Alumni News
BUSTH celebrates Class of 2025
On Saturday, May 17, 2025, the Boston University School of Theology held its annual convocation ceremony and celebrated one of its most diverse classes ever. Friends and families of the graduates gathered in person at Marsh Chapel for the hooding and diploma ceremony, and many more were able to watch live online (see recording below). 77 students were named as candidates for May graduation in the program bulletin across six degree programs, and several Summer 2025 graduates also participated in the ceremony. This year, the School graduated its largest-ever Doctor of Ministry (DMin) class with 18 graduates, and its first-ever Master of Arts in Religion and Public Leadership (MARPL) graduate, with several more MARPL students set to graduate later this year.
“I bring you greetings on behalf of Boston University and the School of Theology. I welcome each of you upon this joyous occasion as we gather to recognize and applaud the achievements of our 2025 graduates,” Dean G. Sujin Pak welcomed the gathered congregation. “We extend a special welcome to family and friends, partners and mentors, pastors and allies who have come near and far. This is your celebration as well.”
Class of 2025 Convocation Service
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 2pm ET
Songs. Prayers. S’mores.
This article was written by Marc Chalufour and originally published in the 2025 issue of focus magazine, the annual publication of the BU School of Theology. This article can be found on page 8.
The singing starts at the camp's farmhouse with a group of staffers: "Allelu, allelu, allelu, alleluia!" They sing toward campsite 1, in the forest across the road. A few seconds pass. Then a response comes back through the trees: “Praise ye the Lord.”
Campers at site 1 then turn toward campsite 2, deeper in the woods, and start again: “Allelu, allelu, allelu, alleluia.”
The melody reverberates through the forest as the call-and-response song ping-pongs from one campsite to the next, up a hillside and back down again before coming to rest where it started.
“Allelus” are a Friday tradition at Wanakee, a United Methodist summer camp in Meredith, N.H. They begin at sunset on the last night of the week, while campers roast marshmallows and assemble sticky s’mores. Participants call it the most magical moment in a week packed with adventure, ritual, and community. Neighbors are rumored to sit out on their porches to listen.
While congregations of every denomination struggle to attract young people, Methodist summer camps are thriving. But what does camp have to do with the church?
Outdoor and camp ministry go back to the beginning of Methodism. John Wesley practiced “field preaching” in the 1700s to reach people not attending traditional church services. In the 1800s, pastors set up camp meetings on the American frontier, where churches had yet to be established.
In the 21st century, that legacy lives on at retreat centers and camps, which provide spaces for deeper experiences than a Sunday service may allow. The United Methodist Church (UMC) owns more than 175 such facilities nationwide, including three New England summer camps: Wanakee, Aldersgate in North Scituate, R.I., and Camp Mechuwana in Winthrop, Maine.
“We don’t see a lot of youth in our churches,” says Alicia Veléz Stewart (’18), pastor at Weston UMC in Weston, Mass., and camp chaplain at Aldersgate. But, she adds, the three camps serve more children in a summer—nearly 2,000—than New England’s 500-plus UMC churches see in a year. Those kids have the classic summer camp experience—swimming, canoeing, hiking, campfires, and bunkhouses—mixed with Methodist ministry.
For families across New England— including many from the STH community—UMC summer camps are an annual tradition. Kim Macdonald, STH’s director of communications, attended Wanakee as a camper and returned as a counselor and lifeguard. Now, with her own kids becoming campers, she volunteers on the board of directors.
“Children need camp,” says Macdonald (CFA’04, COM’23). “They need to be disconnected from the grid. They need to be disconnected from their screens. They should live in a world where they are all equal and they all can serve each other in ways that foster growth and maturity. It was the best week of my year while growing up, and I want that experience for my kids.”
Faith in Practice
Jen Savoy, the pastor at Contoocook UMC in Contoocook, N.H., also has a long history with Wanakee. She has sent four children to the camp and has spent time at the camp every year, volunteering on committees and directing programs.
Savoy (’21) has witnessed the power of the camaraderie and community that develop as campers and staff share experiences and try new things. “Church is an hour, once a week, and you’re sitting in a pew, listening to someone talk,” she says. “At camp, they can see faith in action.”
Last summer, Savoy decided to conquer her fear of heights. She strapped on a climbing harness and made her way up into the trees on the camp’s ropes course. When she reached a platform high in the trees, she “was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.” But she could hear campers shouting encouragement from the forest floor and kept going. “When we get to practice being Christians and be the hands and feet of Jesus and encourage others—show God’s love to the world—that’s when our faith becomes real,” she says.
“Camp is one of the few places left that offers that kind of freedom and experimentation,” says Veléz Stewart. “You don’t have to be anything but yourself, and we can’t say that all the time for our sanctuaries. Aldersgate is a place of true radical welcome, true radical hospitality, true radical love.”
Veléz Stewart was a Master of Divinity student at STH in 2017, looking for a field education opportunity. While most of her peers found placements in churches, the former Girl Scout wanted a different experience. “Camping was in my blood,” she says. So she reached out to Aldersgate.
Eight years later, Veléz Stewart is looking forward to another summer as chaplain. “It’s a way of making faith in community accessible and not scary,” she says. “My goal is to make faith— not religion, not denomination, but faith—accessible and authentic for our campers. For many of these kids, Aldersgate is their church.”
We are empowering our youth to be persons of character and persons of faith. - Alicia Veléz Stewart ('18)
Creative Ministry
Eungil Cho is a pastor in the northeast corner of New Hampshire, where he oversees seven United Methodist churches. His congregations are shrinking and getting older. Cumulatively, says Cho (’19), they draw fewer than 100 people on a given Sunday, and not many of them are children. “It’s always been a concern of mine—how do I provide spiritual formation for my own son?” He found his answer at Wanakee, which his son has attended for three years.
Cho, who wanted to experience the camp for himself, began volunteering as chaplain in 2023. He leads a Thursday night service, but his role is otherwise informal. He’s learned that sharing adventures with the campers, like a long swim to an island, allows him to make connections that aren’t possible during an hour in church on Sunday. He’s come away from Wanakee inspired by another element of camp life: mealtime.
At each dinner, kids from a different campsite lead grace and a series of songs. Cho was surprised by how engaged the kids were and was inspired by their creativity. “The religious components in our traditional church can be boring and uninteresting to children,” Cho says. “Wanakee does a good job of making that very interesting by making it silly.” He’s brought some of that humor and creativity back to his churches, introducing classics like “Superman Grace” to his programs.
At Aldersgate, Veléz Stewart also fosters creativity. Every summer, she and the camp director design a week of faith formation that includes the biblical narrative as well as art, music, worship, and prayer. In 2024, Aldersgate focused on the Lord’s Prayer, which she helped the campers learn. On Thursday evenings, the kids lead a collaborative worship. Each cabin pre-sents their interpretations of the summer’s prayer. These reimagined prayers can take any form, like works of art or camp songs.
“We are empowering our youth to be persons of character and persons of faith,” Veléz Stewart says. “They’re taking this kernel of faith that we have planted and nurtured so that they can live it out in a way that works for them and makes the world better.”
A Spiritual Space
There’s an irony in the continued relevance of camp ministry: What began in the 1700s as a respite in undeveloped areas now exists as an escape from development. For one week, kids can trade their screens and headphones for campfires and group songs. They run in the dirt, swim in the lake, and climb in the trees.
“We keep it rustic on purpose, because we want to keep the focus on being in fellowship with one another as a community,” Macdonald says. “I see being able to connect with your fellow person on a deeper level as a spiritual experience.”
To Veléz Stewart, camp is no less spiritual a space than her own church. Deep on Aldersgate’s property, just before the main retreat center, where the forest meets the lake, is a rustic, outdoor chapel surrounded by trees. She likes to hold morning worship there. “It’s one of these places where the veil between this world and the Kin-dom is most thin,” she says. “Everything feels very apart from the world and, in this wonderful way, it gives the kids a chance to take a deep breath.”
Savoy has seen Wanakee shape her kids as campers and staffers over almost two decades. Last summer, she volunteered as a site director for a week and enlisted her youngest daughter to help. Savoy was amazed to see how her normally introverted child emerged from her shell to help run things. When Savoy asked why she didn’t do that at home, her daughter responded with four words.
“Camp is magic, Mom.”
BUSTH Publishes Annual FOCUS Magazine for 2025
The Boston University School of Theology is pleased to announce the 2025 publication of its annual magazine focus. This issue's theme is "reimagining ministry," which asks the reader to consider new strategies for healing a hurting world. Our faculty, staff, and alumni are pushing these boundaries of ministry as evidenced throughout the issue. The 2025 issue features close-ups on faculty promotions, a spotlight on the community-focused work by our online and hybrid students, Methodist camping ministry, and thought-provoking articles written by alumni and faculty. The featured sermon was preached by Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Religion and Black Studies emilie m. townes at the matriculation service of worship in September 2024.
This issue also features the first publication re-design in over a decade, which showcases exciting digital content from our community from the past year with a vibrant new palette. Any questions about the magazine can be directed to sthcomm@bu.edu.
Read the full issue here.
Prof. Emilie Townes interviewed by UChicago Divinity School
The following is an excerpt from the article “A Little Education Goes a Long Way” featuring Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Religion and Black Studies emilie m. townes published on May 6, 2025 by University of Chicago Divinity School.
The bluster of early May in Hyde Park didn’t dim the joy Rev. Dr. Emilie Townes, AB’77, AM’79, DMN’82, felt upon returning to Chicago to receive a 2025 University of Chicago Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.
“Here, I learned the value of being as clear and precise and honest as possible when talking, writing, thinking, feeling, doing,” Townes said in her remarks at the May 1 ceremony. “And it is because of this skill, which began here in Cobb Hall, that I want to thank the Alumni Association for this award—and the University for the education I received here that has made it so.”
...
Boston University awarded Grant from Lilly Endowment to continue “Trauma-Responsive Congregations” Initiative
Boston University is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $611,500 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to continue and expand the "Trauma-Responsive Congregations" project.
This project, which is a continuation of a four-year program previously funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, will help the university scale the work of supporting urban congregations in addressing collective trauma through an innovative, interdisciplinary approach. The new grant will enable the project to continue through 2028.
A collaboration between the Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) and the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (CAMED), the Trauma-Responsive Congregations project combines resources from trauma studies, trauma-informed theology, pastoral care, and mental health. The unique partnership supports congregations as they respond to the complex and multi-dimensional needs of their communities, promoting healing and resilience.
The project is led by principal investigators Dr. Shelly Rambo (BUSTH), Dr. Eunil David Cho (BUSTH), and Dr. Eric Brown (CAMED). Their leadership ensures that the project remains deeply rooted in both theological and practical understanding of trauma within faith communities.
Building on the success of the first phase of the project (2020-2024), which worked with 10 urban congregations across San Diego, Boston, and one congregation that meets entirely online, the next phase of the project will expand to include 30 new congregations from multiple denominations.
These congregations will be part of five new learning cohorts that will focus on shared contexts, such as multicultural churches, Black churches, immigrant churches, congregations ministering to LGBTQ+ members who have been affected by religious trauma, and congregations in communities facing significant numbers of individuals and families experience homelessness. Each cohort of clergy and lay leaders will take part in in a three-month program that includes an educational series, an in-person retreat, and group mentoring. Participating congregations will also develop concrete action plans tailored to their missions and aimed at addressing the trauma affecting their communities.
“During this critical time in our nation’s history, where stress and trauma are at the forefront of many of our minds, we are excited to continue our work with congregations to help them draw upon their innate strengths as religious communities to serve as agents of healing,” says principal investigator Dr. Eric Brown. “As a team we are comprised of both church leaders and scholars with expertise in trauma theology, mental health, and pastoral care.”
The next phase of this important work promises to bring greater opportunities for growth, collaboration, and transformation for congregations across the country.
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Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana, it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. While the primary aim of its religion grantmaking focuses on strengthening the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States, the Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the contributions that people of all faiths and diverse religious communities make to our greater civic well-being.
Ambassador David J. Young (STH ’87, Pardee ’88) Reflects on Multifaceted Leadership Experiences
The following is an excerpt from the Show Me Mizzou article by Randall Roberts, “A diplomat’s guide to uncertainty: Ambassador David Young recalls life lessons from a career on the road,” published on April 24, 2025. Click here to read the full article.
"My path was a bit unconventional. 
After Missouri, I went on a Rotary Scholarship to Trinity College in Ireland, where I studied comparative religion and peace studies. I was interested in ministry, so I continued at Boston University’s School of Theology, where I studied social ethics. After that, I earned a master’s in international relations, and one of my professors suggested that I take the Foreign Service exam. I thought I’d stay for three to five years — and then 35 years later, I retired from the Foreign Service.
... In the last decade of my career, I worked in leadership roles in sub-Saharan Africa: Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, Malawi and Sudan. As ambassador, I was like the CEO of an embassy, leading strategy and outreach. As deputy chief of mission, I focused on internal management. I loved both roles. My ministerial background influenced my leadership style. I saw embassies as teams where everyone’s contributions mattered. The high point of my career was leading these embassies."
Dr. Paul H. Carr Publishes “Containing Climate Change: To Save Us”
Dr. Paul H. Carr recently authored the text, "Containing Climate Change: To Save Us."
The book description reads:
"We have made some progress in slowing climate change, but billion-dollar weather extremes are increasing. In fire- and flood-prone areas, many homeowners cannot afford insurance if it’s available.
Some may remember waiting in line for hours to fill their gasoline tanks during the 1974 oil shortage. Gas prices increased from $.30 per gallon to over $1.00. Did anyone realize we had to toil against oil? In 1988, climate scientist Dr. James Hansen testified to Congress that burning fossil fuels are warming our planet. We must toil so we won't boil.
Starting in 2011, I debated climate critics. Then Emily Austin, Karl Peters, and I organized The Wicked Problem of Climate Change conference. We discussed the book Drawdown’s100 Ways of Reversing Global Warming. A plant-rich diet is number three. Twelve conference papers were published in Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science (July 2018).
A 50-Year Perspective: 
enabling economics,
new technology, &
caring theology
can save ecology.
The Inflation Reduction and Climate Act of 2022 has economic incentives for new green technology to save the ecology that feeds us.
May my presentations and papers increase your understanding and inspire you to act now to save life on our beautiful blue planet. In 2022, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe published Saving Us. Our Earth will survive, will we?
Ask not what our Earth can do for you,
Ask what you can do for our Earth."
Rev. Dr. Michele DeMarco (’07)
The following obituary was originally posted by Alameda Funeral & Cremation Services and can be found here.
Michele DeMarco peacefully passed away on Thursday at the age of 50 after a long battle with cancer.
She was born to Rosemary and Charles DeMarco in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and was a loving partner to Andrew Simboli for many years in Alameda, CA.
Michele’s Celebration of Life memorial service is scheduled for April 25th at 1 PM at Alameda Funeral and Cremation Services, 1415 Oak Street, Alameda, CA 94501.
A native Bostonian, Michele holds a Ph.D. 
in Psychology and earned master’s degrees in World Religion and Ethics, Comparative Culture and Conflict, and Psychology through a consortium involving Harvard University, Boston College, and Boston University. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in religion from Boston College and received professional certificates in Conflict Transformation and Mediation. Additionally, she studied Marriage and Family Therapy at Antioch University and completed further academic coursework in marketing and communications, business, education, criminal justice, and law. This academic experience professionally prepared her for what she had wanted to do since her childhood: "Making a positive difference in people's lives".
Professionally, Michele was a trained therapist, clinical ethicist, and trauma researcher, specializing in moral injury. And recently, she became the Clinical Director for Brothers Keeper Veteran Foundation. (BKVF)
Michele was an award-winning writer and was one of Medium’s Top Writers for Mental Health and Health, respectively, and the author of the Psychology Today blog “Soul Console: Healing from Moral Injury.” Her writing appeared in the New York Times, POLITICO, The Hill, The Boston Globe, and numerous other publications. Her non-fiction publications encompass "Holding Onto Air”, “The Art and Science of Building a Resilient Spirit," and "Writing the Wrongs: A Guided Journal for Healing Moral Injury." Her novel, About Others, won the Mystery Writers of America’s Helen McCloy Award for Mystery Writing.
"Mother’s Thoughts"
Michele was a shining light in so many lives. However, those who knew her are now dealing with a void that cannot be replaced. Michele, even as a child, was always resourceful and committed to any personal project or friendship that she was drawn to. Interestingly, a very dear friend whom Charlie met in college, and later became his Business partner for many years, just recently copied a letter that Michele had written at the tender age of eleven in 1986 to a lawyer who was representing the parents as they were applying to adopt another child. It is much too long to read here; however, it was incredibly well written, and it ended with “If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me”. Then she wrote the address and telephone number. None of us remember ever seeing this before!
She had such an incredible intellect and could simultaneously switch to a silly sense of humor in an instant.
I remember well when she called me after her first date with Drew, and I asked her what he was like. She answered simply, “He makes me giggle”.
Michele loved to talk, and I shall sorely miss the many hours a week that we spent talking about anything and everything. Nothing was off the table. She truly was the most interesting person that I have ever met. Her generosity had no bounds. So much so that she always gave her time freely to help people on a larger scale by giving lectures, Zoom meetings, and Keynote speaking at Universities and Healthcare systems.
We loved her so very much!
Dad’s Thoughts
Michele’s life was a beautiful story, and as her father, I had the privilege of being part of it. Now, I carry her story in my heart. She lived with a gentile heart and left a trail of memories too beautiful to forget.
She had two memorable quotes which I hold dear to my heart…
• “We cannot recreate our lives going backward. We can only reclaim our life moving forward.”
• “We don’t always have control over the events in our lives, but the 'script' we live by is ours to write – and write it we must, as only we can.”
Her passion (at least one) was how stories are told, what makes them matter, and how they affect a person or group’s lived life, and how those experiences affect the world in which we live.
As a child, she was resourceful and willing to try almost anything. Once she set her mind to do something, nothing could stop her, including building friendships, playing sports, and always trying to make lives better. We were once at a gymnastics event, and she flew over the horse, not making the vault. Given the second chance, her determination kicked in, and she vaulted and received the highest score in the vault competition that day.
Drew’s Thoughts
Michele was a gift for which I am eternally grateful, for she illuminated my life, and the lives of so many others, with her warmth and grace. She gave of herself without hesitation, lifting those around her with her endless kindness. Michele's elegance and femininity were matched only by the strength and brilliance of her mind.
Even has she fought a relentless battle with stage 4 cancer for four years, Michele met each day with unflinching courage and determination. During that time, she completed her PhD and wrote two books, accomplishments that speak to her unstoppable spirit and formidable mind. A remarkable human being, she left a legacy of courage, love, and dignity. Michele was a light in this world, an exceedingly rare and radiant soul. Her presence changed people, and she endures in the hearts of those she touched. To know Michele was to witness the best of what humanity can be. She will be forever loved, dearly missed, and always remembered.
Rest in Peace, our Angel
At Michele’s request, Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to (BKVF): Brothers Keeper Veteran Foundation or to the Breast Cancer organization of your choice.
(BKVF) Brothers Keeper Veteran Foundation: 7380 Spout Springs Road #210, PO Box 102, Flowery Branch, GA 30542
Executive Director, Full-Time, EGMH: Houston, TX
The Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH), the only free-standing museum in the Americas dedicated to the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the principles of nonviolent conflict resolution, seeks a visionary and strategic Executive Director to lead the institution into its next phase of growth and impact. Opened in 2023, EGMH is a bold cultural and civic initiative designed to inspire individuals and communities to embrace the universal values of truth, nonviolence, peace, love, and service. The Executive Director will be a dynamic and mission-driven leader responsible for strategic leadership, fundraising, visitor development, and day-to-day operations. This is a rare opportunity to lead a new museum with a powerful mission and an ambitious vision for educational and social impact in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the nation.
Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston
The Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH) was established in 2002 as the Mahatma Gandhi Library and has evolved into a transformative civic and educational institution. Following years of successful programs, events, and outreach activities—including the citywide Mahatma Gandhi Week—the organization embarked on an ambitious capital project to build a permanent museum. Opened in 2023, the new 12,800-square-foot museum sits on a three-acre campus in southwest Houston and was designed by RDLR Architects with immersive exhibits created by the award-winning firm Solid Light.
The Museum is organized around three central themes: His Journey (Gandhi’s life and philosophy), Our Journey (the global influence of his teachings, including their impact on leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama), and My Journey (personal transformation and nonviolent action). Unlike traditional museums, EGMH does not house a permanent collection; instead, it offers a fully experiential and narrative-driven visitor experience. Through interactive digital displays, immersive storytelling, and engaging audiovisual presentations, the Museum encourages visitors to reflect on history and personal responsibility while exploring the transformative power of nonviolence. EGMH already welcomes approximately 7000+ visitors annually, with a focus on school field trips and youth education aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum. The Museum also offers adult education, public programs, and signature community events such as the Gandhi Birthday Celebration and the Pedal for Peace Bike Ride.
EGMH operates with a small paid staff of three including an operations manager and a staff assistant, over 36 volunteers, and a highly engaged Board of Trustees comprising eleven members. Its 2025 operating budget is approximately $440,000, with revenues from admissions, memberships, events, and donations. The $12.5-million capital campaign has raised over $9 million to date. A future endowment campaign aims to raise $3 million to ensure long-term sustainability.
Opportunities and Challenges
This is a pivotal time for the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston. With the successful opening of the Museum and strong early response from visitors, EGMH is poised for strategic growth in programming, fundraising, and visibility. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to lead the development of a new strategic plan to guide the Museum's future priorities and sustainability, and to:
• Lead a newly established museum with an inspiring mission and a strong foundation.
• Build visibility and partnerships across Houston’s richly diverse communities.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy, including major gifts, foundation support, and the launch of a planned-giving program.
• Expand educational offerings and deepen relationships with schools, educators, and families.
• Professionalize operations, including volunteer training, technology integration, and administrative systems.
• Serve as a visible and persuasive ambassador for nonviolence, civic education, and cultural dialogue.
Responsibilities and Expectations
The Executive Director will demonstrate a deep commitment to the values of nonviolence and civic education, and show accomplishments as a strategic thinker, team builder, fundraiser, communicator, and leader adept at translating vision into action. They will be expected to:
Leadership and Strategic Vision
• Provide strategic leadership aligned with the Museum’s mission, vision, and values, and facilitate strategic planning.
• Collaborate with the Board of Trustees to develop and implement short- and long-range goals.
• Serve as the face and voice of EGMH, communicating the principles of Mahatma Gandhi to internal and external audiences.
Fundraising and Financial Oversight
• Oversee financial operations, develop budgets, and ensure fiscal responsibility.
• Lead fundraising efforts, including major gifts, grants, donor cultivation, and special events, in partnership with the Board.
• Complete the remaining phase of the capital campaign in collaboration with the Board and key stakeholders.
• Work with the Board to launch and grow the endowment and planned-giving programs.
• Use innovative strategies to develop and grow earned revenue opportunities from gift shop sales, facility rentals, and special events.
Visitor Development and Communications
• Oversee communication strategies including social media, newsletters, and media relations.
• Promote Museum visibility through public speaking and community events.
• Uphold and advance the EGMH brand and mission across platforms.
Administration, Staff Management, and Programming
• Supervise and support Museum staff, including the operations and education managers. Establish performance goals, conduct evaluations, and foster a collaborative culture.
• Oversee volunteer engagement, training, and recognition.
• Enhance Community Engagement and Public Programming.
• Cultivate partnerships with schools, nonprofits, cultural organizations, and civic groups.
• Oversee the development and delivery of education and public programs, ensuring inclusive, mission-aligned, and impactful programming.
Board and Governance Relations
• Support the Board of Trustees in governance and committee work.
• Provide regular updates and clear communication on operations and strategy.
• Help recruit and orient new Board members as needed.
Experience, Skills, and Attributes:
• Proven leadership experience in a nonprofit, museum, or mission-driven organization.
• Success in fundraising, working with donors, foundations, sponsors, and governmental funding sources.
• Strategic planning acumen; ability to oversee the annual budget, and articulate performance to the Board.
• Communication and interpersonal skills; comfort with public speaking and to media about the Museum.
• Experience in managing staff, volunteers, and organizational operations.
• Tech-savvy, with working knowledge of social media, office software, and database systems.
• Collaborative spirit and cultural sensitivity.
We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this position.
Compensation
The salary range is $90,000 - $110,000 commensurate with experience, plus benefits package.
How to Apply
To apply in confidence, submit application by June 16, 2025, to: Dan Yaeger, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference, via SearchandRef@museum-search.com.
Please include:
1) A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience.
2) A résumé.
3) The names and contact information for three professional references able to evaluate the candidate’s leadership and work, indicating their relationship with the candidate.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. Nominations are welcome. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.
Youth & Religious Education Program Coordinator, Part-Time, UU: Belmont, MA
Title: Youth & Religious Education Program Coordinator
At: The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist
Reports to: Assistant Minister for Lifespan Faith Formation
Hours: 20 hours/week
Status: Non-exempt
Salary: In accordance with the UUA Fair Salary Guidelines, commensurate with experience, and pending budget approval on June 1st.
ABOUT THE FIRST CHURCH IN BELMONT
We are a thriving congregation of more than four hundred adult members and nearly a hundred children and youth. We are diverse in faith, history, and spirituality, and aligned in our desire to make a difference for good. We meet for services weekly on Sunday mornings as well as throughout the week for many programs and activities.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Youth Director & Religious Education Program Coordinator role coordinates and directs the youth group and provides administrative support for the children’s and family ministry programs of the church, including Sunday morning classes and the Our Whole Lives (OWL program). This is a hybrid position with on-site, in-person work as well as regular remote work.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Youth Coordinator
- Manages the structure and content of Youth Group meetings (Sunday evenings 6:00 - 8:00pm), and leads or participates in them regularly; upholds a friendly, inclusive, safe atmosphere; makes time for socializing and fun, conducting business, and for sacred space and deeper sharing.
- Plans and oversees youth group activities of all sizes and scopes, including, but not limited to: fundraisers for the youth service-learning trip, such as trivia night and the Halloween Party, youth worship services and other worship participation, local community service, and social action opportunities
- Coordinates and supports the team of volunteer youth advisors, including managing the advisor schedule, and communicating about upcoming needs, plans, and processing group dynamics. Ensures regular check-ins with the advisor team.
- Recruits adults to serve as youth advisors, parent-helpers, and chaperones for trips and overnights with support of the Assistant Minister and RE Committee.
- Communicates with youth and parents via regular, targeted means; as well as with the wider congregation about what’s happening in youth ministry.
- Fosters opportunities for youth to engage in congregational life beyond Youth Group, including examples such as: joining the choir or otherwise providing music in worship, participating in social justice events, religious education teaching, committee membership, and roles in congregational worship, including intentional multigenerational programs and events.
- Invites and welcomes formerly active and new/visiting youth into activities; follows up individually after newcomers visit.
- Respects, upholds, and ensures compliance with FCB’s Safer Congregation Policies
Religious Education Program Coordinator
- Supports religious education teachers and volunteers through various administrative tasks including scheduling/confirming volunteers, providing activity preparation, and sourcing materials.
- Maintains database records including registrations, class rosters, email lists, attendance records, and other relevant data.
- Supports the maintenance of religious education classrooms, storage spaces, and supplies, keeping these areas well-stocked and tidy.
- On Sunday mornings, assists with aspects of the religious education program as needed, including supporting students in classes and supporting volunteer teachers.
- Assists with childcare coordination and prepares materials and supplies for the providers including rosters, safety items, toys, etc.
- Assist with coordination of the Our Whole Lives (OWL) program, including scheduling program dates, recruiting volunteers, and managing registration process.
- Supports Religious Education special events such as children’s parties, social justice projects, teacher trainings, parent meetings, and other activities.
- Maintains communication with families and the wider FCB community.
- Respects, upholds, and ensures compliance with FCB’s Safer Congregation Policies
- Participates in staff meetings, planning sessions, and religious education committee meetings as appropriate.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED
Note that this is a list of ideal skills and experience. We do not expect candidates to have all of these. We encourage you to apply if you feel your experience might be a good fit for this position.
- At least 2 years experience working with children, youth, families, and volunteers.
- Familiarity with computer programs: Windows, MS Office, Google Docs. Database management experience is desired.
- Knowledge of and commitment to Unitarian Universalist values
- Strong oral and written skills
- Strong organizational skills
- First Aid and CPR certifications are desired for this position. If the applicant does not have this training, training will be provided.
- Applicants will be asked to complete MA background checks in accordance with our Safer Congregation Policy for all employees and volunteers.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Mission Ownership: Demonstrates understanding and functions in full support of the vision, mission, and values of the FCB, as well as the mission of the Youth Group.
- Values and Philosophy: Fosters an atmosphere which is guided by the values and purposes of Unitarian Universalism; treats children and youth as whole community members.
- Interpersonal skills: Establishes and maintains good working relationships with others who are relevant to the completion of work; is approachable; communicates directly; avoids triangulation.
- Organization and Planning: Can keep track of detailed tasks, while not losing sight of the big picture. Is able to sequence tasks in a logical and thorough manner. Can anticipate challenges or needs and prepare accordingly. Values and demonstrates preparation and follow-through in all activities and projects.
- Teaching and Modeling: Presents ideas and activities which challenge and inspire youth and children; models deep questioning and a curiosity about life’s meaning and humans’ place in it; does not purport to have definitive answers; rather, learns and explores alongside youth.
- Trust and Listening: Cultivates a presence of openness and trust; uses active listening skills; withholds judgment; maintains confidentiality as appropriate.
- Self-differentiation: Understands and maintains appropriate personal boundaries with others; demonstrates emotional maturity; can remain non-anxious even in the midst of turmoil; relates well with youth; maintains a strong personal support system.
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to the Assistant Minister, Rev. Martha Durkee-Neuman, at mdneuman@uubelmont.org. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If we are able to invite you for an interview, we will contact you as soon as possible.
Additional Information can be found at: https://www.uubelmont.org/jobs/youth-and-religious-education-program-coordinator