Rev. Jennifer Gracen will join St. John’s as an interim minister Aug. 1.

Rev. Gracen is a transitional minister, focusing on intentional interim, developmental, and consulting ministries.  She loves supporting congregations in times of growth and change while learning about and being part of the wide variety of stories we are writing together.

Rev. Jennifer grew up in Kansas, home to several generations of her family.  That’s where she first encountered Unitarian Universalism.   She was inspired by our tradition’s openness to questions and our commitment to social justice, and she soon felt a call to ordained ministry.

That call has stretched Rev. Jenn far beyond her Kansas roots.  She moved to Boston in 2009 to complete her seminary education at Andover Newton Theological School.  From there, she went on to work with churches in Napa Valley, CA, and Ontario, Canada, and she was ordained in 2014.  Rev. Gracen soon found herself back in the Midwest and called to the specialized work of transitional ministry.  She has served as an interim minister with churches in Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois – and she is excited to soon add Ohio to that list!  

Rev. Gracen will be moving to Cincinnati with her wife, Virginia, and their 2-year-old daughter later this summer.  She looks forward to getting to know the people of St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church and exploring all we can do together in this interim time. 

Until then, the kind, wise and ever-helpful Rev. Alice Diebel will continue to serve as our contract minister.