Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris

Meet our regularly visiting Ministers

the Rev. Johanna Boeke
The Rev. Jopie Boeke is a long-time friend of the fellowship - she has been coming to Paris for 18 years. She lives in England now but was born and raised in the Netherlands where she met her husband, Dick Boeke, an American Unitarian Universalist minister. They lived and worked together in the US for 23 years. Jopie studied for the ministry in Berkeley, CA and has been a UU minister since 1987. The Boeke’s have lived and worked in the UK for the last many years. They are now both retired, but continue their involvement in UU and interfaith organizations. (updated Nov. 2008)

the Rev. John Harley
The Rev. John Harley, is a British Unitarian minister currently coordinating youth events for young Unitarians across the UK. He combines this with art-teaching and studying to be a drama therapist. When he finds the time, he likes to walk up mountains and have attempts at writing poetry. (updated Feb. 2009)

the Rev. Art Lester — currently minister at the Croyden Unitarian & Free Christian Church in Croydon, Surrey
Originally from North Carolina, after working as a journalist and running a Mexican restaurant, Art studied rural development in England. He then worked for many years doing development work in Africa and in the Dominican Republic. In 1989, he entered training for the Unitarian ministry in the UK where he has served several churches. He has a second home in the Alpujarras, Spain.
Art is also a writer: our favorite is his prize-winning book "Seeing with Your Ears: Spirituality for Those Who Can't Believe" (iUniverse, 2003). Using the insights of teachers, philosophers, and psychologists from all ages, this series of essays invites readers to use their own experiences to find the way to a personal spirituality. As to the title, Art writes "... the Indian spiritual master Meher Baba said that asking to understand God was like asking for the privilege of seeing with your ears." (updated June 2009)

the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed — Mark served for 26 years as co-minister with his wife, Donna, in Rochester, New York, and Toronto. He is the author of Black Pioneers in a White Denomination and most recently of a second volume entitled Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism. He is also co-editor of a meditation manual, Been in the Storm So Long and In Between: Memoirs of an Integration Baby; this autobiography tells of his adolescent and young adulthood which he spent in Switzerland. Mark, a former president of the Canadian Unitarian Council, is currently an affiliated faculty member at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, but makes his home in Toronto and Georgian Bay.

the Rev. Jim Robinson — currently minister at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel in Hampstead, London
The Rev. Jim Robinson formerly served two parishes in Massachusetts: Concord (1978-82) and Brewster (1982-2004). Jim has been awarded recognition in many areas of his ministry, for example: by the Woman's International League for Peace and Freedom for his peace and justice work in 2003; a Certificate of Appreciation from the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2002 for his anti-racism work; The Gayla Award for his commitment to gay/ lesbian/ bisexual/ transgendered issues in 1997. (updated Sept. 2008)

the Rev. David Shaw — currently minister at Old Chapel (Unitarian) in Great Hucklow, Derbyshire
The Rev. David Shaw is currently serving as treasurer of ICUU (International Council of Unitarians and Universalists). He discovered Unitarianism about 35 years ago at a local Unitarian youth club. In the intervening years he has been involved with many Unitarian activities and events, locally, nationally and even internationally. After thirty years in education, as a teacher, working for local education authorities and then as a head teacher, early retirement led him to pursue the Unitarian ministry. He qualified in June 2007 and is currently serving a church in the centre of Britain in the small rural village of Great Hucklow. (updated April 2009)

The Rev. Gretchen Thomas grew up in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee and became a Unitarian Universalist minister in the 1980s. After living for ten years in Europe when she was one of our regular guest speakers, she moved to Melbourne, Australia where she has written "Walking in Others' Shoes: Stories from the early years of the UU partner church movement. It makes fascinating reading for anyone interested in North American--European UU connections and is available from Dorcy Erlandson or from the UUA Bookstore in Boston.

The Rev. Karen Tse A former public defender, Karen first developed her interest in the cross section of criminal law and human rights as a Thomas J. Watson fellow in 1986 after observing Southeast Asian refugees detained in a local prison without trial. She later moved to Cambodia in 1994 to train the country’s first core group of public defenders and subsequently served as a United Nations Judicial Mentor. Under the auspices of U.N, she trained judges and prosecutors and established the first arraignment court in Cambodia. After witnessing many violations of the rights of citizens Karen founded International Bridges to Justice in 2000 to promote systemic global change in the administration of criminal justice. She has since negotiated and implemented groundbreaking measures in judicial reform with the Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodian governments. Under her leadership, IBJ has expanded its programming to Rwanda, Burundi and Zimbabwe, and is now working to create a Global Defender Support Program that will bring IBJ assistance to public defenders worldwide. She is the recipient of numerous awards and was recently named by the US News and World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders. As a social entrepreneur, she has been recognized by the Skoll, Ashoka and Echoing Green foundations.(updated Jan 2010, from http://ibj.org/)


Home About UUism Services & Events Sermons & Ministers Monthly President's Letter Our Newsletter About Our Fellowship Sign Our Guestbook UU Links Contact Us			Sermons the Rev. Gretchen Thomas: Showing Up in Our Lives.pdf (.doc) the Rev. Art Lester: The Trouble with Sandcastles.pdf (.doc) the Rev. John Harley: I wish I could speak like music, February 5, 2011 (.doc) Professor Don Baily: On Gratitude. November 1, 2010 (.doc) the Rev. Margaret Kirk: Discord and Deadly Mischief: Charles Darwin`s Struggle to Go Public, February 8, 2010 the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed: Dragged Kicking and Screaming into Heaven, October 18^th 2009 the Rev. Jim Robinson: Ralph Waldo Emerson: America’s Greatest Unitarian Thinker, September 20^th 2009 the Rev. Art Lester: The Invasion of the Book Believers, March 9^th 2008 the Rev. John Harley: Where do we Come from? What are we? Where are we Going?, February 17^th 2008 the Rev. Gretchen Thomas: The Gift of a Year, October 14^th 2007 the Rev. Jim Robinson: Uncertainty and Faith, September 23^rd 2007 Professor Don Bailey: We Happy Heretics, May 7^th 2007 the Rev. Art Lester: Notice the Rose, April 7^th 2007 Rev. Jim Robinson: Peace Making: Living Non-Violently in a Violent World, January 27^th 2007 the Rev. Gretchen Thomas: Turning Toward the Morning: When Hope Knocks Out Fear, October 24^th 2004 Professor Don Bailey: Through the World to the Sacred, January 18^th 2004 the Rev. Gretchen Thomas: Servetus, October 26^th 2003 Rev. Orloff W Miller: Orloff - what took YOU to Selma?, January 26^th 2003 Meet our regularly visiting Ministers the Rev. Johanna Boeke The Rev. Jopie Boeke is a long-time friend of the fellowship - she has been coming to Paris for 18 years. She lives in England now but was born and raised in the Netherlands where she met her husband, Dick Boeke, an American Unitarian Universalist minister. They lived and worked together in the US for 23 years. Jopie studied for the ministry in Berkeley, CA and has been a UU minister since 1987. The Boeke’s have lived and worked in the UK for the last many years. They are now both retired, but continue their involvement in UU and interfaith organizations. (updated Nov. 2008) the Rev. John Harley The Rev. John Harley, is a British Unitarian minister currently coordinating youth events for young Unitarians across the UK. He combines this with art-teaching and studying to be a drama therapist. When he finds the time, he likes to walk up mountains and have attempts at writing poetry. (updated Feb. 2009) the Rev. Art Lester — currently minister at the Croyden Unitarian & Free Christian Church in Croydon, Surrey Originally from North Carolina, after working as a journalist and running a Mexican restaurant, Art studied rural development in England. He then worked for many years doing development work in Africa and in the Dominican Republic. In 1989, he entered training for the Unitarian ministry in the UK where he has served several churches. He has a second home in the Alpujarras, Spain. Art is also a writer: our favorite is his prize-winning book "Seeing with Your Ears: Spirituality for Those Who Can't Believe" (iUniverse, 2003). Using the insights of teachers, philosophers, and psychologists from all ages, this series of essays invites readers to use their own experiences to find the way to a personal spirituality. As to the title, Art writes "... the Indian spiritual master Meher Baba said that asking to understand God was like asking for the privilege of seeing with your ears." (updated June 2009) the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed — Mark served for 26 years as co-minister with his wife, Donna, in Rochester, New York, and Toronto. He is the author of Black Pioneers in a White Denomination and most recently of a second volume entitled Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism. He is also co-editor of a meditation manual, Been in the Storm So Long and In Between: Memoirs of an Integration Baby; this autobiography tells of his adolescent and young adulthood which he spent in Switzerland. Mark, a former president of the Canadian Unitarian Council, is currently an affiliated faculty member at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, but makes his home in Toronto and Georgian Bay. the Rev. Jim Robinson — currently minister at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel in Hampstead, London The Rev. Jim Robinson formerly served two parishes in Massachusetts: Concord (1978-82) and Brewster (1982-2004). Jim has been awarded recognition in many areas of his ministry, for example: by the Woman's International League for Peace and Freedom for his peace and justice work in 2003; a Certificate of Appreciation from the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2002 for his anti-racism work; The Gayla Award for his commitment to gay/ lesbian/ bisexual/ transgendered issues in 1997. (updated Sept. 2008) the Rev. David Shaw — currently minister at Old Chapel (Unitarian) in Great Hucklow, Derbyshire The Rev. David Shaw is currently serving as treasurer of ICUU (International Council of Unitarians and Universalists). He discovered Unitarianism about 35 years ago at a local Unitarian youth club. In the intervening years he has been involved with many Unitarian activities and events, locally, nationally and even internationally. After thirty years in education, as a teacher, working for local education authorities and then as a head teacher, early retirement led him to pursue the Unitarian ministry. He qualified in June 2007 and is currently serving a church in the centre of Britain in the small rural village of Great Hucklow. (updated April 2009) The Rev. Gretchen Thomas grew up in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee and became a Unitarian Universalist minister in the 1980s. After living for ten years in Europe when she was one of our regular guest speakers, she moved to Melbourne, Australia where she has written "Walking in Others' Shoes: Stories from the early years of the UU partner church movement. It makes fascinating reading for anyone interested in North American--European UU connections and is available from Dorcy Erlandson or from the UUA Bookstore in Boston. The Rev. Karen Tse A former public defender, Karen first developed her interest in the cross section of criminal law and human rights as a Thomas J. Watson fellow in 1986 after observing Southeast Asian refugees detained in a local prison without trial. She later moved to Cambodia in 1994 to train the country’s first core group of public defenders and subsequently served as a United Nations Judicial Mentor. Under the auspices of U.N, she trained judges and prosecutors and established the first arraignment court in Cambodia. After witnessing many violations of the rights of citizens Karen founded International Bridges to Justice in 2000 to promote systemic global change in the administration of criminal justice. She has since negotiated and implemented groundbreaking measures in judicial reform with the Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodian governments. Under her leadership, IBJ has expanded its programming to Rwanda, Burundi and Zimbabwe, and is now working to create a Global Defender Support Program that will bring IBJ assistance to public defenders worldwide. She is the recipient of numerous awards and was recently named by the US News and World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders. As a social entrepreneur, she has been recognized by the Skoll, Ashoka and Echoing Green foundations.(updated Jan 2010, from http://ibj.org/)

Sermons

Meet our regularly visiting Ministers