Rev. Denise Tracy began serving as our Interim Minister on Sunday, September 13.
InterimMinister
| Denise Tracy graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in 1974, with honors.. She was ordained at the New York General Assembly in the first ordination to have only women participants. For the next two years, she was in campus ministry in New England, setting up women's centers at six colleges. In 1974, she was called to be the minister of the Greater Lansing Unitarian Universalist Church. During her eight-year tenure, worship average quadrupled, the church built a new worship center to accommodate church growth and the church rented its facility to 30 community groups. A Wholistic Health Center was also begun.
Ms Tracy then became the first of the new District/UUA staff serving 75 congregations in the Central Midwest District. During her 8 years in CMD the budget tripled and a second staff person was hired. 19 building programs or renovations were completed and 9 new congregations were begun. Midwest Leadership School and Bayside summer camp were also launched. In 1992, Ms Tracy was diagnosed with breast cancer and left the position, in order to enter treatment.
Ms Tracy then became a consultant with the Alban Institute. Her specialties were mediation, plateau-ed congregations, growth, team building, and revitalizing congregations that were dying. She also worked with a number of congregations where serious malfeasance was an issue.
During this time Ms Tracy and her husband, Bill Decker, adopted three children, ages 2, 14 and then 1 year old. Ms Tracy then accepted a church position one mile from her home. This allowed her time to be a Mom. Harvard church had 17 members. It had just been left a legacy of $80,000. The task was to rebuild the church. The congregation decided to house a homeless shelter. It started a Spanish Immersion after school program. It also opened its doors to numerous community events. Six years later the church merged with a Pacific Rim congregation. When Ms Tracy left, Harvard church had grown to 175 members.
Since that time Ms Tracy has returned to consulting and to Interim work. She loves the excitement of getting to know a church and suggesting ways that might make it more attractive to new members and to future ministers. At her most recent Interim in South Bend, Indiana the church grew 35% in both numbers of members and in overall stewardship.
Ms Tracy comes to St John's, Cincinnati, knowing some people from summer camp and having come to teach Tai Chi here several times. As a musician she is eager to work with our very fine music staff. She has written four books for use with children in worship and welcomes the opportunity to include children in our Sunday worship service.
| | | | Minister of Music
| Dr. Catherine Roma received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music. Besides her ministry at St. John's, Dr. Roma is the founder and Artistic Director of MUSE - Cincinnati's Women's Choir, Co-founder and Director of the Voices of Freedom, and Professor of Music at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio.
| | | | | Associate Director of Music | Rachel Kramer has been with St. John's since 1995. She holds a B.M. in Piano Performance and M.A. in Music from Eastern Illinois University and an M.M. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Michigan. Rachel currently serves as Associate Director of St. John's and MUSE - Cincinnati's Women's Choir. In addition she is President of Music Learning Center, Inc. and an adjunct faculty member at Wilmington College. She is a nationally certified teacher of music (NCTM) and president-elect of the OhioMTA Southwest District. Rachel was just named the Ohio Independent Music Teacher of the Year. | | | | Acting Director of Religious Education
| Elizabeth Wilson has been a member of St. John’s for nearly 8 years. She has been involved with Unitarian Universalist religious education programs for over 15 years. During that time she has served in a variety of volunteer capacities—as a Sunday School teacher at every grade level from preschool thru 8th grade, as grade level team leader, and several stints on RE committees, including four years as RE Committee chair. In addition to her work at St. John’s, Elizabeth has worked extensively with children and youth, serving as an elementary school reading tutor, Girl Scout troop leader for two troops and as Events Coordinator and Communications Consultant for the Woodland Mounds Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. She lives in West Chester with her husband, David, and their daughters Alexandra and Hannah. | | | | Office Administrator
| Mary Jo (Josie) Arens has been the office administrator since 1991. Josie lives in St. Bernard with her husband Mike. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren and enjoys looking for bargains at "discount stores" and flea markets. Email Josie
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| | | | | Caretaker | Tim Johnson is a Cincinnati native. After high school Tim spent four years serving in the Marine corps and touring the the far east. After the service, he attended the Ohio State University for three years and graduated from the University Of Cincinnati.
Tim worked for the City of Cincinnati Water works and Sewer treatment before retiring after 25 years. He is a highly experienced industrial
electrician and an award-winning wood worker who won a blue ribbon for wood working at the Ohio State Fair.
Tim is married to Jo E Ellen and they live in Mt. Washington.
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