»Clergy
The ministers at University Congregational United Church
of Christ work together in a team ministry model, different from the traditional
"Senior--Associate Minister" model familiar to many in American Protestant
churches. This means that they collaborate to address the needs of the congregation,
and the preaching rotation among the ministers is relatively equal. Click to see the
leadership staff's schedule.
Catherine Foote - Minister
CFoote@universityucc.org
Catherine was born and raised in Long Beach,
California, the youngest of five children. She became a Christian as
a teenager. After graduating from The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with a Ph.D. in Education and
Theology, she worked for ten years teaching Christian education and
biblical studies at San Jose Christian College. She then spent
eleven years as a youth minister and later associate minister at
First Congregational Church in San Jose, California.
Catherine began
her work in ministry with UCUCC on December 1, 2001.
She brings to her work here a passion for ministry, a love of
teaching, and a delight in telling Bible stories. Along with her
responsibilities in preaching and pastoral care, Catherine is also
working Christian education and Stewardship ministries.
Catherine currently lives on Whidbey Island where, in addition to
tending the flock at UCUCC, she raises another flock of Romney
sheep. She also enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities, a joy she
regularly expresses in trips to Yosemite, where she and her sister
have a tradition of hiking to the top of Half Dome to celebrate each
nephew’s graduation from high school.
In addition to her work in ministry, Catherine is the founder of
“Brake the Cycle, National Ride to Stop Child Sexual Abuse,” and has
ridden her bicycle across the country five times, raising funds for
child abuse prevention and recovery programs. She has also written
the book Survivor Prayers, Talking with God About Child Sexual
Abuse.
Catherine is the staff liaison for the following
groups:
Stewardship Ministry
Christian Education Ministry
Convening Leadership Staff
Personnel Board
Library Committee
Catherine's days off are Friday and Saturday.
2011 Sabbatical
As most of you know, Catherine is beginning a special sabbatical in July.
In conjunction with her sabbatical, Catherine and Meighan Pritchard (who will
be Interim Pastor in Catherine's absence) have created ways for our congregation
to participate.
Below is a list of materials in the packet in downloadable form. A hard copy is
available in the church office:
Two Flocks Sabbatical Invitation to Play
Worship in the Outdoors this Summer
Flat Catherine and Her Dog Lizzie
Image of Flat Catherine and Lizzie
Summer Scavenger Hunt
The Shepherd, Dog and Sheep Ballet
Two Flocks Sabbatical Schedule
 Peter Ilgenfritz - Minister
PIlgenfritz@universityucc.org
Peter
grew up in Lynnfield, MA where his family attended Centre Congregational Church
United Church of Christ. Peter received his B.A. from Colgate University in Hamilton,
New York in 1984, and his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut
in 1987. He met his partner Dave Shull at Yale Divinity School. He served as Associate
Pastor at First Congregational Church in Ithaca, New York from 1987 to 1989. He and Dave
moved to Chicago in 1989 where Peter served as the founding Executive Director of a
comprehensive HIV/AIDS care organization in Evanston, Illinois.
Peter
Ilgenfritz and his partner, Dave Shull were called to UCUCC as Associate Pastors in June
of 1994. They were the first gay couple called to a mainline Protestant church in the
country. Dave left his position at UCUCC in January, 2006 and serves as Pastor at Spirit
of Peace UCC in Issaquah. Peter and Dave live on Capitol Hill, and are currently
providing home and family for a Guatemalan teenager.
Peter
bikes to church most days, and enjoys going to the gym, baking bread and drawing. He is a
member of a Cho Bo Ji, a Zen Buddhist community on Capitol Hill and takes part several
times a year in week-long silent retreats.
Peter’s
responsibilities as a member of the leadership staff include preaching, pastoral care,
Christian formation, and serving as the staff liaison to the Executive Committee, Church
Council, and Worship and Music Boards.
Peter's
days off are Tuesday and Saturday.
 Meighan
Pritchard - Sabbatical Part-Time Minister
mpritchard@universityucc.org
Meighan Pritchard was part of
the CrossWalk America team of ten people (seven walkers, two film crew, and one driver) who walked from
Phoenix, Arizona to Washington, D.C. in 2006, talking about Progressive Christianity all the way. By the
end of the walk, she knew she had to continue the journey with seminary. She graduated from Pacific School
of Religion in 2010 with a master of divinity degree. One of her passions is to explore environmental issues
through the lens of faith.
Meighan formally began her
ministry as “Sabbatical Part Time Minister” with us on Sunday, July 17, 2011. During Catherine
Foote’s sabbatical (July 18-Oct.18), Meighan will be working 20-25 hours a week on Sundays, Mondays and
Tuesdays. Meighan was called to this position by the Church Council and was approved as a “licensed pastor”
by the Committee on Ministry of our Conference earlier this month. A licensed pastor is commissioned to
fulfill the duties of an ordained pastor for a particular time period. Meighan completed the process of being
approved for “ordination pending call” on July 14, 2011 which means that she will be an officially ordained
pastor when she has received a call to ministry from a church or other organization.
Meighan’s responsibilities this
summer and fall will include supporting the Sabbatical Activities Ministry Team as they engage us in
education, worship and other activities to strengthen our connections with creation, stewardship and
sustainability, environmental justice and our rural/urban connections. In addition, Meighan will assist
in worship leadership each week, preach four times, provide support to Sacred Earth Matters, and attend
council and other church leadership meetings and activities. She will provide pastoral care and take on
other designated responsibilities as needed.
Meighan’s last Sunday with us
(and Catherine’s first Sunday back) will be Sunday, October 23, 2011.
Meighan's days off
will be Thursday through Saturday.
 Amy
Roon - Minister
Aroon@universityucc.org
Reverend
Amy Roon Amy’s educational background includes a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of
Religion (2002), and a BA in Vocal Performance from Oberlin College (1996). She has served as
Associate Pastor at the United Churches of Olympia for the past two years. She was Interim
Pastor at Lummi Island Congregational Church for one year and Coordinator of Outreach and
Retention Services at Bellingham Technical College for two years. During her time at PSR, she
was also Music and Arts Director at First Baptist Church of Alameda (CA) for three years.
She is active in
both PacificNorthwest Conference and national UCC activities and committees.
In Olympia, Amy had
primary responsibility for developing activities for parents and families and ministering
to their spiritual needs. She helped the church create an alternativ e worship service and
also introduced some non-traditional worship styles (without alienating traditionalists!).
She worked to strengthen the membership process and long-range planning. United Churches uses
the Stephen Ministry model of lay one-on-one congregational care; Amy has been trained as a
Stephen Ministry leader and has both participated in and helped lead the Stephen Ministry
pastoral care process there. During her time at Lummi Island Congregational Church, she
championed stewardship, reached out to new members, and helped smooth the transition from a
minister who had been with the congregation for 13 years.
Amy has tremendous
passion and creativity and finds great satisfaction in helping others discover their strengths
and try new things. She is a musician and artist at heart, with stage experience in piano,
choral music, solo voice, and theater. While at PSR she created and led an exciting gospel
choir of fellow seminarians. She also led the choir and strengthened her own spiritual
direction at First Baptist Church of Alameda, California. (Amy can sing when called upon, but
feels it is more important to let others carry that role.) She is an enthusiastic practitioner
of InterPlay, a discipline that combines theater, dance, and spirituality.
Amy’s other “job” is
as mother to an adorable 15-month-old boy named Benjamin. Amy is an adoptee, and several years
ago decided it was time for her to “give back.” She adopted Benjamin as an infant. Their dog,
Jake, and cat, Winston, keep close tabs on them both.
Amy's days off
are Friday and Saturday.
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