Contact Lisa about worship; pastoral care; Karuna ministry; caring committee; rites of passage; interfaith collaboration; denominational affairs
Rev. Lisa Bovee Kemper joined the UUCC staff on August 1, 2024 as Interim Minister.
What is Interim Ministry?
Interim ministry is a transitional ministry designed to help a congregation move from one settled ministry (ie. 21 years with Rev. Paige Getty!) to the next settled ministry. Most interim ministries last 24 months, and that is what UUCC is planning for.
The interim minister assists the congregation in moving beyond its last ministry and equipping itself for a new, different ministry. This preparation involves helping the congregation look at practices that may or may not be serving them well, assisting through the emotional process of transition, setting sights forward, and connecting the congregation to needed resources.
Rev. Lisa holds a BA in history from Oberlin College and a Master of Divinity from the Andover Newton Theological School, which is now part of the Yale School of Divinity in New Haven, CT. Before beginning her study for the ministry, she worked as a costume designer and wardrobe supervisor for theatre, dance, and opera productions, most notably at the Juilliard School. She is thus an artist and an activist, a pastor and a preacher. She is skilled in organizational assessment, and she approaches complex problems with curiosity. She is passionate about creating meaningful, collaborative worship services and empowering congregations to identify and live into their mission. She has been active in social justice movements ranging from LGBTQIA+ inclusion to immigration rights to reproductive justice. In 2014 she was a founding member of the steering committee of the Mountain People’s Assembly, after participating in Moral Monday actions in Raleigh. For the past two years, she has been the Interim Lead Minister of the UU Community of Charlotte, NC, and prior to that she served congregations in Greenville, SC, Asheville, NC, Leesburg, VA and as a hospital chaplain.
In her free time, Rev. Lisa enjoys knitting, cooking and baking, swimming, and spending time with her family. Her wife, Cindy, is ordained in the United Church of Christ and is trained as a hospital chaplain. Lisa and Cindy have two children, Harley and Elijah. All four of them are, in Lisa’s words, “owned by two cats,” an orange tiger named PJ and a tuxedo named Basil.