About me

I am an experienced progressive minister with an interest in collaborative leadership, social justice, and inspiring creative expression. I currently live in Quincy with my loving wife and two wonderful daughters.  For the past seven years, I have been the minister at First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Medfield. I have also served on the board of directors for the past six years at the U.U. Urban Ministry in Roxbury, where I helped craft our new mission and vision, and developed a new anti-racism program for U.U. congregations.

My journey to parish ministry began as a stage actor, meandered through teaching art and drama, and ended with a profound calling to become a minister.

In 1998, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in art education.  For the next four years I was a stage actor throughout the Greater Boston Area, and even toured across the country as part of a children’s theater company. During this time I began to discern the next chapter of my life and decided to use my degree to become an art teacher. Over the next thirteen years, I was an art teacher at public elementary, middle, and high schools in New Haven, Quincy, and Roxbury. I loved being able to inspire young minds and help them better understand the power of their creativity.

However, during these years I became more involved in church and social justice work, and considered becoming a Unitarian Universalist minister, like my mother before me. Therefore In 2014, I decided to enter Andover Newton Theological School.

During my four years at Andover Newton, in addition to all of my theological reading and writing, I also served as a chaplain at Beverly Hospital, at a homeless day shelter in Gloucester, as a ministerial intern at First Parish U.U. Canton, and at First Parish U.U. Hingham. After I graduated, I served as the Director of Family Ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Arlington Street Church in Boston, and as the Program Director for their Friday Night Supper Program, providing a weekly 3-course meal to Boston’s unhoused community.

My time serving in Medfield has helped me become a capable and caring minister. I have learned how to pastor to folks who are struggling with grief, loss, depression, and isolation, especially during the pandemic. I have officiated weddings, funerals, and child dedications. I have organized social events like pizza movie nights, and interfaith vigils. And I lead worship services most Sundays, that strive to be thought provoking and spiritually meaningful. I believe in the importance of both worshipping together to recharge our batteries, so that we are better able to live our U.U. values out in the world. To highlight this, I end each worship service with, “Here ends our worship. Let our service begin.”

If you have any questions please reach out. I look forward to connecting with you soon!

Peace, Rev. Dave