Mount Vernon Unitarian Church Who's Who

Our Leadership

The Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church (Unitarian Universalist) is one of more than 1,100 congregations that comprise the Unitarian Universalist Association [formed in 1961 with the merger of the American Unitarian Association (1825) and the Universalist Church in America (1793)]. Our church of more than four hundred adult members is governed by an elected, 10 member Board of Trustees. Board Members wear a blue name tag; they also are available to answer your questions. The approved minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees are available online. Additionally, a six-member Program Council (orange name tags) coordinates our many committees. We also have a friendly and helpful staff to assist you in church matters.

We are currently "between ministers" and are searching to fill that vacancy. While we are searching, and until an interim minister joins us, our Sunday Services team is finding fascinating and inspiring speakers to speak with us each Sunday. Please visit with us during these exciting times of transition and share the stories and messages these wonderful people have to offer.

Don W. Vaughn-Foerster is our interim minister as of August 1, 2007.

Meagan Henry is our Director of Religious Education. She began at MVUC on August 1, 2006. She came to us from Knoxville, TN where she served as the Youth Programs Coordinator at the Tennessee Valley UU Church and the Oak Ridge UU Church. She was also teaching World Religions in History courses in the Religious Studies Dept. of the University of TN, Knoxville. Meagan received her BA in Religious Studies in 2002 and her Master's of Philosophy in Religious Studies from the University of Tennessee in 2005. While working on her undergraduate degree, she taught at Garden Montessori School in the Lower Elementary.

Meagan is a life-long Unitarian Universalist. As a child, she attended the Meadville Unitarian Church of Meadville, PA with her family. She then moved to The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands, NC where her father and step-mother worked as full-time staff for several years. As an adult, Meagan joined the Tennessee Valley UU church in Knoxville, TN. She and her husband, James were married there and her daughter, Starling, has been an active participant in the Religious Education program.

Although her scholarly interests were primarily in the fields of Religion, Culture and the Media, Religious Nationalism, and New Religious Movements, Meagan is most fascinated with the rich religious history and mythology of the world's religions and she enjoys sharing these engaging tales with others, especially children.

Melodie Feather, Director of Music, was born and raised in the piedmont region of North Carolina.  After completing a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University, she went on to Marquette University School of Dentistry to earn a DDS.  Her dental career was short-lived, and for the next 18 years she pursued a medical practice management and consulting business.  However, music and church work have always been a part of her life.  Melodie's father is a retired United Church of Christ minister, and his ministry and her family's love for music were instrumental in developing Melodie's commitment to a religious community.  For the last 20 years, she has been an active UU and a member of the UU Church of Arlington, VA.  As a member there, she has served in a leadership capacity on numerous committees:  Services Auction, Ministerial Search Committee, Donor Development Committee, an Interim Music Director Search Committee as well as a Ministerial Relations Committee.  She has also been actively involved with the Children's and Youth Choir programs over the years.  Melodie was instrumental in helping purchase and in establishing the handbell program at the Arlington church.  This program embraces all levels of musical experience and has between 3-5 active ensembles each year.

Melodie's denominational work is also very important to her.  She is an active member of the UU Musicians Network and currently serves on the Board of Trustees.  She was an Administrator for the new UUA Hymnal Supplement, Singing the Journey, and she was actively involved in the publication of the new UU Children's Songbook, May This Light Shine.  One of her passions is to share these new resources with fellow UUs.  She has had wonderful opportunities to do so by presenting workshops in many UU forums across the country which include General Assemblies, LREDA Conferences, UUMN Conferences, and the first Contemporary Worship Conference.  Melodie hopes that her denominational work will continue to build  an active engagement with clergy, religious educators, lay leaders, and musicians both locally and within the Joseph Priestley District.

Church Staff

Anne Bredeck, Congregational Administrator

Jim Kerr, Religious Education Assistant

Norman Comfort, Custodian

Program Council Coordinators

Worship, Kim Cobb

Religious Education, Tamara de la Camp

Our Home Community, Sandy Peterson

Our Larger World, Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson

Administration, Doug MacCleery

Property, Mary Barnett

2007-2008 Board of Trustees

Jim Potter, Chair

Lauck Walton, Vice Chair

Lisa Guide, Secretary

Bill Clontz, Program Council Convener

Reid Adler

Wendy Burns

Ilene Gillespie (youth member)

Birgit Robbert

Raleigh Romine

Mike Walker

Treasurer

Al Erickson

Web

Webmaster

Last updated August 20, 2007 21:04