First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee Welcomes New Associate Minister

Milwaukee, Wisc. -- August begins a new era for the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee. On August 1, 2009, the Reverend Dena McPhetres became the first associate minister in the church’s 167-year history. She joins long-time Senior Minister the Reverend Andrew Kennedy in the spiritual leadership of this Unitarian Universalist congregation. The Rev. McPhetres will be formally welcomed by the congregation on the first Sunday of its upcoming church year, September 13, and will deliver her first sermon on September 20. A lifelong Unitarian Universalist, the Rev. McPhetres grew up in Minnesota, making her current move to Milwaukee a Midwestern homecoming of sorts. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies at the University of Minnesota in 1990 and her Master of Divinity at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 1996. She was ordained at White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church in Minnesota in 1997. For the past 10 years, the Rev. McPhetres served as minister for the 100 members of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Laconia, New Hampshire. Her new church, the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, currently counts over 750 members, and has been on a consistent path of growth for two decades.   The Rev. McPhetres is not without experience in larger congregations. In the mid-1990s, she served both a ministerial internship and as summer minister at the 1,000+ member First Unitarian Church of Portland, Oregon. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of Jewish and Christian traditions, and over time has evolved into a spiritual home for people of all faith backgrounds. The Rev. McPhetres refers to herself as a nature mystic with a dose of humanism. “I have great respect for practicing Christians, observant Jews, practicing Buddhists, and people who celebrate the pagan wheel of life, whether these people are UUs or not,” says the Rev. McPhetres. Her areas of focus at First Unitarian Society will be pastoral care, social justice, small groups, and summer services. First Unitarian Society was organized in the spring of 1842 and built its present home, a historic building in an English Gothic style, in 1892. Since its beginnings in 19th-century Milwaukee, the church has been a place where diverse beliefs are respected and celebrated, and spiritual and intellectual growth are encouraged. For more information on First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, located at the corner of Ogden and Astor streets on the East Side, visit http://www.uumilwaukee.org or call 414-273-5257. -- Kathy Porter, Director of Membership and Development


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First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee is a spiritual home where freedom, reason, community, and social justice come together. For more information, visit http://www.uumilwaukee.org.

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