Minister
Get Acquainted with Rev. Carolyn Colbert
Get Acquainted with Rev. Carolyn Colbert
Get Acquainted with Rev. Carolyn Colbert
Interim minister, Rev. Carolyn Colbert, began her year with us on August 15th. She will be conducting the “Homecoming” service on September 7th. We welcome her to RVUUF. A Transition Team has been formed to assist Carolyn during her time with us. Members of the team are Harriet Berman, Peggy Cossolias, Herb Petschek, and Marshall Umpleby.
Get Acquainted gatherings will be offered in September. It is your opportunity to get to know our new minister. Sign up sheets are on the table at the back of the hall. The hour-long meetings will be held in the gallery on Sept. 11th at 2:00 PM, on Sept. 16th at 10:00 AM, and on Sept. 24th at 7:00 PM. There will be a maximum of 15 for each circle. If there is more interest than can be accommodated by the three planned gatherings, others may be scheduled.
Minister (Interim): Rev. Carolyn Colbert
Office Hours: Tue, Wed, Thu. Since there will be frequent changes to my schedule it is wise to call ahead if you'd like to have a focused visit. And I will be available at other times. Just call me at 482-3767 or e-mail me (Contact Us > Minister). If I can't come to the phone, my well trained voice mail will take your message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I take Monday as my day off. But do not hesitate to call me if there is a pastoral emergency.
On August 15th, Rogue Valley UU Fellowship welcomed its new Interim Minister: Rev. Carolyn Colbert. Rev. Carolyn comes from the UU Church in Livermore, California where she has just finished a one-year interim commitment. It had been her intention to retire after her year in Livermore. But when she received a SOS from Ashland, she put aside her retirement plans to spend a year with us.
Rev. Carolyn was the Interim Minister at the UU church at Washington Crossing in New Jersey, when Maria Geigel and Steve Weyer were members there. Their glowing recommendation introduced the Interim Ministerial Search Committee to the possibility that she might be a good candidate for us. When we mentioned her name to Heather Lynn, she told us that she and Carolyn had been friends and colleagues for years, and the Carolyn was, in her words, “a gem.”
During her career, she has served as an “on call” minister, an “extension” minister, and a “consulting” minister. She has served two churches as a called Parish minister, and five churches as their Interim minister.
As an example of what she brings to us, Rev. Carolyn served as settled minister at the UU church in Eugene. Beginning her ministry there in 1998, she followed two fine interim ministers (one of them, Heather Lynn) who had worked with the congregation to move through an unsettled history of difficult relationships with former ministers. Rev. Carolyn helped them grow from a pastoral church of 150 members, to a program-sized church with 350 members, 170 registered children and youth, 3 adult choirs and a kid’s choir. Under her guidance, their operating budget tripled. In 2006, at the end of her tenure there, the congregation honored her service by naming her Minister Emerita.
We think the RVUUF is indeed fortunate that Rev. Carolyn is willing to spend the coming year with us. We will welcome into our midst a minister with an amazing resume that shows clearly that she is a woman who has spent her life in service to the Unitarian Universalist movement.
Weavings from the Web... [Newsletter columns (PDF)]:
Sep 2008
Rev. Carolyn Colbert
On August 15th, Rogue Valley UU Fellowship welcomed its new Interim Minister: Rev. Carolyn Colbert. Rev. Carolyn comes from the UU Church in Livermore, California where she has just finished a one-year interim commitment. It had been her intention to retire after her year in Livermore. But when she received a SOS from Ashland, she put aside her retirement plans to spend a year with us.
Rev. Carolyn was the Interim Minister at the UU Church at Washington Crossing in New Jersey, when Maria Geigel and Steve Weyer were members there. Their glowing recommendation introduced the Interim Ministerial Search Committee to the possibility that she might be a good candidate for us. When we mentioned her name to Heather Lynn, she told us that she and Carolyn had been friends and colleagues for years, and the Carolyn was, in her words, “a gem.”
During her career, she has served as an “on call” minister, an “extension” minister, and a “consulting” minister. She has served two churches as a called Parish minister, and five churches as their Interim minister.
As an example of what she brings to us, Rev. Carolyn served as settled minister at the UU church in Eugene. Beginning her ministry there in 1998, she followed two fine interim ministers (one of them, Heather Lynn) who had worked with the congregation to move through an unsettled history of difficult relationships with former ministers. Rev. Carolyn helped them grow from a pastoral church of 150 members, to a program-sized church with 350 members, 170 registered children and youth, 3 adult choirs and a kid’s choir. Under her guidance, their operating budget tripled. In 2006, at the end of her tenure there, the congregation honored her service by naming her Minister Emerita.
We think the RVUUF is indeed fortunate that Rev. Carolyn is willing to spend the coming year with us. We will welcome into our midst a minister with an amazing resume that shows clearly that she is a woman who has spent her life in service to the Unitarian Universalist movement.
Goodbye Gathering
Goodbye gatherings for Rev. Heather Lynn Hanson will be hosted in private homes with morning, afternoon and evening hours offered. Opportunities to share our appreciation and joy!
Tue, Jun 3: 10am (June Holmes), 4pm (Mary Rexford)
Wed, Jun 4: 7pm (Maria Geigel & Steve Weyer)
Thu, Jun 5: 1pm (Meg Thomas), 7pm (Eileen Adee)
Mon, Jun 9: 10am (Margaret St. Clair)
Please look for sign up sheets in the foyer and if you have questions please feel free to contact Peggy Cossolias
RVUUF History
Our Fellowship was organized in 1953. As we have grown, we have changed locations and hired professional ministers & staff -- see below for milestones.
| Years | Minister (*=interim) |
|---|---|
| 2008- | Rev. Carolyn Colbert* |
| 2006-2008 | Rev. Heather Lynn Hanson* |
| 1999-2006 | Rev. Patt Herdklotz |
| 1995-1998 | Rev. Armida Alexander |
| 1994-1995 | Rev. Betty Pingel* |
| 1986-1994 | Rev. Brad Carrier |
| Years | Locations |
| 1990- | "UU Center"; 87 4th St. [Ashland] |
| 1986-1990 | "Old Pink Church" (Cabaret Theater) [Ashland] |
| 1979-1986 | Community Center [Ashland] |
| 1974-1979 | Minshall (Camelot) Theater [Talent] |
| 1959-1974 | Red Cross Building [Medford] |
| 1953-1959 | Homes of Arthur&Evelyn Kreisman & others; dance school; Girl's Community Club [Medford] |
Minister (Interim): Rev. Heather Lynn Hanson
Rev. Heather Lynn served RVUUF from Aug 2006-June 2008.
The Rev. Heather Lynn Hanson, born and raised in Oregon, grew up in a family of educators and music lovers. She discovered Unitarian Universalism as a young adult, and eagerly participated in creation of worship services and other leadership roles in the small fellowship she joined. She worked in educational video production and in adult training and education as she continued volunteering in UU church life and leadership. Once her two sons were grown, she returned to her childhood dream to become a minister. After graduating from seminary in Berkeley, CA, she served as associate minister for three years in Houston, Texas. She then returned to the Pacific Northwest to serve the Eugene UU Fellowship as an interim minister, and found that she liked that form of ministry. She received special training to become an Accredited Interim Minister with the UUA. Rev. Hanson has assisted six other UU congregations through their ministerial transitions before coming to Ashland.
INTERIM PASsaGES newsletter columns (PDF):
Jun-Jul 2008
May 2008
Apr 2008
Mar 2008
Feb 2008
Jan 2008
Dec 2007
Nov 2007
Oct 2007
Sep 2007
Jun-Jul 2007
May 2007
Apr 2007
Mar 2007
Feb 2007
Jan 2007
Dec 2006
Nov 2006
Oct 2006
Sep 2006
Aug 2006
