Searching for a new settled minister is an arduous process, but also an invigorating one. We have spent this past year reexamining every aspect of our life at DUUF in order to best chart the path to our future. We are most grateful to our interim minister, the Rev. Donna Dolham, for her experience, wisdom, patience and tenacity in guiding us through this exciting and challenging period.
Search Update
The DUUF Ministerial Search Team is thrilled to announce our next interim minister! The journey to welcoming this minister was different than we thought it would be, but we have loved getting to know our next minister and we are confident you will too!
A.J. Galazen has been active in Unitarian Universalism for more than 25 years. He received the Master of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 2015. He served ministerial internships at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa Ontario, the UU Fellowship of Ottawa Ontario, and the Chequamegon UU Fellowship of Ashland, WI. He completed two units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, MN and Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, MN. He served on the board of Interweave Continental, Inc., representing Unitarian Universalists for LGBTQ concerns.
A.J. has worked as a church custodian, a telephone surveyor, a recreational specialist, a night watchman, and an assisted living concierge. For almost 20 years he was manager of patient financial services for nonprofit healthcare providers.
A.J. lives in Cornucopia, WI, a small village near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, with his husband of 33 years, Matthew, two standard poodles, Ziggy and Mouse, and two cats, Beanie and Carmel. He spends his free time building trails in the woods, hiking to hidden waterfalls, creating art and exploring religious diversity.
His call to ministry is concentrated in three areas: worship, healing, and transformation.
Worship is the work of the people, building bridges of meaning between theologies. Worship opens deep themes of spirituality and social justice while responding to the needs of the congregation and the community.
Healing is the path that promotes recovery and peace. Healing supports both personal and communal forgiveness. A healing focus helps people create lives of integrity and joy.
Transformation is the way that the Spirit of Life moves with mystery and grace through our world. Life is change, and in its transitions, we find questions, grief, laughter and love. Life is a gift, and we are blessed by sharing our lives and stories in beloved community.
A.J. will begin serving DUUF as our next interim minister on August 1st.
After a request from the Search Team, the Board of Trustees decided to follow the UUA recommended structure of a one-year contract renewable for a second year. We considered that the pandemic affected our settled minister search this year and is likely to affect the minister search process in 2021. By extending our time with A.J., we may be in less uncertainty during the next minister search. In addition, the Search Team and Board of Trustees felt that having the uninterrupted support of a minister over the next two years could be important for the congregation in these challenging times. A.J.’s focus on worship, healing, and transformation spoke to us especially in these times.
Welcome, A.J.!
