Ministry Leadership Team

Meet the 2011-2012 Ministry Leadership Team

Rev. Nate Walker, Executive Director; Scott Youmans, Chair;

Eric Orts; Katherine Schneider; Phebe Shin; and Connie Simon.

Mission Statement

1. Executive Function: The Ministry Leadership serves a role of an executive body to assist the minister with personnel issues and operational decisions, serve the church community as mediators when needed, and manage conflict while modeling spiritual maturity. This work is often confidential in nature. In addition, the MLT serves as the Minister’s advisors by providing honest feedback, advice and recommendations to the Minister, both in response to requests from the Minister and in response to words or deeds of the Minister.

2. Achieving the Ends: The MLT supports the minister and staff and volunteers in achieving the congregation’s Ends by providing consultation on aspects of the ministries of the church, and by providing oversight and support of the various Ministry Teams.

3. Oversight: The Ministry Leadership Team provides oversight and support to the congregation’s programmatic areas: Caring, Communications, Fundraising, Membership, Property, Religious Education, Social Justice, and Worship Arts (Music & Worship).

4. Support: The MLT oversees and supports ministry teams by being aware of each team’s progress, questions and needs; offering consultation, resources and encouragement to help teams achieve their goals; and evaluating the effectiveness of current teams and, as needed, proposing changes to existing teams, the creation of new teams or the dissolution of existing teams.

Scott Youmans, Chair

Scott Youmans has considered himself a Unitarian-Universalist since 2001 when he and his partner Kelly joined Bell Street Chapel, a UU congregation in Providence, RI. Over time, he served on the Worship Committee, Nominating Committee and as President of the Governing Board. He has also been active with the Boston Chapter of the National Organization for Men Against Sexism, the ManKind Project and the Transformative Language Arts Network. His current pantheistic outlook has developed over time. As a child, he was raised Baptist, attended Episcopal grade school with daily morning mass and then attended four years of Catholic High School. During and after college, he was interested in Taoism and its practical application, co-founding the AOL chat-room “Taoism Today” that met regularly in the early 1990’s. Scott’s spirituality and religious leanings have recently been inspired by the writings of David Abram, Robert Jensen, and Rumi. Poetry is an especially important practice in his life; the reading and writing of it provides meaning and opportunities for transformation. The Ministry Leadership Team will be Scott’s first active role at First Unitarian and he looks forward to learning more about the congregation while offering his support and experience.

Eric Orts

Eric Orts was raised a third-generation Unitarian Universalist in the small town of Colerain, Ohio.  He furthered his religious education studying for the Religion in Life award in scouting (since discontinued due to fundamentalist influences in the Boy Scouts) and in religion courses at Oberlin College.  He was previously a member of the All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City and joined the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia in 1991 when he moved to Philadelphia to begin teaching as a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.   His primary teaching and research interests are in corporate law and environmental management.   Eric served the church previously in various capacities, including as a member and president of the Board (1995-98).  He also once taught sustainability themes in Sunday school (though with mixed success, according to his son Emmett).  Eric and his current wife, Julie, were married by the Rev. Ken Beldon of the WellSprings Congregation (second marriage for both).   Julie is also a member of the church—and its excellent choir!

Katherine Schneider

Katherine Schneider was delighted to have finally found a spiritual home when she joined First UU in December, 2010.  Katherine is a native of New York City and lived for several years in Asia and Europe as a child.  She and husband Bill moved from Connecticut to Philadelphia in 2008, with one out of four of their blended family of teenagers (the other three circulate through).  Katherine is a family physician with extensive experience in community health and health care reform.  She currently serves as a senior vice president of a 5000-employee nonprofit health system in southeastern New Jersey. She is humbled and honored to have the opportunity to grow and serve the UU community through the Ministry Leadership Team.

Phebe Shinn

I was born just before The War (the big one) I remember ration books & air raid drills & V-E Day & V-J Day. Got my Art History degree at Wilson College. Came to Philadelphia, met  George Shinn at a fencing class & shortly after married him. Settled in University City, had two boys, kept busy with community activities. Went back to work - spent more years than I care to remember as an admiinistrator at Penn, ending up as media coordinator at the Annenberg School for Communication.  Started life as a Presbyterian (both grandfathers were ministers), remained active for years, then got bored & drifted away. Entered First UU hesitantly (at George’s urging) & discovered beliefs I could believe in, a worldview that was both spiritually and intellectually satisfying. Have been a member of the Property Committee/Team for years; was on the Board for Property an  then President. Started  the Rummage Sale some years go; chaired the Auction for seven-eight years. Worked for several years to develop the Ministry Leadership Team when First Church decided to change its governance system.  Currently I am a member of the  Sanctuary Study Committee.

Connie Simon

A member since November 2009, Connie was born and raised in rural southern Chester County.  An avid reader and student of life, Connie is particularly curious about individual spirituality - how and why we each choose our own spiritual path and how we align our actions in accordance with that path.  She is currently working on her family history and performing music with our own Cory O'Neill Walker.  Connie is also using her legal and business background to develop a series of community education seminars on financial literacy and launch a scholarship fund.  She is also a past chair of our Membership Ministry Team and active participant on the Social Justice Task Force. This year she will help coordinate the new Journey Toward Wholeness racial justice/multiculturalism initiative.