for that religious collective and as Co-Director of the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal (www.celsjr.org). She serves on the Committee for Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression and Multiculturalism of the UU Ministers Association. Rev. Deanna has made a “family-inspired” move to the Puget Sound region in June of 2018 and currently resides on Bainbridge Island.

We are full of gratitude for the opportunity to work in fellowship with Rev. Deanna while we await Rev. Christopher’s R1 Visa completion.

Rev. Deanna offers the following samples of her writings:

From the Beloved Community Project, published by Star Island Corp.: https://starisland.org/beloved-community-project/

Church of the Larger Fellowship blog: https://medium.com/@devandiver

Blessings,

Judi Finney & Laura White, Co-chairs TWG

On behalf of the TWG