Consulting Minister for Religious Education and Pastoral Care, Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn
Julie-Ann is a lifelong UU who has been in parish ministry for 20 years. She has been lead Minister at the UU congregations in Bridgeport, CT and Kent, OH. In addition, Julie-Ann has served in the role of teacher and that of Director of Religious Education. During her ministry at Kent, OH that congregation saw significant growth in both its adult membership and the number of kids in its RE program. Her long history of community engagement and service to our denomination at the national level includes involvement in YRUU and Liberal Religious Youth (LRY) organizations. Julie-Ann has a deep commitment to RE and is thrilled to be joining UUCCH in a position that she believes will be both fun and rewarding.
Julie-Ann's Resumé.doc
When I was contemplating going into the ministry I was told two things that have stuck with me: “if there is anything else you can do-do it!” and “ministry is the last general practice." Recently a colleague told me that I should date the start of my ministry when I began preparation….I realized that would be most of my life. Like so many people these days I grew up in a less than “normal” family. My family was filled with love, conversation, highly charged and emotional exchanges, politics, social commitment, deep and abiding friendships and multi-generational families of origin and choice. All of which is to say I think I was preparing for the UU ministry from the day I was born and I come by it naturally. I had a great grandfather who was a Tzadek, or village religious scholar, in Poland. I also have a great grandfather who was raised by Jesuit priests, grew up to become a priest, and then eventually after arriving in the US from Ireland, his journey led him into the Methodist ministry. I come to ministry naturally. My father was a psychologist and my mother a psychiatric social worker. My parents used to say I went into ministry so I could do what they did, without admitting I was doing what they did. I come to the ministry with a genetic predisposition to ministry and pastoral counseling. Realizing this work is deeply woven into the fibers of my being, I embrace it and love it, even in the difficult and challenging times. Ministry is the door that others have provided into their lives and I am grateful to every individual and congregation that has ever opened that door to me, to allow me the privilege of serving them and their community.
After a life time of preparing, which included my years of deep involvement in the UU youth movement, my somewhat non-traditional journey through six years of college and my seminary years, I have now spent twenty years serving UU congregations professionally. After all this time my love of Unitarian Universalism and my sense of call to ministry have not diminished. I believe our faith has something unique and powerful to offer the world. I believe what we have to offer is needed at this time as much, if not more than ever. What we have to offer is our profound message of hope and abiding love handed down to us by our Universalist ancestors.
After more than 20 years in congregations and a life time of association with Unitarian Universalists, I have certainly found times of frustration, disappointment, disbelief and disillusionment. Those feelings have always been turned around quickly or out-weighed by the goodness, love and commitment I have always found in members of our congregations, no matter their size. Every one of our congregations prides itself on being unique and different, and they are right. Yet, they are also sadly mistaken, as even in their singularity they are very much like other UU congregations, and they can all learn from one another.
Unitarian Universalist ministry is not a job, or an occupation for me. UU ministry is a vocation, a calling deeply wound into the fibers of my being and I am proud of that fact. I love being a Unitarian Universalist minister because I love serving Unitarian Universalists and Unitarian Universalist congregations as they struggle and as they thrive. Being ordained as a UU minister was the greatest gift I have ever been given. I know that I will spend my whole life attempting to give back in varying measures so that others can see the joy that can be found in this faith. Which returns me to the notion of ministry as the last general practice, from hospital chaplaincy, director of religious education, extension minister, small church minister, midsize church minister, and now interim minister there have always been challenges and opportunities, successes and failures, joys and sorrows, and never once have I truly considered doing anything other than being a UU minister. Being a UU minister is simply who I am, it is my calling, and honestly I love ministry!